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If you've ever produced a client newsletter, prospecting direct mail piece or website, you've likely faced the question asked by millions of business owners and marketing professionals every day: What the heck do I fill this thing with?
Once upon a time, we might have called it news or information. Today the buzzword is content and the tactic is content marketing. The guiding principle of this tactic is providing your target market (including prospective and existing clients) information that will help them solve a problem or further their buying decision without talking about how you specifically can fulfill that need.
Content marketing evolved as consumers became savvier. Even today's elementary school children can smell a sales pitch a mile away. Take the sales smell off the bait, and you stand a better chance of getting your prospect to come closer, to look around, to sample what you have to offer.
At the core of content marketing is, well, content, and in today's multimedia world that can take any number of forms: articles, video, audio, graphics and infinite combinations thereof. The point is to provide the prospect information that educates, entertains or otherwise engages your prospect. Your ability to deliver that content builds your credibility with the prospect, connects them to your message and leads them to select you as their advisor.
Before you launch a content marketing effort, create a plan that addresses your goals and your methods.
- How often will you publish (we use that term loosely to mean 'put out to the universe') content?
- How will you publish content (printed newsletter, email newsletter, videos, podcasts, etc.)?
- How will you generate content?
- What topics do you want to cover?
- How will you measure success?
So let's take the basic example of a prospect newsletter (some would argue you can reach prospects and clients with the same newsletter; others would debate that these two audiences have similar but different needs. Discuss.)
1) To begin, decide if you will publish weekly, monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly. You want to publish often enough to keep your name top of mind but not so often as to annoy your prospects. You've got other touch points in your prospecting and client communications processes, so let's say you decide publishing monthly will work for now.
2) How will you publish your newsletter? You'll need to weigh the benefits for different methods against the time and cost involved. Print newsletters, for example, have physical presence, lobby coffee table appeal and a certain longevity with some readers. On the other hand, creating a nice-looking printed newsletter takes time and money for printing and postage. Outsourcing to a third party reduces your time but increases your costs. Email newsletters can be less expensive, but they can be easily deleted. If you have difficulty deciding on a method, ask your ideal clients how they prefer to receive information.
3) That brings us to content generation. You can generate content in three general ways: 1) purchase content from a service; 2) hire someone to create custom content for you; or 3) write it yourself.
Purchasing content again involves an expense, as does contracting with a ghost writer or multimedia specialist, but these two options require less of your time. Ghost writers will require some time on your part, as you'll need to start the writer off with a description of your target market and then help generate topic ideas periodically. Writing yourself saves you money and results in custom content not found anywhere else, but it does involve an investment of your time. Is writing something you enjoy and that comes easily to you? If you struggle with it or lose yourself in it, you should probably outsource and save your time and energy for income-producing activities.
4) What topics do you want to cover? Yes, you've got the basics like college planning, retirement planning, income distribution, tax planning and estate planning—but what do your prospects need to know about those topics? What information can you provide that will be useful to your reader regardless of whether or not he or she becomes your client?
Planning your topics over a year or longer will help you avoid that "what to write this month" dilemma that eventually comes up if you work with a ghost writer or create content yourself. Even if you decide to outsource to a newsletter or content vendor, knowing the topics coming up several months in advance can help you reinforce those messages in your other marketing and communications channels.
5) So how can you measure success? First, base it on what you want to accomplish, and don't expect your phone to be ringing off the hook, or your email inbox bulging with requests, for an initial meeting. Success with a writing program takes time to yield tangible results. Instead of those direct replies from prospects, think of this activity as part of your overall marketing plan—with each word you write you're building up credibility with prospects and current clients.
No matter what you write, make sure you provide an easy "call to action" for your readers. For instance, in an email or direct mail piece you can provide a link to a downloadable white paper that you or your broker-dealer created; you'll then be able to measure how many downloads you've gotten. You can also create a specific email address to which readers can respond with requests for more information. Finally, if your writing is being sent to both current clients and prospects, be sure to include references to the regular services you provide clients. For instance, you can include a sentence such as "As our clients know from our monthly "About the Markets" conference call, it's important to keep a long view on the markets, and stay focused on your financial plan and goals…"
Just Do It
With so many channels and topics to choose from, getting started on a content marketing program can seem overwhelming. So start small with something you can easily accomplish–like planning, writing and posting a blog to your website every month (check with your compliance department for guidelines). Like any good library, your content marketing repository will grow over time and evolve as you learn and receive feedback from the people consuming it. Just be sure to keep your content helpful and user-focused, and you'll keep your clients and future clients coming back for more.


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With service centers nationwide and our 24-hour emergency parts guarantee, Kaeser customers can rely on the best after-sales support in the industry.
From global corporations to intelligent trades businesses; from food production to aerospace: Our customers benefit day in, day out, from the quality, safety, and cost efficiency that a Kaeser compressed air supply brings.
Learn about our development from a machine shop to one of the world's most successful manufacturers of compressed air systems.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Rollie Mule
Rollies leather mule
very light weight and great for travel
Rollies leather mule
very light weight and great for travel
If something you've ordered isn't quite right, we happily offer refunds! *NOTE: we do not accept refunds for sale items!
Simply email us to notify us of the issue within 1 week of receiving the item, ship it back to us with tags attached, and once received we will issue the refund. We cannot refund shipping fees however.
If shipping items back to us from the U.S., please use the U.S Postal Service.
We also offer refunds on all merchandise damaged in the post, although we will do everything in our power to ensure your item is packaged properly to arrive safely. If you do receive a package with a damaged item please take a photo of both the damaged item and the damaged packaging it came in. This is necessary to make the insurance claim.
Please feel free to email us with ANY questions, we're here to help!
We ship out packages three times a week, usually within 3 business days. On rare occasions shipments may take longer than 3 days to ship out, but you will be notified by email if that is the case. We ship out from 10177 125 Street NW Edmonton, AB.
We do our best to estimate the shipping times, but sometimes the package can be held up by customs while entering the destination country, therefore these are approximate shipping times, but pretty darn close:
Within Canada: Official stance of the post office: 2 weeks or less. In our experience: 1-10 days
USA: Official stance of the post office: 3 weeks or less. In our experience: 1-2 weeks
All international orders may be subject to taxes and duties. These fees are charged by your government and are entirely separate from any shipping fees.
**Please note, packages CAN be delayed by customs, which unfortunately is out of our control. This is a rare occasion, but it can happen.**


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India :: South Asia
The Indus Valley civilization, one of the world's oldest, flourished during the 3rd and 2nd millennia B.C. and extended into northwestern India. Aryan tribes from the northwest infiltrated the Indian subcontinent about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. The Maurya Empire of the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. - which reached its zenith under ASHOKA - united much of South Asia. The Golden Age ushered in by the Gupta dynasty (4th to 6th centuries A.D.) saw a flowering of Indian science, art, and culture. Islam spread across the subcontinent over a period of 700 years. In the 10th and 11th centuries, Turks and Afghans invaded India and established the Delhi Sultanate. In the early 16th century, the Emperor BABUR established the Mughal Dynasty, which ruled India for more than three centuries. European explorers began establishing footholds in India during the 16th century.
By the 19th century, Great Britain had become the dominant political power on the subcontinent. The British Indian Army played a vital role in both World Wars. Years of nonviolent resistance to British rule, led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU, eventually resulted in Indian independence, which was granted in 1947. Large-scale communal violence took place before and after the subcontinent partition into two separate states - India and Pakistan. The neighboring nations have fought three wars since independence, the last of which was in 1971 and resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. India's nuclear weapons tests in 1998 emboldened Pakistan to conduct its own tests that same year. In November 2008, terrorists originating from Pakistan conducted a series of coordinated attacks in Mumbai, India's financial capital. Despite pressing problems such as significant overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and widespread corruption, economic growth following the launch of economic reforms in 1991 and a massive youthful population are driving India's emergence as a regional and global power.
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
3,287,263 sq km
2,973,193 sq km
314,070 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than one-third the size of the US
Land boundaries:
13,888 km
border countries (6):
Bangladesh 4,142 km, Bhutan 659 km, Burma 1,468 km, China 2,659 km, Nepal 1,770 km, Pakistan 3,190 km
7,000 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea:
12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
continental shelf:
200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north
upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
mean elevation:
160 m
elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,598 m
Natural resources:
coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, rare earth elements, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land
Land use:
agricultural land:
arable land 52.8%; permanent crops 4.2%; permanent pasture 3.5%
16.4% (2011 est.)
Irrigated land:
667,000 sq km (2012)
Natural hazards:
droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes
Barren Island (elev. 354 m) in the Andaman Sea has been active in recent years
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap water is not potable throughout the country; huge and growing population is overstraining natural resources
Environment - international agreements:
party to:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the world, lies on the border with Nepal
People and Society
1,266,883,598 (July 2016 est.)
Ethnic groups:
Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000)
Hindi 41%, Bengali 8.1%, Telugu 7.2%, Marathi 7%, Tamil 5.9%, Urdu 5%, Gujarati 4.5%, Kannada 3.7%, Malayalam 3.2%, Oriya 3.2%, Punjabi 2.8%, Assamese 1.3%, Maithili 1.2%, other 5.9%
English enjoys the status of subsidiary official language but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the most widely spoken language and primary tongue of 41% of the people; there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language (2001 census)
Hindu 79.8%, Muslim 14.2%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.7%, other and unspecified 2% (2011 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
27.71% (male 186,420,229/female 164,611,755)
15-24 years:
17.99% (male 121,009,850/female 106,916,692)
25-54 years:
40.91% (male 267,203,029/female 251,070,105)
55-64 years:
7.3% (male 46,398,574/female 46,105,489)
65 years and over:
6.09% (male 36,549,003/female 40,598,872) (2016 est.)
Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio:
youth dependency ratio:
elderly dependency ratio:
potential support ratio:
11.7% (2015 est.)
Median age:
27.6 years
26.9 years
28.3 years (2016 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.19% (2016 est.)
Birth rate:
19.3 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)
Death rate:
7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)
urban population:
32.7% of total population (2015)
rate of urbanization:
2.38% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major urban areas - population:
NEW DELHI (capital) 25.703 million; Mumbai 21.043 million; Kolkata 11.766 million; Bangalore 10.087 million; Chennai 9.62 million; Hyderabad 8.944 million (2015)
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.12 male(s)/female
0-14 years:
1.13 male(s)/female
15-24 years:
1.13 male(s)/female
25-54 years:
1.06 male(s)/female
55-64 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.9 male(s)/female
total population:
1.08 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth:
median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2005/06 est.)
Maternal mortality rate:
174 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
40.5 deaths/1,000 live births
39.2 deaths/1,000 live births
41.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
68.5 years
67.3 years
69.8 years (2016 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.45 children born/woman (2016 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate:
54.8% (2007/08)
Health expenditures:
4.7% of GDP (2014)
Physicians density:
0.7 physicians/1,000 population (2012)
Hospital bed density:
0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)
Drinking water source:
urban: 97.1% of population
rural: 92.6% of population
total: 94.1% of population
urban: 2.9% of population
rural: 7.4% of population
total: 5.9% of population (2015 est.)
Sanitation facility access:
urban: 62.6% of population
rural: 28.5% of population
total: 39.6% of population
urban: 37.4% of population
rural: 71.5% of population
total: 60.4% of population (2015 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.26% (2013 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,118,100 (2015 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
67,600 (2015 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk:
very high
food or waterborne diseases:
bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases:
dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria
water contact disease:
animal contact disease:
rabies (2016)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
4.7% (2014)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
43.5% (2006)
Education expenditures:
3.8% of GDP (2013)
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
60.6% (2015 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
12 years
11 years
12 years (2013)
Child labor - children ages 5-14:
total number:
12% (2006 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
11.6% (2012 est.)
Country name:
conventional long form:
Republic of India
conventional short form:
local long form:
Republic of India/Bharatiya Ganarajya
local short form:
the English name derives from the Indus River; the Indian name "Bharat" may derive from the "Bharatas" tribe mentioned in the Vedas of the second millennium B.C.; the name is also associated with Emperor Bharata, the legendary conqueror of all of India
Government type:
federal parliamentary republic
New Delhi
geographic coordinates:
time difference:
UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
29 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal
although its status is that of a union territory, the official name of Delhi is National Capital Territory of Delhi
15 August 1947 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 26 January (1950)
previous 1935 (preindependence); latest draft completed 4 November 1949, adopted 26 November 1949, effective 26 January 1950; amended many times, last in 2015 (2016)
Legal system:
common law system based on the English model; separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus; judicial review of legislative acts
International law organization participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt
citizenship by birth:
citizenship by descent only:
at least one parent must be a citizen of India
dual citizenship recognized:
residency requirement for naturalization:
5 years
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Pranab MUKHERJEE (since 22 July 2012); Vice President Mohammad Hamid ANSARI (since 11 August 2007)
head of government:
Prime Minister Narendra MODI (since 26 May 2014)
Union Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister, appointed by the president
president indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament and state legislatures for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 19 July 2012 (next to be held in July 2017); vice president indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament and state legislatures for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 7 August 2012 (next to be held in August 2017); following legislative elections, the prime minister is elected by parliamentary members of the majority party
election results:
Pranab MUKHERJEE elected president; percent of vote - Pranab MUKHERJEE (INC prior to election) 69.3%, Purno SANGMA (independent) 30.7%; Mohammad Hamid ANSARI reelected vice president; electoral college vote - Mohammad Hamid ANSARI 490, Jaswant SINGH 238
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of States or Rajya Sabha (245 seats; 233 members indirectly elected by state and territorial assemblies by proportional representation vote, and 12 members appointed by the president; members serve 6-year terms) and the House of the People or Lok Sabha (545 seats; 543 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 2 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms)
People's Assembly - last held April-May 2014 in 10 phases; (next to be held by May 2019)
election results:
People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - BJP 31.0%, INC 19.3%, AITC 3.8%, SP 3.4%, AIADMK 3.3%, CPI(M) 3.3%, TDP 2.6%, YSRC 2.5%, AAP 2.1%, SAD 1.8%, BJD 1.7%, SS 1.7%, NCP 1.6%, RJD 1.3%, TRS 1.3%, LJP 0.4%, other 15.9%, independent 3.0%; seats by party - BJP 282, INC 44, AIADMK 37, AITC 34, BJD 20, SS 18, TDP 16, TRS 11, CPI(M) 9, YSRC 9, LJP 6, NCP 6, SP 5, AAP 4, RJD 4, SAD 4, other 33, independent 3
Judicial branch:
highest court(s):
Supreme Court (the chief justice and 25 associate justices)
judge selection and term of office:
justices appointed by the president to serve until age 65
subordinate courts:
High Courts; District Courts; Labour Court
in mid-2011, India's Cabinet approved the "National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reform" to eliminate judicial corruption and reduce the backlog of cases; as of mid-July 2015, the Indian Government was considering the introduction of pre-trial hearing as a method for reducing the backlog
Political parties and leaders:
Aam Aadmi Party or AAP [Arvind KEJRIWAL]
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or AIADMK [J. JAYALALITHAA]
All India Trinamool Congress or AITC [Mamata BANERJEE]
Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP [MAYAWATI]
Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP [Amit SHAH]
Biju Janata Dal or BJD [Naveen PATNAIK]
Communist Party of India-Marxist or CPI(M) [Prakash KARAT]
Indian National Congress or INC [Sonia GANDHI]
Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) [Ram Vilas PASWAN]
Nationalist Congress Party or NCP [Sharad PAWAR]
Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD [Lalu Prasad YADAV]
Samajwadi Party or SP [Mulayam Singh YADAV]
Shiromani Akali Dal or SAD [Parkash Singh BADAL]
Shiv Sena or SS [Uddhav THACKERAY]
Telegana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) [K. Chandrashekar RAO]
Telugu Desam Party or TDP [Chandrababu NAIDU]
YSR Congress (YSRC) [Jaganmohan REDDY]
India has dozens of national and regional political parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
All Parties Hurriyat Conference in the Kashmir Valley (separatist group)
Bajrang Dal (militant religious organization)
Jamiat Ulema-e Hind [Mahmood MADANI] (religious organization)
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh [Mohan BHAGWAT] (nationalist organization)
Vishwa Hindu Parishad [Pravin TOGADIA] (militant religious organization)
hundreds of social reform, anti-corruption, and environmental groups at state and local level; numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations; various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional autonomy
International organization participation:
ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIMSTEC, BIS, BRICS, C, CD, CERN (observer), CICA, CP, EAS, FAO, FATF, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-5, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Arun Kumar SINGH (since 18 May 2015)
2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note - Consular Wing located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: [1](202) 939-7000
[1] (202) 939-7000
[1] (202) 265-4351
consulate(s) general:
Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Richard Rahul VERMA (since 16 January 2015)
Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021
mailing address:
use embassy street address
[91] (11) 2419-8000
[91] (11) 2419-0017
consulate(s) general:
Chennai (Madras), Hyderabad, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay)
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued orange) (top), white, and green, with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; saffron represents courage, sacrifice, and the spirit of renunciation; white signifies purity and truth; green stands for faith and fertility; the blue chakra symbolizes the wheel of life in movement and death in stagnation
similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small orange disk centered in the white band
National symbol(s):
the Lion Capital of Ashoka, which depicts four Asiatic lions standing back to back mounted on a circular abacus, is the official emblem; Bengal tiger; lotus flower; national colors: saffron, white, green
National anthem:
"Jana-Gana-Mana" (Thou Art the Ruler of the Minds of All People)
Rabindranath TAGORE
adopted 1950; Rabindranath TAGORE, a Nobel laureate, also wrote Bangladesh's national anthem
Economy - overview:
India's diverse economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of services. Slightly less than half of the work force is in agriculture, but services are the major source of economic growth, accounting for nearly two-thirds of India's output but employing less than one-third of its labor force. India has capitalized on its large educated English-speaking population to become a major exporter of information technology services, business outsourcing services, and software workers.
India is developing into an open-market economy, yet traces of its past autarkic policies remain. Economic liberalization measures, including industrial deregulation, privatization of state-owned enterprises, and reduced controls on foreign trade and investment, began in the early 1990s and served to accelerate the country's growth, which averaged under 7% per year from 1997 to 2011. India's economic growth began slowing in 2011 because of a decline in investment caused by high interest rates, rising inflation, and investor pessimism about the government's commitment to further economic reforms and about slow world growth. Rising macroeconomic imbalances in India and improving economic conditions in Western countries led investors to shift capital away from India, prompting a sharp depreciation of the rupee.
Growth rebounded in 2014 and 2015, with both years exceeding 7%. Investors' perceptions of India improved in early 2014, due to a reduction of the current account deficit and expectations of post-election economic reform, resulting in a surge of inbound capital flows and stabilization of the rupee. Since the election, economic reforms have focused on administrative and governance changes largely because the ruling party remains a minority in India's upper house of Parliament, which must approve most bills. Despite a high growth rate compared to the rest of the world, in 2015, India's government-owned banks faced mounting bad debt, resulting in low credit growth and restrained economic growth.
The outlook for India's long-term growth is moderately positive due to a young population and corresponding low dependency ratio, healthy savings and investment rates, and increasing integration into the global economy. However, India's discrimination against women and girls, an inefficient power generation and distribution system, ineffective enforcement of intellectual property rights, decades-long civil litigation dockets, inadequate transport and agricultural infrastructure, limited non-agricultural employment opportunities, high spending and poorly targeted subsidies, inadequate availability of quality basic and higher education, and accommodating rural-to-urban migration are significant long-term challenges.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$8.721 trillion (2016 est.)
$8.103 trillion (2015 est.)
$7.534 trillion (2014 est.)
data are in 2016 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.251 trillion (2015 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
7.6% (2016 est.)
7.6% (2015 est.)
7.2% (2014 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$6,700 (2016 est.)
$6,300 (2015 est.)
$5,900 (2014 est.)
data are in 2016 dollars
Gross national saving:
30.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
31.3% of GDP (2015 est.)
32.8% of GDP (2014 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption:
government consumption:
investment in fixed capital:
investment in inventories:
exports of goods and services:
imports of goods and services:
-21.8% (2016 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
45.4% (2016 est.)
Agriculture - products:
rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, lentils, onions, potatoes; dairy products, sheep, goats, poultry; fish
textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software, pharmaceuticals
Industrial production growth rate:
7.4% (2016 est.)
Labor force:
513.7 million (2016 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
31% (2012 est.)
Unemployment rate:
8.4% (2016 est.)
8.4% (2015 est.)
Population below poverty line:
29.8% (2010 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:
highest 10%:
31.1% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
33.6 (2012)
37.8 (1997)
$200.1 billion
$283.1 billion (2016 est.)
Taxes and other revenues:
8.9% of GDP (2016 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-3.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
Public debt:
52.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
52.4% of GDP (2015 est.)
data cover central government debt, and exclude debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as in
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.6% (2016 est.)
4.9% (2015 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
7.75% (31 December 2014)
7.75% (31 December 2013)
this is the Indian central bank's policy rate - the repurchase rate
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
9.3% (31 December 2016 est.)
10.01% (31 December 2015 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$385.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$370.5 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
Stock of broad money:
$1.728 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)
$1.704 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.579 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)
$1.57 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$1.516 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)
$1.558 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)
$1.139 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)
Current account balance:
-$31.97 billion (2016 est.)
-$22.09 billion (2015 est.)
$271.6 billion (2016 est.)
$272.4 billion (2015 est.)
Exports - commodities:
petroleum products, precious stones, vehicles, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, cereals, apparel
Exports - partners:
US 15.2%, UAE 11.4%, Hong Kong 4.6% (2015)
$402.4 billion (2016 est.)
$409.2 billion (2015 est.)
Imports - commodities:
crude oil, precious stones, machinery, chemicals, fertilizer, plastics, iron and steel
Imports - partners:
China 15.5%, UAE 5.5%, Saudi Arabia 5.4%, Switzerland 5.3%, US 5.2% (2015)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$359.1 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$351.6 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
Debt - external:
$507 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$480.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$351.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$296.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$149 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$139 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
Exchange rates:
Indian rupees (INR) per US dollar -
68.3 (2016 est.)
64.152 (2015 est.)
64.152 (2014 est.)
61.03 (2013 est.)
53.44 (2012 est.)
Electricity - production:
1.218 trillion kWh (2014 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
973 billion kWh (2014 est.)
Electricity - exports:
200 million kWh (2012 est.)
Electricity - imports:
5 billion kWh (2014 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity:
311 million kW (2014 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels:
68.7% of total installed capacity (26 February 2014 )
Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
2% of total installed capacity (26 February 2014 )
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
16.9% of total installed capacity (26 February 2014 )
Electricity - from other renewable sources:
12.4% of total installed capacity (26 February 2014 )
Crude oil - production:
761,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil - imports:
3.785 million bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil - proved reserves:
5.675 billion bbl (1 January 2016 es)
Refined petroleum products - production:
4.775 million bbl/day (2013 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption:
3.735 million bbl/day (2014 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports:
1.471 million bbl/day (2013 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports:
401,900 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Natural gas - production:
30.4 billion cu m (2014 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
52.1 billion cu m (2014 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2014 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
21.7 billion cu m (2014 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
1.489 trillion cu m (1 January 2016 es)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
1.887 billion Mt (2013 est.)
Telephones - fixed lines:
total subscriptions:
25.518 million
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:
2 (July 2015 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1,011.054 million
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:
81 (July 2015 est.)
Telephone system:
general assessment:
supported by recent deregulation and liberalization of telecommunications laws and policies, India has emerged as one of the fastest-growing telecom markets in the world; total telephone subscribership base exceeded 1 billion in 2015, an overall teledensi
mobile cellular service introduced in 1994 and organized nationwide into four metropolitan areas and 19 telecom circles, each with multiple private service providers and one or more state-owned service providers; in recent years significant trunk capacity
country code - 91; a number of major international submarine cable systems, including SEA-ME-WE-3 with landing sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay), SEA-ME-WE-4 with a landing site at Chennai, Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) with a landing site at (2015)
Broadcast media:
Doordarshan, India's public TV network, operates about 20 national, regional, and local services; a large and increasing number of privately owned TV stations are distributed by cable and satellite service providers; in 2015, more than 230 million homes h (2015)
Internet country code:
Internet users:
325.441 million
percent of population:
26% (July 2015 est.)
National air transport system:
number of registered air carriers:
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers:
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:
1,833,847,614 mt-km (2015)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
346 (2013)
Airports - with paved runways:
over 3,047 m:
2,438 to 3,047 m:
1,524 to 2,437 m:
914 to 1,523 m:
under 914 m:
14 (2013)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
over 3,047 m:
2,438 to 3,047 m:
1,524 to 2,437 m:
914 to 1,523 m:
under 914 m:
45 (2013)
45 (2013)
condensate/gas 9 km; gas 13,581 km; liquid petroleum gas 2,054 km; oil 8,943 km; oil/gas/water 20 km; refined products 11,069 km (2013)
68,525 km
broad gauge:
58,404 km 1.676-m gauge (23,654 electrified)
narrow gauge:
9,499 km 1.000-m gauge; 622 km 0.762-m gauge (2014)
4,699,024 km
includes 96,214 km of national highways and expressways, 147,800 km of state highways, and 4,455,010 km of other roads (2015)
14,500 km (5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable for mechanized vessels) (2012)
Merchant marine:
by type:
bulk carrier 104, cargo 78, chemical tanker 22, container 14, liquefied gas 11, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 15, petroleum tanker 92
10 (China 1, Hong Kong 2, Jersey 2, Malaysia 1, UAE 4)
registered in other countries:
76 (Cyprus 4, Dominica 2, Liberia 8, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 10, Nigeria 1, Panama 24, Saint Kitts and Nevis 2, Singapore 21, unknown 1) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
major seaport(s):
Chennai, Jawaharal Nehru Port, Kandla, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay), Sikka, Vishakhapatnam
container port(s) (TEUs):
Chennai (1,558,343), Jawaharal Nehru Port (4,307,622)
LNG terminal(s) (import):
Dabhol, Dahej, Hazira
Military and Security
Military branches:
Army, Navy (includes naval air arm), Air Force, Coast Guard (2011)
Military service age and obligation:
16-18 years of age for voluntary military service (Army 17 1/2, Air Force 17, Navy 16 1/2); no conscription; women may join as officers, currently serve in combat roles as pilots, and will soon be allowed in all combat roles (2016)
Military expenditures:
2.4% of GDP (2014)
2.4% of GDP (2013)
2.5% of GDP (2012)
2.6% of GDP (2011)
2.7% of GDP (2010)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international:
since China and India launched a security and foreign policy dialogue in 2005, consolidated discussions related to the dispute over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, Indian claims that China transferred missiles to Pakistan, and other matters continue
Kashmir remains the site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas)
India and Pakistan resumed bilateral dialogue in February 2011 after a two-year hiatus, have maintained the 2003 cease-fire in Kashmir, and continue to have disputes over water sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries
UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, India and Pakistan seek technical resolution of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch in the Arabian Sea; Pakistani maps continue to show its Junagadh claim in Indian Gujarat State; Prime Minister Singh's September 2011 visit to Bangladesh resulted in the signing of a Protocol to the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh, which had called for the settlement of longstanding boundary disputes over undemarcated areas and the exchange of territorial enclaves, but which had never been implemented; Bangladesh referred its maritime boundary claims with Burma and India to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea; Joint Border Committee with Nepal continues to examine contested boundary sections, including the 400 sq km dispute over the source of the Kalapani River; India maintains a strict border regime to keep out Maoist insurgents and control illegal cross-border activities from Nepal
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin):
110,098 (Tibet/China); 64,208 (Sri Lanka); 15,735 (Burma); 10,196 (Afghanistan) (2015)
612,000 (armed conflict and intercommunal violence) (2015)
Illicit drugs:
world's largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceutical trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit international drug markets; transit point for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries and throughout Southwest Asia; illicit producer of methaqualone; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system; licit ketamine and precursor production


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Reset your pelvis naturally with 5 simple hip flexor stretches! Try these daily for 4-6 weeks in combination with a core strengthening program such a Pilates, or if weightlifting front squats, and walking every day. Many people experience tightness in the front of the hips or hip flexor discomfort. This can lead to general chronic pain, or hip pain during exercise. In this video, I demonstrate 5 hip flexor stretches to release tight hips and help naturally reset your pelvis. The main cause of ti...Read More »
Tag: hip pain
The BEST CBD Oil for Anxiety, Depression, Inflammation, more!
Try All Natural CBD and Hemp Oil with a big Discount 💯😃👉 Use Coupon 'ADAM20' for 20% off!↩ CBD oil has taken over the market because of its many health benefits and if you're still not so sure all about this beneficial oil from the hemp plant then this article is for you. We are going to be discussing all about the CBD oil and how you can be able to identify and choose the best CBD oil that perfectly suits your needs. Take a seat and relax as you get to learn all about the CB...Read More »
Why Hire Influencers for Digital Marketing Campaigns
For any business to succeed there is no doubt that it must have an effective marketing strategy. A a marketing strategy cannot be considered effective if it does not incorporate digital marketing. All the customers you will ever need are out there in the internet you just need to know how to reach out to them. Think about it, just in 2010 Facebook had about one billion active users and in 2019 the social media platform has over two billion active users. Instagram is one of the most used social ...Read More »
The Best Toronto Digital Marketing Agency for SEO or Social Media
Digital marketing has become a necessity for any business and if you are not already using digital marketing then you are missing a lot. Digital marketing usually consist of SEO and social media and when the two are integrated wisely then you can be sure that your business will be a success. SEO is a basic need for exposure of any business because as we all know most people usually trust google to provide them with any information they might need. If your business ranks high on the google rankin...Read More »
Why Hire a Digital Marketing Consultant in Toronto?
Days are gone when traditional methods of advertising like TV adverts, Billboards and posting adverts on local newspapers are the ideal ways of advertising. With the improvement of technology a website or mobile app has become much like the heart of each and every business in the world. But just having a good website is not enough to bring you customers. How will they know about your business? Digital marketing is the key to making your website known. There are different types of digital marketi...Read More »
Why You Need Social Media Marketing in 2019 for Any Business!
The way business owners promote their businesses with social media marketing changes as time goes on. The marketing methods that delivered positive results to your business during the early 2000's are no longer valid. During the past few years, we were able to see some rapid changes taking place in marketing. The increasing popularity of social media networks played a major role behind the above-mentioned fact. Things have changed in such a way, so that no business out there in the world can sur...Read More »
Amazon Is The Next Big Social Media Influencer Platform – Here's Why!
Amazon is not just the largest online commerce platform in the world but also boasts massive revenue, year over year growth, and global expansion of the company. In 2019 Amazon has introduced it's influencer shop/store front which displays an Influencer's favorite items and provides commission to the influencer for each sale. Example can be seen here on Adam's Amazon Store. The Social Media Marketing Landscape The social media landscape is rapidly evolving as time goes on, and ...Read More »
How To Use Instagram HashTags 2019 – Try 3 IG HashTag Hacks
In the proceeding article and enclosed video I discuss How to Use Instagram Hashtags in 2019, and provide Three (3) IG Hashtag Hacks – which essentially just means strategy and use of the Instagram Algorithm. The content I have been creating lately with regards to Instagram and social media heavily discusses the importance of research, experimentation, re-experimentation, and consistency of quality in what is being produced. Using Instagram HashTags to Research, Experiment, and Grow! IR...Read More »
5 Reasons To Hire An Internet Marketing Consultant
The internet can be a confusing place for businesses trying to extend their advertising dollar unless they seek the advice of an internet marketing consultant to assist in offering an extensive selection of marketing opportunities. Trying to decide whether organic growth or pay-per-click marketing is best for your business can leave even the most educated business owner feeling at a distinct disadvantage. Here are five powerful reasons to partner with an online marketing consultant to increase y...Read More »
The MOST LIKED Photo on INSTAGRAM | EGG WORLD RECORD 🥚
There's a new world record for the Most Liked Photo on Instagram which is now held by the World Record Egg! Basically an Egg World Record for the most likes on a social media post, and I say this because the account and post numbers continue to climb at staggering rates. Kylie Jenner Dethroned from Most Liked Photo on Instagram This all began because an online social media influencer (and sister of Kim Kardashian) Kylie Jenner posted a photo on Instagram on Feb 6th, 2018 which became the ...Read More »


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West Hartford VT Garage Clean Out
Call us at (888) 530-8281
so we can assist you!
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We can handle your junk problems
With 05084 Junk Removal you get friendly and affordable service. We work hard so you don't have too. Tell us your junk removal needs at (877)-234-5118 & we tell you what we can do to solve your junk problem.
Our rates go by volume, however much junk you need removed, is how much it will cost. We do our part to recycle different items from metal to furniture to paper & cardboard. Our working hours are flexible to the convenience of the customer.
Services We Offer:
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We can take away your old desks, cubicles and office equipment. Our fleet of trucks can handle any size job in VT. Our Commercial Services Include:
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There's one part of Google Maps' new look that Google forgot to tell us about: the ads. According to the company's Adwords blog, the Android and iOS apps will shortly start showing "relevant" local ads on the screen when users interact with the app.
Google's big redesign of Maps was one of the major announcements at Google I/O this past May, and it included the integration of Google Earth and the ability to view 3D tours of the interiors of famous landmarks. Another addition is a new interface allowing users to find things to do based on activity (dining, drinking, entertainment) that would show nearby appropriate venues on a map of the surrounding area.
Now, when users conduct Maps searches, Maps will be able to feature an ad for a relevant location along the bottom of the screen. The ad will appear within the app as if it's a location the user has already selected from the map of available options, with a name, short description, and a travel time estimate appearing along the bottom of the screen. The ads will be identified by a tiny purple box off to the side in the listing that reads "Ad."
This will presumably operate in a manner similar to how Adwords works for regular Google searches. For instance, Dave and Buster's could buy the space for all searches conducted for "bar" within a certain radius. How Google will determine relevance, or what limits it will place on the system, isn't defined in the blog post.
Google did not provide a launch date for the ads on the consumer end, but it stated that the ad experience will be introduced today.


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Bebe's spring / summer 2016 collection has been previewed and Fashionising.com has each of the key looks for you.
You can see all of the Bebe spring / summer 2016 collection by clicking on a thumbnail on the left. From there you can browse through each of the pictures from the collection.
Model: Irina Shayk


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hire maintenance electrician
Are you looking for hire maintenance electrician? Give us a call at Call (313) 486-4957 we provide hire maintenance electrician in Detroit MI. Our contractors have experience with hire maintenance electrician services.
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Michael J Krol, DDS - General Dentist in Harvard, IL
Michael J Krol is a General Dentist (General Dentistry dentist) practicing in Harvard, Illinois. This dentist is listed on Dentist Network with a medical license speciality in General Dentistry.
You can reach us on phone number (815) 943-5939, fax number or email address . Our office is located on 710 W Brink St, Harvard, IL,
For full contact details to this dentist have a look at the the column to your right (or scroll if you're viewing this on a mobile device.)


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An aging advisor population (52 on average) should pay particular attention to the following.
Are you getting killed by the stock market? It's not a figurative question, as new research indicates that poorly performing markets result in a corresponding increase in health risks.
Economists and public-health researchers have teamed together to produce a new report, titled "The Dow is Killing Me: Risky Health Behaviors and the Stock Market," which finds a correlation between poor health and poor returns.
It's penned by Chad Cotti of the University of Wisconsin, Richard Dunn of Texas A&M University and Nathan Tefft of the University of Washington's Department of Health Services.
"The capital asset pricing model predicts that the stock prices capture all publicly available information about the discounted expected future cash flows of firms," the authors begin. Thus, a large decline in stock market indices may signal impending widespread economic distress."
Their research therefore demonstrates that these signals "reach a large share of the general population and influence attitudes both about the economy and the level of life satisfaction."
In a preview of their results, they find that cigarette consumption and the number of days that a respondent reports experiencing poor mental health increases during a large monthly decline in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, independent of other measures of macroeconomic conditions.
"When restricting attention to the stock market crashes of 1987 and 2008-2009, respondents additionally reported more binge drinking," they write. "This broader increase in the riskiness of health behaviors during acute, protracted stock market declines is then confirmed in the data by a sharp increase in drunken driving fatalities during the 2008-2009 market crash."
The alcohol and cigarette consumption behavior patterns are also confirmed by considering household purchase data. Collectively, they note, these estimates are consistent with the idea that the general state of the stock market impacts individual's behavioral choices in "meaningful ways."
"The pattern of results presented in this paper strongly suggests that the way in which individuals behave with respect to their health during economic downturns depends critically on how which aspects of the downturn are being considered," the authors conclude.


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Angels Never Say Die; What the Royals Say Is Probably Not Printable
Mark Trumbo hit a homerun into the top tier of the K's waterfall. Following almost immediately on his heels, Peter Bourjos hit a homerun. Torii Hunter smacked two homeruns into the stands and went three for five! Bobby Abreu hit two doubles (he went four for five!) and Hank Conger hit one. Alberto Callaspo was a clutch singles machine and Russel Branyan contributed as well for a total of 15 Angels hits. Hel-lo offense! Of course, after Ervin Santana gave up two homeruns in the first inning and six runs in the first two innings, the Angels needed every single ounce of that offensive effort to pull off today's 10 to 8 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
Even though Santana had a bad start, I can't say enough good things about today's come from behind victory. The team really pulled together with today's areas of strength working overtime to pick up the slack from today's areas of weakness. Santana was able to focus and pull himself together after the initial beating from the Royals offense and give the team four good, scoreless innings after that. Rich Thompson had an uncharacteristically shaky outing but Kevin Jepsen was able to come in strong and set the Royals down with more heat than we've seen from him in a while. Fernando Rodney gave us a few heart palpitations with his pitch counts but still went one, two, three to finish the game, Jordan Walden having thrown too many pitches Sunday to close. And behind it all was the fielding and offense picking everyone up where they needed it.
I'm sure some folks are going to focus on the things the Angels did wrong today, and there is a fair bit to focus on there. But I would rather focus on everything they did right and the fact that together, as a team, they did not give up for one second. Every time the Royals added more runs to the scoreboard – and they were hot, hot, hot, playing excellent baseball for most of the day – the Angels rallied and pressed even harder to catch up. Well done and light that baby up!
Tales from the DL
Is it just me or does nearly every team have way too many DL woes this season? I know we do. But from all reports Howie Kendrick should return from the DL for this weekend's homestand against the Yankees, which can only mean good things for the offense, not to mention our current Franken-arrangements in the infield and outfield. Vernon Wells is tentatively scheduled to return the following homestand. I am glad because the Franken-arrangements can only last for so long before we have tired ballplayers and no good options to spell them, that and I think he was starting to turn the page at the plate.
Scott Kazmir, on the other hand, continues getting beaten to a bloody pulp by the opposing teams' offense in his AAA rehab assignment. His AAA E.R.A. is 36.00 and that's with lasting roughly only three innings per outing. I was rooting for him to get better. But I thought that ship might have sailed after his first two starts back in April. Now, sadly, I am sure of it.


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Cooper Diplomat Rotating Portfolio Case for ASUS Memo Pad 10 (ME103K)
Cooper Cases
The Diplomat is a lovely portfolio case which fits subtly into any professional or private setting requiring even the slightest bit of elegance. The Cooper Diplomat earns its sophisticated profile from the lovely selection of rich solid colors, giving you something to work with on any occasion. The colors range from gilded and fabulous to mysterious black for when you're on a mission. Passionate red and royal purple compliment your audacious, funner side. Beauty aside this case is a sturdy portfolio that you can store any papers, documents, notes or cards in. It's perfect case for school or to work if you like all your things neatly together in one place and don't mind looking good in the meantime.
- Universal design snugly fits all 9-10.1" tablets, including Asus Memo Pad 10 (ME103K)
- Stands conveniently at 15º and 65º for when you're sitting, standing or typing
- 360º rotation lets you switch between Instagram (portrait) and Youtube (landscape) modes
- Fabulous selection of solid regal colors
- Elastic silicon claws hold the tablet tightly in place no matter the make
- Strong elastic strap secures all contents when closed
- Card holder pockets can help reduce the weight of your wallet
- A5 sized slip-in pocket for your notes and papers
- Claws expand from minimum 5.1 x 0.25 x 8.3" to maximum 7.5 x 0.55 x 10.5" inches (WDH)
|Model Name
|Asus Memo Pad 10 (ME103K)
|Folio, Portfolio
|Cooper Cases
|Business, Womens, Mens, School, Travel
|Budget $1 - $39
|Dimensions (WDH)
|7.8 x 0.8 x 10.6 in
|Exterior Material
|Premium faux-leather
|Card slots, Universal Design, Pockets, Rotating, Integrated Stand
- Premium faux-leather finish
- Compatible with a wide range of tablet models
- Excellent functionality
- Great price!
Elegant case with practical pockets and sturdy strap to hold everything in place while on-the-go. The Patriot has a 360º swivel that allows easy rotation between landscape and portrait. The micro-fiber lining is reassuringly smooth to the touch and secured by stretchy soft claws that hold any tablet in the 9-10.1" range.
Shipping Rates
- Free Shipping for orders over $40 (except oversize)
- Air Mail from Hong Kong is $6.95 (7-14 business days)
- Standard shipping from local warehouse is $6.95 (2-7 days)
- Local shipping available in USA, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, Japan and UAE
- Oversize shipping from local warehouse is $18.95-$29.95 (2-7 days)
- Expedited shipping with DHL/UPS is $18.95 from Hong Kong
- Expedited shipping also available from local warehouses
Simple Shipping
Customer service shouldn't stop at checkout. When you order from Tablet2Cases you get the total package. That means from A to Z, start to finish, either you feel good or we failed. Shipping is no exception. If you have any questions about your package, just contact us any time day or night and we'll get the answers you need.
Orders process in less than 24 business hours. If you order $40 or more, it's free. That's right, free shipping on all orders over $40! Orders over $40 automatically ship from the nearest warehouse to you.
Air Mail is the cheapest shipping method. In USA, Canada, Western Europe, Australia and UAE you get local shipping (ie USPS, Canada Post, etc). It's slightly more expensive than Air Mail, but faster because it's dispatched from a local warehouse. It's only available while stocks last. For super fast delivery, use shipping with DHL / UPS for guaranteed delivery within 1-3 days.
Our Peace of Mind Promise
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No holds barred, no ifs, no ands, no buts. If you have a problem, we will solve it. Whatever it takes.
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Coding the JavaFX TableView
At first glance, using the JavaFX 2 TableView control may seem confusing. But after you have the first "Aha!" moment with it, you'll see just how easy it is to use. Thanks to JavaFX binding and the new JavaFX Scene Builder, it's all cake. Here's a sample test app, with step-by-step explanations, that serve as a roadmap to building your own table-based JavaFX applications.
Step 1: Create the Project
If you have the latest Java SE 1.7 installed (Update 4), then you have JavaFX by default — it's bundled with it. Otherwise, you can download and install it separately here. Remember, you can develop JavaFX 2.0 applications with either Java SE 1.6 or 1.7.
After JavaFX is installed, create a new JavaFX project. This is very easy with the latest NetBeans, but you can use any IDE you'd like. For now, I'll assume you're using NetBeans.
Next, give the project a name, and NetBeans generates everything you need to begin. As a result, you'll get a small application with a main class that looks like this:
public class TestJavaFX extends Application { public static void main(String[] args) { launch(args); } @Override public void start(Stage primaryStage) { primaryStage.setTitle("Hello World!"); Button btn = new Button(); btn.setText("Say 'Hello World'"); btn.setOnAction(new EventHandler<ActionEvent>() { @Override public void handle(ActionEvent event) { System.out.println("Hello World!"); } }); StackPane root = new StackPane(); root.getChildren().add(btn); primaryStage.setScene(new Scene(root, 300, 250)); primaryStage.show(); } }
Step 2: Define the UI Layout
Before we modify any code, however, we'll need to define the UI layout. It's easiest to do this with the JavaFX Scene Builder, which I've written about in a previous Dr. Dobb's blog. Open Scene Builder and add a TableView control to the canvas. Drag four TableColumn controls onto the table, and assign them the text names: "ID", "Item Name", "Qty", and "Price", respectively. Finally, add a button control below the table, and name it "Add Item". We'll use this button to add items to the table for illustration. It should look like this:
Save your Scene Builder work, saving the resulting FXML file in the same directory as your application's source code. Next, in the Document section on the right side of the Scene Builder window, make sure you choose your project's main class as the controller. It's important that these steps be performed in that order.
Step 3: Add the Controls to the Code
Go back to NetBeans, and prepare to make some simple modifications to the code. First, add the following FXML control declarations to the main class:
@FXML TableView<InvoiceEntry> invoiceTbl; @FXML TableColumn itemIdCol; @FXML TableColumn itemNameCol; @FXML TableColumn itemQtyCol; @FXML TableColumn itemPriceCol; @FXML Button addItemBtn;
InvoiceEntry isn't defined yet, this code won't compile. Create this class now as defined below, and then fix the imports so the code will compile (in NetBeans, right-click on the code and choose "Fix Imports" from the menu).
import javafx.beans.property.SimpleIntegerProperty; import javafx.beans.property.SimpleStringProperty; public class InvoiceEntry { public SimpleIntegerProperty itemId = new SimpleIntegerProperty(); public SimpleStringProperty itemName = new SimpleStringProperty("<Name>"); public SimpleStringProperty price = new SimpleStringProperty(); public SimpleIntegerProperty qty = new SimpleIntegerProperty(); public int invoiceId; public Integer getItemId() { return itemId.get(); } public String getItemName() { return itemName.get(); } public String getPrice() { return price.get(); } public Integer getQty() { return qty.get(); } }
Note: It's very important that this class contains getter methods for the data items that map to columns in the table. This is how JavaFX performs its magic and reduces the code you need to write. It calls the getters automatically, as long as they conform to the normal JavaBeans naming patterns for class data.
Finally, add an empty
onAddItem() method to map to the button, as shown here:
public void onAddItem(ActionEvent event) { }


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The stars were out to watch Jay-Z and Kanye West's "Watch the Throne" Concert in Paris, including; the Dream, Spike Lee, and Beyonce's best friend Gwyneth Paltrow.
One of the rap duo's hit songs is "N**gas in Paris" and it was their first time in Paris, France performing the track.
In celebration, Kanye West and Jay-Z invited their celebrity guests on stage for the performance which led to a controversial tweet from Gwyneth Paltrow.
She tweeted:
"Ni**as in paris for real @MrTeriusNash (the dream) tyty, beehigh"
The web quickly went ablaze in retweets and commentary about what was deemed by many an inappropriate tweet. Paltrow quickly tweeted in defense:
"Hold up. It's the title of the song!"
Many people are upset with the tweet and believe it is not okay for the white actress to use the term n**ga in any context, whether it was the name of the song or not. Beyonce and Paltrow are best friends. Maybe the actress felt comfortable with the term or it is allowed to be used around them. Who knows? Either way, Paltrow is definitely facing a lot of heat she probably did not see coming.
What do you all think?


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Friday, April 1, 2011
A Few Random Scenes from my All-Clad Demo at Macy's
30 comments:
Did you announce this event on twitter or anything? Had I of known you were doing a public demo I would have gone in a heartbeat. Or maybe you don't announce it for that very reason. Anyhow, wonderful job Chef John, did the audience get to taste the duck afterwards?
- April 1, 2011 at 5:38 PM
- Chef John said...
yes, i did tweet a bunch of times, maybe 3 or 4. Next time!
- April 1, 2011 at 5:41 PM
- Basia said...
Brilliant!! I've always enjoyed your approach to your audience at least as much as your food. Wrong coast! However, for the sake of baseball, I forgive you. ;)
- April 1, 2011 at 5:57 PM
- Sharon said...
Sooooo jealous of those people. I wish I could've gone to see you!
- April 1, 2011 at 6:01 PM
Instead of sucking raw duck air through a straw, you can get the air out through a much more hygenic method. Pioneered by Niels Noren and Dave Arnold at the FCI, fill a large container (3/4 full) with water; holding the open bag by the zipper, slowly submerge into the container; as the zipper begins to get close to the water line, begin zipping the bag while slowly submersing it further down until only the corner is open; complete the seal; and done. This way you don't have to risk getting a bacterial infection. Yay.
- April 1, 2011 at 6:16 PM
@DavidPD I'm an RN and sucking air through a bag with raw poultry is NOT an inherent health hazard, unless you have a very rare immuno-compromised medical condition. Now, licking the straw if had touched the raw protein, is another matter.
On another note, Chef John, I know you're married but I still find you very hot!
- April 1, 2011 at 7:30 PM
- Christie Farrar said...
A little raw duck air never hurt anyone! That's what immune systems are for.
Glad you are just as funny in front of people as you are behind the camera Chef.
- April 1, 2011 at 7:32 PM
Awesome! I wish you could come to Canada!!!
- April 1, 2011 at 9:59 PM
Lots of fun....Let us know when and where you are appearing...I live in Palm Springs area but my kids live in SFO...I'm there frequently...Love to see you in person... Lyn
- April 1, 2011 at 11:00 PM
you are becoming quite the big shot
- April 1, 2011 at 11:43 PM
- Khánh Long said...
True showmanship, they got an entertainment! You're hilarious!
- April 2, 2011 at 12:32 AM
- Khánh Long said...
True showmanship! Those people didn't just get the duck, they got an entertainment! You're hilarious!
- April 2, 2011 at 12:34 AM
Dude, you did awesome! Kick ass performance!!!
- April 2, 2011 at 1:04 AM
- Mister Dressner said...
Ah hah! Show this to the food network! I really dug seeing you work the crowd and get the laughs.
- April 2, 2011 at 1:32 AM
- Mister Dressner said...
Ah hah! Show this to the food network! I loved seeing you work the crowd and get the laughs.
- April 2, 2011 at 1:33 AM
- Unknown said...
Chef John's second choice after culinary school was being a stand-up comedian :)
- April 2, 2011 at 4:10 AM
- nguoithutu said...
Aww... I'd have gone to see you if I've known about this.
- April 2, 2011 at 4:53 AM
- salahhe said...
I so wizh you would stop mixing meat with sweet stuff (yuk) then i would get to try more of what you make.
- April 2, 2011 at 8:38 AM
- Go Share Your Faith said...
Chef John....good going!
I wish you'd come to the East Coast!
- April 2, 2011 at 9:02 AM
So what ended up being your favorite All Clad product(s) you would suggest over all others? Fry Pans? Pots? Nonstick? I love the AC 3qt saute 'all in one pan' w/ lid that I own when I do things like your stroganoff or make a nice big stew, but can't seem to break away from my steel Calphalon fry pan & their nonstick deep saucier or my Le Crusette pots & dutch ovens (which I gifted myself 3 years ago thanks to you--perfect meals every time!). I'm more and more sold on enamel cookware every time.
- April 2, 2011 at 2:49 PM
Food network really missed out on an opportunity to put you on camera full time. That demo rocked!
- April 2, 2011 at 2:50 PM
You are a natural with audiences. Your approach is truly friendly and remarkable. How can i help get you MORE noticed????
Your friend in vienna, austria
daniel (and lisi and sarah!)
- April 2, 2011 at 7:30 PM
Yeah with your natural confident presence, you should be on TV. (I hope it doesn't mean we may lose you here) But seriously whenever I watch shows like "Let's Dish" i feel sorry for the poor host who makes me nervous and upset at the same time...
- April 2, 2011 at 10:52 PM
- cdcphoenix said...
I'm sorry I missed you. I wasn't paying attention on twitter these last couple of weeks.
I live in Livermore and would love to see you do a presentation. Hey, do you do any cooking classes?
And I love the sweet with savory - I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so a bit in a meal is always appreciated, as it tends to be just a touch.
Great job on your presentation, and you are very good at interacting with your audience.
Thanks for sharing this.
- April 3, 2011 at 11:39 AM
- Chris said...
Newest flavor of CapriSun drinks - Duck Air!
From the excerpts, looks like a fun and informative demo Chef John. Love your "relax" tips.
- April 3, 2011 at 3:50 PM
- Paul D said...
oh man, my wife and I thought you were great. You should be a household name. I wish you all the success you obviously deserve.
- April 3, 2011 at 5:29 PM
Haha omg you look so nervous! Don't worry, your so funny in nature so you don't have to think about what your doing =) Would have loved to be there!
- April 4, 2011 at 10:51 AM
Please don't get a TV show. I love you just the way you are.
- April 4, 2011 at 11:48 PM
why did you disable comments on the video on Youtube?
- April 9, 2011 at 6:14 PM
- Unknown said...
I've been cooking peppers and onions in the skillet on the grill a lot lately. I'll have to add jalapenos next time. Yum. I like cooking bacon that way too, although hot fat + open flame adds a nice element of danger. I used to get flank steak, but my husband got me to try the carne asada cut from our local market, and I prefer it. Not sure if it's thin-cut flank or skirt (I'll have to ask), but it looks like this
- October 30, 2016 at 3:06 AM


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Conservation in the Southeast
The Southeast encompasses rich and varied landscapes — shorelines and marshes, islands and bayous, rivers and farmland, gorges and mountains. These landscapes offer so much! They provide vital wildlife habitats, fertile farm country, extraordinary historic sites, unique cultural areas, biodiversity hotspots and exceptional scenic beauty.
But they're going fast. The Southeast is the fastest developing region in the United States. In response, people have been working with land trusts to save special landscapes while we still can. Over 170 land trusts are now active in the 12 states and two territories of the Southeast region, and they have nearly doubled the pace of land conservation since 2010.
This region consists of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, and the U.S.Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Thanks to these land trusts, thousands of special places will be there for us and for coming generations — like the beloved Angel Oak Tree in Charleston, the stunning Roan Highlands along the Appalachian Trail, the view from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, vast restored floodplains in Louisiana and a bioluminescent lagoon in Puerto Rico.
Alliance Southeast Programs
The Land Trust Alliance is committed to helping land trusts across the Southeast achieve excellence, so they can protect more land, protect it well and protect it forever.
Our Southeast program focuses on building organizational strength, supporting accreditation efforts, training land trust personnel and fostering collaboration. We offer:
- Conference: our annual gathering for learning and networking — like Rally but close to home and focused on the Southeast
- Grants: assessing your organization, accreditation prep and conservation planning
- Assessments: guidance identifying organizational strengths and weaknesses and getting ready for the accreditation process
- Training: workshops and webinars, as well as customized technical assistance
- Resources: case studies, reports, guides and more, accessed through The Learning Center
- Ask an Expert: monthly conference calls for land trust staff by land trust staff
Get in Touch
Connect with the land trust community in the Southeast:


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JOB TITLE: Trauma Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant
LOCATION: Wilkes-Barre, PA
DEPARTMENT: Surgery
WORK SCHEDULE: Variable Days/Nights
WORK TYPE: Full Time
Geisinger Wyoming Valley is a regional level two trauma center in Northeastern Pennsylvania. We are seeking a motivated Physician Assistant, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, or Emergency Nurse Practitioner to work in a fast-paced work environment while assuming care of the acutely ill and injured. Primary responsibilities include responding to Trauma Alerts and performing Trauma resuscitation, staffing Trauma consults, and caring for admitted trauma patients on the dedicated trauma medical surgical floor.
Advanced Practitioners perform, under the responsibility and supervision of the surgeon, diagnostics and therapeutic tasks to allow the physician to extend his/her services through the more effective use of his/her knowledge in the sphere of decision making required to establish a diagnosis and to plan therapy. He/she may assist in gathering the data necessary in implementing the therapeutic plan of the surgeon. Meets the qualifications to provide care for patients in the specific age range on their assigned clinical area.
Additionally, the physician assistant will act as the patient advocate in the medical care systems serving as confidant, advisor, and liaison between patients and physicians.
Reports directly to the surgeon for all patient-care-related functions. Charting privileges will be determined by the Procedure and Medical Records Committee as recommended by the surgeon. Deals directly with the medical staff members, nursing personnel and other departments to coordinate patient care requirements
The successful Physician Assistant candidate will work under the responsibility and supervision of the physician and require completion of an ARC-PA (or predecessor organization) approved physician assistant program, current NCCPA certification or eligibility and Pennsylvania State licensure.
The successful Nurse Practitioner candidate will work in collaboration with the physician and have a certificate of completion from an approved program for Nurse Practitioners or be eligible to hold national certification that allows the NP to work with the patient populations and location settings associated with this position. Must be eligible for licensure as a nurse practitioner in the state of PA.
Satisfactorily completed formal training as surgical assistant or currently hold a position which commands comparable respect by virtue of equivalent work experience and training.
Geisinger offers Advanced Practitioners:
* Domestic Partner Benefits
* Paid malpractice insurance
* Market competitive wages - constantly monitored
* Generous Paid Time Off policy
* Funding for CME and paid CME days
* Relocation assistance
* Health Care Benefits Starting Day 1: including vision and dental
* Interview expenses for qualified candidates
For more information, please contact Stephanie Figueroa, Talent Management, Geisinger at email@example.com
OUR PURPOSE & VALUES: Everything we do is about caring for our patients, our members, our students, our Geisinger family and our communities. KINDNESS: We strive to treat everyone as we would hope to be treated ourselves. EXCELLENCE: We treasure colleagues who humbly strive for excellence. LEARNING: We share our knowledge with the best and brightest to better prepare the caregivers for tomorrow. INNOVATION: We constantly seek new and better ways to care for our patients, our members, our community, and the nation.
GEISINGER WYOMING VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER: (GWV), located in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., is an acute care hospital that is licensed for 274 beds, and houses the only Level II Trauma center in Luzerne County. The campus includes the Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Cancer Center, The Richard and Marion Pearsall Heart Hospital, the Janet Weis Children's Hospital Pediatric Unit, a transplant program and the Brain & Spine Tumor Institute. Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre is GWV's ambulatory campus.
ABOUT GEISINGER: Geisinger is a physician-led health system comprised of approximately 30,000 employees, including nearly 1,600 employed physicians, 13 hospital campuses, two research centers, and a 583,000-member health plan Geisinger is nationally recognized for innovative practices and quality care. Geisinger serves more than 3 million people in central, south-central and northeast Pennsylvania. In 2017, the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine became the newest member of the Geisinger Family.
We offer healthcare benefits for full time and part time positions from day one, including vision, dental and domestic partners.* Perhaps just as important, from senior management on down, we encourage an atmosphere of collaboration, cooperation and collegiality. For more information, visit www.geisinger.org, or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
** Does not qualify for J-1 waiver. We are an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer Women and Minorities are Encouraged to Apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability or their protected veteran status.


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Retirees and others have been looking for income from a variety of sources in recent years, thanks historically low interest rates.
This has led investors to turn to higher-yielding fixed-income instruments like long-term government bonds or high-yield and junk bonds.
But what should they do when the current low-interest environment gives way to rising rates?
Advisor Nate Carlon (left) of Burnham Gibson Financial Group in Southern California—a group of nine advisors and about $750 million in assets that is affiliated with AXA Advisors—has a few tips to share.
The former vice president of investments with JPMorgan Chase's wealth management operations says these five steps can help:
1. Understand Duration
Duration, Carlon explains, "is the price sensitivity of fixed-income instruments to changes in interest rates." When interest rates move up, bond prices decline, and duration can serve as a guide in determining how fixed-income products will likely react to rising rates.
For instance, the expectation for a bond fund with a duration of 10 years is its price will drop by 10% if interest rates increase by 1%, he notes. (Bond prices and interest-rate shifts have an inverse relationship.)
2. Shorten Your Duration
To protect fixed-income instruments from rising rates, consider fixed-income funds that offer quality bonds with a range of less than five years, the advisor shares.
"While you may see a minor drop in expected yield by making this change, you have actually implemented a strategy to help protect the bond prices from significant price fluctuations," Carlon said.
3. Bond Fund Mandates
Many investors don't pay attention to the mandates and objectives of a bond fund.
Some funds have strict mandates and limit the investment products they invest in, while others have broader, more flexible mandates.
"Investing in a strategy that offers flexibility to the mandate can allow for portions of the portfolio to zig when other parts zag, therefore, helping reduce volatility and ultimately help in producing more stability in value and in income," according to Carlon.
4. Consider Absolute
Absolute-return-oriented funds let investors focus on downside-risk management through broad-based and strategic investing strategies, and they aim to capitalize on market shifts that can help produce positive absolute returns, the investment expert points out.
"The ability to add risk or take risk off during market volatility can serve as a diversified, tactical element to most traditional strategies in an investment portfolio," he said.
5. Be Emerging
The emerging markets in Brazil and India, for example, have a growing number of investing opportunities for fixed-income and other investors.
Along with yield and duration, be sure to check credit quality when compared emerging-market bonds to domestic fixed-income choices.
By adding emerging-market bonds to their mix, investors can begin to diversify their fixed-income risk across additional, and in some cases, nontraditional markets, Carlon adds.
"Interest rates probably won't stay at their current low rates," the advisor concluded. "The goal is to make sure that the investor has had the chance to fully understand the challenges that lay ahead and have considered adding one or more of these strategic elements to their portfolio."
Check out 2013 SMA Managers of the Year: GW&K's Mary Kane, Fixed Income—Video on AdvisorOne.


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Even in winter, local food economy is growing
by Bethany M. Dunbar
copyright the Chronicle January 19, 2011
Even in the middle of January, in the middle of an essentially stagnant economy, the local food movement in northern Vermont is showing signs of not only life, but growth as well.
Barb Judd at the Mountain View Stand in Newport is operating a winter market for the first time.
"The more stuff that goes bad in the big world, it pushes people back — back to their roots," she said. She said more and more, people want to know who grew their food and where it came from.
"People are sick and tired of not knowing."
She decided to try a winter market and see how it went. She opened up the week before Thanksgiving in the same space where Cinta's bakery is located just outside of Derby Village. Not all of her food is from Vermont — especially this time of year — but she buys as much local produce as she can find, Vermont chicken and other meats, and she gets wild seafood directly from Massachusetts.
She didn't have sales statistics on hand during a recent impromptu interview at the store, but she said the response has made her know the timing was right. It took her usual summer customers a while to find her — up Route 5 a bit from her summer location — and she said they sometimes come bursting through the door expressing enthusiasm to have found her again.
"Five years ago, I remember thinking, I am on the edge of something."
Based on the response, she is considering making renovations to her summer farm stand to make it into a year-round business.
Alicia Knoll, one of the owners of Montgomery's Café and Newport Natural Foods, said they have seen enough growth in the past five years to hire about three more employees than the businesses used to have.
"I think that people are cooking more," she said. "We don't really have prepared foods in our store, we have ingredients."
She said Steve Crevoshay and Madeleine Winfield built up the store for years. The core base of customers is still coming back, plus more.
"We like to think we haven't lost that many," Ms. Knoll said.
"There's a certain number of people who will always go to Price Chopper."
On a recent Friday, Gerard Croizet of Berry Creek Farm in Westfield stopped in at Mountain View, and Ms. Judd discussed getting some spinach from him.
Mr. Croizet and his wife, Rosemary, sell organic vegetables, honey, beeswax candles, and strawberries in the summer. They have a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group with 60 members.
People who want to buy directly from the farm join the CSA and are guaranteed a weekly box of food for 20 weeks. Mr. Croizet said their CSA group has grown by ten people each year (which is more than 10 percent). He has had to turn people away because he wanted to make sure he could grow enough food for all the members, plus continue to supply the Berry Creek farm stand, Newport Natural Foods and Mountain View.
On a freezing cold Sunday afternoon, spinach was growing inside one of his unheated greenhouses. The greenhouse has double plastic walls, and the spinach growing inside is covered by a white light cloth row cover. Underneath the cloth, spinach is green and growing.
Mr. Croizet said sometimes it freezes and looks pretty bad, but after a day or two of sunshine it perks up and grows again. By March there will be enough heat from the sun inside the greenhouse to start more vegetables.
He agreed with Ms. Judd that there is growing demand for local food.
"There's a consciousness — people are more conscious about what they eat," he said.
Dairy farming has for years been the driving force in agriculture in Vermont, but in recent years dairy farms have struggled to survive. According to a report recently released by the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, the Farm to Plate Stategic Plan, the number of dairy farms in Vermont has decreased by nearly 91 percent over the last 60 years. The value of milk and other dairy products in Vermont is $493,926,000, according to the report, and the total value of Vermont agricultural products is $673,713,000.
Dairying is not gone but it's changing. Large farms have bought up smaller ones or leased their land. Some have installed methane digesters as a way of making their own electricity.
The fact that dairy is still a big part of the economy is evidenced by the recently-released list of the top 100 businesses in Vermont, compiled by Vermont Business Magazine.
St. Albans Cooperative Creamery is number ten on the list with revenues of $320-million. Poulin Grain is number 41 with $68-million.
Green Mountain Coffee, which has recently bought a coffee company on the west coast and one in Canada, is the second largest business in Vermont and the second one to have more than a billion dollars in revenues at $1.3-billion. The largest company listed in Vermont is National Life Group with $1.5-billion.
Alternative dairying and artisanal cheese making is a growing area of the dairy economy in Vermont.
The Northeastern Vermont Development Association (NVDA) is running an advertisement looking for someone to "provide outreach to farmers in the Northeast Kingdom region about the benefits of a fluid goat milk producers' association."
The position is half-time, for two years, funded by a Rural Business Opportunity Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture "working closely with the Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery."
Vermont Butter and Cheese is also looking for a quality control and lab worker, and two other small cheese and yogurt makers in Vermont are hiring as well. Bob-White Systems in South Royalton just announced a new line of equipment and supplies for farmstead cheese makers.
The potential for growth in Vermont's food economy is good, according to the Farm to Plate Strategic Plan just released by the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund. After a series of meetings and research into Vermont's agriculture and food systems, the report was created.
"Vermont's food system is a significant part of the state's economy, with total economic output of $2.7-billion annually, employing over 55,500 people at nearly 11,000 private sector businesses across the state. And the state can expect 1,500 new private sector jobs over the next ten years if Vermonters double their consumption of locally produced food from just 5 percent to 10 percent of their total food purchases," according to the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund's web site, where the full report is available.
Brothers Mateo and Andy Kehler of Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro — and their families — are part of the changing face of dairying.
"If we want things to remain the same, then something's going to have to change," says Mateo Kehler.
Dairy farmers who ship to the commercial market — not organic — are getting a better milk price than they did in 2008, but the basic price paid under the antiquated federal system is still just under the average cost of making milk in Vermont.
Organic dairy farmers get about $31 for a hundred pounds of milk (about $2.66 a gallon). That is about $13 a hundredweight ($1.12 a gallon) more than the conventional price.
Meanwhile the Cellars at Jasper Hill — a system of cheese caves where the Kehlers age their own cheese, along with Ploughgate, Cabot, and others — is a business that has seen dramatic growth. Jasper Hill makes 80,000 pounds of cheese a year.
In 2010, Mr. Kehler said, the company grew 50 percent from the year before. By the end of the first quarter the company will have 29 employees. Four years earlier it had four.
Jasper Hill cheeses do not all sell locally. But the word "local" could include Vermont to consumers from Boston or New York.
Mr. Kehler said the cellars are about 40 percent full, and they could fill them right now with cheeses from all over the U.S. and Europe. But their mission is to fill them with Vermont cheeses and help more local farms add value to their milk in hopes of keeping more working farms on the land.
In a region in France called Comté, 3,000 dairy farms are producing a type of cheese named after that region. Their price is based on a team of experts who taste the product of each farm and decide on pay based on quality. Mr. Kehler would love to see something like that happening in Vermont.
Jasper Hill has agreed to lease a section of the new Food Venture Center under construction in Hardwick. Jasper Hill has already hired five employees to work there because they had to be trained. Mr. Kehler said Jasper Hill made a commitment to this project when people were first discussing it, and he is excited to see it coming together.
Louise Calderwood is the interim director of the venture center. It will have five production cells and a warehouse. The meat and cheese cells will each be leased for five years, and there will be cells for people packing wet products such as salsas and jam, a cell for vegetables, a bakery, and possibly dry mixes.
Before construction is complete, demand is exceeding space available.
"I recognize that neither the meat cell nor the dairy cell are going to meet the needs of everybody," said Ms. Calderwood, who will step down once the facility is up and running. "We already see that the needs are broader than the existing facility."
The venture center is advertising to find a permanent manager and an operations manager.
More information about the venture center will be available at a meeting at the North Country Union High School Career Center on Saturday, January 22, at 10 a.m.
Another local food project in the planning stages is a Northeast Kingdom Tasting Center, which would offer retail spaces for local farmers and food producers and be a tourist destination. This project, led by Eleanor Leger of Eden Ice Cider in Charleston and Gloria Bruce of the Northeast Kingdom Travel and Tourism Association, is currently under study for its economic feasibility.
The power of the Vermont brand is well known by Bill Stenger at Jay Peak. He said consumers expect Vermont products to be "clean, healthy, safe and authentic."
The new restaurants at the mountain, Alice's Table and the Tower Bar, feature Vermont apple cider, Cabot cheddar, Vermont bacon and burgers, and a beer made especially for Jay Peak by Long Trail called Jay Peak Tram Ale.
The chefs have started a garden just outside the new restaurant, and plan to expand it.
He said Jay Peak has always supported the area's farmers, recently through the Green Mountain Farm to School program, and Jay Peak will continue to look for more ways to do so.
"The relationship with the farm community is pretty indelible, and it goes deep."
Pete's Greens in Craftsbury has seen steady growth. The barn fire at his farm on Wednesday, January 19, was a huge setback. But it's clear that Mr. Johnson will rebuild and his customers will see him through this difficult time.
Mr. Johnson has more than 350 CSA members. His business has seen 15 to 20 percent growth in gross sales in recent years, he said in an interview last fall. Earlier the growth was faster. That's plenty of growth per year. He doesn't want it to grow so fast he loses control over quality.
"It's not like you're just making widgets," he said. He has seven full-time employees and 13 in the growing season. He raises 40,000 pounds of beets, 70,000 pounds of potatoes, and 50,000 to 60,000 pounds of greens.
Andrew Meyer has seen growth in both of the agriculture-related businesses he's got in Hardwick. Vermont Soy sells its products to local independent stores and around New England and New York City. He also sells to food services, including the University of Vermont and Middlebury College.
"We're starting to introduce products with a longer shelf life," he said. The company grew 50 percent in 2010 and employs six people.
Vermont Natural Coatings, which makes paints and stains of whey, doubled its sales in 2010.
Mr. Meyer, who is one of the people who started the Center for an Agricultural Economy in Hardwick, sees potential for more growth in the agriculture-related economy if and when more infrastructure can be added.
For example, he would like to see a system for farmers who sell at farmers markets and who have extra produce. A distribution system could be established to sell the rest of their produce in a larger market by getting some farmers together, he suggested.
He'd also like to see a central facility where soy beans and other Vermont-grown grains could be stored, milled, cleaned, and distributed. That way each farm would not have to buy the expensive equipment needed for those tasks.
Curtis Sjolander, who raises vegetables and trout at his farm in Wheelock, is one of the managers of the Caledonia Farmers Market group.
Mr. Sjolander said despite the fact there are more farmers' markets around than there were in the past, the Caledonia market (St. Johnsbury and Danville) has 50 vendors and is approaching a gross annual sales figure of $350,000. It has been increasing by 10 percent a year.
"Each one of us does better than we ever would alone," Mr. Sjolander said.
contact Bethany M. Dunbar at [email protected]