Indigenous People Defend United Nations “Terminator” Ban



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Indigenous People Defend United Nations “Terminator” Ban










LIMA/LONDON, (PRWEB) October 9, 2005

Indigenous farmers in Peru, the birthplace of the potato, have slammed a move to overturn a UN moratorium on using genetically modified “Terminator” technology in agricultural production.

Genetic Use Restriction Technology, commonly known as Terminator, means that food plants could be genetically modified so that their seeds are rendered sterile, thus preventing farmers from reusing harvested seed.

However, according to a new report from indigenous leaders, Peruvian farmers and small farmers worldwide “are dependant on seeds obtained from the harvest as a principal source of seed to be used in subsequent agricultural cycles.”

More than 70 indigenous leaders representing 26 Andean and Amazon communities have agreed that Terminator represents a dangerous technology that could undermine traditional livelihoods and damage the environment. Meeting in the mountain village of Choquecancha in southern Peru late last month, they produced a report detailing their concerns to be presented to UN and government officials.

A defacto moratorium has existed on Terminator under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, applying the “precautionary principle” to potentially dangerous GM technology.

The fear is that Terminator would transfer sterility to and effectively kill off other crops and wider plant life, as well as increasing the reliance of farmers on big agribusiness which is already patenting seeds traditionally owned by indigenous people. Industrialized “mono-culture” farming would benefit at the expense of tried and tested local agricultural knowledge, threatening livelihoods, cultures and biodiversity.

The indigenous leaders warn that, in Peru alone, 2,000 varieties of potato could be put at risk by Terminator technology.

Felipe Gonzalez of the indigenous Pinchimoro community said: “Terminator seeds do not have life; they only work once. Like a plague they will come infecting our crops and carrying sickness. We want to continue using our own seeds and our own customs of seed conservation and sharing.”

Recently, the Swiss-based company Syngenta won the patent on Terminator potatoes, but the UN moratorium blocks the commercialization of the product.

Some governments led by Canada have challenged the UN’s safety regulation, leading Convention on Biological Diversity officials to consult widely on whether the moratorium on Terminator should be relaxed.

The issue is expected to come to a head in March 2006, when Brazil will host the next international meeting on biodiversity (8th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity, COP8). Peruvian indigenous leaders are urging the UN to expose the dangers of Terminator technology and uphold the moratorium. They also demand that indigenous people have a say in the process equal to the influence of the agribusiness lobby.

The indigenous leaders meeting in Choquecancha was co-organized by the Association of Communities in the Potato Park in Pisaq near Cusco. The recently-established “Potato Park” is a ground-breaking initiative that puts indigenous people back in charge of managing biological resources.

The meeting was supported by the Quechua-Aymara Association for Nature and Sustainable Development (ANDES) based in Cusco and the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).

Dr Michel Pimbert, Director of the Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity and Livelihoods Program at IIED, said: “Indigenous peoples from Peru are asking the international community to ‘stay strong’ in the face of huge pressure from corporations that now promote terminator technology for their private gain and monopoly control over the global food system. Decisive and coordinated action is needed by world governments to fully apply the precautionary principle in biosafety policies and reinforce the United Nations de facto moratorium on the release of terminator technology.”

Alejandro Argumedo, Associate Director of ANDES, said: “The UN moratorium helps to protect millenarian indigenous agricultural knowledge and the agrobiodiversity and global food security it enables. The rush to exploit Terminator technology for corporate profit must not be allowed to sabotage vital international biosafety polices.”

For further information

Tony Samphier on +44 208 671 2911

Liz Carlile on +44 207 388 2117

Alejandro Argumedo on +51 849721852

Notes to editors

Spokespeople are available in Lima and London.

The Quechua-Aymara Association for Nature Conservation and Sustainable Development (ANDES) is governed by a general assembly which is largely composed of indigenous people from villages in the Andes. ANDES has three professional staff in their office in Cusco, in southern Peru, while another 15 technicians and university-trained professionals and 25 local villagers work in the field with local communities.

The International Institute for Environment & Development (IIED) is a London-based think tank working for global policy solutions rooted in the reality of local people at the frontline of sustainable development. http://www.iied.org

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Planting the seed – Is it better to plant directly into the soil, or should emerge early?

Question by crackerlady2007 : The planting of the seed – Is it better to plant directly into the ground or should arise early ?
I’ve never grown flowers from seed before. Is it better than spring in advance seeder little things, and I’m fine just planted directly in soil. I’d rather not fuss with cups pot unless I have to. : DYO am not “new to gardening.” I’ve never grown from seeds just before. :) Best answer:

Reply by LittleOzzy
Not required if you are a patient of floración.Si you want that flower early and stay longer and then using the cups pot is better.


know better? Leave your own response in the comments!

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Sunflower Seed Oil – Homemade Skin Care and More!

Sunflower seed oil is cold pressed from the seeds of the Helianthus annuus plant, the sunflower.  This vibrant, sturdy and colorful flower is known worldwide.  Its outer petals are yellow, red, orange or other colors.  It has a circular shaped center consisting of disc florets, which mature into seeds.  Sunflowers are found in tropical grasslands, forests, near highways or in everyday gardens.

Sunflower seed oil is pale yellow, in color, has very little fragrance, a light taste and light consistency. It is a versatile and healthy oil. It is used, around the world, in foods, for its frying performance and found in commercial and homemade skin care formulations!

There are three types of sunflower oil:  NuSun, linoleic and high oleic. Each type differs in oleic levels offering unique properties.  With three types accessible, they meet the needs of most consumer and food manufacturers.

NuSun sunflower oil provides optimum healthy benefits, great taste and superb performance.  There is no need for hydrogenation, which is beneficial for the health conscious consumer.  It is lower in saturated fat than linoelic sunflower oil.  It contains zero trans fatty acids, has heart healthy benefits and helps to reduce LDL cholesterol levels.  It is used for frying or cooking.

Linoleic sunflower oil is commonly known.  It is predominantly polyunsaturated with low saturated fat levels.  It contains an essential nutrient, omega-6 fatty acid.  The remainder of it consists of monosaturated and low saturated fats. This natural oil is found in salad oils, margarines and shortening.  It is used for cooking.

High oleic sunflower oil contains a minimum of 80%, monosaturated, oleic acid.  It is trans fat-free, has excellent stability with no hydrogenation.  It is used in spray cooking oils, cereals, crackers and dried fruit.  It’s used for frying and in many other ways.

How is sunflower seed oil beneficial for skin? It is very conditioning, moisturizing and skin cell regenerating. It is good for dry, aged, sensitive or damaged skin. It is high in essential fatty acids.  High oleic sunflower oil contains the benefits of vitamins A, B, D and E, is rich in minerals, lecithin and contains omega 9 fatty acids, essential nutrients for the body.  Sunflower seed oil penetrates, quickly, without leaving an oily residue, helps skin retain moisture and can form a barrier that resists skin infection. It can be used as the primary vegetable oil in a variety of skin care formulations including homemade lotion, salt scrubs and bath oils.  Combined with essential oils, in massage oil formulations, it provides aromatherapy benefits.

There is soap making information to consider before using this natural oil.   When using sunflower seed oil, for making homemade soap, use in conjunction with more saturated oils. Combining sunflower seed oil with other soap making oils can help homemade soaps last longer.   High oleic sunflower oil combines well with evening primrose or hemp seed oils.  Use it up to, approximately, 15% to 20% in your homemade soap recipes. This, natural, soap making oil produces a soft bar of soap.  It can cause your soaps to take longer to trace and harden. To reduce cost, some soap makers use it to replace a portion of olive oil, in their homemade soap recipes.

The shelf life of sunflower seed oil is, approximately, six months to one year. The high oleic sunflower oil is, naturally, more stable, resistant to rancidity and can last longer.  Sunflower seed oil offers healthful benefits and is used in a variety of ways!

 

 

Find sunflower seed oil and soap making information, at: http://www.natural-goat-milk-soap.com/sunflower-seed-oil.html


Learn how to make soap, at:  http://www.natural-goat-milk-soap.com/how-to-make-soap.html

 

 


Article from articlesbase.com

Sunflower seeds are easy to grow, and the time to harvest sunflower seeds is when they easily drop away from the plant. Discover how to dry sunflower seeds after they’re harvested with help from a sustainable gardener in this free video on flower gardening and plant care.

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The Vegetable Seeds On Sale Are Actually Easy to Grow!

These days the number of people who are interested in GIY (Grow It Yourself) is increasing because people want to reduce their dependency on vegetables that are mass produced. GIY has also become popular among environmentalists as they want to reduce the carbon footprint that consumers create when they eat food that has to be transported over long distances. People also buy vegetable seeds because they want to get close to nature.

If you are tempted to make your own garden when you see seeds on sale do not hesitate to buy vegetable seeds. There are differences in opinion about how seeds on sale are to be used. For example, some urban farmers prefer to sow their vegetable seeds indoors before transferring them to their gardens later in the spring, others prefer to sow them outdoor right from the beginning.

Just keep the following things in mind after you buy vegetable seeds and you will be surprised with the results.

It really does not matter how big or small a place you have. The seeds on sale are usually so good that they produce the desired results even if the space that is available is small.
While choosing the place where you will grow your plants, you should opt for a place where the plants will get sunlight for at least a few hours everyday. It is also advisable to grow them in a site that is sheltered from strong winds. If the soil conditions are not very good, you will have to improve it by either mixing fresh soil or adding soil conditioners.
If the ground that you have access to is difficult to dig, you may use the ‘raised bed’ system. You may construct the raised beds from a variety of materials like recycled pallet boards, builder’s scaffolding boards, or old railway sleepers. This will enable you to ensure that the seeds get the nutrients that are required for their growth.
One way of ensuring that the soil remains fertile for many years is to create a rotation cycle for three years.
Some people find it difficult to choose from the different types of seeds on sale. Some of the easy to grow vegetables are potatoes, leeks, broad beans, sweetcorn, radishes, and runner beans.

 

Now that you know how to deal with seeds for sale, go ahead and buy the vegetable seeds that have caught your eye!

Eden Brothers is one of the largest suppliers of wholesale vegetable seeds in the United States. Shop online at www.edenbrothers.com and save money.


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Gold prices comparable to foreign seed Jiucheng Jiangsu homemade vegetable seeds

Recently, some media and foreign control of the seed has high vegetable seeds in China more than 50% market share, almost all of the vegetable varieties. In China’s largest vegetable base – Shandong Shouguang, 60% to 80% of vegetable species is foreign seed. Some expressed concern about the industry: foreign seed gradually “rule” vegetable seed market, the public will lose the table’s “pricing power” can not afford to eat vegetables. Foreign seeds in the Jiangsu market situation? Yesterday, the Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences Institute of Vegetable Research Fellow Diao Long Yang told reporters, vegetable seed market in the province, more than 90% are made in China.

Gold prices comparable to foreign seed

“Foreign vegetable seeds, expensive high-end, even if the price of ordinary vegetable seeds, seed than made 5 to 10 times more expensive.” Diao Long Yang said. Reporters also saw a number of seed sites, merchants listed offer foreign vegetable species: the Dutch fruit Kohlrabi Seed 2500 / bags, wholesale price 0.3 yuan / tablets; Israel tomato seeds 1 g / bag, wholesale price 65 yuan; Netherlands Pepper seeds, 500 / bag, wholesale price 180 … … and some seed price up to 200-300 yuan / g, comparable to the gold price. So “Jingui” seed, grown vegetables, do not think you can hardly succeed. Large supermarkets in the “Spanish lettuce”, “Israel cherry tomatoes,” “French beans”, the high prices that discourage ordinary people.

“However, farmers select seeds, do not see is the ‘foreign seed’ or ‘soil seed’.” Diao Long Yang told reporters that the seed is a means of production, vegetable selection criteria, the main three. First, after the seed species will sell out, in line with market demand; Second, better seed quality, resistance to diseases, “body” Well, how much by rain, the temperature is of little, vegetables to be good, good-looking, anti- Storage; third affordable, people can afford these vegetables. The criteria for enterprise selection is only one seed, and that is market demand. “From a practical point of view, like most people, the greatest demand, or made of vegetables.”

Food market on the foreign seeds not exceeding 10%

Diao Long Yang said, from our perspective the actual acreage of vegetables, is still dominated by “soil seed” and only in specific areas, specific cultivation methods, particularly crop species, the existence of foreign seed accounted for more cases share such as small greenhouse in the north of color within the pepper, processing of broccoli, heat a small vegetables, cabbage, but the proportion of foreign seeds not more than 10%.

“China’s edible species have more than 170 kinds of vegetables, and vegetable species and much less foreign.” Diao Long, said Yang, Jiangsu vegetable cultivation area of more than 2,000 acres, most people eat chili, tomatoes, eggplant, watermelon, tender corn, and leafy vegetables and beans, which at least 90% of vegetable seeds are made of. “Xinghua is the country and the world’s largest dehydrated vegetable production and processing bases, so to speak, over 80% of the global instant noodle seasoning bag of dehydrated vegetables, are produced in Xinghua, and these seeds are made. Academy of Agricultural Sciences also cultivated ‘Su pepper 5′, is of Jiangsu and even the country’s main cultivated thin pepper seeds. ”

Diao Long Yang is also the Vegetable Seed Technology Co., Ltd. Jiangsu Jiang, general manager, told reporters that his company made a 30-year seed promotion, sales, breeding all the seeds of their own provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Yesterday, reporters learned through Provincial Agriculture Committee, vegetable planting base in the province, the seed is basically a province or enterprise training outside the province, the vast majority of farmers have never bought foreign seed.

Part of “soil seed” love “wearing Western hats”

Diao Long Yang believes that the reason some people will have “foreign rule of China’s vegetable seed market to be” kind of “illusion”, there are two reasons. “A considerable portion of the domestic seed like wearing ‘Western hat’, ‘posing’.” He said, some of the banner of “Italian lettuce”, “American pepper,” “Holland tomatoes” and other foreign flag, as well as The seed companies can even import and export of approval issued by seed, but the basic fact is made in China. “It’s like a brand of bag is not very much, but if the top hit ‘LV’ logo, giving the impression is different.” He said, some people always feel that good things abroad, which also makes vegetables has been wearing on “foreign hat”, “value” on the doubling.

He told reporters that in some agricultural demonstration zone, much of some kinds of foreign seeds; other big supermarkets will sell a bit of vegetables imported from abroad, these factors also contributed to the Chinese invasion of foreign vegetable seed market, “misunderstanding.” “For example, we often see in supermarkets, imported red peppers, but the market share occupied by very few. Farms sold and bought most of the people made of thin-skinned peppers.”

I am China Crafts Suppliers writer, reports some information about sum poosie energy drink , polynesian noni juice.


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Little League Tee Ball, Planting Positive Seeds

Tee Ball is the most popular youth baseball program in Little League, including other youth baseball leagues around the country, and has the most participants. As the 5- and 6-year-olds whom participate in Tee Ball get older, there is a drop off in youth baseball participation each year. Traditionally the largest drop off of players in most youth leagues occurs after players reach their twelfth birthday. Soccer is almost a year round sport and youth lacrosse is growing, which are both in direct competition with youth baseball. Baseball parents, coaches, and leagues are almost compelled to make the first baseball experience for young kids a positive one.

Youth baseball leagues can develop certain positive philosophies that will maximize the chances of retaining baseball players in their leagues. I’ll touch on just few that I feel most appropriate. First of all, Tee Ball leagues should strive to make it as non-competitive as possible. Some overzealous parents who are very competitive will look upon their own child’s first tee ball experience as the Major League World Series. Leagues must set a standard with this non-competition philosophy. Not keeping score is an option leagues try. But, from my experience with my own kids, as much as parents and coaches try, some of the kids themselves will be keeping score and reminding the coach and the other teammates every time a player crosses home plate. This will also lead to the kids keeping track of wins and losses. One option leagues might consider is to mix the teams up every 3rd or 4th game. This option affords tee ball teams to still have a team concept because they will practice with their team, and 75% of their games will be together. One thing they will have to overcome is two sets of different colored uniforms playing on the same side. Maybe one way to overcome this is to have players come to these games in white tee shirts and the leagues supply cheap colored vests. Maybe we call these games “All League Games”, or another positive term that everyone can accept.

The other part of the game that needs to be addressed is that at the age of 5 & 6, the skill level will vary tremendously. Leagues need to treat the tee ball season as a progression type situation. In a 20 or 25 game season, maybe use a larger ball when hitting off the batting tee for the first five games. In practices, coaches should use a larger ball on a tee early in a season. One thing I did when coaching tee ball is to take a bathroom plunger, turn it upside down and place it into the batting tee. Now a coach can rest a beach ball or a kick ball on top of the tee for the kids to hit.

When teaching fielding, coaches need to make the task as achievable as possible. I used to start the season using a Velcro ball and Velcro paddle to catch a fly ball. The kids love this. On ground balls, teach the players to make contact with the ball with their glove, keep it in front of them, and not necessarily catch it. On throwing, keep the distance short, spreading the players out very liberally and moving them back after every five throws.

These are just a few ideas that leagues should address, keeping in mind that we must start with baby steps and progress as the season goes on. Parents must realize that they will have their fair share of competition as their kids move up in age. Tee Ball should be a positive experience in every sense of the word. Skills should be the theme of tee ball and less competition. In the world of youth sports, which includes playing time problems, parental sniping, and on the field arguing, youth baseball Tee Ball should be immune to these problems as much as possible.

http://www.YouthSportsClub.com

Marty Schupak has coached youth baseball for 21 years and is the video creator of “The 59 Minute Baseball Practice”, “Backyard Baseball Drills”, “Winning Baseball Strategies”, “Hitting Drills & Techniques”, “Pitching Drills & Techniques”, and author of the popular book, “Youth Baseball Drills”. He is also creator of the Baseball PakPad Scoring Application available on Apple devices. He is President of the Youth Sports Club, a group dedicated to making sports practices and games more enjoyable for kids.

http://www.YouthSportsClub.com


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What is a good time of year to plant pumpkin seeds for a pumpkin patch?

Question by Michelle: What is a good time of year to plant pumpkin seeds for a pumpkin patch?
I have white pumpkin seeds, and orange pumpkin seeds. I’m planning on creating a pumpkin patch, and I don’t know what time of year I should plant them. Also, should I let the seeds dry out before planting them? Thank you!

Best answer:

Answer by Sailing Guy
Planting depends on where you live. Spring up north and as late as early Summer down south. Seeds should be washed and thoroughly dried to avoid rot.

Add your own answer in the comments!

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Lawn Care – How Frost Affects Grass Seeds

Having a beautiful lawn with lush green grass is a dream of every home owner. Your lawn shows your aesthetic sense and reflects your personality. A beautiful and healthy garden is a thing of beauty which makes every home owner proud, but this can only be achieved through proper lawn care. Making a lawn is no doubt hard work, but keeping it looking great through the years is even harder. This becomes even harder during winter season.

The most threatening thing for a lawn during the winter season is “frost”. Frost occurs on cold and clear nights, when the weather is extremely cold. So I would suggest never think of seeding grass in that season. The growth of grass depends on how you kept and stored the seed.

You have to understand that you can’t plant grass at any time during the year. There is a time for planting the grass seeds. Never think of planting grass seeds during the winter or early spring season as the frost will spoil the seed and make it unviable. The best time for planting the seed is mid spring when the air is warm and moist. This is the best climate for the germination of grass. In parts of the world where spring season is comparatively dry and warmer, the planting of grass seeds should be done in early spring when the frost subsides. For good lawn care you should keep a close watch on the weather conditions and find out which are most suited for sowing new seeds in your area. As a rule, never go for sowing when the ground is cold.

When you see the climate is suitable for planting grass seeds, dig the ground four to five inches, take the seeds out from storage and sow them. By the time the seeds begin to germinate; the temperature would be perfect for the grass to grow. So the best time to plant grass is early or mid-spring season depending on your area. This means that grass needs moist and wet climate for good growth. So if the natural moisture is not available; then water the grass with you irrigation pipe.

So for good lawn care the most important thing is to prevent grass seeds from frost as it is not at all suitable for them. It’s important to wait for the frosty season to get over and then think of taking the grass seeds out of tis storage container. As each seed contains a tiny droplet of water at its core to be used upon germination if that water freezes because of the frost it will expand and damage the seed. So let the frosty season go and wait for the spring to plant grass seeds.

Using a lawn dethatcher can clear up your lawn and improve the quality of your landscape. Also, our website provides information about which lawn plug aerator you should buy.


Article from articlesbase.com

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How To Really Plant And Grow A Geranium Flower

When you look at any thriving flower, whether it is a tulip or a wildflower, you see the very last scaffold of it’s swelling. Not all flora boon the same way, though. There is a difference between a tulip bulb and a seed that every gardener should know. To learn more, read the next information.

Let’s pioneer with the chief definition of an ordinary flower bulb. There are many different definitions you can find on farming websites. Here are two alike, but different definitions:

An underground side bud enwrapped in plump scales or coats. An underground storeroom organ made up of ample scales wrapped around one another from which flora and leaves are created.

Let’s strain out the shared basics. A tulip bulb is the underside part of the tulip works. When the bulb is planted in the soil and begins to come to life, roots and shoots beat through the outer block. Roots dig deeper into the soil to horde water and nutrients. Shoots grow upward and disregard through the apparent of the soil and grow into the green conceal that bears a tulip flower.

A bulb is a “storage organ.” It stores food in the “thickset scales” around the “basis” of the bulb. That self grows into next year’s hide.

According to Wikipedia, a seed is a small nascent conceal enclosed in a jacket called the seed coat, commonly with some stored food. The seed coated is a hard lawsuit that protects the tiny deposit inside. Seeds grow inside a flower or fruit. A seed could be harvested, cleaned, dried and planted to grow new flora and plants.

You can find tulip seeds within the seed pod in tulip plants. The pod needs to be pollinated so that the seeds will grow. When the flower dies, you can extract seeds from the pod and deposit them the following September. Just be awake that it can take sometime before you see a flower on a tulip mature from a seed. Some gardening authorities assert that it can take five-to-seven existence before these tulips to construct blossoms. A tulip bulb is different from a seed because a bulb will engender a tulip place and flower the very next year. Make constant to factory either one in the right soil with polite watering and precision.

A seed could be as tiny as a poppy seed or as large as a peach pit. The main seed in the place kingdom is from a coco de mer palm tree found in the Silhouette Islands in the Seychelles. That seed could weigh up to 17.6 kilograms or 38 pounds!

Tulip bulbs are very large compared to most flower seeds. A tulip bulb is careful by its circumference. A standard tulip bulb is 11-12 centimeters in circumference which translates to 1.5 inches in diameter. A mean tulip bulb trial between 1.5 inches and 3 inches long.

Here’s one more, significant difference between a tulip bulb and a seed. Seeds often grow at the utmost end of a yard, tree or flower. Bulbs do not. The tulip bulbs multiplies by dividing into two bulbs that are close to one another near the roots of the plant.

Information on ivy geraniums can be found at the Geranium Plants site.


Article from articlesbase.com

Time lapse sequence shot using Pentax K110D and Harbortronics DigiSnap 2100 set to take a frame each 14 minutes 24 seconds. The time lapse spans 9 days. Two 90 watt compact floresecent lights where used for both the camera shooting light and the grow lights. The lights were set on a timer for 18 hours on and 6 off (for the health of the plants). The jump in the video is the 6 hour gap in the darkness. Amazing how fast the radishes grew. Music by Roland White – Gaieté Acadienne [CD-Trying to Get to You]. Hope you enjoy.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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What are the best seeds to grow plants for science project?

Question by mead1973 : What are the best seeds from the plants to grow for Science Project ?
My son is working on a science project and we will make an experiement with plants. What are some seeds of plants that can grow that is easy, just to survive within, and does not require much attention? Best answer:

Reply by southarkansas
peanuts are a good

Leave your answer to this question below!

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