- Joined
- Nov 7, 2012
- Messages
- 5,173
- Location (City and/or State)
- South of Southern California, but not Mexico
I correspond with Yvonne frequently, one email might have ten topics, so the subject header is now always 'stuff'. I have some stuff to share, here, with you all.
I have not altered prices associated with the cost of postage, since 2016. Right now, until 27 December 2020 there has been a seasonal spike in cost due to the holidays. I'll keep that part of the prices stable until 01 January 2021. Then the postage part of the price will increase. For the most part volume (I pay less) has kept even with the annual postage rate increase, that is no more the case.
I know I don't break out 'shipping' or 'handling' when you use the webpage to buy 'stuff'. 'Handling' is just a sales tax free way to up-charge for products. Shipping is not nor has ever been free, but that's how the webpage makes it appear, my goal was to have the price you see - be the price you pay. Check out is simpler. Sales tax compliance means I pay sales tax on the whole price you see, with S&H as part of that. When vendors break out S&H they don't pay sales tax on that part of the price you pay. That's not trivial as volume goes up. But I will keep it that way, the price you see is the price you pay.
Nearly all the foods and diet items, less the layer crumbles and ZM foods, have "superfood" attributes to them. This means that they have chemical properties that bodies can use, but you won't perish without them. High on the list are anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-parasitic properties. These claims are tested in labs with rats and mice for the most part and there is a huge library of data to back the claims up. However those claims have not been evaluated by the FDA with human consumption, so I don't share those results. I try to find and post just the simple nutrients in the plant products. C: P ratio, protein, fiber similar to the profile that Feedipedia will post. To that end I found a lab that does not charge crazy high prices to do this basic analysis, and I have posted the results for Ginkgo and Soursop here in TFO. So, to the best of my knowledge here on TFO, and my blog, are the only places that data is published or available. You're welcome.
I am always on the search for new items that might be a good tortoise food. The whole point is to keep variety ever changing in the day to day of your tortoise - FOOD is behavioral enrichment. It's the simplest one to use, and the one that gets away from people when they over do it. "My tortoise will only eat..." The most loathsome thing I hear people say in regards to tortoise husbandry.
I'm currently seeking organic green Rooibos, I hope it pans out. I have not found a single reference that indicates tortoises eat it directly in the wild. I've corresponded with Rooibos farmers, herpetologist, etc. The closest thing I came to is one farmer who has many angulate tortoises on his tea farm, said he has not seen them eat it. But all those places have a wide range of hoof stock that do eat it, and so the tortoises eat at least once removed - yeah - feces. The common response from those surveyed is that Rooibos does not have any edible parts at tortoise level. If I can get some I'll send some out to angulate keepers, we'll see what comes of it.
"Jeeze Will, get the why this is in the Marketplace"
Cactus Flour, Marsh Mallow, and Soursop are now available at www.KapidoloFarms.com
Cactus Flour, organic sourced, (FLOUR. not flower) has nearly all the same properties as the cactus chips, no glochids though. It sprinkles on like calcium powder. I've been using it five days a week, you have to offer a break once in awhile from different foods. The fiber by analysis is the same, but the particle size is now all very small, so lost is the variable fiber particles size. It does not have as much calcium as pure calcium carbonate - no kidding - right? But it certainly seems to taste better.
Marsh Mallow, organic sourced, what the white confectionary is named for, 'cause that's where the flavor comes from. Another annual weedy plant for variety. It has handling similarities to the raspberry, there are those little fine hairs on the leaf surface. This is one all my tortoises will just eat as is, not mixed, just a small pile, they eat it. I still mix it in.
Soursop is a tree leaf, organic sourced. What I have is 'tea bag cut' meaning the particles are smallish, but not a powder. This is a leaf from a tree that produces the fruit of the same name. The leaves and fruit are consumed by people, many herbivore animals, and tortoises. It is eaten by tortoises where the trees have been introduced for human food consumption. There are now four tree leaves available in the Kapidolo Farms store, Mulberry, Moringa, Ginkgo, and Soursop they all have a great C: P ratio and a great fiber profile.
I sent samples of the soursop and ginkgo out with every shipment in October, I got many good reviews, not one said 'they hated it'. I sent out 2 ounces of Cactus Flower with every order the month before, September. I've now had several people sort wondering WTF Will, can I buy this stuff? Now you can. It's priced a bit less than Cactus Chips.
I hope I did not mess up the webpage adding these items to the roster, If I did I really do appreciate a heads-up.
I have not altered prices associated with the cost of postage, since 2016. Right now, until 27 December 2020 there has been a seasonal spike in cost due to the holidays. I'll keep that part of the prices stable until 01 January 2021. Then the postage part of the price will increase. For the most part volume (I pay less) has kept even with the annual postage rate increase, that is no more the case.
I know I don't break out 'shipping' or 'handling' when you use the webpage to buy 'stuff'. 'Handling' is just a sales tax free way to up-charge for products. Shipping is not nor has ever been free, but that's how the webpage makes it appear, my goal was to have the price you see - be the price you pay. Check out is simpler. Sales tax compliance means I pay sales tax on the whole price you see, with S&H as part of that. When vendors break out S&H they don't pay sales tax on that part of the price you pay. That's not trivial as volume goes up. But I will keep it that way, the price you see is the price you pay.
Nearly all the foods and diet items, less the layer crumbles and ZM foods, have "superfood" attributes to them. This means that they have chemical properties that bodies can use, but you won't perish without them. High on the list are anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-parasitic properties. These claims are tested in labs with rats and mice for the most part and there is a huge library of data to back the claims up. However those claims have not been evaluated by the FDA with human consumption, so I don't share those results. I try to find and post just the simple nutrients in the plant products. C: P ratio, protein, fiber similar to the profile that Feedipedia will post. To that end I found a lab that does not charge crazy high prices to do this basic analysis, and I have posted the results for Ginkgo and Soursop here in TFO. So, to the best of my knowledge here on TFO, and my blog, are the only places that data is published or available. You're welcome.
I am always on the search for new items that might be a good tortoise food. The whole point is to keep variety ever changing in the day to day of your tortoise - FOOD is behavioral enrichment. It's the simplest one to use, and the one that gets away from people when they over do it. "My tortoise will only eat..." The most loathsome thing I hear people say in regards to tortoise husbandry.
I'm currently seeking organic green Rooibos, I hope it pans out. I have not found a single reference that indicates tortoises eat it directly in the wild. I've corresponded with Rooibos farmers, herpetologist, etc. The closest thing I came to is one farmer who has many angulate tortoises on his tea farm, said he has not seen them eat it. But all those places have a wide range of hoof stock that do eat it, and so the tortoises eat at least once removed - yeah - feces. The common response from those surveyed is that Rooibos does not have any edible parts at tortoise level. If I can get some I'll send some out to angulate keepers, we'll see what comes of it.
"Jeeze Will, get the why this is in the Marketplace"
Cactus Flour, Marsh Mallow, and Soursop are now available at www.KapidoloFarms.com
Cactus Flour, organic sourced, (FLOUR. not flower) has nearly all the same properties as the cactus chips, no glochids though. It sprinkles on like calcium powder. I've been using it five days a week, you have to offer a break once in awhile from different foods. The fiber by analysis is the same, but the particle size is now all very small, so lost is the variable fiber particles size. It does not have as much calcium as pure calcium carbonate - no kidding - right? But it certainly seems to taste better.
Marsh Mallow, organic sourced, what the white confectionary is named for, 'cause that's where the flavor comes from. Another annual weedy plant for variety. It has handling similarities to the raspberry, there are those little fine hairs on the leaf surface. This is one all my tortoises will just eat as is, not mixed, just a small pile, they eat it. I still mix it in.
Soursop is a tree leaf, organic sourced. What I have is 'tea bag cut' meaning the particles are smallish, but not a powder. This is a leaf from a tree that produces the fruit of the same name. The leaves and fruit are consumed by people, many herbivore animals, and tortoises. It is eaten by tortoises where the trees have been introduced for human food consumption. There are now four tree leaves available in the Kapidolo Farms store, Mulberry, Moringa, Ginkgo, and Soursop they all have a great C: P ratio and a great fiber profile.
I sent samples of the soursop and ginkgo out with every shipment in October, I got many good reviews, not one said 'they hated it'. I sent out 2 ounces of Cactus Flower with every order the month before, September. I've now had several people sort wondering WTF Will, can I buy this stuff? Now you can. It's priced a bit less than Cactus Chips.
I hope I did not mess up the webpage adding these items to the roster, If I did I really do appreciate a heads-up.
