Romaine shortage, no problem, keep variety high, reasons and how

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Kapidolo Farms

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The reason I don't blend all of these together and add them daily as a blend is then it is the same thing daily. To alternate among these things keeps variety high, no two days over the course of a month are the same, just by alternating various added things on an un-even basis.

There are a few reasons that I use these things, one is to keep variety up, so that's why I don't blend them all into a single mix of stuff, some one day, another the next is a stronger variety signal to a tortoise palette, I think. A second reason is that they should all provide some balancing for folks that use mostly grocery greens, as I do. And lastly, it should be convenient/easy to do.

I tried to find information about weight, volume, or leaf surface area for a 'typical' head of romaine or any other lettuce type. I did not find much. So I used several heads on the romaine that comes in 'six packs' and a few that are sold as single heads, as well as green leaf and a few bunches of kale. Kale with it's crinkly leaves can hold a great deal of the different things. All greens should be slightly moist to make the loose leaf products stick.

Sooooo, I sorted it all out to tablespoons per head of greens, a tablespoon is a close approximation to how much two fingers and thumb can pinch. I did NOT count how many tablespoons are in a half pound of any of these things. How people measure or pinch is very variable.

The different loose leaf items have a somewhat different weight amount for the volume of a tablespoon, so I adjusted accordingly for each type of loose leaf item. A few do not conform to this, as you will see.

The non-conformists

$14.95 *Rose Hips 'fruit' no amount per feeding session is suggested on the product label, just how to prepare it for use, I use it once a week, about 1/2 cup dry (them moistened).

$12.95 Hibiscus 'flowers' the same, no amount per feeding session, I use it every other day, about 1/2 cup dry (them moistened).

$18.95 Cactus 'chips' I have to admit, I use fresh frequently (not always) and the dry the tortoises eat comes from the bits that stay in the enclosure for a few days, that how I learned they will eat dry cactus. new lower price

$7.95 Alfalfa 'pellets' no amount per feeding session, I use it every other day, about 1/2 cup dry (them moistened).

Conforming to teaspoons per head of greens

$14.95 *Alfalfa 'loose leaf' once or twice a week two tablespoons per head of greens.

$12.95 Mulberry 'loose leaf' once or twice a week two tablespoons per head of greens.

$18.95 Moringa 'loose leaf' once or twice a week one tablespoon per head of greens. new lower price

$14.95 Plantain 'loose leaf' once or twice a week mix 2 or 3 tablespoons per head of greens.

$18.95 *RedClover 'loose leaf' once or twice a week two tablespoons per head of greens.

$12.95 *Dandelion 'loose leaf once or twice a week two tablespoons per head of greens.

$14.95 *OatStraw (milky oats) 'loose leaf' every to every other meal mix one tablespoon per heads of greens.

$12.95 *Raspberry 'loose leaf' once or twice a week one tablespoons per head of greens.

*new for January 2019.

All prices are for a half pound quantity delivered to your postal address.

After the first half pound, the price is $2.00 less per each half pound, then after a fifth half pound each additional half pound is $3.00 less.

I am not tech-y enough to make a complicated shopping cart, so when someone wants more than a single half pound I have to create an invoice/bill that they pay.

I've not put any of the new items on the web-page yet, as I am still trial-ing them with my tortoises at home. So far all are well accepted, but I change it up on my tortoises daily, so they don't get too stick on a routine diet. I had no issues whatsoever with the recent romaine shortage.

On the Rose hips, the Hibiscus and the Alfalfa pellets, their use is per 10-12 heads of greens. That's about slightly less than one tablespoon per head. I have found no upper limit on the cactus, they all seem to like it a great deal - fresh or the dry re-moistened.

This offer to TFO readers is exclusive until the end of 14 January 2019, $2.00 less per item, and still including the price break on multi half pound orders of the same or a variety of items.

If you have a specific interest, I'll sort out an invoice the reflects the discount, for "custom" variety packs. I find the best bang for the buck on shipping starts at an 8 ounce (half pound) amount, 'cause there are a few ounces of packaging too.

The catch, if you want to see it that way, is to already be a blog follower, or become one, at www.kapidolofarms.com AND seek an invoice through [email protected] for your purchase. I will send an invoice to the email address you use to contact me, please make sure your 'ship to' address is correct. All invoicing will be through PayPal, the good news is you don't have to have a PayPal account to use PayPal.

OHHH yeah, all are repackaged USDA certified organic sourced for human consumption with these two exceptions. 1-The Alfalfa 'pellets' are intended for livestock consumption, but are still sourced as USDA certified organic, and 2-the Cactus 'chips' are made by me so you have to trust that I don't use pesticides or any chemical in their preparation/processing, I don't so they conform to those standards, but are not from a certified source.
 
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