What is the State with Most Farmland in the USA?

A farmland in the USA, illustration only

I knew America exports wheat and corns long time ago. Actually, USA have exported many agricultural products, include:

- coarse grains

- tobacco

- oil seeds

- cotton

- meat and poultry

- horticultural products

- food processing products

Interestingly, some well known tropical products such as rice, soybeans and even date fruits are exported by USA.

USA have exported dates to several developed nations such as Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. 

A country side view

The value of date fruits exported was US US$ 67.1 million or Euro 60 million in 2018 (please see my previous post: Do You Know that America Exports Date Fruits? | Tanza Erlambang Update).

The question then What is the State with Most Farmland in the USA? Here are the top 6:

1) Texas

- Farmland is about 29 million acres (12 million ha).

- The land produces most cotton

2) Kansas

- Farmland is about 28.6 million acres (11.6 million ha)

- The land produces most corn

3) North Dakota

- Farmland is about 27.1 million acres (11 million ha)

- The land produces most soybeans

4) Iowa

- Farmland is about 26.7 million acres (10.8 million ha)

- The land produces most corn

5) Illinois

- Farmland is about 23.9 million acres (9.7 million ha)

- The land produces most corn

6) Minnesota

- Farmland is about 22.5 acres (9.1 million ha)

- The land produces most corn

Finally, 3 products most produced by 6 states are corn, soybeans and cotton. How about with your country or state? What agricultural products are produced?

How to Find Prescription Drugs for Cost Free? - part 1

Drugs, just for illustration

We know that prescription drugs are expensive in many countries, especially in the USA. Great number of people can not afford to have them.

Governments and charities (religious, community or private) provide help to certain groups, especially for lower income families to access to prescription medications for free of cost.

The problems are to who neither rich nor poor. Unfortunately, these groups may have no or less chance to have even lower cost of prescription drugs.

All of us might know that switch from brand name drugs to generic ones could cost less from 50% to 85%. But, we still pay and very expensive sometimes.

Then, How to Find Free Prescription Drugs or at least some help?

Through internet, we may find many institutions (private, government or non profit) to provide free medications or discount for drugs or even free health care cost.

One of drug companies provide assistance for diabetes patients

(credit to NPR Illinois)

Many programs limit to certain criteria such as for low and medium incomes of families, but other criteria such as age and chronic diseases might good for you.

Few examples of institutions are following:

1) Non profit organizations. Just few are:

- Help for cancer patients for free drugs

- “Partnership for Prescription drugs” to help people with insurance, but not cover for prescription drugs

- NeedyMeds, provide databases to who can’t afford prescription drugs and health care costs

# Continue to part 2

Using Library Card to Watch Films through Online Streams

Kanopy application to watch film with library card

I knew that libraries provided videos to loan for members since long time ago, but I just aware that libraries across America have services to their members to watch films from online streams.

By using library card, we could access to application called “Kanopy,” from here we could select more than 30,000 movies and documentaries.

Kanopy is available not only to 4,000 libraries in the USA, but also in the following countries:

- Canada

- Australia

- New Zealand

- United Kingdom

Number of films can be watched varied for each city (state) library. As an example, our library limited to 15 films per month. 

Parking lot of our library, illustration only

Other cities such as New York limits to 10 films per month, and Brooklyn library limits to 6 films per month.

The films so variety, from top rates to not popular ones, from amateur to commercial, and from new to old released.

The type of films may be included :

- Horror

- Drama

- Action

- Romance

- Shorts

- Documentary

- Foreign

Have your city library provided free access to watch films through online streams?

How Stress could Affect on Insulin Resistance? - Diabetes 17

Illustration of stress (credit to Harvard health)

We talked about: What is the Meaning of Insulin Resistance? - Diabetes 15 | Tanza Erlambang Update at previous post.

Some factors could lead to insulin resistance are body weight, belly fat, smoking, less sleep and less exercises.

At this post, we are talking about relationship between stress and insulin resistance. Stress could be mental, physical and emotional.

The fact that body produces two hormone, glucagon and cortisol during stress. Hormones break down stored sugar (glycogen) in the body into glucose, then increase the blood sugar level.

Unfortunately, lingering stress make continuous production of glucagon and cortisol hormones, then also cause to:

- reduce insulin resistance

- reduce body ability to manage blood sugar level

- reduce body ability to store glucose

Chocolate, not good for diabetes. Just illustration

Condition becomes worse if pancreas organ can’t produce suitable amount of insulin to control higher blood sugar (hyperglycemia).

If this is the case, diabetes patients should reduce their stress first in order to improve their insulin resistant.

Many ways to reduce stress, some experts suggest:

- sleep enough (in the range of healthy hours)

- meditation

- exercises

Interesting fact that about 70% or more Americans experienced physical and physiological stresses. 28% only are able to manage their stress very well.

Hope, we could avoid or manage our stress successfully.

Have You Seen Red Tide on the Beach?

Flow map of red tide in Florida (credit to Start1)

Term of “red tide” refers to blooming of algae in the oceans. It is due to nutrients from ocean floor rising to the surface.

Nutrients are excellent source of foods for different kinds of algae. Some algae are harmful, others are not.

It is natural phenomena, and could be happen any where in the world. The time length of red tide is about two weeks.

Harmful algae called Karenia brevis, could color ocean surface to be red if they are in great number or dense enough in the water.

In the coast of Florida, this algae is appearing from Spring to Summer, and blooming in the November every year.

The longest red tide in Florida in recent years was about 16 months, from around late 2017 persist to early 2019. 

Dead of marine animal due to Florida red tide

(credit to Ivy Yin)

The Karenia brevis released neurotoxin, the effects of this toxic on environments are following:

- killing and contaminating wildlife such as fish, shellfish, birds, dolphin and sea turtles.

- breathing problems to human

Fishes are sensitive to neurotoxin. Commercial fishes which are salmon, cod, flounder, American pollock and Atlantic herring could die in an hour after exposure to neurotoxin.

This 16 months red tide caused lost million of dollars to Florida state economic, especially to business relate to tourism industries.

Have you seen red colors of sea in front of any beaches?

Could Oversleeping Cause Cardiovascular Diseases? - Heart 4

Normal and healthy sleep for adult

(credit to Amerisleep).

We all need sleep to repair “damages” of our body due to many daily activities. Other functions of sleep are:

- removing waste

- improving immunity

- processing memories and learning development for brain

The question then how long should we sleep for better health of our body? Many resources mentioned that sleeping between 7 and 9 hours is considered good and healthy.

Some experts described the length of sleep whether too short or too long has health risk to several diseases.

Oversleeping, more than 8 hours, will increase the risk of some diseases, especially cardiovascular relate diseases.

Illustration of health problems to oversleeping

(credit to verywell health).

Some diseases connect to sleeping too much are:

- heart disease

- stroke

- diabetes

- Obesity

- Cognitive impairment

- Impaired fertility

- Depression

In case of cardiovascular diseases, hours of sleep and its risks are following:

1) 8 hours sleep more per night

- double risk to have chest pain (angina)

- 10% risk to get coronary heart disease.

2) 9 hours sleep more per night

- 34% risk to get heart diseases.

3) 11 hours sleep more per night

- 38% to 44% risk to get coronary heart disease.

Luckily, who have been slept about 7.5 hours per night will less likely (reduce) by 18% to get heart diseases.

How many hours do you sleep per night? Hope, no less and no more than healthy range.

# Relate posts:

- What is the Irregular Heartbeats? - Heart 1 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Why Sugary Drinks Cause of Heart Diseases? – Heart 2 | Tanza Erlambang Update

How Much the Highest Prices of Bluefin Tuna have been Recorded?

Slices of blue-fin tuna at Sushi bar.

From previous post: What Species is Considered as the Best Tuna? | Tanza Erlambang Update

Blue fin tuna is one of commercial tunas sold in the market, and the price is unbelievable so expensive.

Tuna is one of my favorites. When we ordered fresh tuna, we did not know the species, we just remember the price is a little bit higher compared to other fishes.

But, the cost was not that expensive like in Japan auction market every January of opening year.

Records of the highest bet in the following years:

- 2013, price was US$ 1.76 million

- 2019, price was US$ 3.1 million

- 2020, price was US$ 1.8 

Kiyoshi Kimura paid the highest price of Bluefin tuna in 2019

(credit to Kimimasa Mayama)

The weight was 612 pound (278 kg) for US$ 3.1 million Bluefin tuna. It is mean US$ 5,000 per pound. I will never pay this kind of bill.

The normal price is US$ 40 per pound, could be fluctuate, but never reach US$ 200 per pound in Japan fisheries markets.

The tuna, then sliced into 12,000 pieces used for sushi or sashimi. Kinds of Japanese traditional foods.

Interestingly the man who paid the price tag for 2013, 2019 and 2020 is the same man, Kiyoshi Kimura.

He is the owner of sushi restaurant chains, Sushi Zanmai. The 24 hours and 365 days a year sushi bar.

Have you tasted Japanese Sushi or Sashimi with fresh Bluefin tuna?