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Discover
more about all things organic. Do you want to plant some
veggies? Interested in learning more about organically
grown products and produce? We with some information
and ideas. Keep checking back as we are going to talk
about GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in food and
recommend other great producers of tasty organic foods.
Build your own Orchard Mason Bee Habitat
Pictures from lifecyclesproject.ca
We’ve been hearing a lot about the decline in bee populations. Orchard Mason Bees are a type of bee that rarely sting and provide a huge benefit to your garden by pollinating your vegetable garden and flower beds.
The Orchard Mason Bee does not live in a nest like other bees; it lives in wooden blocks, but does not drill holes and destroy wooden items like other bees. It uses holes that are already available. The male Orchard Mason Bee can not sting and the female rarely stings.
Be sure to be cautious of the use of insecticides around bees and especially during open bloom. Use products that are recommended, and during times that the bees will not suffer.
It is a great idea to have bee boxes in our backyards because the blue orchard mason bee will only lay eggs in pre-existing holes. She is not capable of making nesting holes herself and will potentially lay fewer eggs if she can't find adequate housing.
Bee boxes are easy to make, and having mason bees around will help your garden grow. To make your own bee box, follow these simple steps:
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• Find an old or new 4x4" block of wood that has not been treated.
• Using a 5/16" drill bit, drill deep holes into the side of the wood being careful not to drill through the end.
• Ensure that the holes are clean as these critters tend to be very finicky about their nesting areas. |
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• Find a piece of wood that is 7 inches long and 1 inch thick. Nail this piece to the top of the bee box to protect the holes from rain water.
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• Hammer a hook into the back of the bee box. Using this hook, hang up the block in an area that is south- or east-facing (exposed to morning light). The box should be about 4 feet off the ground and is most efficient if it is placed near native plants and/or fruit tree blooms. |
GM Crops Kill Lady Bugs; Science Suppressed
A recent article in Nature Biotechnology (PDF) reveals data, formerly suppressed by the biotechnology industry, that demonstrate a transgenic variety of corn is fatal to ladybugs. In 2001, at the request of seed company Pioneer Hi-Bred International, university scientists conducted research on a new variety of transgenic corn containing the binary toxin Cry34Ab1/Cry35Ab1. The scientists found that nearly 100% of ladybugs fed on the corn could not survive past the eighth day of their life cycle.
Pioneer prohibited the scientists from publicizing their data and, when applying for regulatory approval for a corn variety containing the same toxin, submitted different data that made no mention of potential harm to ladybugs. Scientists are often barred from publicizing data that is unwelcome to biotechnology companies, particularly when the corporations themselves commissioned the research.
Based on claims of business confidentiality and strict contracts with researchers, companies are able to keep unwelcome data under wraps and scientists’ hands tied. Companies routinely deny scientists’ research requests and suppress research by threatening legal action, a practice one scientist describes as “chilling.”
In February 2009, 26 corn-pest specialists anonymously submitted a statement to U.S. EPA decrying industry’s prohibitive restrictions on independent research. “The risks of genetically modified crops are coming to light in spite of industry’s attempts to strangle the science,” observes Kathryn Gilje, executive director of Pesticide Action Network North America. Ireland recently banned GM crops in favor of developing agriculture that emphasizes proven agroecological solutions.
+ Read Full Article
Court rejects genetically modified sugar beets
September 23, 2009 / Source: Bob Egelko, SF Chronicle
SAN FRANCISCO -- The government illegally approved a genetically modified, herbicide-resistant strain of sugar beets without adequately considering the chance they will contaminate other beet crops, a federal judge in San Francisco has ruled.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White rejected the U.S. Department of Agriculture's decision in 2005 to allow Monsanto Co. to sell the sugar beets, known as "Roundup-Ready" because they are engineered to coexist with Monsanto's Roundup herbicide.
Sugar beets produce 30 percent of the world's sugar and, according to consumer groups, half the granulated sugar in the United States. This year's planting, centered in Oregon's Willamette Valley, is the first to include a full crop of the Monsanto product.
White said the USDA, in concluding that the new crop would have no significant environmental effects, discounted the likelihood that wind-borne pollen would spread to fields where conventional sugar beets, table beets and the beet variety known as Swiss chard are grown.
Planting genetically modified sugar beets has a "significant effect" on the environment, White said in his ruling Monday, because of "the potential elimination of a farmer's choice to grow non-genetically engineered crops, or a consumer's choice to eat non-genetically engineered food."
He said the department must prepare an environmental impact statement, which would include public input.
White did not immediately prohibit distribution of the genetically modified sugar beets, but a lawyer for plaintiffs in the case said they would ask the judge for an injunction against sales until the review was completed.
The ruling "sends a very clear message to the USDA to protect American farmers and consumers and not the interests of Monsanto," said Kevin Golden, a San Francisco attorney for the nonprofit Center for Food Safety, which opposes genetically modified foods and supports organic farming.
Golden said the ruling could also affect herbicide use, because the Environmental Protection Agency has allowed more herbicide spraying in areas where the resistant crops are grown.
Representatives of the Agriculture Department and Monsanto were unavailable for comment. Luther Markwart, spokesman for the 10,000-member American Sugar Beet Growers Association, said the group is "looking forward to aggressively advocating" for farmers who want to use the altered beets.
The ruling followed a similar decision in 2007 by another federal judge in San Francisco, Charles Breyer, to halt the nationwide planting of Monsanto's genetically engineered strain of alfalfa until the USDA conducted an environmental study. A federal appeals court upheld Breyer's decision last year.
The department's 2005 decision on sugar beets acknowledged that pollen from the genetically modified crop could spread to other beet crops. But the USDA said farmers would not be harmed because they would still be able to buy non-genetically modified seeds.
+ Read Entire Article
Yoplait's rejects rBGH-tainted milk
From the Organic Consumers Assoc:
 Yoplait, a leading brand of yoghurt, and the19th largest dairy producer in the U.S., has announced, that as of August 2009, it will no longer purchase milk from dairies injecting their cows with Monsanto's controversial genetically engineered synthetic hormone, recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH).
Yoplait's rejection of rBGH-tainted milk comes in the wake of a consumer campaign organized by the Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility, the OCA, and dozens of allied public interest organizations. Yoplait's action is amplified by a growing number of mainstream companies who have recently turned their backs on rBGH, including Starbucks, Caribou, Cabot cheese, and Subway.
For over ten years, OCA and our allies have led the charge against rBGH and other genetically engineered foods and food ingredients.
Although rBGH is not allowed on organic farms and is banned in most of the industrialized world because of its threats to both animal and human health, this cruel and dangerous drug is still injected into approximately 10% of U.S. dairy cows--to force them to produce more milk. With your help, OCA and its allies will continue our campaign until Monsanto's rBGH is driven completely off the market.
Boris Johnson unveils plan to create 2,012 new vegetable gardens in London
Scheme aims to boost the amount of locally grown food in the capital
By Hélène Mulholland, Tuesday 4 November 2008
A man tending his allotment in Crouch End in north London.
Photograph: David Levene
Londoners will be encouraged to turn flat roofs into vegetable plots as part of a scheme to grow food on 2012 patches of land across the capital by 2012, Boris Johnson said today.
The "Capital Growth" project is the first initiative delivered by Rosie Boycott since she was appointed chair of London Food by the London mayor over the summer.
The former newspaper editor wants councils, schools, hospitals, housing estates, and utility companies to identify derelict land that can be turned into vegetable gardens by green-fingered Londoners keen to grow their own spuds rather than buy transported produce from the supermarket.
Boycott also envisages that spare pieces of land can be found on canal banks, banks of reservoirs, and disused railway yards.
Boycott said: "London has a good deal of green spaces – some derelict or underused - but not being used as well as they could be. We also have a veritable host of enthusiastic gardeners who are well equipped to turning derelict or underused spaces into thriving oases offering healthy food and a fantastic focus for the community.
"Capital Growth will identify spaces across the capital – often in surprising places such as roof gardens – and help London's communities grow their own food."
Boycott said in an interview in yesterday's Times that it was hoped that the 2012 makeshift plots could be found in time for the Olympics so that some of the homegrown food could be provided to athletes.
The demand for allotments has rocketed over recent years as environmental awareness has increased.
But a survey conducted by the London assembly two years ago found Londoners in some parts of the capital were waiting up to 10 years for an allotment, due to a dramatic decline in the number of available plots caused by owners wanting to put the land to other uses.
The London mayor wants to turn back the tide to promote locally grown food in the face of rising food prices and the challenge to protect the environment.
Londoners will receive both financial and practical support to grow their own, such as gardening tools and compost.
Launching the project at a vegetable and herb garden run by a charity for disabled people in Battersea Park, Johnson said: "Linking up currently unloved patches of land with people who want to discover the wonders of growing their own food, delivers massive benefits. It will help to make London a greener, more pleasant place to live while providing healthy and affordable food.
"This will aid people to reconnect with where their fruit and veg comes from and cut the congestion and carbon emissions associated with the transportation of food from miles away. Capital Growth is a win-win scheme - good for our communities and good for our environment."
+ Read Full Article at The Guardian
Why organic gardening is good for the body and mind
By: Nando Pelusi Ph.D.
Maybe your mother didn't cry, "Mangia!" when
you ate dinner, like mine did. Still, you're likely to
whisper it to yourself. That's because you possess a simple
survival impulse: Eat until sated. Our neanderthink legacy
is to store as much energy as possible, since calories
were scarce and uncertain for most of human evolutionary
history and our metabolism was set to guard against the
possibility of starvation tomorrow. The problem is that
eating more doesn't sate us; we merely recalibrate how
much we think we need.
Our evolved mind-set on food hinders us in several ways.
Our instincts tell us to keep eating well beyond when we
are sated. Worse, the foods we crave—calorie-dense
fats and sugars—were once rare and valued as a bulwark
against starvation; now they're plentiful and harmful in
excess. We don't crave plants, precisely because they were
more abundant in our past. And if we do manage to temporarily
gain a handle on the gustatory Disneyland in which we live,
our dietary rigor plummets once we've lost weight.
Our "gut" instincts can swiftly divine whether
someone is an ally or a cheater and whether something is
distasteful before we even taste it. But listening to our
literal gut in the contemporary world has led only to an
obesity epidemic.
Eighty thousand years ago—yesterday in evolutionary
terms—we ate at a very different restaurant, the
savannah. Food was scarce and uncertain, and great physical
effort was required just to acquire enough for survival.
Our ancestors were lean and muscular, their bodies sculpted
by scarcity. The mismatch between savannah dining and today's
smorgasbords means our bodies are best adapted to a life
at boot camp, not a 24-hour minimart.
+ Read Full Article at Psychology
Today
Go Organic for Your Kids
Reduce pesticide risk for your kids by opting for organic.
April 01, 2008 - By Johanna Arnone
- Taste for Life Magazine
 Pregnant women, infants, and children are uniquely at
risk of significant—possibly permanent—developmental
damage from low-level pesticide exposure. In surveys by
the Centers for Disease Control and others, 90 percent
or more of the children tested had insecticide metabolites
in their urine and blood.
Protect Little Ones
Infants are unable to detoxify most
pesticides, making their developing brains and nervous
systems particularly vulnerable to these neurotoxins. “Prenatal and childhood
exposures to pesticides have emerged as a significant risk
factor explaining impacts on brain structure that can increase
the risk of neurological disease later in life,” a
recent report by the Organic Center concludes.
Early exposure to organochlorine and organophosphate (OP)
insecticides has been linked to disease development later
in life, including leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Children through age thirteen, particularly one- to two-year-olds,
tend to be exposed to the highest levels of pesticides
per pound of body weight.
Research confirms the relationship between diet and pesticide
exposure in children. An organic diet “provides a
dramatic and immediate protective effect against exposure
to OP pesticides,” finds a study published by the
National Institutes of Health. The Organic Center recommends
choosing only organic fruits and veggies when planning
a family and raising children. Consumers can also urge
the U.S. Department of Agriculture to promote organic foods
in school lunches and other government nutrition programs.
. . . And the Environment
Toxic and persistent pesticides applied in conventional
agriculture can remain in soil for 20 years or more, and
tainted irrigation water is one cause of cross-contamination
between farms. The U.S. Geological Survey found that about
half of sampled groundwater contained at least one pesticide—including
the long-banned DDT and dieldrin. Organic production prohibits
toxic, persistent pesticides and relies largely on natural
pest control methods—supporting healthy soil and
groundwater for ourselves, our children, and generations
to come.
Is it Organic? Genetically Modified?
How to read a produce label.
Source: Lifewire.com
 Have you ever looked at two bins of apples, one labeled
'organic,' and the other 'conventional,' and wondered if
the apples might not be the same? I have.
And since discovering
a little secret of the produce industry, I've found that
you really have to be a detective in the aisles these days.
The secret is the price look-up (PLU) codes. They're an
international numbering standard that identifies each type
of produce, so that computerized cash registers can ring
up the cost of fruits and vegetables automatically. They're
also a powerhouse of information for savvy shoppers. The
code indicates whether the item is a conventional, organic
or genetically modified (GM) crop.
The codes are based on four-digit numbers for conventional
produce, to which an extra digit is added to indicate organic
or GM status. If the number is five digits beginning with
a 9, then the item is organic. If the item is five digits
beginning in 8, then it is a genetically modified crop.
For example, the PLU code for bananas is 4011. If the PLU
sticker on the banana bunch reads 94011, then they are
organic bananas. If the PLU sticker reads 84011, then the
bananas are a genetically modified variety.
There are PLU
code stickers on virtually every piece of fruit, banded
around every head of lettuce or bunch of spinach, and stamped
onto the bag of every bag of organic salad greens. But
that doesn't prevent certain confused grocers from mislabeling
them. I've discovered conventional Fuji apples (4129) in
the 'organic Fuji apples' (94129) bin many times. It's
strange that I've never found organic apples in the conventional
bin. In any case, knowing the codes will ensure that you
get what you intended to get every time you shop.
The Results Are In:
Organic Foods More Nutritious Than
Conventional Foods
November 18, 2007 by: Katherine East
Source: News
Target
 (NewsTarget) If you have been a supporter and consumer
of organic foods because of its better taste and health
benefits, then you’ve probably endured the taunts
from scoffers and sceptics and labelled a “health
nut”, “fanatic” or worse.
Even a government body (the FSA) which provides advice
and information on food, has up to now had the following
stance on organic foods: "Consumers may also choose
to buy organic food because they believe that it is safer
and more nutritious than other food. However, the balance
of current scientific evidence does not support this view."
Well, now it's almost official: Organic foods really are
better for you.
The biggest and most extensive scientific study and research
into the benefits of organic food has found that it is
more nutritious than ordinary produce and may in fact lengthen
people’s lives. They also contain higher levels of
antioxidants and flavo-noids which help ward off heart
disease and cancer as well as higher levels of beneficial
minerals such as iron and zinc. (But you could’ve
told them that.)
Newcastle University have been leading this £12m,
four-year project, funded by the European Union and their
findings show that organic food contains more antioxidants
and less unhealthy fatty acids.
They found levels of antioxidants in milk from organic
cattle were between 50% and 80% higher than normal milk.
Organic wheat, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, onions and
lettuce had between 20% and 40% more nutrients than non-organic
foods.
+ Read full article
Bantus rediscover farming roots
Story by Elizabeth Aguilera
Photography by Cyrus McCrimmon The
Denver Post 07/27/2007
Somali Bantu refugees farming vegetables in Aurora marvel
at spending days outside without worrying for their safety
as they cultivate products that will soon turn into dollars.
 This month marks the first time the Bantu farmers are
taking their organically grown vegetables to market in
an effort to forge a path to becoming full-time farmers.
"It is better to have this; they need this," said
Abdi Aziz, a 22-year-old Bantu who translates for most
of the elders who farm.
Upcoming sales to Strings restaurant in Denver and a display
scheduled for Sunday at the Whole Foods "Be Loyal,
Buy Local" event in Cherry Creek are expected to increase
their earnings. The first outing at a local farmer's market
earlier this month brought in $150.
>> Read
the full article here!
Green Goes to School
Source: Los
Angeles Times /
August 24, 2007
SHYLA RAGHAV is being put to the test. She's trying to
explain to fellow UC Irvine students that air fresheners
are chemicals pressed onto tree-shaped cardboard, whereas
tropical plants clean the air naturally. But she keeps
getting interrupted. The guys next door are hooting over
three cranked-up TV sets tuned to football and tossing
their Coke cans and polystyrene fast-food containers toward
a trash can in the hall.
"Taking care of the planet is a global issue, but
it starts with the individual," Raghav says, standing
in a demonstration dorm room lined with carefully selected
products: the energy- efficient, the biodegradable, the
sustainable. Unlike the guys' room next door, there isn't
an electricity-sucking appliance, off-gassing polyester
beanbag chair or synthetic sheet in sight.
As the college-bound prepare to live away from home for
the first time, campus crusaders for green living are trying
to influence not only what is purchased in the back-to-school
buying frenzy, but also how students go about their daily
lives.
Raghav and others in the statewide Green Campus Program
are pushing the benefits of vegetable-based laundry detergent,
thermoelectric mini refrigerators and remanufactured printer
ink cartridges. They're replacing inefficient incandescent
bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps. They're organizing
residence hall competitions to see who can save the most
water and energy, and they're promoting Earth Day rallies
and Waste Awareness Week.
"We can't continue to have a hotel mentality where
every light is left on because we're not paying the bills," says
Raghav, 21, who graduated in June with a bachelor's degree
in applied ecology and international studies and will start
this fall in Yale's environmental management master's program.
>> Read
the full article here!
Michael Pollan
explains the Farm Bill
You Are What You Grow
April 22, 2007 | Source: Michael
Pollan
A few years ago, an obesity researcher at the University
of Washington named Adam Drewnowski ventured into the supermarket
to solve a mystery. He wanted to figure out why it is that
the most reliable predictor of obesity in America today
is a person's wealth. For most of history, after all, the
poor have typically suffered from a shortage of calories,
not a surfeit. So how is it that today the people with
the least amount of money to spend on food are the ones
most likely to be overweight?
Drewnowski gave himself a hypothetical dollar to spend,
using it to purchase as many calories as he possibly could.
He discovered that he could buy the most calories per dollar
in the middle aisles of the supermarket, among the towering
canyons of processed food and soft drink. (In the typical
American supermarket, the fresh foods--dairy, meat, fish
and produce--line the perimeter walls, while the imperishable
packaged goods dominate the center.) Drewnowski found that
a dollar could buy 1,200 calories of cookies or potato
chips but only 250 calories of carrots. Looking for something
to wash down those chips, he discovered that his dollar
bought 875 calories of soda but only 170 calories of orange
juice.
>> Read the full article!
Think
Globally, Act Locally: Dr. Vandana Shiva
 Dr. Vandana Shiva is a physicist, author and environmentalist
from India. As someone deeply dedicated to eradicating
the use of GMO crops in India, She is working with Indian
farmers to save the seeds from previous years crops and
adding them to a “seed library”. This seed
library exists to strengthen the diversity of seeds such
as the wide variety of rice and lentil species that have
existed for centuries in India. Dr. Shiva started, Navdanya,
a program that teaches sustainable farming techniques to
local Indian farmers so that they do not have to purchase
the genetically modified seeds that biochemical companies
produce.
 Navdanya
is the term for the nine crops that represent India’s
main food source. Dedicating herself to the preservation
of India’s traditions of farming is
the main focus of Dr. Shiva’s organization. To read
more about Dr. Shiva and Navdanya, visit her website
here.
Seed saving is a tradition that has existed for centuries.
To learn more about saving seeds in your own yard, visit:
www.seedsavers.org
Organic
farming CAN feed the world
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Organic farming can yield
up to three times as much food as conventional farming
in developing countries, and holds its own against standard
methods in rich countries, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
 They
said their findings contradict arguments that organic farming
-- which excludes the use of synthetic fertilizers and
pesticides -- is not as efficient as conventional techniques.
"My hope is that we can finally put a nail in the
coffin of the idea that you can't produce enough food through
organic agriculture," Ivette Perfecto, a professor
at the University of Michigan's school of Natural Resources
and Environment, said in a statement.
She and colleagues analyzed published studies on yields
from organic farming. They looked at 293 different examples.
"Model estimates indicate that organic methods could
produce enough food on a global per capita basis to sustain
the current human population, and potentially an even larger
population, without increasing the agricultural land base," they
wrote in their report, published in the journal Renewable
Agriculture and Food Systems.
"We were struck by how much food the organic farmers
would produce," Perfecto said.
"Corporate interest in agriculture and the way agriculture
research has been conducted in land grant institutions,
with a lot of influence by the chemical companies and pesticide
companies as well as fertilizer companies, all have been
playing an important role in convincing the public that
you need to have these inputs to produce food," she
added.
+
Read Full Article
California dairy
co-op to stop using rBST hormone
Source: Press
Democrat
FRESNO - Consumer groups are applauding a major dairy
cooperative's decision to dissuade its farmers from using
a synthetic hormone to coax more milk from cows, a move
insiders say will have a ripple effect across the dairy
industry.
Members of California Dairies Co., who generate 10 percent
of the milk produced in the nation, will have to stop injecting
their herds with the genetically engineered hormone, rBST,
by Aug. 1. If they don't, they'll have to pay a premium
for the co-op to truck their milk to alternative markets.
RBST, or recombinant bovine somatotropin, is already banned
in Canada and Europe, mostly overs concerns that it makes
cows more prone to illness.
On Jan. 23, the co-op's board of directors told its 650
members they would stop accepting milk from herds treated
with the growth hormone and from cloned cows.
"We're merely responding to our customers' demands
and we've gotten very strong support," said Richard
Cotta, the group's CEO and president.
The Food and Drug Administration approved rBST to boost
production in dairy cows in 1993, making rBST one the first
major biotechnology-related products to enter the national
food supply.
Flowers Go Green
Source: Life.ca
 Giving
a gift of cut flowers may not be the wonderful expression
of love that you intend it to be. That’s
because whenever you or a loved one touches the flowers
or inhales the scent of your conventional bouquet, you
are probably touching or inhaling poisonous chemicals.
The floral industry is one of the heaviest users of hazardous
agricultural and processing pesticides. In addition, the
majority of flowers sold in North America are imported
from countries like Ecuador and Columbia, where labor practices
are sometimes questionable. Studies by the International
Labor Organization and Ecuador’s Catholic University
have found that many farm and post-harvest workers complain
of pesticide-poisoning symptoms. Women, who represent 70
percent of all rose workers, experience significantly elevated
rates of miscarriages and birth defects.
But things are improving. This year, if you plan to give
cut flowers for Valentine’s Day – or, in fact,
to buy them as a gift or for yourself at anytime during
the year – you can now make a responsible, healthy
choice. Flowers and ornamental plants certified with the
Veriflora label are different. The certification program
requires growers to use pesticide-free, sustainable agriculture
methods and includes fair treatment of workers (health
benefits, safe labor practices, fair wages, the right to
organize, etc.,) water conservation, habitat protection,
waste management and a commitment to energy efficiency
and responsible packaging.
Two of the largest North American wholesalers of cut flowers
are VeriFlora certified – Sierra Flower Trading of
Canada and Delaware Valley Floral Group in the US. As well,
one of the largest online suppliers of organic and sustainable
flowers, Organic Bouquet, has requested that all of its
suppliers seek VeriFlora certification as a condition of
business. Certified growers include the Sun Valley Group,
the largest cut flower grower in the United States. Twenty
flower farms in Ecuador, Colombia and the U.S. are VeriFlora
certified, with 40 in the pipeline.
>>
http://www.organicbouquet.com
Report Card: Pesticides in Produce
Adjusting your eating habits can lower
your intake of pesticides -- sometimes dramatically so. Substitute organic for
conventional produce that is consistently contaminated
with pesticides. When organic is not available, eat fruits
and vegetables with consistently low pesticide loads.
For more information log on to: http://www.foodnews.org
Grow Your Veggies Anywhere: Container
Gardening
Vegetables are easy to grow and are very rewarding at harvest
time. The most important requirements are sunshine and
watering. Loosened soil, fertilizer, and a little bit
of weeding come in second. If you have an area in your
yard that receives 6-8 hours of sunlight in the summer,
then you can have a vegetable garden. Even if that area
is mostly concrete, you can grow vegetables in containers.
This article will help you start a vegetable garden using
containers.
Pluses for container gardens
There are quite a few benefits
to growing vegetables in containers. Containers can help
you overcome problems like poorly drained soil, pests such
as gophers, and soil-borne diseases. Because container
gardens do not succumb to such troubles, an organic garden
is practically guaranteed when using containers. Also,
the soil in containers will warm up more quickly in spring
than it does in the ground, so plants get a head start
while growing in a pot. And tall pots (or pots placed high
off the ground) make it easier for gardeners with limited
mobility.
Before you plant Take
the time to do some planning. Make sure that there is enough
room in your pots for the vegetables you want to grow.
The plants can get very large and you need to allow enough
space for each one, or the plants will become stressed
and may not produce good fruit. Purchasing vegetable starts
from a knowledgeable nursery staff is invaluable. They
can provide information about how much room each vegetable
plant will need when fully grown. Some varieties, such
as lettuces. can be grown together in one pot. (See information
below about the best pots to purchase.)
Prepare the soil
Use a high-quality potting mix containing peat moss and
perlite. If such a mixture is unavailable at your local
store, perlite and peat moss can be mixed into any organic
soil. If you compost, add a quantity of 1 part compost
to 4 parts soil to the mixture. Don’t fret if you
do not compost, if your local waste management company
accepts yard waste, they often have compost available a
low or no-cost to their customers.
Do not use garden soil. Garden soil does not provide enough
drainage and usually contains weed seeds. Containers will
make garden soil form a compacted heavy mass, which prevents
the roots from spreading and will inhibit fertilizer absorption.
Pre-moisten the potting mix. Before filling your containers,
sprinkle your mix with water to make it damp enough to
form a ball when squeezed, but not dripping wet. Fill containers
to about one inch below the rim of the pot and press down
firmly to settle air pockets. Place in a well-protected
spot overnight before planting.
Picking Plants. We recommend organic heirloom varieties.
Heirlooms are older varieties of vegetables that might
not necessarily be the “standard” type of vegetable
that you would find at a supermarket. Seed starts that
are organic and heirloom can often be found at a local
nursery. Growing heirlooms give you the opportunity to
try varieties that are not available in the grocery store.
Remember to fertilize
Because of the nature of a contained space, nutrients in
the soil will be used up more quickly. It is important
to remember to enrich the soil regularly with fertilizer
or compost. Organic fertilizers are available that are
specifically designed for vegetable gardens. Any vegetable
fertilizer can be used in container gardens. Use about
one-half the fertilizer strength called for on the label
every ten days to two weeks. Or premix fertilizer into
a one-fifth-strength solution and use it at every other
watering.
Water
The best way to water vegetables in containers is with
drip irrigation operated by an automatic controller.
For each container, install a circle of inline emitters
over the soil or distribute three or four 1/2-gallon-per-hour
emitters over the soil surface (use more for very large
pots). Set the controller to water often enough to keep
the soil moist (in hot climates, this could mean daily
or every other day).
If you prefer to hand-water, be mindful about keeping
the soil moist; it should never dry out completely.
Mulching
Mulching keeps the soil moist and helps cut down on watering.
Plus it helps cut down on weeds. Newspaper strips or
pine needles serve as good mulching material. Place mulch
around the plants to protect the soil from drying out
so quickly and to keep the soil cool when temperatures
go up.
Pest control
If aphids, mites, or whiteflies appear, spray them with
a mixture of 1 tablespoon of Peppermint oil castile soap
(such as Dr. Bronner’s) per 1 quart of water. Remember
to wash vegetables thoroughly before eating.
Garden with your kids
Kids love to play in the dirt, so gardening is a natural
activity. If you have children, get them involved. Take
them to the nursery to help pick out the plants. Once
they see the plants growing, they will be excited to
eat the results. Plants that yield early results are
also a good bet when gardening with kids. Lettuce, radishes,
spinach are ready to eat in a short growing time. Lettuce
and spinach are also good growing bets because you can
pick only what you need. The plant continues to grow
and give more food.
Planting tips
Line the base of the pot with newspaper before filling
with soil to prevent dirt from falling through the drainage
opening.
Containers
Don’t let the fact that you only have a patio or
balcony deter you. Planter boxes, wooden barrels, hanging
baskets and large flowerpots can all be used for successful
vegetable gardening. When picking out containers for vegetable
gardening, consider the following:
- We do not recommend the
use of plastic pots. The pots used by nurseries for selling
plants can deteriorate when exposed to too much sunlight.
- Unglazed
terracotta pots dry out rapidly. Glazed ceramic pots
are an excellent choice but require several drainage
holes. Plants in clay pots should be monitored more closely
for loss of moisture.
- Redwood and cedar containers are
the best choice for wood containers as they are relatively
rot resistant and can be used without staining or painting.
- Do
not use treated wood because the toxins will leach into
the soil.
- Half wine barrels are also a great choice and
they make attractive and inexpensive containers.
- Use large
containers (5 to 50 gallon capacity). Small pots restrict
the root area and dry out very quickly.
- Make sure your
pot has adequate drainage.
- In hot climates use light-colored
containers to lessen heat absorption.
- Set containers on bricks or blocks to
allow free drainage.
- Line hanging baskets with sphagnum
moss for water retention. Keep baskets away from afternoon
sun.
- Place pots in an area that receives at least 6 hours
of full sun daily.
Plants
Here are the plants we are using in Amy’s garden.
These plants are all suitable for containers:
- Tomatoes (cherry,
pear and “steak” tomatoes)
- Zucchini
- Yellow Squash
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Lettuce
- Strawberries
- Green Beans (bush green beans are best
for pots)
- Bell Peppers
If you follow the instructions above, you will be successful
in harvesting lots of vegetables. It really is easy and
you will learn more every year. Experiment and do not
get discouraged if something does not work the first
time. People have been gardening for thousands of years
and are still learning new things every year. Good luck!
Pesticide-Free Lawn Door Hangers
Source: Beyond
Pesticides
 It’s not always easy to talk to people about pesticides.
It can be especially awkward when the time you think of
it most is right at the moment that your neighbor has a
sprayer in his hand or a ChemLawn truck in the driveway.
The new Safe Lawn Door-Hanger helps concerned neighbors
spread the word about lawn pesticides and alternatives
with minimal confrontation. It can be used as an icebreaker
for conversation or just hung on the the front door or
other visible spot of the homes you know or suspect use
pesticides. The information on the hanger leads them to
helpful resources on safe lawn care from every region of
the country.
+ Visit Beyond Pesticides for more information
Seattle mom gets Organic
lunches into Schools
Source: Beyond
Pesticides
Organic lunches
are now being served in some schools in Washington State.
While it may sound like a nutritionist’s dream it
is reality at the Lincoln Elementary School. According
to an Associated Press (AP) story the school’s organic
salad bar has proven so popular and economical that all
Olympia grade schools now have one.
Lincoln elementary eleven year-old student Cameron Landry
said, "The food is pretty good. And it's much better
because you actually have a choice," Landry continued
as he chowed down on salad. "Otherwise, it's 'eat
this or nothing!'"
Although fried chicken nuggets and cheeseburgers still
reign supreme in most cafeterias, a small but growing number
of schools are turning to organic food as a way to improve
children's health and fight obesity. Children who eat a
diet of organic food show a level of pesticides in their
body that is six times lower than children who eat a diet
of conventionally produced food (See Daily News). A study
from Emory University found that an organic diet given
to children provides a "dramatic and immediate protective
effect" against exposures to two pesticides that are
commonly used in U.S. agricultural production (See Daily
News).
+
Read Full Article
Would you like to get organics into
your child's school?
Our friends at Stonyfield
Yogurt have put together these
10 helpful steps to make it easier:
- Visit your school and familiarize yourself with the
layout, cafeteria food, ala carte lines, school store,
and vending machines.
- Eat a typical lunch at the school if at all possible. Consult the curriculum or teachers
to determine if students receive any instruction in nutrition
and healthy eating. Talk with food service workers to
get their opinions on what students do and don't eat.
- Meet
with your school's decision-makers: the school food services
director; the principal; the PTO; and/or members of the
school board-and discuss your concerns.
- Organize a committee! Enlist other parents and/or teachers and staff who feel
as you do.
- Recruit members from the community at large
who might be helpful-a pediatrician, nurse or nutrition
expert, for example. Identify students to serve on your
committee or help with the project. Student participation
is key!
- Study the issue! Use the information you might
find in Stonyfield
Farm Menu for Change Library section
to build your case and become informed. See Point/Counterpoint:
Overcoming common objections to help frame your arguments.
- Involve
the media. Write letters to the editor about the problems
you see. Cite statistics. Send press releases to your
local newspapers and radio stations to announce an event
or an important meeting about school food. Suggest your
local paper doing a feature story on the problems you
see.
- Stay tuned to the process. Whether your school agrees
to ban some junk foods, discontinue vending services,
change the cafeteria menu…whatever it is, stay
involved. Keep your committee intact to oversee the process
and to step in if implementation doesn't go as expected.
- Advocate
for the issue: Write letters to public officials to help
change public policy.
- Inspire others: Tell your success
story to the media. Write a press release about what
you’ve accomplished
or learned. Better yet, call up a reporter or editor
you might know and suggest they do a feature story or
an editorial about your school or project. Send us your
story here at Stonyfield and we may put it here on our
web site. Drop us a line at: menuforchange@stonyfield.com.
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• Apples
• Peaches
• Asparagus
• Mangos
