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A SPIKE IN ETHANOL'S COFFIN?

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Reviewing biofuel policies and subsidies; Annual report weighs opportunities and risks of biofuels 7 October 2008, Rome - Biofuel policies and subsidies should be urgently reviewed in order to preserve the goal of world food security, protect poor farmers, promote broad-based rural development and ensure environmental sustainability, FAO said today in a new edition of its annual flagship publication The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2008. (also see post directly below and my article "Bursting the Ethanol Bubble" in older posts.) L.P .

ANOTHER NAIL IN THE ETHANOL COFFIN

A secret report by the World Bank finds biofuels are contributing way more to the current world food crisis than has ever been suggested before! Read more..... (Also see my article, "Bursting the Ethanol Bubble" by scrolling way down to older posts.) L.P.

THANKS FOR SUPPORTING "EARTH DAY, TOO"

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Thanks to all who turned out to support our "Earth Day Too," end-of-season farmers market and celebration in Roblin, Manitoba, Canada on Labour Day weekend! While the crowds were perhaps not all we had hoped for, those who did attend clearly appreciated the produce, crafts, information, tea party put on by our host, the Life & Art Centre, and the live music. Enthusiasts of local food production and marketing and the so-called "eat local" movement are well aware that many in our community grow their own gardens and share their bounty, free-of-charge, with their friends and neighbours। This is a time-honoured tradition and is as it should be. It is a culture that is well-entrenched and understandable, given the convenience factor. Come to think of it, this practise surely is as central to the "eat local" movement as any other element - another pillar in a structure we know as "food security." The consumers we are &quo

LEARNING ORGANICS "DIRTY" SECRETS

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Martin Entz, pictured above, is a professor at the University of Manitoba's Department of Plant Science. In 1992 Martin Entz started growing crops in an un-Western way to prove to himself that it couldn’t be done. But after nearly 17 years of comparing organic and conventional agricultural practices at research farms around Winnipeg the plant scientist delightfully notes his assumptions were wrong. The Glenlea long-term organic/conventional crop rotation study is Canada’s oldest and it’s providing valuable insights into natural farming systems. A major finding pertains to soil health, specifically, the microorganisms living in it. (To re-cap from a first-year Biology course, over 95 per cent of vascular plants have fungi in their roots and this association benefits the plants in numerous ways.) In Year 13, graduate student Cathy Welsh, working with Entz and soil sciences’ Mario Tenuta, compared the plots’ fungal spore density and diversity – a hallmark of soil health, and indi

"EARTH DAY TOO" RETURNS TO ROBLIN

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Tired of wooden tomatoes from Mexico? Tasteless strawberries from California? Potatoes from Texas or apples from Australia? (All of which grow quite nicely here on our Canadian prairies, thanks very much!) What's wrong with this picture? Wouldn't it be better on so many levels to buy your veggies or baking, or preserves, or meat,for that matter, from a local producer rather than some faceless corporation in the supermarket? Obviously this is not always possible in the "off-season." But how about when these items are at their best, right in your own community? Does common sense not tell us; a) local food would be fresher,safer, better-tasting and even healthier; b) we'd save a lot in transportation costs; c) this would be kinder to the environment (avoiding all the harmful greenhouse gases produced when our food is trucked over long distances); d) we'd boost the economic health of those local producers? Keep reading and find out what folks in the Roblin are

ORGANIC MEAT JUST ONE OF THE GOODIES AVAILABLE

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Visitors arrive at Kate and Doug Storey's Poplar Glen Organic farm near Grandview, MB. Kate (far r.) shows her guests some of the livestock. In addition to pork, the Storeys will have their free-range eggs for sale at the market, too! OTHER VENDORS: Tamela Friesen (l.with straw hat) and partner Karen Hardy (r. pic.);(AKA,the "Famous Bicycling Chicks.") They sell all kinds of fresh veggies and preserves. (They also operate a bed and breakfast just north of Roblin.) _____________________________________ Rowena and Larry Powell operate a vegetable market garden on a 6-acre parcel they call Earthkeeper Farm. It’s less than 20 kilometers northwest of Roblin. For five years, their produce was certified organic through the Organic Producers’ Association of Manitoba. While they no longer have their crops officially certified, their growing methods remain the same. “We grow organically because we believe in it,” says Larry. “I think far too many