PLANET IN PERIL (PinP)

John Vidal - The Guardian Organic Canadian potatoes. PLT photo In a village in India's poorest state, Bihar, farmers are growing world record amounts of rice, potatoes and wheat with no GM, and no herbicide. Is this one solution to world food shortages? Details here. PLT:  These breakthroughs need to be shouted from the rooftops. Do North American farmers even know about this?  Here in my home province of Manitoba, Canada, commercial potato-growers spray their crops up to 5 times a season with potent fungicides. How healthy is that?  Excellent story, John!

By: Laura Rance - Wpg. Free Preee - 18/09/10 Farmers have for years tried to reach out… photos by l.p. To visit one farm which took part in the "Open Farm" project on Sunday, click here.

Wagons West : One of the 35 farms in the province who agreed to host this event which took place on Sunday, Sept. 19th.   A visitor enjoys the horses at Wagons West.   "Wagon's West" is a secluded spot northeast of Roblin. Leroy and Debbie Wandler raise and sell saddle horses, offer hay rides, weiner roasts, fishing and hunting expeditions in summer, along with sleigh rides & snowmobiling in the winter. Open Farm Day was promoted as "an opportunity to learn more about farm products, see demonstrations, take walking tours and ask questions about farm life, buy local products direct from the farmer and enjoy some recreational activities with your family. Agritourism connects the public directly with farmers, ranchers and market gardeners for hands- on agriculture experiences and farm-fresh products." As Leroy watches (r.), Coltin and "

Winnipeg Free Press - By: Staff Writer - 28/11/2009 The federal government will spend... (l.p. photo)

Reminding Manitobans of the Value of the Land - by Larry Powell This year, more people than ever descended on Clearwater, not far from the US border, transforming the tiny community into a teeming centre of live entertainment and education. It was the 8th annual event of its kind, during the weekend of Sept. 18th. While attendance figures aren't available, an organizer, Robert Guildford, (r.) told me, the first day was the biggest Friday ever for the festival. The yearly event is organized by the Harvest Moon Society, a non-profit organization. Its mission is to build awareness of the contributions of farmers and farmlands to the development of vibrant rural and urban cultures. A father enjoys the music with his child. An important component is education. The Society conducts classes and workshops out of the old Clearwater School on topics such as eco-agriculture. It also hopes to develop an action plan for long-term rural sustainability, both enviro

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 consu

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 th

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. “

Yvette Bouvier of Boggy Creek, north of Roblin, will display an array of aboriginal art, including antler jewelery, caribou pictures and birch bark biting. ___________________ LATE ENTRY! Pat Kisiloski of Lake of the Prairies, near Roblin, will be there with sweet corn and some zucchini! ____________________ Don't forget, all during the summer, every Tuesday,the Roblin Farmers Market is going strong - from 10am to 2pm - next to the Post Office on Main Street! OTHER ATTRACTIONS: Plans are in the works for an herb demonstration, complete with recipe samples. (Those plans have yet to be finalized.) Paul Chorney of the Manitoba Food Charter will be there with a display about his organization. Funding from Heifer International - a US-based charity which strives to achieve food security for people around the world - made available through the Food Charter, has made this event possible. MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT: Pint-sized fiddling sensation Scott Cornelius will dr

One of our vendor tables. About a hundred people (and two lovable alpacas -r.) turned out at a country residence in west-central Manitoba on Sept. 1st to enjoy "Earth Day Too," a celebration of the growing "eat local" movement. The open-air event attracted eight vendors from the Roblin/Inglis/Grandview area. Their "wares" included fresh veggies, organic meat, free-range eggs, preserves, honey and maple syrup. Restoring a connection between food producers and our customers is critical. The wave of fast and processed foods that is sweeping North America today, bringing with it an epidemic of obesity and disease, must be resisted. The situation has grown so grave that experts are now predicting that we are actually raising a generation that will die before their parents do! I believe that buying local, eating local and making fresh, healthy food more readily available are among the ways of combating this alarming state of affairs. As John Ikerd me