PLANET IN PERIL (PinP)

OrganicBIZ An organic market garden in Manitoba. A PinP photo. Manitoba was the only Prairie province to see an increase in organic crop acres in 2019. Story here.

Western  Producer The U.S. Department of Agriculture has taken a step toward increasing the production of organic foods – which has not kept pace with demand, by launching a program to certify farmland that growers are in the process of switching to organic. Story here. An organic garden in Manitoba. PinP photo.

Common Dreams 'It’s not just a matter of producing enough, but making agriculture environmentally friendly and making sure that food gets to those who need it.' Story here. RELATED: "O rganic Producers Could See Net Profit Levels Of Up To $300 Per Acre"

Manitoba Co-Operator Many farmers are embracing small-scale, sustainable agriculture and are focusing on selling their food directly to families throughout the province by developing community food networks. Story here. Details here.

Kate Storey - Manitoba Co-Operator More and more people are interested in buying food direct from the farm. Story here.

FoodTank.com Family Farmers conserve environmental resources, protect biodiversity, and increase incomes  while feeding nine billion people by 2050. Details here. A farmer's market in Regina,  Saskatchewan, Canada. PLT photo.

Winnipeg Free Press My initial impression upon reading your Dec. 16 editorial Gear Canada to create new jobs was that the writer was indulging in sarcasm. Sadly, as I read on I realized that the message is that manufacturing and agricultural jobs are better off going off-shore, allowing goods to crisscross continents and oceans before landing on our plates or stores. Details here.

United Nations Conference on Trade & Development The world needs "a rapid and significant shift from conventional, monoculture-based and high external-input-dependent industrial production towards mosaics of sustainable, regenerative production systems."  Full story here.

UN Conference on Trade & Development Wake up before it is too late: Make agriculture truly sustainable now for food security in a changing climate. Full story here. Read Guardian story here.

Perennial polycultures and Managed Intensive Rotational Grazing (MIRG) By Lydia Carpenter - Manitoba Eco-Journal Permanent Pasture stands can be maintained by use of perennial polycultures that imitate the diversity of natural ecosystems. A diverse grouping of plants consisting of grasses, forbs, and woody species can make up a perenni- al polyculture and be used as pasture for grazing animals (ruminants), including cattle, sheep and goats. Animals on a perennial polyculture can contribute to nutrient cycling and an increase in soil organic matter. Established, maintained and healthy perennial pastures have also been shown to have a large capacity for carbon sequestration. On our farm in Western Manitoba, we have counted over 30 different species of both native and non-native perennials and biennial forages, including nitrogen-fixing legumes such as alfalfa, pea-vine and various species of clover. These plants populate our permanent pasture that maintains a flock of sheep, a

Winnipeg Free Press AYR, Ont. - The Ontario government will introduce legislation to encourage people to buy more locally-grown food, Premier Dalton McGuinty announced Tuesday. Full story here. Onions from my garden. Can't get any more local than that! PLT photo

Michael Pollan's Food Rules from Marija Jacimovic on Vimeo .

January, 2012 by Steven Wendland - The Dominion Food consciousness coalesces at ACORN conference. Details here. PLT photo

Please send around and read his great letter to Members of Parliament.   Date: February 4, 2011 1:46:08 PM GMT-05:00 Subject:  My future and Bill C-474: Your future too? There is a vote in Parliament on genetic engineering this Wednesday February 9 that could help support the future of my farm. Below is the letter I sent to Michael Ignatieff , Wayne Easter and my Member of Parliament, Larry Bagnell.  I've asked them to support Bill C-474 this Wednesday and I hope my MP also speaks up in the debate on February 8. I urge all farmers who have a concern about genetically engineered crops or who already have negative experiences with GE crops   to send a letter to your MP as well.  Now is the time  to tell our politicians how genetic engineering has already cost us or could harm our businesses and our families.  Bill C-474 would support Canada's farmers by requiring that “an analysis of potential harm t

By: Laura Rance Wpg. Free Press - 21/08/2010 Folks eating it up at farmers' markets. Farmers' market photo by l.p.

Manitoba Co-Operator - June 22 - 2010 The federal New Democrats' report...

Co-Operator - staff - May 12-2010 Grocery chain Sobeys plans to...