Tags

If you’re a farmer, why do you grow organic food? If you’re a consumer, why do you buy organic food? I’m guessing that you do so because you feel confident that it’s a better option. If you’re a farmer, it probably gives you more opportunity, either directly or indirectly, to market and sell your produce. And if like me you’re a consumer, organic food provides you and your family with an opportunity to enjoy food the way it’s meant to be – free of GMOs, pesticides, hormones, and other nasties. But where does our confidence in the organic industry come from? Is it something that’s intuitive? For some the answer to that is probably yes. But for most of us, myself included, our confidence in organics is gained through experiences,...

According to an article appearing in today’s Otago Daily Times, Stu Burt and Lyn Williamson, owners of Destination Organic – an organic superstore in Queenstown New Zealand – are so confident that organic food is cheaper than conventional food that they’re stumping up their own cash to prove it. Essentially, they’re asking the people of Queenstown to try organic food for themselves so that they can realise first hand the associated taste and health benefits. They want to find two families to be an organic test case. They will track their shopping for four weeks, keeping note of their expenditure, and will then subsidise their shopping at Destination Organic by $150 a week for four weeks, to make a comparison between the costs...

Australian scientists have found that fish exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of endosulfan and chlorpyrifos showed significant reductions in the ability to survive in warmer waters. Both endosulfan and chlorpyrifos are commonly used in cotton, horticulture and sugar cane production. The study published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry predicts that global warming will make fish more susceptible to dying from pesticide-contaminated water. According to the study affected fish displayed “erratic swimming…, uncoordinated movement with body quivering, rolling over on sides or back” and loss of the ability to swim upright. Combine this with the strain already imposed on global fish stocks as a consequence of over-fishing...

Many schools are benefiting from the natural learning environment provided by the introduction of a school garden. In a joint project involving Growing Communities, Brisbane’s Northey Street City Farm and Health Promotion Queensland, many of Queensland’s local State schools are being encouraged to foster learning environments emphasizing gardening, healthy food choices and outdoor activity. Critical to the success of these projects is the involvement of as many community participants as possible. Each school aims to involve staff, students, P&C, as well as numerous other groups from the broader community. Children participating in school gardening projects enjoy hands on learning, physical activity, fresh air and clean food...

One of the best ways for children to learn the importance of making positive food choices is to get them actively involved in growing their own food. That’s exactly what’s happening at Winchester School in Toronto Canada. In this video, Mary Ito reports on how Winchester’s inner city children are being provided with the opportunity to learn about growing their own fruits and vegetables. In doing so, the children learn about soil preparation, planting from seed, bugs, weeds, harvesting and the importance of consuming good foods. All of the food grown by the children is used in the school lunch program. This is a really worthwhile program in which the children benefit from eating fresh produce as well as learning about where...