It is really difficult to decide what this home is since trees are growing through the glass roof. Is it a greenhouse residence or a camouflage house? You be the judge…
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From the monthly archives:
July 2009
Genetically modified organism supporters say that a new certification program needs to be initiated for defining what “Sustainable Agriculture” is and it should most defintely include genetically engineered seeds and plants.
Of course, they give the same old tried, true and tired arguments as to why…
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Now this isn’t your traditional “truck farm.” It is really a farm garden on a truck. A mobile garden that enables the growers to launch a truck farm community supported agriculture program. The 1986 grey Dodge Ram pickup has arugula, lettuce, tomatoes and herbs growing in the bed and the harvests are being delivered to the CSA subscribers (albeit they don’t get boxes but little bags of produce.) Below are the first two episodes of Truck Farm… with time lapsed video you can see progress before your eyes…
Episode One
Episode Two
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As I noted a few days ago in a post, small farms (microfarms) are sprouting up all over North America, in fact, small farms are growing in numbers, while large farms are shrinking in numbers or are being bought out and merged into the corporate mega farms.
Tiny Farm blog is the almost daily journal of a two acre farm (pictured above), located 95 miles north of Toronto. Tiny farm started in 2002 with the farmer having no experience in farming. It has been a hands on learning experience.
I like reading blogs from small farms because I learn tips and tricks that I can 
use on my own four acres. For instance, to increase germination of carrots and onions (see picture to the right) Tiny Farm uses landscape fabric over the newly planted rows. Once the seeds germinate, the fabric is removed. Thanks Tiny Farm!
Photos credit: Tiny Farm Blog
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The Non-GMO Project is a non-profit collaboration of manufacturers, retailers, processors, distributors, farmers, seed breeders and consumers.
The project’s shared belief is that everyone deserves an informed choice about whether or not to consume genetically modified products, and the project’s mission is to ensure the sustained availability of non-GMO choices.
With the increased consciousness of quality food sweeping the country (and the world), this could be the GMOs companies’ worst nightmare. We can only hope.
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Scientists must ask corporations for permission before publishing independent research on genetically modified crops. The editors of Scientific American say that restriction must end. Good luck!
Unfortunately, it is impossible to verify that genetically modified crops perform as advertised. That is because agritech companies have given themselves veto power over the work of independent researchers.
To purchase genetically modified seeds, a customer must sign an agreement that limits what can be done with them. In the August 2009 issue of the magazine, the editors of the well respected scientific magazine criticize the GMO companies for banning independent scientific research to examine whether the genetically modified crops lead to unintended environmental side effects.
And how about this report from the Union of Concerned Scientists debunking GMO companies claim of increased yields… GMO companies wouldn’t LIE to us would they? No, we just have to blindly TRUST them… yeah right, I wouldn’t trust them as far as I can throw one of their seeds (into the trash bin)!
Graphic credit: Scientific American
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Up until this year, it was illegal to grow gardens without a city permit in the parking strips, the space between the street and sidewalk, in Seattle.
This year the city council waived the permit requirement for plain flower and vegetable gardens resulting in gardens sprouting up all over the city.
A permit is still required for gardens with hardscaping, with things like stepping stones or raised beds, but the permits are free with the previous year’s $225 fee removed.
The current mantra in Seattle seems to be “eat your yard.”
Photo credit: Mike Siegel/The Seattle Times
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Is common sense better than non no sense? This review of the past 50 years of different nutritional studies comparing the two methods of growing food found no difference between the two.
Supporters of organic farming, however, claimed that the results were flawed because of the criteria used to select the most important research.
When all 161 studies rather than the 55 highest quality ones were taken into account, organic farming was frequently higher in nutrients than conventional produce. For instance, beta carotenes were 53 per cent higher and flavanoids 38 per cent higher in organic food than non-organic food.
And how about eating food that has been sprayed with poisons? How healthy is that on one’s body and how does that compare? I just love my broccoli with a slight hint of RoundUp.
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Hydroponics Dictionary
