Organic Land Care Guides for Homeowners are Available

 

We picked up all the new homeowners’ manuals yesterday! “Introduction to Organic Lawns and Yards” is a booklet that focuses on introducing homeowners to the concepts of ecological, sustainable and organic landscaping. The booklet will help you to understand and begin implementing organic methods right away. Basic methods are described that will help you maintain your property with less effort, less money and less of a negative impact on the environment around you.  The booklet also provides references to other resources that can help you care for your lawn and yard without pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.  The guide includes a checklist which lays out basic changes you can make in your yard. Some simple solutions recommended by the guide include:

-         Choose natives and species adapted to your property and climate  which will require less water
-          Mix compost into the soil to improve quality and water retention
-          Water rarely, and only in the morning to reduce evaporation
-          Mow high 3” – 4”
-          Leave your grass clippings on your lawn
-          Seed with a mixture of grasses including some natives

If you have more questions, the guide and our website can direct you to Accredited Organic Land Care professionals who can help with soil testing and any large scale alterations you might want to make in your yard.

The guides are $5 each with a bulk rate (if you order 10 or more) of $3 each plus shipping charges which vary based on the quantity of guides ordered.

This manual is a great first step in the direction of going organic in your yard!
For more information head on over to www.organiclandcare.net to see the pdf and description and to purchase the guide check out http://www.organiclandcare.net/store/publications

Organic Agriculture in India

It seems that every week another newspaper publishes a story about India’s success in implementing organic farming in the country side.  With issues of hunger and food security remaining a priority in national policy, and more than half of India's population working in the agriculture sector, this widespread implementation of organic can be a model for other locations.  Most farms in India are small, making the cost of fertilizer and pesticides prohibitive for farmers.  A recent article in The Hindu reported that the number of hectares used for certified organic agriculture increased from 42,000 in 2003-2004 to 4.4 million in 2010.  There are 320,000 hectares in the process of being converted to organic as well.  The Ministry of Agriculture is promoting organic farming through the National Project on Organic Farming as well as through a horticulture mission and a technology mission.  The National Project on Organic Farming provides production infrastructure, technical capacity building, human resource development, standards for quality control of organic inputs and technology and market development.  Some of the food was exported, creating a beneficial income for farmers, but most was produced for Indian consumption.  Nine Indian states have drafted organic farming policies and four states have declared intention to convert all agriculture to organic production.  The state of Sikkim has already converted 40% of the total cultivated area to organic. 

A New York Times article, published in June and titled “Organic Farming Finds a Growing Fan Base in India” focuses on the work of a nonprofit biodiversity center and farm named Navdanya. Founded by Indian environmentalist and social justice advocate Vandana Shiva, this organization trains farmers about organic methods.  Many farmers and similar organizations have found that more ecological farming methods increase the output of overall nutrition and quality while reducing agricultural input costs. 

In the United States, it is important to consider the viability of organic in other parts of the world and to keep in mind that investments in organic agriculture research and development can benefit farmers and consumers in any location, now or in the future.

For more information check out these newspaper articles:

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/agriculture/article2161662.ece

http://www.washingtonbanglaradio.com/content/62856911-organic-farming-india

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/03/business/global/03iht-RBOG-ORGANIC03.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=sustainabledevelopment

US ends opposition to GM labeling guidelines

July 6 was a major victory for consumer rights organizations (as well as anti-GM activists and organizations) as over 100 countries agreed to new GMO labeling guidelines.  Hopefully the United States will continue to tend towards clearer labeling of GM products allowing consumers to choose for themselves whether they want to consume genetically modified foods or would rather have a GM-Free diet. 

Here is the press release:

Consumer rights victory as US ends opposition to GM labeling guidelines
Consumers International, Press release, 5 July 2011

*Twenty year struggle within global food safety body ends with 'consumer rights milestone'

*Move clears way for greater monitoring of the effects of GM organisms   

Consumers International (CI) and its member organisations celebrated victory today as regulators from more than 100 countries agreed on long overdue guidance on the labelling of genetically modified (GM) food.

The Codex Alimentarius Commissionii, made up of the world's food safety regulatory agencies, has been labouring for two decades to come up with consensus guidance on this topic.

In a striking reversal of their previous position, on Tuesday, during the annual Codex summit in Geneva, the US delegation dropped its opposition to the GM labeling guidance document, allowing it to move forward and become an official Codex text.

The new Codex agreement means that any country wishing to adopt GM food labeling will no longer face the threat of a legal challenge from the World Trade Organization (WTO). This is because national measures based on Codex guidance or standards cannot be challenged as a barrier to trade.

This will have immediate implications for consumers. Edita Vilcapoma of the Peruvian consumer group ASPEC, representing Consumers International at the Codex meeting in Geneva, said:

"Peru's recent introduction of GM food labeling faced the threat of a legal challenge from the WTO. This new Codex agreement now means that this threat has gone and the consumer right to be informed has been secured. This is major victory for the global consumer movement."

The agreement also recognizes the enormous health monitoring benefits of giving consumers transparent information about the presence of GM foods. Consumers International's lead delegate at Codex, and a senior scientist at Consumers Union of the United States, Dr Michael Hansen, stated:

"We are particularly pleased that the new guidance recognizes that GM labeling is justified as a tool for post market monitoring. This is one of the key reasons we want all GM foods to be required to be labeled - so that if consumers eat modified foods, they will be able to know and report to regulators if they have an allergic or other adverse reaction."

The labeling milestone is particularly welcomed by CI member organizations in Africa, who have been fighting on behalf of their consumers for the right to be informed about GM food. Samuel Ochieng, President Emeritus of Consumers International and CEO of the Kenyan Consumer Information Network said:

"While the agreement falls short of the consumer movement's long-held demand for endorsement of mandatory GM food labeling, this is still a significant milestone for consumer rights. We congratulate Codex on agreeing on this guidance, which has been sought by consumers and regulators in African countries for nearly twenty years. This guidance is extremely good news for the worlds’ consumers who want to know what is in the foods on their plates".   

--

Note to Editors
i Consumers International (CI) is the only independent global campaigning voice for consumers. With over 220 member organisations in 115 countries, we are building a powerful international consumer movement to help protect and empower consumers everywhere. For more information, visit www.consumersinternational.org

ii The Codex Alimentarius Commission was created in 1963 by FAO and WHO to develop food standards, guidelines and related texts such as codes of practice under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/web/index_en.jsp

Press contacts:

London: Luke Upchurch  lupchurch@consint.org +44 796 894 9327

Geneva: Anna Glayzer aglayzer@consint.org +44 798 075 8064

Consumers International (CI) is the world federation of consumer groups that, working together with its members, serves as the only independent and authoritative global voice for consumers. With over 220 member organisations in 115 countries, we are building a powerful international movement to help protect and empower consumers everywhere.
www.consumersinternational.org
Twitter @Consumers_Int

Six-Month Training Course in Organic Gardening and Farming

Students of the Farm & Garden Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture

The University of California, Santa Cruz, has announced their UCSC Farm and Garden’s Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture.  The program, hosted by the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, is an intensive six-month course in organic farming and small-scale sustainable farming.  The program does not begin until April 2012, however the application deadline is September 30.

According to the program’s website: “The six-month Apprenticeship offers instruction and daily work experience in organic gardening and farming, focusing on ecological interactions amongst plants, soils, climate, insects, and pathogens. In a hands-on education approach, apprentices work alongside staff in the greenhouse, gardens, fields, and orchards, as well as attend lectures, demonstrations, and field trips. Apprentices are exposed to the different aspects of growing plants organically on both a hand-dug garden scale and a tractor-cultivated field scale. The apprentices selected to attend the course each year are interested in practical training that will prepare them to teach others and/or to run their own operations.”

Graduates have established their own commercial farms and market gardens, run community gardens and work on international development projects.  There are 39 apprentices each year representing geographic, age and ethnic diversity.  There are also scholarships available for people of color and/or people from disadvantaged backgrounds and also the Simply Organic Scholarship for an apprentice with financial need.

For more information

visit: http://casfs.ucsc.edu

email: casfs@ucsc.edu

or call: 831-459-3240

Genetically Engineered Kentucky Bluegrass

On July 1, The U.S. Agriculture Department ruled that a genetically engineered (GE) herbicide-tolerant Kentucky bluegrass, a grass variety used for lawns across the US, engineered by Scotts Miracle-Gro is not covered by US biotechnology.  Two consumer groups, Center for Food Safety and International Center for Technology Assessment, wanted genetically engineered Kentucky bluegrass to be listed as a noxious weed in 2002. To be noxious a plant must be invasive and damaging to agriculture or the ecosystem, but the USDA also ruled that GE Kentucky Bluegrass did not qualify, sparing it from government regulations.

A single gene was inserted into the genetically engineered grass, which means, in terms of Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) this means that the grass is not regulated as biotechnology.  It is alarming that the USDA can decide that a genetically modified organism is equivalent to non-GM Kentucky bluegrass.  It is also disconcerting that the grass was approved without further studies on safety and possible health impact. This gene alteration makes the grass tolerant of glyphosate, so landowners can liberally apply the pesticide, (also known as Round-Up) to eliminate all the other weeds (and life) on the lawn and in the soil.  This heavy application is bad for the environment, by glyphosate has been linked to serious health problems including birth defects and is suspected to have a role in causing Parkinson’s Disease.  The widespread application of Round Up in other Round-Up Ready crops has already been attributed to herbicide-resistant weeds.  Organic farmers have complained of the risk of contamination of their crops by biotech varieties.  Kentucky bluegrass is wind-pollinated and can hybridize with other grasses and can contaminate livestock feed.  As some consumer groups have pointed out, the further environmental and human safety testing, which probably should have occurred in a laboratory, will now happen in our shared environment.

National Geographic on Heirloom Varieties

The July Issue National Geographic includes a feature article titled “Food Ark” about the role of seed diversity in being able to feed a growing population.  The article discusses the value of heirloom vegetables as more than a trend among gardeners, specialized farmers and boutique grocery stores. While many people say they prefer supermarkets because of the variety of foods available, the truth is that the agriculture industry threatens the world’s crop diversity.  Mono cropping reduces genetic diversity of plants and then also spreads disease between plants.  Heirloom varieties, on the other hand, are passed down from year to year, often through families.  Heirloom varieties are open-pollinated (which means that the seeds can be saved) and maintain a distinctive genetic makeup.  With so many varieties of the same kind of produce, certain distinct varieties can be grown almost anywhere: some might be drought or flood resistant, some are immune to certain plant diseases or better for shade.

Reporter Charles Siebert writes:  “. . . The movement to preserve heirloom varieties goes way beyond America's renewed romance with tasty, locally grown food and countless varieties of tomatoes. It's also a campaign to protect the world's future food supply.” You can read the article here: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/07/food-ark/siebert-text but check out the accompanying articles about food scarcity and growing your own heirloom varieties: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/07/food-ark/growing-heirlooms.  One of the heirloom seed providers mentioned in the article is Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds which owns the Comstock, Ferre & Co Store in Wethersfield Connecticut http://comstockferre.com/.  Also check out the photo galleries of uncommon chickens, rare cattle, and seeds.  

Here is a graphic from the article showing the reduction in seed varieties from a century ago.

Graph Credit: National Geographic 2011 http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/07/food-ark/food-variety-graphic

Food Independence Day!

It’s Nearly Independence Day Weekend! This Fourth of July, try declaring your Food Independence.  Kitchen Gardeners International started an initiative a couple years ago to encourage “first families” or governor’s families to “eat by example” by sourcing their meals locally.  You can find out more information here http://www.facebook.com/FoodIndependenceDay and petition your first family here: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/petitions/153. 

Purchase your Fourth of July feast locally, it's patriotic!  The editorial “Dangerous Imports" in the New York Times on June 24, highlighted the dangers of importing food from abroad.  Nearly two-thirds of the fruits and vegetables and 80% of the sea food we eat here in the US is from abroad.  These concerns are mainly in response to the E Coli infections in Europe and North America which were first blamed on organic growing methods.  It has become clear, as more E. Coli cases are discovered, that the international, unregulated nature of global food imports and exports is to blame. 

Buying local supports the American economy, buying local organic improves environmental quality where you live, and both benefit you and your families’ health.   

Having trouble planning a local July fourth meal? Think about local brews instead of imported beer, local grass-fed beef if you eat meat, local potatoes for your potato salad and Mother Nature Network can provide you with a couple more ideas: http://www.mnn.com/local-reports/connecticut/local-blog/best-july-4th-recipes

Happy Independence Day!