March 2008 Newsletter
World Food Supply Is Shrinking, U.N. Agency Warns
Hands On! Beginner Gardeners’ Training and Support Group
Of Perseverance, Fortitude, Commitment, Strength, and Endurance
Sweet Misery – A Poisoned World
Still Using Fluoride? You may want to watch this
The Ultimate Detox Solution – Liquid Zeolite from Waiora – Natural Cellular Defense*
You do not have to read tea
leaves, read the stars, muscle test or do any other sort of divining to see
that if you have not grown at least some of your own food before or are not
doing so now, now is the time to start!
Veggie Starts
Starts are in! Here is what we currently have. More varieties will be here throughout the season with tomato and pepper starts coming in about 5-6 weeks.
Cabbage – Mammoth Red Rock and Early Jersey Wakefield
Brussels Sprouts – Long Island Improved
Collards – Green Glaze
Broccoli – Nutri Bud and Early Green
Kale – Red and White Russian
Lettuce – Cosmo Savoy and Red Oak Leaf
Mizuna Mustard – Kale Red Ursa
Cauliflower – Snowball
Spinach – America
Onion – Yellow of Parma
Leeks – Prizetaker
Garlic – Lorz Red Italian ($3.00)
Except where noted, all starts are $1.80/4-pack. All are certified organic.
Vegetable Seeds
We have in stock two lines of vegetable and herb seeds this year: Irish Eyes and Olds. Irish Eyes is a regional family owned seed company based in Ellensburg, WA whose slogan is “Short Season Seeds for an Early Harvest.” Olds is based in Madison, WI and was started by Levitt Lincoln Olds in 1888 now owned by Land ‘O Lakes. Their slogan is “Seeds You Can Count On.” Prices range from $2.49 to $3.99.
All are certified organic.
World Food Supply Is Shrinking, U.N. Agency Warns
So the title of a December 18th, 2007 New York Times News article goes. “In an ‘unforeseen and unprecedented’ shift, the world food supply is dwindling rapidly and food prices are soaring to historic levels.” Some other snippets from the article:
“The agencies’ food price index rose by more than 40 percent this year.”
“At the same time, reserves of cereals are severely depleted…12 weeks of the world’s total consumption”
“The crisis was a result of a confluence of recent supply and demand factors that …[are] here to stay.”
All this was reported before the record run up in oil prices and the severe storms this winter that destroyed huge areas of crops in some parts of the world including the US.
Heart and Soil
(Reprinted with permission from Kellie Peterson of Gordons)
Incentives for planting your own vegetable garden continue to mount, as
rising gasoline and grocery prices whittle away at our wallets. Another reason to grow your own is the
sweet, intense flavor of home grown vegetables, which is far superior to that
of vegetables grown in other states, vegetables which are often harvested before
ripening, and which travel for days and end up sitting on market shelves.
Grown in rich, organic soil and consumed right after harvesting,
vegetables have a greater health benefit than those grown in overused,
infertile soil that lose their nutritional potency in transit and on the shelf.
Whatever gives you the impetus to grow a vegetable garden: bravo! Now let’s get started.
Many seed companies offer organic seeds: Botanical Interests, Irish Eyes (organic seed grown in
Washington), Territorial Seed, and even Ed Hume has a small line of organic
seeds.
Whether you carve out a garden plot or grow vegetables in containers,
start now by sowing some seeds indoors.
Using egg cartons, peat pots or seed-starting trays, sow pepper 8-10
weeks before the average last frost date (check on-line for your area).
Tomatoes 6-8 weeks, Brussels sprouts 4-6 weeks and broccoli about the first of
February. Be sure to use a light
seed-starting soil mix. Plant seeds ¼”
below the soil. To avoid tall, leggy
seedlings provide 14-16 hours of light daily by hanging fluorescent light one
to two inches above the seedlings. When
the roots reach the sides of the pot, transplant into larger containers, then
outdoors when soil temperatures and weather permits.
For more information on starting seeds indoors, visit your local,
independent garden center.
Garden Hotline
We have teamed up with Seattle Tilth this year to answer your gardening questions.
For over 20 years, the Garden
Hotline has been providing advice FREE to home gardeners and landscape
professionals with questions on how to reduce waste, conserve water and other
natural resources, and minimize the use of chemicals. Garden Hotline
services and brochures are managed by Seattle Tilth and sponsored by Seattle
Public Utilities, the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program (LHWMP) in
The Garden Hotline can be reached at (206) 633-0224, Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or send an email any time night or day to info@lawnandgardenholtine.org. Visit them at www.seattletilth.org.
Hands On!
Beginner Gardeners’ Training and Support Group
Simple. Sustainable. Eat food from your own garden this year! Great materials to take home. Optional e-mail support between sessions. Hands-on practice in the field, greenhouse and orchard at Yelm Earth Worm & Castings Farm. Pick and choose individual classes or sign up for the support series from April through October. Why? Because most gardeners learn best by doing, alongside classroom coaching. Call 360-446-GROW (4769) or email: galadram@yahoo.com for pricing and dates.
Provided by Nadja Galadram, a
native 30 yr gardener and excellent coach.
Here, Kids...And Good Luck!
From the Bio-Organics Newsletter:
It's difficult to think of
anything in this world that we humans alive today will leave in better
condition than we found it - air, rivers, forests, oceans, fisheries, the ozone
layer, crop soils, drinking water, etc. etc. You name it, during the past 50
years or so we've managed to either deplete, destroy, diminish, pollute,
exterminate, or contaminate just about everything in sight. I guess urban
deer and coyotes are thriving, and bald eagles have made a comeback from DDT,
but mostly we've plundered and consumed resources at amazing rates - all of us.
The increases in world population plus consumption-oriented lifestyles in
developed countries has led to our putting crushing pressure on all sorts of
natural resources that once seemed endless in supply. But how do you
fault a starving native in some impoverished country who kills an endangered
whatever to feed his children, and how does any nation find the will to clamp
down on its factories because future polar bears will be short of ice, or
criticize a homeowner for innocently spreading some smiley-face-advertised
"plant food" on the front lawn, or a "conventional" farmer?
The recent trend to planting vast acreage of highly fertilized corn for ethanol
fuel represents the latest problem legacy for downstream descendants in our
country. The run-through of petroleum-based nitrogen fertilizers from
past years is slowly making its way down into underground aquifers as you read
this. "Plant foods" (and pesticides) that were spread on crops
or lawns way back when are now endangering wells throughout the
grain/cotton-belt states here in the U.S.
And if we somehow completely stopped all chemical fertilizing right now, that
cocktail plume of contaminants would continue steadily entering the drinking
water for another 10 to 50 years, depending on soil and depth of the water
reservoir. As many communities are entirely dependent on wells for water
supplies, this is not the sort of pass-down our descendants will
appreciate. "Sorry you can't drink the water kids, but grandpa used
to grow corn and he had the nicest dark green lawn in the county."
I like the saying, "If you find yourself in a hole, first thing stop
digging." I believe that chemistry-oriented agriculture,
horticulture, landscaping, and gardening have already caused huge soil-water
contamination problems and we are digging it deeper like groundhogs on
espresso.
There are other and cleaner methods, especially for growers who are not dealing
with thousands of acres. No one expects widespread overnight conversion to
organic or biological methods, or for every homeowner to suddenly forsake
spray-and-enjoy lawn foods. The use of synthetic fertilizers is convenient and
produces quick effects, which tends to trump other considerations in the short
run. I think the best we can hope for is for a few more savvy people
every year to find ways of growing plants that reduces runoff. This won't
stop the toxic plume that's already in the ground, but would slow down the rate
of water contamination.
Another old saying is, "Whiskey's for drinking and water's for fighting
over." If too many wells becomes non-potable, there may be a lot of
truth to that.
Of Perseverance, Fortitude, Commitment, Strength, and Endurance
If you are looking for a DVD that has a story
that exhibits all of these traits, and more, check out “March of the Penguins”
by Disney – a documentary about the Emperor Penguins of Antarctica. Highly recommended to all ages and available
in your library.
An Inconvenient Truth II
In previous newsletters, we have addressed
how toxic chemicals and metals ever present in our food, water, and environment
are detrimental to our health, and the health of the world and all of its
inhabitants. In a new and highly
documented book by Mark Schapiro entitled Exposed – The Toxic Chemistry of
Everyday Products and What’s at Stake for American Power, Mr. Schapiro
points out there is much more at stake for Americans. For them, the Inconvenient Truth II is about to get much more
inconvenient.
In short, the United States is already in the process of losing whatever claim it has on commercial supremacy because of its failure to embrace stricter consumer regulations that protect them from toxic load as well as practices that do not reflect precaution (such as GMOs) to potential or unknown dangers. At present, we are the dumping ground for products and food containing toxins that much of the rest of the world will not accept. Moreover, much of the world will no longer buy products made in America.
The world is now looking to Brussels instead of Washington for leadership – in fact, because of the Bush administration’s stance on environmental and consumer policies of the past and present, the US is not even invited to participate in drafting new policies that will affect the major and even minor countries of the world!
The EU and others – including in cases China – have adopted REACH (Rapid Alert System for Non-Food Products), POPS treaty (Stockholm Convention on Organic Pollutants), and the RoHS directive (Removal of Hazardous Substances) – all of which the US refused to participate in and are mostly unknown to Americans.
Some review snippets”
“Listen up, American business, and save yourselves while you still can.” Mark Hertsgarrd, auth of Earth Odyssey and Eagle’s Shadow
“A compelling wake-up call from deep inside of the trenches. Europe is overtaking us in environmental health and safety regulations, while Americans are being sold out by their own government.” David Wirth, Professor of Law and Director of International Programs, Boston College of Law
“Forget about going to see a thriller at the Cinema 13 tonight -- just read this book to get yourself good and frightened!” Amazon.com reviewer post
“Recommended reading for every human on the planet who can read.” Amazon.com review post
The Story of Stuff
If you get a chance, sit down in front of your computer with your family, friends, and/or co-workers and watch this video. Click on the image above! Then, forward it to your more of your family, friends, and/or co-workers.
Sweet Misery – A Poisoned World
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ANOTHER WEB VIDEO: |
Still Using Flouride? You may want to watch this
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HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF FLUORIDE IN YOUR DRINKING WATER |
The Ultimate Detox Solution – Liquid Zeolite from Waiora – Natural Cellular Defense*
Given all of the information in the previous newsletters and this one on toxins in our environment and bodies and their devastating effects on human health, we continue to stock Waiora’s Natural Cellular Defence Liquid Zeolite and Karen Yule’s products to rid yourself of them.
Dr. Gabriel Cousens, M.D. calls NCD "an alchemical gift from God." He says, "Natural Cellular Defense is different from supplements that generally add to your well-being, but are not necessary. Natural Cellular Defense is simple, elegant, extraordinary, and necessary for maintaining healthy living in today's modern toxic world." He also says it's the best product he's used in 35 years as a holistic doctor. The liquid zeolite product is safe, non-toxic, and easy to use.
Waiora’s Natural Cellular Defence Liquid Zeolite 15ml bottle can be purchased online here or here for $49.95 plus shipping, handling and tax, or we are carrying it at the farm for $45.- One bottle lasts one month at a 3 drop 3 times a day maintenance level. At the recommended 10 drop 3 times a day detox level, it lasts about 1/3 of a month.
The most complete website about Natural Cellular Defense (Liquid Zeolite) is: http://www.liquidzeolite.org
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
14741 Lawrence Lake Rd SE
Yelm, WA 98597
360-894-0707
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