So many new faces

Well its time for some new boys around the farm. Every year we have to bring in a new boar for the pigs and a new bull for the cows. We made a trip this year out of town, all the way to Cornwall. Approximately 1400km round trip.
First of all the boar. We wanted this year to go back to a breed we had in the past, a large black. The name pretty well describes the breed. We have a sow that is of the same breed, so now we will get some purebred little large blacks in the spring. Large blacks are a heritage breed that dates back centuries. They originated in Britain. It is believed they are a cross between old British breeds and an oriental breed. They are noted to be excellent producers of bacon and ham. They have well marbled meat, much like the black Angus cattle. The meat is very tender and slightly pinker than most pork. The breed almost went extinct because of the industrialisation of pig farming. Large black pigs were the traditional pastured pig. They were often employed in orchards because they root less and graze more than most breeds.

New boar, enjoying lunch

See the long loin

We are very excited about this purchase. We have not named him yet, but we are contemplating a few names. He is about 4-5yrs old now and 600lbs. His temperament is good, but he is a boar, so we have to be careful around him.

Bandit, trying to figure out how to get to the girls

The next purchase was a new bull. Bandit, we did not name him, is half belted Galloway and half Piedmontese. Both are very old breeds. The Galloway is closely related to the Angus, in fact they were once included in the same herd registration book. However the Angus has been bred for years now to increase size and growth rate. Galloway's instead have been bred for meat quality and hardiness.

The heifer in the picture with the bull is a new addition as well. She is his half sister. You can by her coat that they have much thicker fur than Angus. If fact Galloway's have tested second in hair density tests. The only bovine species to test higher was a buffalo. Piedmontese are an ancient breed that are noted for double muscling. They produce larger muscles and they are leaner than most cattle, while keeping a smaller frame. Shortly after this picture was taken the bull decided he was ready to meet the rest of the herd. He pushed open the big wooden gate, breaking the chain that holds is closed.
I almost forgot to mention the colour. My girls call them the Oreo cookie cows. Not all Galloway's are belted. They come in a variety of colours including white, brown, red, dun, and black. All except white can have a belt. The belt is a dominant colour pattern, which means all of our calves next year should have a belt. The belt has no significance other than they look different.

Another addition we picked up along the way was a little black orphaned ewe lamb. The brown/white lamb in the picture was born here. She is the result of a ewe that I bought at an auction.

Local Food

Local Food

There has been a lot of publicity recently about food safety and quality of food we serving our families. One of the best ways to make sure you are getting what you are paying for is to get more involved in the production process. The easiest way to get more involved is to buy locally. Locally produced meat, eggs, fruit and vegetables offer considerable benefits over conventionally raised and grown foods. We are lucky enough to live in an area that has an abundance of farmers and food producers. When you buy local you get the chance to develop a personal relationship with your local farmers.  You get to know how they produce their products, and the reasons why they chose their methods. Believe it or not there is more than one way to grow a tomato. We are constantly bombarded by the industries latest catch phrases and marketing lingo. From naturally produced, organic, sustainable, free range, grass fed, corn fed, the list goes on and on. The Canadian Food Inspection agency (CFIA) controls labeling of food items in Canada. However I think they have a hard time keeping up with the latest language.

Consumers need to be aware that not all local food is created equally. I remember talking to a local farmer that was growing all natural vegetables. He believed they were natural because he used the manure produced from his cattle operation as the main source of fertilizer for the garden. After a short inspection of the picture perfect garden I asked him how he kept the weeds under such control. He proceeded to tell me that before and after rotor tilling his garden he sprayed it down with round up. For those who do not know, round up is a very popular herbicide and is a major bone of contention between conventional producers and those of us that promote a more natural and sustainable method of production. The farmer legitimately did not recognize that fact that using an herbicide such as round up was not natural.

Buying local means you will usually be receiving the best nutrition for your dollar. The main reason we spend so much money on food is for the nutrition it offers us. Other than clean water and clean air food is the next most important requirement for our survival. You will notice that I did not say “clean food”. That is because we are proving that humans can survive on food that is not necessarily clean. How long we survive and the quality of life we have however is very dependent on how clean our food is. Every year that goes by more research suggest that many of our ailments are directly or indirectly related to the food we eat. I recently read a book called “Wheat Belly”. According to the books reviews some people do not entirely buy into the author’s argument against wheat, however he does bring forth many good arguments about how our food factories are putting shareholders interests ahead of the consumers. Conventional producers are fighting back though. In 2011 Stanford University released a publication that stated organic food is no more nutritious than conventionally produced food. The statement made quite a stir in the organic industry. However when researched further you will find the type of study was a meta analysis. Basically they compile a bunch of other studies and make a finding. How they decided which 200 or so studies out of the thousands available to include I don’t know. For me they lost a lot of credibility when I read on Dr. Mercola’s website that one of the co-authors had published a paper finding no link between smoking and emphysema.  

Everyone has an opinion on how many toxins and pollutants are safe, and which method of food production is best. On our farm we subscribe to a more holistic system. Many small local farms believe the same and try to produce meat and vegetable products in a way that is sustainable. Direct marketing to consumers is challenging for small farms. All of the laws implemented by the CFIA are geared towards large industrial type farms. We deal closely with local abattoirs that have to implement costly upgrades and incur increasing costs that are geared towards larger factory size abattoirs. However when was the last time one of these small abattoirs made the news for selling contaminated products? It really only makes sense. The small family run abattoir has a vested interest in the end product.  The factory worker does not.

This fact works the same with a small family run vegetable farm. When you have a vested interest in the farm and a passion for growing the best vegetables you can. The product will always be better. Small family run farms are taking advantage of new marketing systems and technology to produce better vegetables and making them easier to access for customers.

Farmers that prescribe to a natural way of growing meat and vegetables are realizing that our ancestors were doing things right. Take care of the soil and you have the biggest hurdle beat when it comes to all types of farming. The new catch phrase for beef farmers, when asked what do you grow? The response is grass.  A good beef farmer takes care of the grass. Make sure it is eaten when it is the most nutritious. If the grass is to long they waste it and won’t grow as well. Too short and the grass will take a long time to recover and will not be digested as efficiently.  Speaking of cattle, Cattle are ruminants. Just like sheep and goats. They can make use of higher fiber plants like grass and turn it into energy and protein. Many argue that they should not be fed grains. Grains are not a natural diet for ruminants. There were no natural fields of corn, soybeans, or wheat on the Great Plains for the buffalo to graze. By feeding these high energy and protein grains to ruminants we change their body chemistry. Many of the unhealthy attributes blamed on red meats are actually because conventional farms are feeding them unnatural diets to increase growth rates and make the meat fatter. When looking for local beef or lamb specify 100% grass fed. A grass fed steak will have higher omega 3 fatty acids and the total fat content in comparable to skinless chicken breast.

A true diversified farm will include some livestock as well as vegetables and fruit. Each and every product has a role on the farm. Livestock produce manure that when mixed with bedding and composted provides some of the best nutrition for the soil. Small farms that produce poultry, eggs and pork usually buy in feed. This feed is processed by the livestock and results in very nutritious manure. Buying in feed or other soil amendments is necessary. When selling off products whether it is a tomato or a side a beef the farmer is really selling nutrients. These nutrients need to put back in some form. This is where conventional farming has gone awry. They continually spread nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous in the form of chemical fertilizers. However that is not enough. Evidence of this can be seen on the prairie provinces in Canada. In areas that once had soil thicknesses measured in feet, built up by centuries of manure from buffalo and other animals, they can only be measured in inches now. Intensive grain production and erosion has sucked all the nutrients out of the soil. There are studies showing that the nutritional content of grains today is lower than grain produced 50 years ago. This is a direct result of poorer nutrition availability in the soil.

A handful of healthy soil is contains millions of forms of life from bacteria, single celled protozoa, to earth worms. Not to mention a whole host of insects. It is often said that a handful of earth has more living organisms than people on earth. Conventional farming makes soil very inhospitable for these creatures. The petroleum based synthetic fertilizers, insecticides and fungicides kill the microscopic life forms. This leaves the soil in almost a sterile state. Farming in a sustainable way promotes this microscopic life. After all these little workers, work for free all day and night breaking down left over materials from past crops, composted materials, some even fight off disease, harmful insects and predators. The worms aerate the soil allowing oxygen and moisture to reach the roots of the crop. By limiting the exposure to harsh chemicals and feeding the soil with compost we can grow these little helpers. Combining these methods with an effective and planned crop rotation we can eliminate our dependence on chemical inputs. Rotating crops allows us to effectively limit disease and pests on the farm. One of the reasons conventional production has such a reliance on chemical inputs is the battle against insects and disease. By planting potatoes in the same field year after year we make life very easy for Colorado potato bugs, scab, verticillium fungi and other potato diseases. Not to mention that the potato continually removes the same nutrients from the soil year after year. The farmer has no choice but to continually add these nutrients back into the soil through chemically derived fertilizers. On a sustainable farm the farmer would add compost to the area and plan to plant another crop in the area next season. The farmer would also recognize that potato, tomato, eggplants and peppers all belong to the nightshade family and share many diseases. A better choice would be to plant a crop like peas or beans, which will fix nitrogen in the soil for the next crop and so on. All of the reasons for crop rotation are still being explored, but the fact remains it works. For instance potatoes planted after sweet corn grows remarkably better. Large industrialized farms have a difficult time rotating crops in a sustainable manner. The equipment in an average potato farm in P.E.I is worth in excess of $300000. It is hard for these farmers to change crops with investments like that. A small diversified farm will have an investment of as little as $200-$300. (The price of a good pitchfork and a used roto tiller) The rest of the work is pure manual labor.

There have been many technological advancements to help the sustainable farmer. For instance plastic mulch is very effective at increasing soil temperatures in the spring, holding moisture in the ground, and suppressing weeds. While plastic mulch does not sound sustainable or environmentally friendly it is very effective at helping sustainable farmers compete without adding chemicals to their produce. The mulch can last for many seasons if taken care of and there are types that claim to be biodegradable.

One of the biggest hurdles for a sustainable farmer is marketing the product. When we started farming one of our primary goals was to provide good wholesome food to the public at a fair price. This turned out to not be an easy task. While growing the meat and vegetables was difficult enough we found that marketing agencies, food inspectors and health departments were not going to make life any easier for us. While all three organizations have good intentions (or so they claim) they make direct marketing difficult. Eggs, chicken and turkey are all controlled by marketing agencies that restrict our sales not only in numbers, but I have to sell them to people at the farm gate. Some creative sustainable farmers have discovered effective ways to work within the marketing laws. We sell meat at the North Bay farmers market. Most people think that is great, fresh lamb, beef, pork. However the local health unit had something to say about that. We are only allowed to sell frozen meats. Many people think fresh meat is the best, however properly frozen meat is just as good and sometimes better since the freezing process can actually tenderize tougher cuts. However try selling that fact. Vegetables have proven to be much easier to market. Providing the vegetables are sold whole and not processed in any way.

Some newer ways of direct marketing farm produce have begun to emerge in Ontario. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a new trend here, however it has been around since the 1960s in Europe and Japan. CSAs began as a response to some consumers fears about food safety and the urbanization of agricultural land. The way a CSA works is a consumer would purchase a subscription. The subscription lasts for the entire growing season. The consumer’s investment would give them a variety of fresh and in season vegetables on a weekly or bi-weekly basis at a fair price. As the consumer they purchase a subscription knowing that they are accepting some of the inherent risk associated with the crop. In other words if the potatoes are infested with potato bugs, the consumer realizes they will probably receive less potatoes. However when one crop does poorly, usually another will pick up the slack. Last season our corn was terrible mostly due to the drought our area experienced. However it was our best year we have ever had for broccoli, cauliflower, and tomatoes.   

The advantage for the buyer is substantial. First of all, nutritionally speaking, fresh vegetables produced in an organic, ecological and sustainable manner are much better for you. It is a proven fact the vitamin content is superior. They contain more of the cancer and disease fighting substances that vegetables are noted for. Buying vegetables locally ensures that the vegetables are fresh and picked ripe. Many grocery store fruit and vegetables are picked before they ripen, then they are chemically ripened or some will continue to ripen on the shelf (bananas). The next advantage to a CSA buyer is price. The price of a CSA may seem steep, but in reality it is usually a deal. Our CSA is priced at around $200 less than the commercially grown vegetables at the grocery store. Thirdly the CSA subscriber will have a closer relationship with the farmer. This allows the subscriber to be confident in the product, and allows questions to be asked. The fourth reason for buying into a CSA is taste. This relates to the fact that the vegetables are fresh. But there is more. Organically produced vegetables are grown in healthier, more ecologically sound soil. We have found this gives a fresher, stronger and sweeter taste to our vegetables.  In fact when picking vegetables we have found it is hard to keep the kids on track. They spend as much time eating as they do picking.

Nothing tastes like a fresh carrot right out of the soil. An added bonus is we know that our vegetables do not carry the chemical residues that commercial vegetables do. A quick search of “the dirty dozen” on the internet will make you scared of eating conventional vegetables.

The more research I do into our food production systems, the more I feel comfortable farming the way I do. The “advancements” in genetic modification and chemical use is truly frightening. The effect it is going to have on our health, our environment, and our future does not look encouraging.

 

It's begining to look a lot like winter

Well the snow has finally arrived. Here at the farm we have been waiting and wishing temperatures would drop. Yes that's what I said.Fall and spring for that matter are busy times, I guess every season is busy. However fall is particularly troublesome. All the wet weather is not comfortable for us or the animals. So we spend a lot of time getting the tractor stuck trying to get hay out to animals, or trying to sneak across a field with the tractor and hay waggon on, in an effort to not leave deep tire ruts. The tire ruts are very difficult to repair, but are even more difficult on hay equipment the following year. We have had to plow up entire fields because someone left deep tire ruts that would stop a tractor dead while baling hay. Lynn is busy making makeshift shelters for the pigs, who enjoy being outside all year round as long as they have a warm place to sleep. Lynn is not a carpenter and gets frustrated easily while building. Especially since the pigs seem to love disassembling her building project. You might be wondering why I am not doing the building. It is because I am spending most of my days hauling whats left of our hay home. We cut hay in fields all over the area and a considerable amount of time is spent hauling it home. A tractor is not a fast machine. To add to this there are some mighty big hills in our area. It is a sobering experience going up a steep long hill with 20000lbs of hay on a waggon, when you look down and notice the tires are spinning much faster then the tractor is moving. Cross your fingers and hold on. As you reach the top of the hill you realise that the battle is only half over. Now the decent begins. Every muscle in your body tightens every time the wheels can be felt slipping instead of rolling down the hill. Once at the bottom of the hill you realise how much you were sweating over the ordeal, because the cold wintry wind cools that sweat quickly. 15km/hr does not seem fast, but the windchill at that speed is significant. One of these years I will get all the hay home before snow flies, or I will get a cab for the tractor.

The cattle are all penned up, with the exception of a couple small calves that can sneak under the fence to wreak havoc on my nicely piled hay. They have access to a small spruce forest for shelter. However the highland cattle are built for cold weather. They stand out in the worst winter has to offer, chewing their cuds as if it was  a nice summers day. The angus on the other hand huddle in between the highlands. Not as winter hardy, they will return to the refuge of the forest when the weather is bad enough. For the most part cold does not bother the older cattle. They no not however like the falls wet and cold weather. Can't say I blame them.

Wheat Belly

I just bought the book called Wheat Belly, written by William Davis, MD. Dr. Davis is a cardiologist in the USA. The book basically describes the effects of wheat on our bodies and the reasons why. He describes how wheat causes a multitude of physical problems primarily related to blood glucose levels. The book also details how wheat started out as an innocent grass that was manipulated by man to create wheat, then in the last fifty years man began to really change the genetic makeup of wheat in an effort to increase yields and decrease losses through disease, drought, insects etc.
While Dr. Davis specialises in wheat all of agriculture has shared the same focus for the last fifty years. Yield per acre is what is considered most important. In the process nutrition and health have been sacrificed. Most people concerned with the issues realise that corn and soybeans, the next two most consumed agricultural products, have gone through the same transitions as wheat. However almost all consumable agricultural products have gone through the same process. Meat production has changed drastically. Our ruminants (cattle, sheep, goats) are being force fed grains to increase growth. Antibiotics and growth hormones are given to increase growth rate. Even the breeds have changed. Angus cattle have increased in size. Other breeds have taken over as the most popular breeds such as Charolais, Limousin, Belgian blue, etc. These are huge animals requiring huge amounts of feed. These cattle are ready for butcher at 12-14 months. Traditional breeds on grass take up to 30 months. Many new breeds carry a mutated gene that causes "double muscling" making the livestock look like body builders. Milk production has gone through the same process. The milk of today is far less nutritious than our grandparents drank. Hog and poultry production has turned into a factory operation where workers where coveralls, breathing and hearing protection. The manure has become a polluting concern. Years ago hogs were raised outside like cattle. Manure was not an issue. Hogs and chickens were raised on grain and garden waist. In fact that was what the hog was for years ago. The first recycler. Any farm waste was fed to the pig and turned into a meat product. Now waste is landfill, adding to our garbage problem. Meat is not the only issue. Vegetables are going through the same issues. Anything is sacrificed in the name of production. Vegetables are fed a steady diet of liquid fertilisers accompanied by a mix fungicides, pesticides and herbicides to decrease disease. Vegetables are picked before being ripe and "chemically ripened" in the back of transports as they are shipped around the world. Tomatoes and peppers are raise in hot houses with their roots bare, not even in soil. The chemists raising and experimenting with these vegetables are arrogant enough to believe they have out smarted mother nature.
Testing done on the products is usually minimal and irrelevant. The tests always seem to favour the new producing product. A large number of tests have been published lately that state organic is no better then conventional production. I do not dought that these same scientist are experts in hydroponics, because they must be smoking something. Something people have to remember is that the companies producing these engineered plants and animals have invested allot of money in their production. They will spend more money to make sure their product is accepted and flourishes. The people growing organically do not have patents on their products. They have no money invested(outside the farm). They also have a much smaller market. The money simply is not their to defend their way of production. The only time we get noticed is when someone like Dr. Davis writes a book that gets attention and gets people talking.
For your own test go to the grocery store and buy some organic and conventional bananas. Do your own taste test. Then tell me there is no difference.

October has arrived and the harvest is done for another year. Vegetables have bean picked and stored in cans or in the cellar, hay is baled and the slow process of trailering it all home has begun, the grain is off and in the barn. We are drying seeds from a variety of vegetables to ensure an organic supply for nest season. The rest of the seeds and supplies for nest season will be ordered in the nest couple of months. It seems early but to ensure we get what varieties we want we must order early. We are beginning our marketing plan and determining prices now for next seasons vegetables.

This summer has been a trying one on the farm. The worst drought in decades affected our vegetable, grain, and hay harvests. We only harvested about half the hay we usually do. But the expense was higher than any other year. This makes for very expensive hay. Hopefully we have enough. The vegetables faired a little better because of our organic growing methods. One of which is deep much. The 6+ inches of hay mulch added to the garden did not keep the weeds down, but with out it the drought would have been devastating. By the third week of July our soils were drying and our grass was turning brown, but the soil under the mulch was still damp. The end results were an average year for most of the vegetable production. As far as the grain is concerned we had a poor yield. The grain was thin and the grass and clover came up thick making combining the grain difficult for our old combine. Like the hay our grain yield was at about 50%.

In other news around the farm, many people read my article in the news paper about the spraying of herbicides in the forests around our region. The article received a lot of attention and in the end we were able to stop the use of helicopters to spray the herbicide close to our property. I even had two forestry representatives show up at the farm to make a sales pitch about the chemicals used. Like many of the under educated users of these chemicals they used personal experience with the chemicals as evidence of the safety. One guy stated that even had the chemical sprayed right into his mouth and had no ill effects. What they do not realise is that it is the long term exposure to these chemicals that cause the problem. Using their argument smoking, alcohol and most drugs are not hazardous. We all know that one cigarette, beer, or even hard core drugs will not usually be fatal if only used once. It is long term use that causes the real problem. The long term effects of the herbicides used are just now being studied. So far as most people can guess the results are showing they are NOT safe. The government knows how dangerous most of these chemicals are. But they turn a blind eye in the name of economics. Just this week Azinphos-methyl(AZM) a known harmful pesticide was taken out of production. AZM is a highly neurotoxic insecticide that attacks the human brain and nervous system. Where would we spray such a dangerous chemical? On our apples, pears, cherries, bluberries and parsley of course.

Many people wanted me to continue the fight to ban the use of herbicides in our forests altogether. Unfortunately this is not an easy fight. Forestry companies, chemical manufacturers and even the Ontario government support their use. I simply do not have the time or resources for such a fight. However I would support any one that takes up the fight. Nova Scotia and BC both have activist organisations called Stop The Spray. They are dedicated to stopping the use of herbicides. Their web sites contain a wealth of information on the topic. One of the biggest issues with our modern day reliance on strong chemicals is the fact that not everyone reacts the same to them. They may cause prostate cancer in some, Parkinson’s in others, maybe fertility problems, or allergic reactions or some other side effect ranging from severe to not so severe. All of which are not easily measured in a six week study trial. Most of which are paid for by the chemical manufacturer. Most people do not know that our government does not study and evaluate every chemical used in our country. Instead they rely on the chemical manufacturer to pay an independent firm to study the product and give the results. What decision do you think the independent firm is going to come up with? Monsanto has already been convicted twice of tampering with the results of studies done on their products.

In any case I do not want these chemicals near my property. After reading my article one of my neighbours called the Nipissing Forest Resource Management office and asked what effects the chemicals have on wildlife. Their response was that the wildlife usually leaves the area because the chemical kills off all their food. However what they fail to realise or tell you is that the chemical takes a couple weeks to become effective. In that time the deer, moose, rabbits, bears, etc are all ingesting the chemical laden leaves and berries. My neighbour was very upset, because they are devoted naturalists. They hunt for many reasons but one is knowing that the meat they have is clean, chemical free and natural. Or so they thought.

This blog is too small to get into all the details about our over reliance on chemicals. I hope it does spur people into researching the topic themselves. I am content with the fact that I was able to get the spraying with helicopters stopped in my vicinity. Especially since I was told just last week that areas close by were sprayed this summer and they missed their target. Instead they sprayed the front yards of the rural homes.

So the winter wind down has begun and I will be able to spend more time on the blog and creating our new website. After I haul the hay home, spread the manure, plow the fields,…I though winter was supposed to be slow on a farm.

For anyone interested our winter meat box prices and details will be going out this week. As well as information on our 2013 vegetable CSA program. Anyone signing up before December will get a discount. People that sign up early allow us to make sure we can order and pay for supplies that we will need for next season.  

 

Organic vegetable nutrition

Vegetable harvest is in full swing now. Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, beans, peas, even the pumpkins are ready for harvest. Now that Lynn and I are in vegetable mode we are very excited. Our CSA program has been a success, vegetables are looking good despite the drought this summer which did effect some of our harvest but most have recovered. We plan on expanding our CSA membership to 20 full time members next year.
While researching some information for our marketing efforts for next year we have run across many articles which reference a recent study published in The Journal of Science of Nutrition and Agriculture. The article states that their research indicates little to no nutritional benefits or difference between organic and conventional produced vegetables. The problem with these "scientific" studies are that they are conducted by scientist, who tend to be biased. The fact is that they believe they know all there is to know. For instance when the scientist research what chemicals need to be in a fertiliser for tomatoes, they typically decide on nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels. These three elements are generally recognised as the ingredients in chemical fertiliser. However we all know that plants require much more than these three elements.
The problem with conducting studies such as the one mentioned is the journal is that there are so many variables. For instance many large companies have jumped on the organic bandwagon. Large companies have bastardised the organic industry by bending and twisting the organic standards in an effort to capitalise on the increased prises and niche market created by the organic industry. While all farmers are in business to make a profit, some are more relentless than others. In general smaller organic family farms concentrate on plant health and the quality of their product. This added effort is represented in the higher prices most organic vegetables demand. Big business capitalises on the higher prises, but often use conventional farming practises that have been modified to meet organic standards.
Additionally the "scientific" studies do not measure the entire chemical makeup of the vegetables. While common vitamin and mineral levels are measured, photo chemicals are not. These are compounds that are not vitamin or mineral that are believed to contribute to our health. Photo chemicals effect the taste and colour of fruits and vegetables. They also help fight off disease in the plant. Much can be changed about the nutritional value of a plant by its environment. Small organic farmers use green manures and animal manures for fertilisers. Making the soil more diverse and nutritious for the plant. This nutrition is passed on to the final consumer. Large scale industrial type organic farms use "natural" fertilisers such ad alfalfa meal, soy meal, blood, bone meal or corn gluten meal. All of these chemicals are approved for organic production. They represent a poor attempt at copying the conventional vegetable production. I should mention that I am not against using these products, however they should be used as amendments to the soil, not as primary means of fertilisation and plant nutrition. They are still better that adding oil derived fertilisers like the conventional vegetable producers use.
This brings us to the next point. Something that is not mentioned, is what is not in the organic vegetables. Chemical residues from commercial fertilisers, pesticides, hormones and antibiotic residues form commercial manure applications. As well there are chemicals that are added for chemical ripening, or preserving fruit and vegetables.  None of these chemicals have had adequate testing to see what the long term health effects are on humans or our environment.
An article published in mother earth news 10 years ago is probably more accurate that the studies published now. 10 years ago organic produce was not being bombarded by the commercial industry like it is now. While I can not remember off hand the exact numbers in the study it basically stated that, when a conventionally grown tomato from a grocery store was compared to an organically grown tomato grown in composted manure, the latter had over 300% the micro nutrients.
How do you know what to eat. Its simple, find a farmer you can trust and eat as seasonally as you can. Organic certification only means that the farmer meets the organic standards. It does not mean they have to be ethical about it.

Summers passing us by

July flew past us between haying, gardening and our unexpected trip to Sick Kids with Allison. Allison is doing great and is pretty much back to normal. She is still taking it easy just to make sure. Another event that took place during the last month was a confrontation with the Nipissing Forest Resource Management. Many people have called, emailed and even showed up at the farmers market to express their support. We received a letter stating that the NFRM would be aerial spraying herbicides in an area close to our farm. They spray the chemicals to kill all broad leaf plants, giving coniferous trees such as spruce and pine an advantage. As you can imagine the letter did not impress me and really upset Lynn. In response to the letter I sent an email to NFRM, our MPP, The Green Party, and the Nipissing News. My letter basically expressed my concerns including the concern that our government is pouring known carcinogens into our forests. Our MPPs office was very helpful, so was the Nipissing News, who published my letter. They also wrote their own article after interviewing me. The result is that the NFRM will no longer be spraying with helecopters. Instead they will use skidders. A skidder is a large tractor that is used for hauling logs out of the bush to a landing site. I made sure to express in my interview that I am not against logging. In fact done properly I think it is sustainable industry. My major concern is the spraying of toxic chemicals into our environment. The main chemical used is called Virox Max. Virox Max is basically the same as Round up. If fact they are manufactured by the same company, Monsanto. Yes the psychopathic company Monsanto. Producer of PCB, Agent Orange, synthetic bovine growth hormones and most genetically modified plants. I did not know much about Virox Max, I do now, but I do know a bit about Roundup. My personal opinion is that Round up is a dangerous chemical for a variety of reasons. First of all the health hazards. Monsanto would have us believe it is perfectly safe. However independent studies are proving otherwise. I won't go into great detail but glyphosate affects hormone production. Messing with hormones can cause a variety of disease, not the least of which is cancer. Monsanto has already been convicted twice of falsifying results of an "independent" study. I found it ironic that even after the convictions Canada did not do any testing of these products. They rely on independent studies paid for by the producing company. Glyphosate is extremely deadly to frogs and amphibians, which in turn are food for a large variety of wildlife. The use af glyphosate in the forest destroys the natural habitat and food supply for moose, bear, deer, rabbit and a variety of other animals. It also causes mono cultures of coniferous trees. We all saw what that can do this summer with the forest fires in Northern Ontario. Coniferous trees are far more flammable than deciduous tree. Mono cultures can also be devastated by disease. We are all ready seeing this problem with the red and white pine trees.