food

I guess the pivotal issue here is not so much the scope of the quake and resulting damage, or the poverty that has either been an immediate consequence of it, or the underlying destitution that has existed for decades in Haiti. Nor is it the fact that I'm sitting writing this on the beach where the Kennedy's used to vacation -- at an old Club Med some 50 nautical miles from Port-Au-Prince.
I guess it's the familiarity of it all now. It's truly the same broken record I've seen playing in so many other places around the world. The contrasts here are extreme in almost every measurable way, and many that can never have a quantifiable comparison.read more

The Ontario Government's pre-budget consultations are under way at Queen's Park. The Federal budget is set to be released at the beginning of March (unless Stephen Harper decides for another spontaneous vacation), with the Ontario Budget set to be released in weeks that follow.read more

Walden Bello's latest, The Food Wars, is a great gift idea for the socially conscious reader in your life.
 
For a slim volume, it tackles many of the world's crucial problems. In a mere 149 pages, Bello explains the connections between hunger, economics and ecology. Whether you're a farmer, a veteran urban gardener, or know little about where the food on your plate comes from -- you'll learn something from this book.read more

More than 790,000 Canadians walked into a food bank in March, an increase of 18 per cent over the previous year according to a new report on hunger and food bank use in Canada.
Alberta, Nova Scotia and Ontario recorded the highest increases.
More than 72,000 people visited a food bank for the first time in their lives. Thirty-seven percent of those helped are children; half of the households are families with children.read more

More than 790,000 Canadians walked into a food bank in March, an increase of 18 per cent over the previous year according to a new report on hunger and food bank use in Canada.
Alberta, Nova Scotia and Ontario recorded the highest increases.
More than 72,000 people visited a food bank for the first time in their lives. Thirty-seven percent of those helped are children; half of the households are families with children.read more

There is no doubt that the seasons have changed. The last few days have seen frost on the ground in my garden. The tomatoes, squash, beans and cucumbers are all gone, my 15-foot high sunflowers have pooped out, and the chili peppers hang on in the hot house, soon to succumb to cooler days with limited sunshine. The last basil was picked this week, and what is left is the chard which will produce outside until a hard frost gets it, and inside all winter long. If the autumn is not too cold and dark a new crop of snow peas will come up inside, a welcome addition to winter meals.read more

There is no doubt that the seasons have changed. The last few days have seen frost on the ground in my garden. The tomatoes, squash, beans and cucumbers are all gone, my 15-foot high sunflowers have pooped out, and the chili peppers hang on in the hot house, soon to succumb to cooler days with limited sunshine. The last basil was picked this week, and what is left is the chard which will produce outside until a hard frost gets it, and inside all winter long. If the autumn is not too cold and dark a new crop of snow peas will come up inside, a welcome addition to winter meals.read more

There was a bit of upset over the fact that a province-wide local food event called the Incredible Picnic, scheduled for August 23, was cancelled because of hurricane Bill, rescheduled for August 30, then cancelled again because of tropical storm Danny. It was a success in its initial run last year, and this year there was a lot of anticipation, with farmers having geared up for it and some having taken a loss when it didn't happen.
 
The Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture is taking heat for not having planned differently.
I raise this because of what it says about the quickening interest in growing and eating local foods, here and throughout the Western world, and that it's starting to count in real dollars and cents.read more

There was a bit of upset over the fact that a province-wide local food event called the Incredible Picnic, scheduled for August 23, was cancelled because of hurricane Bill, rescheduled for August 30, then cancelled again because of tropical storm Danny. It was a success in its initial run last year, and this year there was a lot of anticipation, with farmers having geared up for it and some having taken a loss when it didn't happen.
 
The Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture is taking heat for not having planned differently.
I raise this because of what it says about the quickening interest in growing and eating local foods, here and throughout the Western world, and that it's starting to count in real dollars and cents.read more

Health Canada has begun permitting genetically engineered (GE, also called genetically modified or GM) foods onto the market without any health safety assessment. Our government has never adequately examined the safety of GE foods and crops but has now dropped the pretence altogether.
After almost 15 years of approving the varieties of GE soy, canola and corn that we now eat, Health Canada has stopped bothering with the formalities. This complete lack of safety evaluation is not an oversight or loophole in the regulation of GE crops and foods however. Rather, it is the deliberate extension of a regulatory system that relies on corporate data and was designed to support the industry.read more