Subscribe to RSS FeedWhat’s Fresh News – Sept 7, 2010
Fair Trade for Canadian Farmers
Regina, Saskatchewan -June 07, 2010-
Farmer Direct Co-operative Ltd. (FDC), a farmer-owned business of 70 certified organic family farms is the first business in Canada and the United States to receive domestic fair trade certification. “People usually associate fair trade with coffee, sugar, bananas and other crops from the global south, but fair wages to farm workers and fair prices to farmers are just as much a concern in industrialized nations like Canada and the United States,” explains Murray Horkoff a FDC farmer-owner from Kamsack, SK. “Now organic consumers can purchase fairly traded flax, wheat, beans, hemp, peas, lentils and other crops grown in the Northern Hemisphere,” adds Horkoff. See full article on the Farmer Direct Co-op’s website.
Widespread opposition to draft Canadian organic aquaculture standards
The deadline for comments on Canada’s draft organic aquaculture has closed with widespread opposition from organic farmers, scientists, food, environmental and consumer advocacy organizations in Canada and the US. Wild Salmon Supporters, through the parent coalition CAAR, submitted comments to the Canadian Standards Board objecting to the inclusion of provisions that would undermine consumer confidence in the organic brand, such as the use of pesticides and antibiotics as well as the allowance of open net cages. In addition to the comments, we rallied 45 Canadian and US groups with a collective membership of over 1 million people to sign on to a letter raising concerns over the draft standards.
Excerpted from Wild Table – e-newsletter for SalmonSupporters.org
“Pesticides are war chemicals that kill – every year 220,000 people are killed by pesticides worldwide”
“We are witnessing a massive corporate genocide – the killing of people for super profits. To maintain these super profits, lies are told about how, without pesticides and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), there will be no food. In fact, the conclusions of International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development, undertaken by the United Nations, shows that ecologically organic agriculture produces more food and better food at lower cost than either chemical agriculture or GMOs.”
- Excerpt from Vandana Shiva’s “The Killing Fields Of Multi-National Corporations”, The Asian Age, July 14th, 2010
On the local scene
- looking at a rainy cold week is not so good for corn, tomatoes, and basil but the spinach, chard and kale will love it! Glancing out this is definitely a “soup” week . Fresh corn makes this chowder mouth watering good!
Corn Chowder
Saute in olive oil in a soup pot:
1 diced onion
Add:
2 diced potatoes
1 or 2 medium carrots diced
Cover with water & simmer for 10 minutes. Then add:
2 cobs of corn (off the cob)
(hint: stand husked raw corn on end and with a downward motion slice off kernels, rotate and slice again until all are removed)
Cook 5 more minutes and then add:
1 1/2 cups milk, light cream or soymilk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tsp butter
Reheat and dust with paprika before serving.
