Dandelions important for the garden ecosystem
Bangor Daily News - 5/8/2010.By Reeser Manley – The dandelions are blooming throughout Marjorie’s garden this week. On warm sunny mornings each of the dozens of flower heads lining the path from porch step to vegetable garden has one native bee, fat bumblebee or slender solitary bee, crawling slowly across a plane of bright yellow flowers, foraging for nectar and pollen. Later, in June and July, some of these same bees may be pollinating our tomatoes and cucumbers. |
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Corporations move in on your garden
Alternet - 5/7/2010.By Margot Ford McMillen – A couple of weeks ago, I was crowing about the amazing progress of the national media in following the home gardening story. No doubt about it, stories about gardening appear in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today and countless smaller newspapers. Since I believe that home gardening is one of the answers to hunger in this nation, not to mention obesity, poverty and boredom, I was thrilled. |
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Food safety reform is a mess
Grist - 5/7/2010. By Tom Laskawy – My considered analysis regarding food safety in the U.S. is this: It’s an unmitigated disaster. Salmonella in peanut butter made by a single manufacturer causes deaths, sickness and the recall of thousands of different products from store shelves. Over 10 million pounds of beef have been recalled since President Obama took office. Indeed, the ongoing food-safety crisis that is industrial ground beef inspired NYT writer Michael Moss to win a Pulitzer. |
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Keeping the farmer in farmers markets
Grist - 5/7/2010.By Tom Laskawy – Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal aired a bit of dirty laundry that was hiding out in local food's hamper – the ongoing fight over who gets to sell in farmers markets. Many markets require that sellers be actual growers, rather than "resellers" of some form or another. |
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