Friday, April 29, 2005
Food Growing
What are Kitchen Gardeners?
SCARBOROUGH, Maine (Kitchen Gardeners International website) - Put simply, Kitchen Gardeners are a special breed. They are self-reliant seekers of "the Good Life" who have understood the central role that home-grown and home- cooked food plays in one's well-being. By seeking an active role in their own sustenance, they are modern-day participants in humankind's oldest and most basic activity, offering a critical link to our past and positive vision for our future. http://www.kitchengardeners.org/whatiskg.html.
What are Kitchen Gardeners?
SCARBOROUGH, Maine (Kitchen Gardeners International website) - Put simply, Kitchen Gardeners are a special breed. They are self-reliant seekers of "the Good Life" who have understood the central role that home-grown and home- cooked food plays in one's well-being. By seeking an active role in their own sustenance, they are modern-day participants in humankind's oldest and most basic activity, offering a critical link to our past and positive vision for our future. http://www.kitchengardeners.org/whatiskg.html.
Science & Technology
Neglected crops 'crucial' to beating hunger
CHENNAI, INDIA, Apr. 22, 2005 (SciDev.Net, T. V. Padma) - Eradicating hunger will require more research on nutritious but largely ignored crop species, said specialists in agriculture and biodiversity who met this week (19 April) in Chennai, India. Participants in the meeting said farmers in developing countries should be encouraged to grow a wider range of native crops to provide local populations with greater dietary diversity. In Asia, these crops could include varieties of millet; in the Andes region of South America, tubers and grains such as quinoa, canihua and amaranth; and in Africa, green leafy vegetables. The current focus on just a few crops means there is "a strong chance that the global community will miss the first UN Millennium Development Goal on hunger by several decades beyond 2015," said Olanrewaju Smith, executive secretary of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research.
http://www.scidev.net/content/news/eng/neglected-crops-crucial-to-beating-hunger.cfm.
Neglected crops 'crucial' to beating hunger
CHENNAI, INDIA, Apr. 22, 2005 (SciDev.Net, T. V. Padma) - Eradicating hunger will require more research on nutritious but largely ignored crop species, said specialists in agriculture and biodiversity who met this week (19 April) in Chennai, India. Participants in the meeting said farmers in developing countries should be encouraged to grow a wider range of native crops to provide local populations with greater dietary diversity. In Asia, these crops could include varieties of millet; in the Andes region of South America, tubers and grains such as quinoa, canihua and amaranth; and in Africa, green leafy vegetables. The current focus on just a few crops means there is "a strong chance that the global community will miss the first UN Millennium Development Goal on hunger by several decades beyond 2015," said Olanrewaju Smith, executive secretary of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research.
http://www.scidev.net/content/news/eng/neglected-crops-crucial-to-beating-hunger.cfm.
Events / Food Production / Abbotsford, BC – May 7th
Natural Pest Management Workshop at Glen Valley Organic Farm
VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 1, 2005 (Vancouver Permaculture Net) - Natural Pest Management workshop, 9am-4pm, Sat, May 7, Glen Valley Organic Farm, 8550 Bradner Rd, Abbotsford. Learn organic techniques for controlling unwanted or invasive plants, insects and diseases on your food crops. (household scale or including farm scale?) We will cover physical, biological (predators and plant) controls and preventative techniques. We'll also identify the most common pests on the Pacific coast and how to recognize them. Cost: $85. We will arrange carpooling to the farm from Vancouver. When you register, let us know whether you can give or need a ride. Instructors: Diane Falvey, Grant Watson and a guest entomologist. Lunch included. To register, call Grant at 604-872-4060, kgwatson@telus.net.
Natural Pest Management Workshop at Glen Valley Organic Farm
VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 1, 2005 (Vancouver Permaculture Net) - Natural Pest Management workshop, 9am-4pm, Sat, May 7, Glen Valley Organic Farm, 8550 Bradner Rd, Abbotsford. Learn organic techniques for controlling unwanted or invasive plants, insects and diseases on your food crops. (household scale or including farm scale?) We will cover physical, biological (predators and plant) controls and preventative techniques. We'll also identify the most common pests on the Pacific coast and how to recognize them. Cost: $85. We will arrange carpooling to the farm from Vancouver. When you register, let us know whether you can give or need a ride. Instructors: Diane Falvey, Grant Watson and a guest entomologist. Lunch included. To register, call Grant at 604-872-4060, kgwatson@telus.net.
