Tuesday, September 21, 2010

GMO Free!

The Institute of Science in Society is promoting a book about the hazards of genetically modified organisms being released into the environment. the global consequences are potentially irreversible. The book promotes the call by scientists and many countries to ban GMO's and to work towards total organic and sustainable farming.Their website is here-----

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/index.php

Thursday, September 16, 2010

My comment on article at Technology Review

Instead of allowing the residue to escape into the atmosphere and add carbon dioxide during the process of creating bio-char, the captured gases and oil can create 9-14 times more energy than that required to produce it. There are machines available today that can drive to farms and convert farm waste, including manure into charcoal which can be utilized in the farm soil. The gas and oil produced is used as a fuel for these vehicles. If this process is taken further with larger machines, turning organic garbage and sewage sludge into bio-char would clean our water supply, reduce the amount taken to landfills and stop the pollution of our oceans. Buried in the soil of farms and forests the charcoal will last for thousands of years.The Amazon farmers have proven this when they used charcoal 1000 years ago! And it is still there! It will help the bacteria  in the soil to produce more nutrients for the plants they feed, act as a filter to reduce ground water pollution, and sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually. The oil and gases could be used to create electricity and reduce our use of fossil fuels. With all this industry it would create many jobs, reduce poverty and illnesses ( if combined with the regeneration of our topsoil by the addition of rock dust). Second and third class agricultural land could be brought into production and if done worldwide would go far to reduce or even reverse global warming. When the oil runs out, which it will, we will have a readily available fuel created by humans!
The whole article is at---- http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/energy/25593/#comment-224881

Monday, September 13, 2010

ORGANIC WEEK IN CANADA

It has happened! There is a week that is designated to celebrate the benefits of Organic gardening. About time! It runs from the 9th October to 16th October 2010. That is from our Thanksgiving to World Food day. Here is a chance to celebrate the growing of Organic Food in every way you can think of! Think organic, eat organic, grow organic, buy organic and spread the word to every one you can. Visit www.organicweek.ca to find what is happening near you. Or even organize something for your area. Regards, Ken

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Rock Dust an important addition to any soil

Rock dust is such an important addition to our soil that we must get the word out to all farmers and gardeners. There has been so much loss of our almost irreplaceable top soil that the nutrients supplied by rock dust must be added to decrease the onslaught of so many diseases and to restore the health of the population.When rock dust is added in sufficient amounts,the bacteria in our soil are able to extract and make available to the plants many of the nutrients that they are unable to take up when they are grown in a chemical environment.It is proven that the benefits are almost immediate that I am amazed that politicians have not got on the band-wagon and insisted on agriculture and horticulture discarding the chemicals and to grow food organically. Look at Cuba- the USA did them a favor when they stopped chemicals being exported.There is no truth to the argument that chemicals produce heavier crops. Organically grown food has so much more nutrients that more goodness is produced on less land--plus the fact that the chemically grown plants are so weak that they attract diseases and pests that need more expensive chemicals to keep the pests under control. If we do nothing then nothing will happen.Start with fellow gardeners, let them prove for themselves the truth--then work your way up from there!

Links to sites about Rock dust and charcoal

This site is the one to learn the basics of Rock Dust as a fertilizer and soil conditioner.

www.remineralise.org        This is a great site about Rock dust

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/4292181     Interesting ways to extract  carbon dioxide.

http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/taxonomy/term/89?page=1        Lots of information here about turning sewage sludge into bio-char, and other things too!

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/03/biochar_an_answer.php  Farming and bio-char, good stuff!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rchaard/sets/72157594444994347/show/with/2394313329/     charcoal farming in action


I will add others soon.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Bear Attack in the night!!

Last night a bear came to our property and decided to strip my apple tree of its apples, which were not quite ripe. Next it stole the bread that I had left out for my tame Jays. Then it got into our feed store and ripped open the feed bins containing the horse food and picked up the small barrel that contained cat food and took it nto the bush. There it took off the lid, had a meal and took a nap! It must have been a big bear as the two scats it left as a calling card were huge and contained my apples. What an insult! We have lived here for over 20 years and this is the first time a bear has done any damage---maybe a sign that we are going to have a long and hard winter.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Is it too late?

Have we reached the point of no return? Have we totally ruined this beautiful world?
No!! But the sooner we act to put right all the harm we have done, the better.
 

Hello world!

Welcome to the Blog that with your help will go some way towards saving the world. I have been a professional gardener for half a century. Although my father and grandfather were organic gardeners I started out using chemicals because I thought that I knew better! When I bought my first nursery I changed the way the previous successful owner had operated and doubled the crop. However, after the first year his regular customers  never returned because the taste of the vegetables had gone from delicious to a watery blah!! I have been an organic gardener ever since. I have used and studied the addition of rock dust and bio-char to the soil for several years, and am convinced that this is the way to go. Not only to reverse the effects of global warming but to help eliminate many diseases by growing healthier food.