Hungry?

[Redfrog]

Can we even feed ourselves?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRfjMOjrfnI

Some sobering information here.

[7mm08]

Yup. Sure can. Care to belly up to a plate of free range venison and potatoes? I might even make gravy.

[mudbug]

Buy Canadian and help stop this trend :)

[bb356]

Anybody know where I can get a fresh head of Alberta lettuce ???

[FCLightning]

It used to be that menus were planned around what was "in season". Now we want anything and everything anytime we feel like it. Canadian and Local when we can are what we try to do.

[mooseknuckle]

Looking forward to the farmers markets. Get lost snow!!

[denpacc]

Good post RF.

This is directly linked to RF's question: "Can we even feed ourselves?"

If you want more sobering info, read up on "terminator genes" that many of the big companies like Monsanto are producing. Twenty years from now you may not be able to save any of your seeds to produce your own food. The general population needs to wake up or we will all be slaves to the big food companies. I typically am not an alarmist, but this stuff scares me.

I prefer to be able to save seeds from my own crop rather than be dependent on a company to sell me seeds. How about you?

[roughneckin]

Good post RF.

This is directly linked to RF's question: "Can we even feed ourselves?"

If you want more sobering info, read up on "terminator genes" that many of the big companies like Monsanto are producing. Twenty years from now you may not be able to save any of your seeds to produce your own food. The general population needs to wake up or we will all be slaves to the big food companies. I typically am not an alarmist, but this stuff scares me.

I prefer to be able to save seeds from my own crop rather than be dependent on a company to sell me seeds. How about you?

Or watch the Canadian production, "the world according to Montsanto" or "Food Inc." Food for thought. No pun intended.

[walking buffalo]

Lots of Big Picture realities to consider here.
Multinational Agricultural/Pharmacuetical companies are moving fast towards world control of food sources and distribution.

Another reason to KILL BILL 11. don't let Alberta Agriculture get control of "wildlife".

[Selkirk]

There's been some good suggestions so far. I'd like to offer another. What say we all give some thought to going back about a 100 years or so, and do what we had been doing for the last ten thousand years ... eating locally grown food.

Now, I'm not suggesting we get freaky about it (I like an orange and coffee now and then), but it wouldn't hurt to give the general idea a try. Google "100 Mile Diet" and see what you think.


TF

[4thredneck]

Anybody know where I can get a fresh head of Alberta lettuce ???

As a matter of fact I do. My neighbor has fresh lettuce, tomatoes, cukes and green beans. His cukes cost twice as much as Walmart's but we refuse to buy "fresh" from Walmart when their veggies are in season.

[rhuntley12]

As a matter of fact I do. My neighbor has fresh lettuce, tomatoes, cukes and green beans. His cukes cost twice as much as Walmart's but we refuse to buy "fresh" from Walmart when their veggies are in season.

Even in winter?

I do love going to the farmers market and do have the goal this year of making my garden a whole lot bigger this year.

[FCLightning]

There's been some good suggestions so far. I'd like to offer another. What say we all give some thought to going back about a 100 years or so, and do what we had been doing for the last ten thousand years ... eating locally grown food.

Now, I'm not suggesting we get freaky about it (I like an orange and coffee now and then), but it wouldn't hurt to give the general idea a try. Google "100 Mile Diet" and see what you think.


TF

:) 100 Mile Diet - I took a look on the map and it is real close but I would have to give up salt and sugar. Thanks the the gov't regulations I would have to buy milk and cheese illegally. Anyone know where I could buy a flour mill?

Anyway, if going back 100 years (or maybe 50 years only) everyone would be running a garden plot and growing their own. It doesn't take much space for a "root cellar" in the basement. Carrots, Potatoes, Cabbage, Turnips easily last till next harvest, Beets, Spaghetti Squash last till January. Corn and Beans get blanched and frozen. Peas are too much work :( Tomatoes get made into everything - fresh frozen, canned, salsa, sauce. Raspberries, strawberries, apple, rhubarb (wine), red/black currants, nanking cherries, pears all make a fine variety of jams and jellies. I don't have the hive anymore so honey comes from a neighbor. This fall will be a serious effort at 100 quarts of local apple juice.

[Redfrog]

I've watched the hundred mile diet on tv. While the theory works it isn't very practical even for someone who is resourceful. The folks on Tv seem to be ...........less than resourceful.

If a person uses common sense and plans a little I think a lot of our food supply could be found within the 100 miles.

I think it is important if a person just realizes how much stuff we used to have that we now must import. a balance is always good. I didn't realize we were in such a deficit position.

[FCLightning]

As a matter of fact I do. My neighbor has fresh lettuce, tomatoes, cukes and green beans. His cukes cost twice as much as Walmart's but we refuse to buy "fresh" from Walmart when their veggies are in season.

There are lots of greenhouses around here in full year operation, trouble is there is nothing to eat growing in them. Funny what we are willing to spend money on - we can keep a greenhouse in operation growing flowers all year, but not food to eat.

[Redfrog]

There were lots of greenhouses on the coast that grew salad veggies. The problem with some of it was the extensive use of pesticides and lack of flavor.

In a commercial operation I understand the need for pesticides to keep production costs down and in turn produce an affordable product for the consumer. I would think it isn't the same set of problems with your own G/H and produce for your family.

[Jwood 456]

Whenever I can find it and afford it, I like to get organic produce over big corporation regular grown produce especially after I watched the eye opener documentary "food".

I like how with organic produce, there are no artificial agricultural chemicals running off into waterways and polluting fish bearing lakes and rivers, or and creating "dead zones" in the oceans or great lakes.

BTW I hear that organic farming pest control can actually be more effective due to methods being used where the pests can't easilly grow a resistance to it. With regular farming though, pests can easilly become resistant to the chemical pesticides ; hence why some people think organic farming produces higher yields than conventional farming.

[4thredneck]

There are lots of greenhouses around here in full year operation, trouble is there is nothing to eat growing in them. Funny what we are willing to spend money on - we can keep a greenhouse in operation growing flowers all year, but not food to eat.

I agree,flowers are big business. My neighbors don't have any problems selling their produce but I know for a fact they aren't getting rich. I don't think it matters what you grow in a greenhouse in central Alberta it costs a lot to keep it going from Dec. to May. I appreciate the fact that I can drive 2 miles and have fresh cukes and tomatoes that actually taste like they are supposed to. He also makes a Caesar that is to die for so its win win. :sHa_shakeshout: