Grow Organic Food

James Hansen: Why I must speak out about climate change

col2 — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 07:47:05 +0000

As I talk to gardeners the subject of climate change or global warming often comes up. After the succession of cold winters in this part of the UK, and the blizzard a few days ago, the usual response is “so much for global warming”. I guess the idea is that if global warming is happening [...]

Patriotism on a Plate – Robyn O’Brien

col2 — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 07:59:09 +0000

“Do you know what you are eating? In this extraordinary personal account, Robyn O’Brien tells the story of how she started paying attention to what’s in food.”

I came across this by accident early this morning. A few years ago I would have said that this video represented a US view and that things were [...]

The right to know

col2 — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:05:37 +0000

There is a big campaign in the US to demand the right to know what is in food. There is no legal requirement to label GMO content. The use of GMOs in food is spreading across the world like a plague and little by little the big multinational agro chemical companies are getting their own [...]

No-dig potatoes

col2 — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:46:52 +0000

I was asked recently how to grow potatoes using no-dig principles; here is the answer! Remember it is from Australia so don’t plant your spuds in August if you live in the northern hemisphere!

Still heading towards the ‘perfect storm’

col2 — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 08:52:56 +0000

It is over two and half years since The Guardian published an article about the ‘perfect storm’ facing food production. With the World preoccupied by financial problems the dire predictions about threats to food supplies have been lost or forgotten.

While the financial crisis is taking so much time and attention it is easy, and [...]

Smelly food waste and broken promises

col2 — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 06:49:23 +0000

Over the last few years there have been big moves in the UK to reduce and recycle food waste. People have become more aware of the need to buy only what is needed and of ways to use up surplus food.

During the Conservative party conference a pledge was made to use up to £250m [...]

Safe herbicide?

col2 — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:21:06 +0000

Like many people, I once believed in the safety of RoundUp. Back in the 1980s when I was a young graduate student in ecology, it was the “safe” herbicide of choice for clearing weeds from study plots.

Monsanto would like us to continue to believe their flagship product is safe, but the data are increasingly [...]

A difficult gardening year

col2 — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 08:03:45 +0000

The weather has made this a difficult year for gardeners. The prolonged drought and cool summer caused stress to many plants and reduced yields. As usual there are winners and losers.

We cut back the number of potatoes planted this year from two 15ft x 4ft (4.6m x 1.2m) to just one bed because last [...]

World food day 16 October 2011

col2 — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 08:46:22 +0000

The aim of the Day is to heighten public awareness of the world food problem and strengthen solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty. In 1980, the General Assembly endorsed observance of the Day in consideration of the fact that “food is a requisite for human survival and well-being and a [...]

Organic food

col2 — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 08:22:49 +0000

The debate about the merits of organic food seems popular again. Nothing much has changed and the same old arguments, myths and lies are being trotted out. The most popular is that organic food is more expensive and in a time of dire financial trouble it is not worth spending the extra. This is often [...]