Hello,

This post will be an adventure: blogspot (blogger) seems to have completely changed its look. 

Of course, there was no notice that went out to everyone, saying it was going to change.  And there's no "how to" ... which is the norm anyway.

I find I just tap away on the keyboard and see what happens.

So, here goes!

Best regards,

Why's Woman

Farmers wanted: we all need each other

Good morning everyone,

I was recently browsing the wonderful City Farmer site, and ran across an article by a young urban agriculture entrepreneur [Wanted:Farmers by Dan Allen ].

He seemed to be concerned that people who are just learning to garden and grow food at their homes do not know enough about soil, the plants they grow, and growing conditions to grow food efficiently and abundantly and to develop the health of their soil.

I had my first garden over 40 years ago. I have 6 shelves of garden books. Every year I make mistakes. Every year I do some things well. Every year I learn something. Every year I enjoy what I am doing. Every year I take care of my vegetable garden, myself, my family, and the soil. I also spend some of my volunteer time advocating for urban agriculture, and teaching about gardening. I keep going because I know I'm part of a world-wide web of people who care and are trying to develop healthy, food secure communities.

Urban food gardeners are spending hours of volunteer time slogging through the hoops of city bureaucracies to change regulations that restrict or forbid basics like community gardens or home gardens in sunny front yards, or that restrict compost piles to two units of a base size approximately 1 square yard. We talk to city planners and community organizations that have never heard of the varied types of urban agriculture that happen in our country and in others, for profit and not for profit. (check out www.cityfarmer.info) In Canada and the United States entrepreneurial (paying) urban agriculture projects are only just starting. They are subject to all sorts of regulations at various levels of government, and the change in mind-set - from legitimate food production being able to happen only outside cities, to its possibility within our cities - is only just beginning.

Urban agriculture proponents try to let individuals, communities, organizations and local governments know that food production is not just a satisfying personal endeavor. It is a prudent aspect of food security, and is ideally carried out through an wholistic view of the pleasure and practicality of gardening within a system that continually brings healthy materials back into the soil web for its increased health. This system encompasses efficiency, continual learning and innovation.

Mr. Allen commented: "Farmers are stewards of the soil, experts at maximizing the productive potential of a plot of land, and keen appreciators of effective infrastructure investments." I believe he wanted to express appreciation for full-time, paid farmers who are producing food; and to acknowledge that they learn all the time, think, and care about producing good food. This is good.

You readers won't be surprised that my cynical self took over when I read the full paragraph. She substituted the pitch used by major agrochemical/seed producers: "You are the expert. You need our product to maximize and make profit. You are the best and only person with expertise to do the job right. You need our products to ensure that you do the job right. Leave it to us. Don't you worry your pretty little head about his little lady ..." ooops! I got carried away there!

Corporate concentration took knowledge about food away from people ... made us less able. It's resulted in commodification of seeds, oversize farms, massive fossil fuel use, degradation of soil, and toxins in air, water and soil.

I, and hundreds of thousands of people in North America want to be able again. We want the satisfaction of growing and eating healthy food. Ultimately we are working toward better health and food security. We really do try to understand the big picture. The beginning gardener - tender as any newly emerged plant - does need to know that gardening means labour and long-term. We need to find ways to have that be within a context of encouragement to garden, to have successes and make mistakes, to learn, and to grow something that delights.

We need each other.

Best regards,

Why's Woman

Wanted: Farmers. by Dan Allen, April 13/12 via www.cityfarmer.info picked up from Seedstock http://seedstock.com/2012/04/13/wanted-farmers/

Preparing for the future ... what do you think?

Good morning everyone,

It's been a couple of busy weeks ... with a lot of things unfinished, so my mind hasn't been clear ... the general state of me, and many. Jenna Woginrich's April 6/12 post on her blog Cold Antler Farm (http://coldantlerfarm.blogspot.ca/) caught my attention ... I check in every other day to see how she's doing. She'd written a post about technology, and I guess people were asking her what she saw as the future. I've posted part of her reply below, because it speaks to uncertainty and the wisdom of preparedness ... especially in regards to food. My own fear is that change will be harsh, in which case preparedness is still important and preparation may be even more important (back to Transition movement).

Best regards, from Why's Woman
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Here's Jenna Woginrich:

"What do I think? Well, I'm walking a thin line. I don't think we're going to see the world change quickly and harshly, like some do. But I do think rising gas prices and a shifty economy will make our future far more local and less energy dependant. I would be lying if I said my interest in equine transportation, food storage, clean water, backyard chickens, seed safes, etc was about prepping for the end of the world. I just like this lifestyle. It makes me feel safe and useful. I am not creating a fort against the Zombie Hordes.

"I do think our current lifestyle will go from being cheap and normal to very expensive and abnormal, and in the next few years. It is foolish to think otherwise. I don't think we'll run out of oil or electricity, but I do think if we don't make strides towards more energy independence we are looking at serious trouble. (And I don't mean as a nation, I mean as individuals.)

"The best protection against rising food and gas prices is a safe source of food at home, and a strong community ready for anything. I am for every American learning to use less energy in their homes, driving less in their cars, and producing a substantial amount of food at home. I'm for it not because I'm afraid of the future, but because it seems sensible. I want pantries and larders to be as normal again as walk-in closets. (Come to think of it, walk in closets can hold a lot of food!) I want my readers to have enough set by that if anything scary ever did happen: from ice storms that take down the grid over night to $9-a-gallon gas price spikes: you are all okay. I think expecting everything you need to be at a store and an outside source to home to your rescue is both irresponsible and dangerous. I don't think this is about fear, but about sense. "
The italicized text is by Jenna Woginrich, Cold Antler Farm blog
Check her out at www.coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com

To Make Hope Possible - Transition and Vandana Shiva interview

"To be truly radical is to make hope possible
rather than despair convincing
Raymond Henry Williams, Welsh political scientist

Hello everyone,

I hope that the Williams' comment gives you something positive that stays with you as your day goes along. It sure picked me up the other day when I ran across it.

"...to make hope possible ..." This is an active word, and I'll choose to colour it green today.

Where is hope?

Some of it is with the re-skilling and active, positive attitude of the Transition movement. Get yourself a copy of the new Transition Companion: making your community more resilient in uncertain times, by Rob Hopkins. It's stories from worldwide ... things people are doing to make their communities more aware, more active, more capable. It is also a guidebook for how to develop and maintain an enthusiastic organization or network of people.

Another hope, is Vandana Shiva, founder of Navdanya, seed activist, women's educator. Shiva was in Canada recently. There are two super interviews with her, where she is talking about hope. She was interviewed by George Stroumboulopoulos on International Women's Day. She talked more about her family and background than I'd heard before and cites some of the many small projects that keep her hopeful and active. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=q3d9k23UyQQ

Vandana Shiva was also interviewed recently on The Current (CBC radio show). This is a long interview, with Shiva citing the real and immediate problems there are with our agricultural system and also emphasizing her attitude of hope that keeps her active and inspired.
http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/episode/2012/03/16/vandana-shiva-feature-interview/

Maybe start with her interview with George ... you get pictures, and Shiva is looking great!

Best regards to all of you.

In HOPE,

Why's Woman


Transition London Ontario: www.transitionlondon.ning.com
Transition Network: www.transitionculture.org will link you up with lots of resources, and also Rob Hoskins' blog.

Seed companies - a start

Hello all,

Here's a caution about being too fast with research, and with sending stuff to people over e-mail: fast research can be wrong, and people will post stuff on Facebook without checking with you. Be careful!

I want people to understand broad seed issues, and I believe that it is with accurate information that we make our best choices. So I'll start with this post.

The W. Atlee Burpee Seed company is like most large seed companies: it develops and sells some of its own seeds and also buys seeds from many producers to sell on. Burpee does not buy/sell GMO seeds, from anywhere, according to its owner/CEO George Ball in the article Burpee, GMO And Monsanto Rumors Put To Rest on the Burpee site

http://www.burpee.com/gygg/content.jsp?contentId=about-burpee-seeds

Burpee buys some of its seeds from Seminis, which has been Monsanto-owned since 2005.

It would be hard to not buy from Seminis (that will be another post ... but refer to the Rodale article Monsanto Buys Seminis in the references below. The numbers are probably even more so nowadays).

Sorting through the text of some articles to be time consuming; I've included part of one article in the resources list to illustrate this.

And there's a lot to say about seed monopolies and control of the food system. I'll be adding a couple more posts.

Everything I've read in the last 10 years since I started reading supports the importance of buying organically produced, non-GMO seeds from independently owned seed producers and suppliers, as locally as possible, from people you know and trust.

The rest of this post is a:

(1) short note about Burpee

(2) seed house genealogy

(3) resource list

BURPEE - a few pertinent bits

The current CEO of Burpee seeds, George Ball, is of a family that has owned seed companies since 1905.

George Ball's father and uncle purchased Petoseeds, a competitor of Burpee seeds, in 1968. Petoseeds and Burpee bought from each other (a common practice).

The Ball family (George Ball) purchased Burpee seeds in 1991.

In 1994, Seminis Seeds bought Petoseed. Burpee was then making some purchases from Seminis

In 2005 Monsanto bought Seminis. Burpee continued to buy some of its seeds from Seminis (now under Monsanto ownership)

As of 2012 (as far as I can tell) Burpee remains an independent seed company. Burpee is not owned by Monsanto. Burpee is buying seeds from Seminis, a Monsanto subsidiary. The seeds Burpee buys from Seminis are hybrid seeds, developed through selective breeding. Burpee does not buy genetically modified seeds, according to George Ball's article Burpee, GMO And Monsanto Rumors Put To Rest.

In that same article, George Ball states that "when Monsanto acquired Seminis, neither Burpee as a company nor I, George Ball as its owner, had any financial ownership or interest in either company."

Four Seed Company Histories - oh for a family tree chart to fill in!

W. Atlee Burpee company For its entire history, Burpee market focus has been for home gardeners, not agricultural use seed.

The W. Atlee Burpee Company was founded in 1876 by W. Atlee Burpee (1858 - 1915)
W. Atlee's son David took over the company in 1915 ... It was owned by members of the Burpee family until 1970.
1970 it was purchased by General Mills.
1977 it was purchased by ITT
1991 the company was purchased by George Ball, who is the current owner and CAO.

(George Ball writes: "which I had bought, first with my family in the early 90s, and then from my family, in the late 90s." Saying George bought Burpee in 1991 may be a shortening of a long story.)

2012 George Ball is still owner and CAO of W. Atlee Burpee Seed Company

Petoseed Company

Founded in early 1950s by Howard Peto, former employee of Burpee - Petoseed develops and sells seeds for both home gardeners and for agriculture scale

Early 1960s, Petoseed takes on another former Burpee employee, Paul Thomas, as partner

1968 - G. Victor Ball and G. Carl Ball bought Petoseed in 1968, retaining name

1994 - Seminis buys Peto Seeds

(Maureen Elilzabeth did not find just when the Petoseed name went out of use)

Ball Seed Company now Ball Horticultural (http://www.ballhort.com/ )

Ball Seed Company founded in 1905

G. Victor Ball and G. Carl Ball bought Peto Seed in 1968 (G. Victor is uncle and G. Carl is father of the current Burpee owner, George Ball)

George Ball buys W. Atlee Burpee seeds in 1991.

Anna Ball, sister of George Ball, is owner of the Ball Horticultural which is the current name of Ball Seed Company

Seminis Company

(started by?) Alfonso Romo Garza and bought by Monsanto 2005

1994 (Mexican businessman) Alfonso Romo Garza's company, Seminis, bought several "free-standing companies" including a small watermelon breeding company in Texas, the large corn breeder, Asgrow, of Kalamazoo MI and Petoseed (owned by G. Victor Ball and G. Carl Ball since 1968)

early 2000s - Seminis "divested" non-Mexican seed holdings to one, then another investment bank

(he'd been buying too much too fast - see Rodale article Monsanto Buys Seminis)

2005 - Garza sells Seminis to Monsanto (and stays on as CEO of Seminis)

References

The Legacy of W. Atlee Burpee

http://www.burpee.com/gardening/content/the-legacy-of-w.-atlee-burpee/legacy.html

- an interesting view of how one company's development mirrors the interests of the culture and country it is part of

Burpee, GMO And Monsanto Rumors Put To Rest

http://www.burpee.com/gygg/content.jsp?contentId=about-burpee-seeds

Maureen Elilzabeth's note: The pertinent part of this article is here. The article is on the Burpee Seed Company site, written by Burpee's current owner George Ball.

However, the past that some folks are extremely focused upon has to do with my father’s desire to sell Petoseed, with his brother’s (my uncle’s) approval, as well as that of many relatives such as a brother, sister, aunts and cousins, to an entrepreneur from Mexico named Alfonso Romo Garza. Mr. Romo, as he is called, began in baked goods and then branched out into packaging, cigarettes, beer and insurance. He even founded a business school in Monterey in the late 90s modeled on Wharton—all before reaching the age of 40. He was, and remains, an impressive entrepreneur who, at that time, wanted to diversify from cookies, crackers, beer, tobacco, et al, into vegetables, fruits and grain. He was profiled on page 1 of the Wall Street Journal shortly before the mid 1990s transaction (about ’94-’95). His vision was to help the burgeoning population of small and medium sized farmers primarily in Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America.

Nevertheless, throughout these changes of ownership, Petoseed was always the same—an extremely well-run company, composed of many ex-Burpee breeders and executives, and headquartered in Ventura County in Southern California. It remains so to this day.

In 1994 I was asked by my father, the late G. Carl Ball, to assist in part of the transition by serving on the board with him of the new Mexican company—Seminis—composed of Petoseed and several other free-standing companies Mr. Romo bought, from a small watermelon breeding company in Texas to the large corn breeder, Asgrow, of Kalamazoo, Michigan. I served about a year and then left to focus my energies on Burpee, which I had bought, first with my family in the early 90s, and then from my family, in the late 90s. Naturally, as the president of Burpee, I continued to produce seed, as I have done my entire career, but also bought from any company that could do better than I, including my old friends—and former colleagues—at Petoseed, now called Seminis. (This is the core of my business philosophy: sell only the best.)

In the early 2000s Mr. Romo decided to divest himself of all his non-Mexican seed holdings for reasons of his own, and sold Seminis to first one investment bank, which then sold it to another investment bank, which then sold it to Monsanto in the mid 2000s, about ’04 or ’05.

This sale took place long after Peto Seed began in the mid 1950s by an ex-Burpee tomato breeder, some of whose tomatoes are still loved by home gardeners nationwide, such as Paul Thomas’ ‘Better Boy’. The list of companies that buy from the garden seed department of Seminis, now a very tiny business activity of Monsanto, is long and includes most of the high quality seed sellers, as well as Burpee. We at Burpee never reject serving our customers the best quality home garden vegetable varieties we can either grow or find, and some of the latter include varieties from Seminis. All are still tested at Fordhook Farm in Pennsylvania.

Finally, it is extremely important to note that when Monsanto acquired Seminis, neither Burpee as a company nor I, George Ball as its owner, had any financial ownership or interest in either company. It was that way when Monsanto purchased Seminis and remains that way today. Burpee continues as a privately owned company and, as I wish to emphasize, along with other leaders in the home gardening industry, we seek out suitable seeds from Seminis and other companies that adhere to the rigid guidelines we maintain and require of all our suppliers to you our valued home garden and small farmer customers. If we cannot breed and produce the seeds or plants ourselves, we find those that can.

blog post by Mr. Brown Thumb (Ramon Gonzalez) - this is the post referred to in part of George Ball's article Burpee, GMO And Monsanto Rumors Put To Rest http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-garden/2011/02/can-you-trust-burpee-seeds.html

The Legacy of W. Atlee Burpee

http://www.burpee.com/gardening/content/the-legacy-of-w.-atlee-burpee/legacy.html

As Geneticists Develop An Appetite for Greens, Mr. Romo Flourishes

Wall Street Journal, By Jonathan Friedland and Scott Kilman, January 28, 1999 http://www.pmac.net/romo.html

The shift from public to private seed systems
A brief history of the development of the seed industry in the United States Rodale Institute website, By Matthew Dillon Posted February 22, 2005

http://newfarm.rodaleinstitute.org/features/2005/0205/seminisbuy/history.shtml

Monsanto buys Seminis
The biggest player in biotech is now the largest seed company in the world following a purchase worth a cool billion. Rodale Institute website By Matthew Dillon (article first appeared in the March/April 2005 issue of Organic Broadcaster) http://newfarm.rodaleinstitute.org/features/2005/0205/seminisbuy/index.shtml

The Politically Correct Tomato Sandwich. George Ball, on Burpee news section, Dec. 2011

http://www.burpee.com/vegetables/the-politically-correct-tomato-sandwich-article10812.html

"Hybrid Veggies are the Cream of the Crop." this article is slightly different and original version of George Ball's Politically Correct Tomato Sandwich article published in the Philadelphia Inquirer

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20111223_Hybrid_veggies_are_the_cream_of_the_crop.html

Seminis main website: http://us.seminis.com

About Seminis page: If You've Eaten a Salad You've Eaten a Seminis Product http://us.seminis.com/about/default.asp

Composting regulation DID NOT go through :-)

Hello again,

I wanted to let you know that the councillors present* at the Public Safety Committee meeting, and the Mayor, were unanimous in deleting the two sections to do with composting that were suggested as additions to the Clearing of Land Bylaw PW-9. Meaning, the regulations about composting and container size are not going to be added to the bylaw.

There were important and useful comments made by all the Committee members, and important and useful comments made by the head of Bylaw Enforcement. I think everyone there recognizes that there are opportunities for education about composting, and opportunities for many groups and projects to work together on ways to raise awareness about composting ... all in relationship to gardens and urban agriculture.

Thank you! To every one of you for giving thought to this - thought waves work! And extra thanks to those of you who wrote a note or made a phone call about this!

Best regards!

Why's Woman

Composting restrictions will be hard to retract

Hello,

There are some scary doings afoot in London!

A Public Participation Meeting for citizens to comment on some proposed changes to what is now called the Clearing of Land By-law PW-9 (2) will be part of the Public Safety Committee (3) meeting on Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. (An exact time is not set for the PPM, but we'll hope for the earlier part of the meeting!)

Some of these changes have to do with composting - putting restrictions on the size and type of composting done.

Putting regulations on composting - lumping compost and composting together with refuse and graffiti bylaw changes - seems to me to be a bad precedent.

I do not think these proposals about composting were written with mean intent by the bylaw office. It takes a long time for changes to bylaws to be handled by staff and get through procedures; it might just have seemed an expedient way to handle compost complaints at the same time as garbage issues and graffiti were dealt with.

However, composting exists in a positive context of gardens, the ability of gardeners to innovate and care for the lands in their charge, and food sovereignty.

I hope you can make the time to read through the proposed changes, the full draft of the bylaw changes (4) if you are inclined ... and come on out to the March 6 public participation meeting, or get in touch with a member of the committee (3).

Best regards,

Why's Woman

The pertinent sections from the draft proposed bylaw changes are here in italics:

By implementing by-law regulations that address the containment and location of refuse and compost, various results can be achieved including the reduction of incidences of scattered garbage due to rodent, animal and bird ransacking, and the reduction of drifting garbage odours. The inclusion of regulations to address the removal of graffiti will further improve aesthetics within our community.

3) Compost containment

Currently the by-law defines but does not regulate compost containment. The proposed amendment introduces compost containment and location regulations.

2.11 Compost – containment and location

Every owner of a residential property shall ensure that all compost which accumulates on their property is:

contained within not more than 4 compost containers on their property; and

contained within containers that each:

(i) have a maximum area not greater than 1.0m²;

(ii) have a maximum height of not higher than 1.8m;

(iii) is located in the rear yard;

(iv) is enclosed on all sides by concrete blocks, a lumber structure, a metal frame, or a commercially manufactured compost container;

(v) does not include a fence or a building wall as one or more of the sides of a composter; and

(6) is covered in a manner to prevent the entry of rodents or other animals.

2.12 Leaf Compost – containment and location

If a residential property owner chooses to compost leaves, the property owner shall ensure that all leaf compost which accumulates on their property which is not contained within a compost container as set out in section 2.11 is:

(a) contained within not more than 1 leaf compost area on their property; and

(b) contained within a leaf compost area that:

(i) has a maximum area not greater than 9.29 m²;

(ii) has a maximum height of not higher than 1.2m;

(iii) is located in the rear yard;

(iv) is enclosed on all sides by concrete blocks, a lumber structure, a metal or wire frame, or a commercially manufactured compost container;

(v) does not include a fence or a building wall as one or more of the sides of a compost area; and

(vi) holds nothing more than leaves and soil.

Policy changes to do with alternative garden styles, boulevard gardening and naturalization of areas on property have been talked about for years. A report submitted in July 2009 was received - meaning shelved never to be seen again. (1)

There is a review being done this academic term by several students from Western's Master of Environment and Sustainability program. They are looking at London's bylaws and policies that might affect the future of urban agriculture in London. This will be an important start to much future work.

Possible points to comment on

Things to do with composting in general and your own thoughts as a gardener... that you can come up with on your own, I'm sure!
- compost is to be encouraged as a major soil builder
- composting keeps materials out of the waste stream - the City's Environment Services Department states this often
- London has yet to institute a green bin program - why restrict people's composting on site? Composting at home is a more cost-effective way of dealing with kitchen and garden "waste" (really soil building materials)
- many innovative composting methods and plans are in magazines and reference books - the 1.0m square size is too small for a double or triple compost units where turning is done - and those aren't ever enclosed on all sides - if anything they are kept open on the front side for easy access- enclosed on all sides is .... unnecessary, detrimental to development of compost- a large garden can easily absorb 60 - 100 bags of collected leaves each year ... why should there be a requirement they be stored in an enclosed space? And now, even the paper bags we collect leaves in are compostable at home!
- why is composting going to a Public Safety Committee anyway???!!!

The City supports composting in various ways on the City website
http://www.london.ca/d.aspx?s=/Recycling_and_Composting/Compost_Main.htm

- through the yearly Compost Value Day (http://www.london.ca/d.aspx?s=/Recycling_and_Composting/Compost_Value_Day.htm )

- through its association with Thames Region Ecological Association, which has long advocated composting and initiated composting programs and recycling programs in the City www.trea.ca

Show up at the Public Safety Committee meeting 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 6/12
You do not have to be registered to speak at the Public Participation Meeting part of this. There is always a call for people to get up and speak. There's not been a time set for the PPM, but it's likely it will be held early on, especially if quite a few people turn up.

If you e-mail or phone one of the members of the Safety Committee direct you comment to the person you think will listen. Make your comment specific to an interest you know the person has, and be positive or constructive in your comment .

Speak to someone in the City Bylaw office if you have questions.
Heather Chapman, Coordinator, Municipal Law Enforcement Services 519-661-2500 ext 5292.
hchapman@london.ca - she is a good resource person.

(1) Boulevard Naturalization Update, London website, archived meeting agenda and report for ETC meeting July 20, 2009

http://www.london.ca/d.aspx?s=/meetings/Archives/Agendas/Environment%20and%20Transportation%20Committee%20Agendas/ETC%20Agendas%202009/2009-07-20%20Agenda/Archives.htm

(2) Clearing of Land By-law PW-9 Can be brought up, in full as a pdf from the Public Welfare section of the Bylaws index page: http://www.london.ca/d.aspx?s=/By-laws/default.htm

(3 ) Public Safety Committee considers and reports to Council on matters to do with Public Safety including police and fire service, EMS services, Licensing and By-law Enforcement and Property Standards [http://www.london.ca/d.aspx?s=/City_Council/standcom.htm
It meets on 4:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, usually once a month.

Current members are:
Councillor D. Brown (Chair) dbrown@london.ca
Mayor Fontana (ex-officio) jfontana@london.ca
Councillor Armstrong barmstro@london.ca
Councillor Bryant jbryant@london.ca
Councillor Hubert phubert@london.ca
Councillor Polhill bpolhill@london.ca

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