Killing Ants with Jack Hammers? Biotech’s Failure

Sunny talks about how biotechnology and pesticides are band aids that don’t deal with the root problem – the health of the plant and the environment while genetic engineering expert Doug Gurian-Sherman says that biotechnology can’t possibly feed the world for the same reasons indirectly.

City Farm Hands – FoodCycles, Toronto, ON, ft/pt [Volunteer Job]

Are you interested in:  City farming, gardening and growing food?  Learning the practical side of environmental and food issues?  Getting lots of exercise and fresh air?  Composting and creating good soil?  Learning skills to get you a paying job?  Are you ready to make a difference!

Spicy Dill Cornbread with Garlic Scapes and Red Onion (vegetarian/vegan)

This hearty corn bread packs a powerful punch with organic spices like pepper and fresh, local organic garlic scapes. If you’re baking for non spice lovers and the scapes and red onion will more than make up for it.

World Food Is Running Dry for Too Many

Last year the skyrocketing cost of food was a wake-up call for the planet. Between 2005 and the summer of 2008, the price of wheat and corn tripled, and the price of rice climbed fivefold, spurring food riots in nearly two dozen countries and pushing 75 million more people into poverty. But unlike previous shocks driven by short-term food shortages, this price spike came in a year when the world’s farmers reaped a record grain crop. This time, the high prices were a symptom of a larger problem tugging at the strands of our worldwide food web, one that’s not going away anytime soon. Simply put: For most of the past decade, the world has been consuming more food than it has been producing. After years of drawing down stockpiles, in 2007 the world saw global carryover stocks fall to 61 days of global consumption, the second lowest on record.

Breaking Ground: 2nd Farm Work Gig Revs Up

Looking for some exercise and stress relief? Need something extra to do while vacationing close to home? Or looking to kill time between gigs? Well there’s plenty to do right here at the FoodCycles farm (http://bit.ly/ATb3G and http://bit.ly/YDDfp).

Crops Turn Poisonous In Warming World

Staples such as cassava on which millions of people depend become more toxic and produce much smaller yields in a world with higher carbon dioxide levels and more drought, Australian scientists say

Food is Vital for America

Will Allen, the inspiration for FoodCycles recently released his Good Food Manifesto for America. Will has expressed interest in coming back to Toronto and we’ll definitely be bringing this up at our meeting with Sandy Houston, President of the Metcalf Foundation. In fact Metcalf sponsored Will Allen’s first visit (that sparked everything) in 2006/2007.

Honey Bread with Cooked Grains

I prepared this bread for FoodCycles first early summer farm planting day (http://bit.ly/1a7xAo) – specifically for Saturday and Sunday. Might be preparing some quick breads instead for Sunday. The recipe is a variation of Molasses Bread with Cooked Grains from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (of which I will cite often since there are over 1500 recipes in it).

Raising the Bed, Breaking the Bread

Sunny gives a quick halfway point video report on how the first farm planting work bee (more like construction preparation work stuff) is going so far. A lot of thistle cutting, rock picking, plant hardening and raised bed construction has been going on. There’ll be lots to do on Tuesday and Wednesday in terms of spreading compost, setting up beds and the actual get the ground going actions at that time. Feel free to drop in for some fresh air (seriously), good exercise and a dose of food inspired community.

Got a Shovel? Put it to Good Use!

FoodCycles is getting down to the first of its early summer planting in an outdoor field (half an acre of an acre; event info http://bit.ly/1a7xAo). Can anyone generously spare any shovels, wheel barrows, rakes or trowels to help with transplanting cucumber, eggplant, tomato, lettuce, basil, pepper seedlings and with direct seeding? Or loan these tools to us for a short while?