Monday, September 10, 2007

Our Garden - Late Summer







This has been such a hot, dry summer that I am amazed at how well our garden actually did. We lost our squash this past week to silvery mildew (I think that is what it is called) but to be quite honest, it wasn't much of a loss, in fact, I think I celebrated quietly...I am just so done with squash! Our tomato plants are still in full production mode, although the plants leaves have lost much of their green luster as they do this time of year. Our cantaloupe and watermelon are still producing although at a slow rate for lack of rain. Our poblanos are going berserk, we must have 12 peppers on one plant!

We planted our fall crops yesterday, we kept trying to hold off waiting for rain but decided if we didn't go ahead and plant we wouldn't have anything this fall. We planted rainbow Swiss chard, collards, spinach, lettuces, broccoli and cabbage. The neat thing about gardens is they tend to help you understand the coming of the seasons. I can hardly imagine cool, crisp days, but already our nights and mornings are back to being cool...exactly what our fall crops like. I am ready for fall!

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Reason #486

to move your family to a more local and more natural diet.

Certain artificial food colorings and other additives can worsen hyperactive behaviors in children aged 3 to 9, British researchers reported on Wednesday.

Tests on more than 300 children showed significant differences in their behavior when they drank fruit drinks spiked with a mixture of food colorings and preservatives, Jim Stevenson and colleagues at the University of Southampton said.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

The Eat-Local Backlash

This is worth reading, from beginning to end. The folks at Grist are so good ...

What often arises in the food-miles debate, I think, is a false dichotomy: local vs. long distance. But the most attractive model might be a regional one. ...

Take North Carolina, where I live and help run a farm. ...