Ecological Farming in Ontario Started in Bruce County
There are three main farm organizations in Ontario, but a fourth one, Ecological Farming in Ontario, has a practical and educational focus.
Originally formed in Bruce County over 30 years ago by a small group of farmers, it has grown over the years to include hundreds of members over the rest of Ontario but it's still run by farmers for farmers.
"We're non-competitive. We focus on helping each other to make a better living growing real food while improving our soils, crops, livestock and the environment. We're passionate about what we do," says a handout by the EFO.
It's the hands on approach by the organization that has made it popular with farmers switching from conventional farming methods to ecological/ organic methods and for beginner farmers who want to learn practical ways to start farming and make a living from it. There are many courses offered and sponsored by the EFO but there are two main ones that most farmers getting into organics would be interested in.
Transition to organic farming, which was developed by the Canadian Organic Growers, is for working farmers who want to switch from conventional to organic methods. The two day course helps farmers develop conventional to organic plans and looks at basic organic beliefs. The practical side, ultimately economics, is to have the farm be ready for organic certification, as most buyers demand it.
"Agriculture is local. And it takes several seasons to climb organic farming's steep learning curve," the EFO states.
For beginner farmers there is also a two day course which focuses on livestock, weed control, soil fertility, field rotation and manure practices. The business side of farming and organic certification will also be introduced. This year on May 12 at the Ignatius Farm in Guelph is hosting a three day intense course for new farmers from everything about organics to business planning and regulations with a panel of experienced farmers on day two. The course is free. As well throughout the spring and summer there are farm tours and kitchen meetings.
"You may be deluged with information on ecological farming. Or you may see very little. Either way, it can be hard to decide what's relevant and reliable," says the EFO.
Members also get the benefit of on farm one to one solutions. Practical information is a mainstay of the organization. Farmers want to know what other farmers are charging for their products. There are organic beef prices listed for different parts of Ontario, such as $3.35 per pound for ground beef in Belleville compared to $4.55 in Stratford. Vegetable prices are also compared from Ottawa to London as well as chicken and goose prices.
"There are lots of groups out there, but only EFO is completely farmer-run and farmer-focused. I know I can trust what I learn from courses and kitchen table meetings, and I've met many great people at workshops and events," said Bob Garthson of Valley Pines Organics.
Sourcing local organic seeds used to be hard to find. Now there is a seed directory posted by suppliers on the EFO website for farmers to locate locally grown seed such as soybeans in Tiverton, spelt in Walkerton, buckwheat in Durham, soft and hard wheat in Desboro, corn in Moorefield, oats, rye and cover crops in Ripley.
Coming up are specific courses for those already in the fields. This month there are courses on watering, pest control, and mulching practices, pastured poultry and seeding and transplanting. In June farmers can find out about weed control for vegetables and continuous harvesting.
To find out more look up EFAO on the web, call 1-877-822-8606 or email info@efao.ca.
www.greengrocerorganics.com
www.organicfooddelivery.com
Live Long . Live Healthy - Weekly Health Reminders, Recipes and Tips from Green Grocer Organics #11
Kimberly Lord Stewart
Denver Organic Food Examiner
As we celebrate Earth Day, it may be time to think about how farming methods affect not only Mother Earth, but her children as well.
The Harvard School of Public Health says that if diabetes were an infectious disease that passes from one person to another, the disease would easily qualify as an epidemic. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports the incidence of diabetes has risen from 493,000 in 1980 to 1,812,000 in 2009.
One has to wonder, why the dramatic increase in diabetes. Jamie Oliver's aim is to curb poor eating habits, omit processed junk food from kid's diets and improve access to exercise. But what about the millions who wonder, “Why can’t I lose weight?” Or, how about infants who are breast fed, yet seem to tip the weight charts from birth. Oliver may have to add organic food to his toolkit because one of the culprits playing into all these variables may be exposure to specific chemicals, many of them recently or long since banned in farming, called Persistent Organic Pollutants, or POPs.
Research shows that exposure to POPs, used in manufacturing and farming, may be associated with a host of chronic health issues in adults and children. They include diabetes, obesity, insulin resistance, high triglycerides and low high-density protein cholesterol (HDL). [ii], [iii] All are on America’s health report card as failing grades.
To date, about 95 studies show some connection between blood levels of POPs and diabetes and obesity. One study, released in January of this year, shows that heart disease may also be related to exposure.[iv] The National Toxicology Center isn’t entirely convinced this is causal, though they are working towards studies specifically designed to explore causal factors.
At one time, scientists believed that exposure to these chemicals needed to be in extremes to see negative health effects, but this new research may point to low level constant exposure through food, skin and air pollutants. Though many of these chemicals have been banned, they remain in the soil and have become a persistent part of the food chain. The chemicals harbor in fat in cattle, pork and poultry, which we eat and their manure is used for crop fertilization, so this cycle of epxosure is constant.
Recently scientists discoverd two wayward genes in children that are linked to obesity. The studies to date say the genes operate in the gut. "It's possible, for instance, that the genes may interact with food," said Struan Grant, PhD, the lead scientist in the study, at a press conference April 5, 2012 ,
Two genes, OLFM4 and HOXB5, showed signals in groups of extremely obese children. The genes were identifiable but weaker in adults, indicating that "these variants are conferring their risk early on in life and are really impactful in the first years of life," Grant said at the press conference.
It isn’t clear yet, whether any of the new classes of chemicals used in food production are tiggers for the genes. Recently, a campaign began to try to stop the approval of the herbicide 2,4-D, a chemical that Dow wants approved to eradicate superweeds for genetically modified crops, which has been linked to thyroid, Parkinson's and endocrine health issues. Click here to sign the petition.
For many parents. they are not willing to wait around for the answers. Organic food sales rose as much as 20% per year since 2002. According to an Organic Trade Association report, 78 percent of the nearly 1,300 families participating in the study reported they were purchasing organic products. Nearly 50 percent of the surveyed parents revealed that they bought organic products because they thought the products were "healthier for my children and me."
If you too want to start buying organic foods for your family, here is a good place to start. Listed below are the Dirty Dozen, named as such by the Environmental Working Group, for foods that are most likely to be subjected to the most pesticides in the fields and orchards. You may want to look for organic sources for these foods, especially for expectant moms and children. For more in this visit, http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/
ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP'S DIRTY DOZEN
Apples
Celery
Strawberries
Peaches
Spinach
Nectarines –imported
Grapes -- imported
Sweet Peppers
Potatoes
Blueberries – domestic
Lettuce
Kale/collard greens
For more on how to make healthy food choices at the supermarket, Eating Between the Lines, he supermarket shopper’s guide to the truth behind food labels (St. Martins Press, 2007).
[i] National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, August 2011
[ii] Donato F, Chronic exposure to organochlorine compounds and health effects in adults: diabetes and thyroid diseases, Ann Ig. 2010 May-Jun;22(3):185-98.
[iii] Lee DH, Persistent organic pollutants and obesity-related metabolic dysfunction: focusing on type 2 diabetes, Epidemiol Health. 2012;34:e2012002. Epub 2012 Jan 27.
[iv] Lind M, Circulating Levels of Pesistant Organic Polluntants (POPs) and Carotid Atherosclerosis in the Elderly, Env.Health Perspectives, Jan. 2012.
Kimberly Lord Stewart
Denver Organic Food Examiner