Date: 12/12/2012 9:33:31 PM ( 12 y ) ... viewed 1285 times
Got a Request from Lauren for some photos for a report. Put this together. Lauren is a teen.
LOCAL HARVEST
Why Locally Grown?
People worldwide are rediscovering the benefits of buying local food. It is fresher than anything in the supermarket and that means it is tastier and more nutritious. It is also good for your local economy--buying directly from family farmers helps them stay in business.
Family farmers sell their products directly to the public through various channels.
Grow A Healthier Pizza Means growing some of your own food and supporting your local organic farmers.
KID EATS JR ORGANIC CARROT AND NOW LOVES VEGETABLES!
Once upon a time, she hated vegetables, but then, she tasted a JR Organic Carrot and was transformed into Freya, the star of our new series of videos that are part of the 2012 Campaign to Grow A Healthier Pizza for Kids.
She has a report to do on organic vs GE foods, and her mom asked me to help.
RELATED STORIES IN THE NEWS
America's Health Rankings show worrisome rates of chronic disease, inactivity
Genetically modified crops resistant to 2,4-D spur debate, calls for labeling
(CBS News) A debate over genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is raging across the country from farms to the federal government. A company called Dow Chemical is on the verge of getting approval for a new genetically engineered corn that's supposed to be immune to the chemical weedkiller "2,4-D" - a primary component of Agent Orange, the New
The controversy was discussed this past week at New York City's first Green Festival. Among the many environmentally friendly products on display, some of the leading consumer advocates shared their ideas for a healthier diet and a more sustainable environment. The proliferation of GMOs in the country's food supply and environment is of primary importance to many, including Jeffrey Smith of The Institute for Responsible Technology.
Smith told CBS News' Roland Marconi that there are currently nine genetically modified food crops with corn and soybean along with their derivatives being the most present. He said the new "GMOs resistant to 2,4-D" raise concerns because animal studies show the chemical contributes to major health problems for almost every organ system. That's why consumers and lawmakers across the country are pushing for mandatory labeling laws that would mention when food contains GMOs. Currently more than 20 states have introduced bills for mandatory labeling, Smith said. In California, for example, advocates expect the labeling requirement to be on the November ballot after gathering 850,000 signatures. More than 1.1 million consumers have also signed petitions to the FDA to label GMOs on products.
The only people who think organic farming can feed the world are delusional hippies, hysterical moms, and self-righteous organic farmers. Right?
Actually, no. A fair number of agribusiness executives, agricultural and ecological scientists, and international agriculture experts believe that a large-scale shift to organic farming would not only increase the world's food supply, but might be the only way to eradicate hunger.
This probably comes as a surprise. After all, organic farmers scorn the pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and other tools that have become synonymous with high-yield agriculture. Instead, organic farmers depend on raising animals for manure, growing beans, clover, or other nitrogen-fixing legumes, or making compost and other sources of fertilizer that cannot be manufactured in a chemical plant but are instead grown-which consumes land, water, and other resources. (In contrast, producing synthetic fertilizers consumes massive amounts of petroleum.) Since organic farmers can't use synthetic pesticides, one can imagine that their fields suffer from a scourge of crop-munching bugs, fruit-rotting blights, and plant-choking weeds. And because organic farmers depend on rotating crops to help control pest problems, the same field won't grow corn or wheat or some other staple as often.
As a result, the argument goes, a world dependent on organic farming would have to farm more land than it does today-even if it meant less pollution, fewer abused farm animals, and fewer carcinogenic residues on our vegetables. "We aren't going to feed 6 billion people with organic fertilizer," said Nobel Prize-winning plant breeder Norman Borlaug at a 2002 conference. "If we tried to do it, we would level most of our forest and many of those lands would be productive only for a short period of time." Cambridge chemist John Emsley put it more bluntly: "The greatest catastrophe that the human race could face this century is not global warming but a global conversion to ‘organic farming'-an estimated 2 billion people would perish."
As a result, the argument goes, a world dependent on organic farming would have to farm more land than it does today-even if it meant less pollution, fewer abused farm animals, and fewer carcinogenic residues on our vegetables. "We aren't going to feed 6 billion people with organic fertilizer," said Nobel Prize-winning plant breeder Norman Borlaug at a 2002 conference. "If we tried to do it, we would level most of our forest and many of those lands would be productive only for a short period of time." Cambridge chemist John Emsley put it more bluntly: "The greatest catastrophe that the human race could face this century is not global warming but a global conversion to ‘organic farming'-an estimated 2 billion people would perish."
In recent years, organic farming has attracted new scrutiny, not just from critics who fear that a large-scale shift in its direction would cause billions to starve, but also from farmers and development agencies who actually suspect that such a shift could better satisfy hungry populations. Unfortunately, no one had ever systematically analyzed whether in fact a widespread shift to organic farming would run up against a shortage of nutrients and a lack of yields-until recently. The results are striking.
High-Tech, Low-Impact
There are actually myriad studies from around the world showing that organic farms can produce about as much, and in some settings much more, than conventional farms. Where there is a yield gap, it tends to be widest in wealthy nations, where farmers use copious amounts of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in a perennial attempt to maximize yields. It is true that farmers converting to organic production often encounter lower yields in the first few years, as the soil and surrounding biodiversity recover from years of assault with chemicals. And it may take several seasons for farmers to refine the new approach.
But the long-standing argument that organic farming would yield just one-third or one-half of conventional farming was based on biased assumptions and lack of data. For example, the often-cited statistic that switching to organic farming in the United States would only yield one-quarter of the food currently produced there is based on a U.S. Department of Agriculture study showing that all the manure in the United States could only meet one-quarter of the nation's fertilizer needs-even though organic farmers depend on much more than just manure.
More up-to-date research refutes these arguments. For example, a recent study by scientists at the Research Institute for Organic Agriculture in Switzerland showed that organic farms were only 20 percent less productive than conventional plots over a 21-year period. Looking at more than 200 studies in North America and Europe, Per Pinstrup Andersen (a Cornell professor and winner of the World Food Prize) and colleagues recently concluded that organic yields were about 80 percent of conventional yields. And many studies show an even narrower gap. Reviewing 154 growing seasons' worth of data on various crops grown on rain-fed and irrigated land in the United States, University of California-Davis agricultural scientist Bill Liebhardt found that organic corn yields were 94 percent of conventional yields, organic wheat yields were 97 percent, and organic soybean yields were 94 percent. Organic tomatoes showed no yield difference.
Youth at Hamilton High School enjoy an organic yellow watermelon from J.R. Organics, fifth and sixth generation local organic farmers from San Diego County. Securing The Organic Future at the Rodriguez Ranch, a land that needs to be back in the family hands, is one fundraising project on my Radar.
INTRODUCING YOUTH TO ORGANIC FOODS
Introducing Youth, beginning at Hamilton High School, to organic food and natural remedies is another pilot project
Dear Uncle Leslie,
I really enjoyed the lecture you gave us (and the watermelon!) It taught me that you need to eat all of the right foods to be whole and live your dream. I could relate to a lot of it, especially the part about planting your seed to live your dream, even if you don't know what your dream is quite yet. Something you taught me was to eat organic foods because they are much healthier. Also, you taught me that shopping at local farmers markets will benefit us and the farmer. The local farmers really care about our well being and after I ate the watermelon, I believe it. The whole presentation was very interesting and educational in a good way. Thanks for taking your time and talking to us about this important subject.
Kayla
15 or 16 year old
Hamilton High School
October 5, 2011
FROM MS EVA BECKER, SCIENCE TEACHER
HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL LOS ANGELES
Dear Uncle Leslie,
Ya, we appreciate your support Uncle Leslie!! Love you very much. You are a great and wise teacher!!
Dear Uncle Leslie,
I really enjoyed your presentation yesterday. It uplifted my spirits and made me feel like I had to do something to make our planet better. Personally, I don’t eat vegetables but everything you said changed my mind about it. I do need to change my eating habits and I do need to grow my own vegetables. You kept the classes’ attention. You were funny, and you kept us interested. You’ll probable be the man that’ll actually get our generation to do their part in helping rebuild our enchanted garden.
Sincerely,
Alert Webmaster
