30 Nov Mon 2009
CSA localharvest news in the HORTICUTURE MAGAZINE NEWS.We are breaking news NATIONALLY.Go localharvest!
If you subscribe in one of those magazines that tackle agricultural and horticultural news...take note!
Here in Florida we have a shortage in magazines that really tend to farmers or gardeners who choose to go the ORGANIC way.There are few magazines that are full of pictures and narrations about ornamentals and flowers .No news about Organic farmers or Organic CSA or gardeners.Why?As an Organic Master Gardener I was approached once upon a time to sign a paper by a certain agency that takes care (at least assumes to ) of agricultural services to the local community.I was asked to put my agreement in writing that I mention fertilizers and pesticides in my volunteer work .I refused to do so and altogether withdrew from the program.
Recently,I met a volunteer who supervises a community garden locally- he was telling the gardeners and media -that it is best to use pesticides to scare away the bugs in a community garden that he calssifies as ORGANIC. I went to that community garden that is classified as ORGANIC and asked the same person to remove the plastic and other toxic PCB and other debris that are apparent in the soil of the community garden and he answered that we are not totally organic.He pressed so hard on my hand as he was leaving that almost I felt my fingers cracking.He was angry at me being honest.
This will take me to another venue where we gardeners like to stroll the pages of the media that carry our passion.I was so excited to find that there was a full page dedicated in the HORTICULTURE magazine edition of December 2009/January 2010 to ORGANIC APPROACH /Community Supported Agriculture.I was so happy to read the article that also referred the readers to localharvest web site.Thank you!
We need more visibility and more pages to reach out to the community and teach our ORGANIC WAY of working the land.We need more help and more land dedicated to the sustainability way of LIFE.I sent the magazine a thank you note and attached couple of articles.Would they get me published? I really must wait to next year to find out.Meanwhile check them ourt at:
hortmag.com
One of their editors :Peter Garnham contributed and wrote the article on CSA.May be we need to let them know that we appreciate that they refer their readers to our web site here at local harvest, and may be we can contribute and help out too by making them more visible to our MORE than 2500 CSA farmers here at localharvest.org.
My point is :Let us reach out not just by our hands that plant and harvest but also by our minds and hearts in writing and teaching about what we do to the the EARTH and to our LOCAL community .I personally fight GLOBAL warming LOCALLY by just spreading more GREEN SHEETS that bear organic fruits and vegetables and beautify my neighbourhood.What about you?
There are many GREEN WAYS to help out if there is a genuine WILL to do so.Doing is the PROOF .Lot of people SAY they support the EARTH and the COMMUNITY by just moving their LIPS.It is time to move the HANDS folks.
25 Nov Wed 2009
The money greedful versus the barter mindful.The end of paid- work and the begining of community trading age.
In France they call it " Grain DE Sel" , literally translated into the "Grain of Salt.What is this new movement about?
Well, when the "CHEAUMAGE" or unemployment reached above the 12 % scale level the French took a U turn and called it an alternative to 'MONEY".When money became scarce they did not get scared.They found a refuge in exchange .Barter is the alternative in France now on a smaller local scale.Like in Southern France for example where the bread basket comes from.farmers and local business are having trading parties.From rent to local produce .Bring in what you produce or have for a barter.
Back home...we succumb into our retreats.We shrink and shiver as the cold fronts and blizards scatter and devulge our harvest.We fail to spell the name of our neighbor and call our loved ones once a year on Christmass.Time to open our eyes.For the war on terror and the hunting of weapons of mass DESTRUCTION did really the job well enough to make DISTRACTED or in other words it diverted our attention from the wolves in our backyards that are working havoc on our lives by taking away our :Homes,Savings,Stocks ,cars and you name it.We are spending tax payer money to bail out forieign countries like Egypt,Israel,and Pakistan.Billions of tax payers money are being sent overseas to foreign countries that have lobbies in our midst that influence our politicians .The end result is making us sore and broke.It is time to call for real CHANGE.Corruption ,Bankruptcies ,Fraud, Foreclosures all are rampant and eating up our existance.We are being fed junk and are kept in the dark just like in movies..our best retreat from reality!
Time to take a U turn into sustainable and more real approach to solving the problems of GREED.The money is becoming scarce and we are running scared.Instead let us come together and form local networks and barter.Keep productivity on and do more exchanges.The mentality must change first.
Read the book of Jeremy Rifkin: The End of Work to get a head start.Unemployment level are reaching close by to 12 %.A local "Grain De Sel" be an alternative solution.Creating Jobs is the answer ..when money becomes scare and concentrated in the hands of FEW..the rest of us who WORK the lands for a living need to keep on the pace and barter for a LIVING!
11 Nov Wed 2009
The plight of Farm and Garden workers in Florida.The problem and the solution.Part -I
The local Palm Beach Post news paper reported today about another crime against workers who work out in the fields , in this instance make their living by trimming trees .
Two armed men approached three workers ,one African American foreman and two other latino workers and demanded money.When the workers ,who were engaged in trimming trees for FPL ,responded that they have nothing, they were showered with bullets from semi automatic guns.The forman died and one worker is critically injured .
This is another story about the way we look at people who work the land for a living.There is no respect for gardeners and farmers in general around here.Part of this stereotyping is lack of education to the public about the great value gardeners and farm workers provide through their services to keep the EARTH a living planet worthy for the living.
The stereotyping against certain minorities leaves no ample room to get equal opportunities or better jobs in the market place.There is work that is looked at as menial and some people won't do it.The people who perform those "menial jobs"usually become victims to sweat shops,robberies,humilitians and discremination.No health insurance ,no benefits and sometimes dire living conditions follow this trend of employment.
The solutions are through altering the way we look at such work.Spreading the awareness through the media and schooling system could be like a starting point .
Jobs are plentiful in the field and we need to start educating our kids that farm and garden work are good choices and opportunities to take as jobs.We need to overhaul the way we think first .We need support from local and federal government to provide educational programs in addition to incentives and job opportunities.Health insurance and benefits will attract many applicants.Good or FAIR pay will do the same .It is not a SOLUTION to complain about illegal immigrants or migrant farmers who perform jobs that are menial and do not attract citizens.The solution requires action to elevate the status of those jobs so that citizens will find it attractive to apply for.
Crimes against field workers should be dealt with more punitively to eradicate them from our society.
The perpetrators who commited the crime were youth who found in their preys an easy target for quick money.Usually farm workers are known to carry cash in their pockets as they have no legal papers to open bank accounts .Doing something about this can help reduce the crimes that target migrant farmers or other legal citizens who prefer to do such kind of jobs.
Change starts from within and raising the awareness towards a solution is just a baby step to restore respect and justice to farmers and gardeners who are the silent keepers of our living planet EARTH.
I am now searching for a job in this field and I feel unsecure and at risk.I have lost my van to the junk yard as I could not have money to fix it.I lost couple of borrowed lands to locally grow organic vegetables .There are so many lands that sit idle and could be used to grow fruits and vegetables to support enough people who lost their jobs and are seeking food stamps and other financial help to sustain their living.This kind of using tax payer money is a non-productive approach .A better approach is" to teach a man how to fish instead of giving him or her a fish"!
There are churches and schools that have backyards that could be a potential place to create vegetable gardens.I have approached some of those churches and experienced creating a container garden at one of them.
We need to change our attitude from critical negative thinking -using our heads to calculate monetery gains and judging behaviours.We need to shift to a more PRODUCTIVE approach by using our HEARTS and compassion .I went by accident to a local agency that uses COMPASSION in their mission and vision.I found hope and help.When there is a WILL ,there is a WAY -as they say.Sometimes we need to change the WAY we think and feel in order to help bring in change to other peoples life!
Thanksgiving holliday is on the way.Make it an occasion to bring food to the needy through providing opportunities for CREATING MORE PRODUCTIVE GARDENS that yield ORGANIC food that help feed the needy.Instead of a food stamp voucher , why not offer a voucher of a plot at a community garden to those who are employed.The burden will diminish on our tax payers and we will create opportunities that yield HARVESTS instead.We will educate people of the great value of working the land to produce food.By then may be the attitude towards gardeners and farmers will change towards more appreciation.May be, but it is worth a try!
04 Nov Wed 2009
CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS TO COMMUNITY GARDENS-Part I
In my work experience as an URBAN ORGANIC FARMER here in S.Florida, I have co-founded and closely helped out in establishing four community gardens.Two of those gardens cease to exist .
I like to share my observations and feedbacks to help out in the future revitalization and remediation work process to organic community gardens .
The Challenges.
A-POLITICS IN THE COMMUNITY GARDEN:
Personally , I advocate non-political approach to growing ORGANIC FRUITS and VEGETABLES in community gardens.Unfortunately , the situation at the ground is otherwise.I noticed that some of those gardens I tended attracted members who were POLITICALLY MOTIVATED in the first place.Their work mainly at the garden was only to extend /show their political aura or to enrich their resumes and social status as community organizers or activists .
This trend also entrenched some active or retired officials in addition to local figures of some organizations to partake just to appeal to the media and local public opinion.Others were involved through educational institutions /non-profit organizations etc , to apply for grants,bolster their community stance , keep the influence of donated GMO seeds and seedlings- FREE soils derived from treated sludge - fertilzers and pesticides ammendments-active at the garden .Little actual gardening work was done by some of those occasional members- visitors-spectators, who mostly show up at events.
The solution:
The spirit of VOLUNTARY COMMUNITY SERVICE through productive planting and harvesting of ORGANIC PRODUCE should be the main MOTIVE.Donating to local soup kitchens and needy families must be emphassized especially NOW.Encouraging the membership of struggling families and the financially disadvataged should be a priority in enlisting members.Diversity in membership should be equally stressed along with diversity in gardening.Social dialogue through pot locks and workshop events must be introduced to enrich the communication between diverse groups of the neighboring community.Solutions to the challenges remain impotent without actual involvement with the HANDS ON learning process:ORGANIC SOIL - CLASSES and WORKSHOPS-POTLUCKS-HARVESTING and SHARING of HARVEST-SEEDS EXCHANGE.Active members must adhere to the rules and regulations set for the garden.
B-Allocating and preserving more lands for growing organic produce locally.
Some of those community gardens took decades to build their organic soil and with a change of heart are destroyed to be new locations for developments or other use.
The solution:
Advocating for the placement of new laws to protect and preserve FERTILE agricultural lands / urban community gardens that have irreplacable organic top soil.
C-Lack of Local Programs to EDUCATE and Graduate: Organic Community Gardeners /ORGANIC URBAN FARMERS at the local school level and beyond.
Attention should be redirected from the current home-owners mentality of growing ornamentals and shrubs using fertilizers and pesticides for the purposes of landscaping only.So many home owners are having their homes forclosed and now are renting or are displaced.
The solution:
Vouchers for continuing education and local community plotsshould be issued. Jobs for organic urban farmers should be created and promoted through educational and vocational local programs.Growing food must be the new mood instead of growing JUST GRASS!
D-Lack of support ,recognition and appreciation to organic farmers.
Migrant farmers with their illegal status has driven the farming jobs down to its bottom.No respect and discremination are rampant.wages and benefits are so low.Organic Community Agriculture Educational programs are non-existing below the university level.Big Agri-Business domination of the market .
The solution:
The community garden can be the new venue for raising the awareness level by providing organic horticultural educational programs and marketing opportunities to small farmers or community urban gardeners.A FREE green market at a Community Garden to sell and display produce can be used as an example in supporting the local economy through marketing of locally grown produce .This kind of market exists in Europe, but at a different location:The village markets or -Thursday markets.The now available farmers /green markets levy high fees and charges here ,in general . who affords to sell at those markets are merchants of grocerystores who rent spaces to sell conventional imported produce from other countries or different states.The farmer has been replaced by the merchant at the farmers market at least here in S.Florida ,with some exceptions , offcourse!
02 Nov Mon 2009
TOP TEN TIPS FOR BOUNTIFUL GROWING AT THE S.FLORIDA COMMUNITY GARDEN
S.Florida Community gardens are growing more , in numbers.Most of the new comers to S.Florida need some Tropical Gardening orientation as they mostly come from the cold Up-North!
Here are some suggestions for the new comers to make their toil in the soil less painful and more fruitful!
1-Put on garden safety gear when you garden.That includes sun glasses,gloves,hat,long sleeve shirt,bugs repellent..DRINK PLENTY OF SPRING WATER and always HYDRATE!
2-Double dig the soil and extract any debris or toxic substances.Know WHERE YOUR SOIL COME FROM!Avoid adding soils that have fertilizers or other contaminents like PCB,Plastics etc..
3-Trans-plant seedlings from local farmers rather than directly planting GMO or commercial seeds that take longer to grow and harvest.Seedlings bought from SOME garden centers might have fertilizers and pesticide or herbicide contents.Choose varieties that give bountiful harvest like cherry tomatoes !
4-Avoid using pesticides or herbicides by choosing the prevention method rather.Plant companion pest reppeling HERBS like :Cuban oregano or Basil .
5-Choose DIVERSITY in planting varieties of plants that Co-exist and Complement!For example I grow sunflowers and corn and cucumbers or pinto beans TOGETHER , so the former can be used as natural trellis by the latter!Also I plant short term harvesting plants like arugola and lettuce with long term harvest plants like tomatoes together.Plants love to co-exist and are more productive and efficient when used as such in LIMITED SPACE GARDENING!
6-Choose SEASONAL draught tolerant NATIVE plants to S.Florida .Prefer Nutritional content over taste and flavor.Use Xeroscaping ,or the right plant in the right place:do not plant water loving plants alongside with desert loving plants!
7-Get help in ORGANIC TROPICAL GARDENING from a local urban farmer or someone who have experience in TROPICAL FARMING.It is different to garden in Florida ,but it is not difficult to adjust.There is no green or brown thumbs.There is awareness versus ignorance!
8-Use Garden ERGONOMICS Body Functional Movements .There are certain exercises for first time gardeners to strengthen certain muscles and gaurd against injuries by using properTRAINED muscle FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENTS !
9-Use ERGONOMIC TOOLS .Use Organic Soil.Use Organic Seeds.
10-Keep learning.Attend worrkshops and ORGANIC gardening classes.
References to check out Organic Gardening Books and web sites:
www.Rodale Ulitmate Organic Gardening Encycloped
How to grow organic vegetables in containers
Container and small space gardening
Four season gardening
New square foot gardening
Happy community gardening
Alternative Community Farmer WPB/Fl
http:www.localharvest.org/farms/M20618
When Water follows the Fire track in Californa and dries out the farm land.Is there a lesson for FARMERS to learn from the Death Valley Draught?
I was reading the article of "Climate Countdown "-
November-December issue .
I wanted to share with fellow farmers what struck my attention.I suggest you read the article and draw some personal lessons as well.
"Farmers knew that their water supply could disappear at any time but the dollar signs overwhelmed the warning signs".I qoute from the article which echoes Dr.richard walker , an economic geography professor at the university of California- Berkley.He continues to say:"It is the phenomenon of collective madness,collective beleif,which is no different from Wall Street or American car companies."
As California farmers groups led by the California Latino Water Coalition march for water , we in the other side go around our business and forget that a threat to our farms as great as the water draught will take away our livlihood.We let HR 2749 and other controls go by untill the day it touches our door steps .Then we wake up.The collective acts we family farmers lack goes back to the same bottom line roots of the dollar sign.We skip reading other signs and wrtings on the wall just to follow what we have been programmed to do :Work work work !
Sometimes we need to take a break and sit down to smell the roses and have a chat with each others about common concerns.We need to connect for the common good of all.We need to re-establish the bond with each others as we connect with earth by being the Earth-keepers.
I see that those who wrote the agricultural text books and spread the ideology of Fertilizers and Pesticides ,take the lead in gathering the farmers again under the banner of Organic farming.Why do not we have our own grass root organic farmers take the lead instead?It is our beleifs that are so overwhelmed by the dollar sign that keep us to bring change from within our family farmers movement not just follow and be passive.Being active and productive is not just limited to our land work.We need to bring more representatives from within our family farms to be our voice at the House and the Senate.Let us sow the seed and talk to our kids about that may be they will be the new leaders that will represent us?Let us involve the youth in our farms and let them take the toil in the soil to college and further beyond.Let them be our future voices REPRESENTATIVES to Washington.
30 Oct Fri 2009
Happy Halloween..or need we say HAPPY SCARY HALLOWEEN?Reminder:switch the clock back to winter TIMING NOW!
It is Halloween and the HARVEST of PUMPKIN and the trick or treat TIME! Also it is the time to switch the clock back one hour.
Speaking of Harvest time, here in Florida it is the begining of growing season and pumpkin harvest is way long to come.But , it is fun to cekebrate with you guys up north !
Speaking of Halloween ,why do we celebrate FEAR and SCARY stuff ?We already have our load of fear every day from the MAINSTREAM media ..So may be next time we celebrate HAPPY FLU FEAR!?
It is good to stop and take a deep breath in the garden or the farmwherever you are.It is good to connect with a loved one.It is good to do a random act of kindness.
Let us warm up to the holliday season and start calling and reconnecting with loved ones or unloved ones.Time to be HUMAN and time to laugh at all the bad news that now fill up the news!
Let us pray and stop PREYING.
27 Oct Tue 2009
SWINE FLU VACCINATIONS PROPAGANDA OF FEAR.READ WHAT THE EXPERTS DO NOT TELL YOU.SAY NO TO VACCINATION.Here is WHY:
Here are some qoutes that you did not fall upon in the MAINSTREAM media that is FEVERSHLEY PUMPING OUR HEADS WITH DAILY DOSES OF BRAINWASHING PROPAGANDA.
READ ON DOWN BELOW,I QOUTE ,MR Roger LANGFORD and Dr.Mercola ARTICLE and comments"ON THE SWINE FLU VACCINEQoute:
"Every year in the United States, on average, 36000 people die from getting the seasonal flu. In the United Kingdom, in a normal year, 12000 people will die from the seasonal flu. World wide it has been estimated that between a half-million and one million people die as a result of having the seasonal flu.
Does the World Health Organisation declare a world-wide influenza pandemic at level 6 every year for the seasonal flu. No. They do not.
According to the WHO on June 11, 2009. In the United States there were 13217 cases of swine flu and 27 deaths. In the UK there were 822 cases and zero deaths. World-wide there were 28,744 confirmed cases of the swine influenza and 144 deaths.
In a statement to the press on June 11, 2009 the Director-General of the WHO, Dr Margaret Chan, said that after conferring with leading influenza experts, virologists, and public health officials and an Emergency Committee established for this purpose. It was decided to raise the level of the swine influenza pandemic alert from phase 5 to phase 6.
Over half a million people dying from seasonal influenza every year is not enough dead people for the WHO to issue a pandemic alert of level 6. When 144 people die from the swine flu virus this very small number of dead people IS sufficient for the WHO to proclaim a pandemic alert of level 6. This is strange.
With 12000 people every year dying from the seasonal flu the UK government usually buys up to fifteen million doses of seasonal flu vaccine. Three quarters of which go to the over 65s.
With a death rate of zero, on June 11, the UK Government has ordered a 120 million doses of the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine. Enough vaccine for every person in the UK to have two shots. This is illogical.
According to the vaccine manufacturers, during the 2008 flu season in the US, 143 million doses of seasonal flu vaccine were made available for people to buy at no cost to the US Government.
The US Government has ordered 250 million doses of the swine flu vaccine at a cost of two billion dollars and has pledged to buy enough to vaccinate every American if there is enough demand.
With 36000 people dying from seasonal flu every year the US Government spends nothing. Yet when One hundred and forty-four people die from the swine flu virus the US Government spends two billion dollars on a vaccine. Why.
Something strange is going on."
Sources. WHO, CDC.
|
Swine Flu Vaccine Information Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roger_Langford |
"President Barack Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency on Friday October 23, empowering the health secretary to suspend federal requirements and speed up treatment.
His declaration authorizes Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to bypass normal federal regulations so health officials can respond more quickly to the outbreak, which, allegedly, has killed more than 1,000 people in the United States.
"As a nation, we have prepared at all levels of government, and as individuals and communities, taking unprecedented steps to counter the emerging pandemic," Obama wrote in the declaration, which the White House announced Saturday.
He said the pandemic keeps evolving, the rates of illness are rising rapidly in many areas and there's a potential "to overburden health care resources."
Because of vaccine production delays, the government has backed off initial estimates that 120 million doses would be available by mid-October. As of mid-October, only 11 million doses had been shipped to health departments, doctor's offices and other providers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said.
The government now estimates to have about 50 million doses of swine flu vaccine out by mid-November and 150 million in December.
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
It would appear that President Obama has not been apprised of the real facts of the situation, and has declared the swine flu a national public health emergency. To read the declaration in its entirety, please see this Los Angeles Times article.
The intention of this report is to show you with the government's own statistics that there appears to be MASSIVE amounts of misinformation and outright deception going on that appear to be designed to panic American people into believing that H1N1 influenza is more serious and widespread than it is.
We are the ONLY major news source that is warning the public about the true extent of this misinformation regarding the true nature of H1N1 swine flu in America. Most of the mainstream media is continuing to spread misinformation.
I am PLEADING with you to pass this information and our website link to as many people as you know. We simply can't continue to fight the massive media and apparently deceptive government health agencies unless people like you rise up and make your voice known.Send this link to EVERY person you love or care about. Write them a PERSONAL note that is kind and gentle and ask them to do their homework and seriously evaluate all the evidence before they accept the information being shared by the media, which is potentially being heavily influenced by pharmaceutical interests, as the truth.
Warning!
Once you either listen to the audio or read this article you will most likely be shocked by the extent of how serious this misinformation really is.
So be ready to be surprised.
If a private individual were to spread misinformation like this they would most likely suffer some very serious consequences, perhaps being immediately thrown in prison for conspiracy. But since this is the US government you will not likely see any prosecutions as a result of the distortions we will reveal.
Get this. The CDC stopped testing people for Swine Flu in JULY. Why? Because CDC assumed there was already an epidemic, and therefore more tests would be waste of time and money.
CBS has been trying to obtain state-by-state numbers for Swine Flu cases compiled, by the CDC, BEFORE the testing was stopped. The CDC has refused to come across with those numbers. It's been stonewalling CBS for the last three months.
Why?
No answer from the CDC. But the truth is obvious. The actual Swine Flu case numbers don't begin to match the ominous pronouncements about Swine Flu from the CDC, and the case numbers certainly don't match the general press hysteria and fear-mongering.
But CBS didn't stop at the stone wall of the CDC.. They went to individual states who continued to test patients for Swine Flu after July, and they obtained some VERY interesting figures.
Brilliant CBS Investigation Gets BURIED by Media
I just published a major swine flu update on Saturday about how CBS News investigative journalists exposed how misleading statistics are being used to panic the public into complying with the huge H1N1 swine flu vaccination program.
Last week, CBS News published the results from a three-month long investigation into the swine flu. One would think this would have received MASSIVE media exposure since their findings are in direct conflict with what the government is publicly stating.
Of major interest, as you can see on the video on the Saturday article, CBS investigative journalists went to the CDC to seek their help in clarifying the situation and answering outstanding questions but CDC officials refused. They would not cooperate and CBS had to do their own investigation.
Even worse, after CBS compiled the data, the CDC refused to comment on it.What's this all about???
It can only make you wonder if the CDC is really interested in authentically serving the public good, or if, perhaps, it has been heavily influenced by outside corporate interests.
This is not good. The only way that we can have an effective response to the reported H1N1 influenza outbreak is if the government is transparent with the data. We have simply not seen ANY evidence that government health agencies are willing to be transparent. In fact, all evidence points to the contrary.
The CBS investigative report included state-by-state test results that revealed some VERY different facts from what the US Centers for Disease Control has been telling the American public.
The CBS report found that H1N1 flu cases are NOT AT ALL as prevalent as feared. A CBS article even states:"If you've been diagnosed "probable" or "presumed" 2009 H1N1 or "swine flu" in recent months, you may be surprised to know this: odds are you didn't have H1N1 flu.
In fact, you probably didn't have the flu at all.The results reveal a pattern that surprised a number of health care professionals we consulted. The vast majority of cases were negative for H1N1 as well as seasonal flu, despite the fact that many states were specifically testing patients deemed to be most likely to have H1N1 flu, based on symptoms and risk factors, such as travel to Mexico."
In most states the percentages ranged from 83 to 98 percent NOT BEING H1N1 or influenza.
As you can see from this CBS News graphic, not only are most cases of suspected flu-like illnesses not H1N1 influenza, they're not influenza at all, but rather some type of cold or upper respiratory infection that looks like influenza but is caused by another type of virus or bacteria!
(Image from CBS News)
Given these facts, there is a HUGE question in my mind as to whether or not the 1,000 deaths attributed to the swine flu were in fact CONFIRMED to be the H1N1 virus.
We Were Winning the Misinformation Battle
If you read the LA Times link in the above reference you will see that their poll showed that 62% of the public were choosing to NOT vaccinate themselves or their family. Other polls showed different numbers but nearly all showed that the MAJORITY of Americans were panicking and accepting the government story.
So President Obama released this "emergency" declaration over the weekend most likely because he trusted his federal health official advisors and that declaration has the potential to create massive fear and panic in the population, Because he is the PRESIDENT and people are hearing their PRESIDENT tell them that 1000 Americans have died from swine flu and we are in the middle of a serious public health emergency and many people may be thinking "I probably should play it safe and get the vaccine for myself and my family."
I have had a number of people post on my Facebook Fan Page of this fear and concern and prior to the announcement they were not making these types of comments.
Most mainstream media has chosen to ignore the impact we are making and attempt to label us as clueless "fear mongers." This weekend the Boston Globe REFUSED to acknowledge this site by name in an article they posted Sunday.
"Some of the same government-haters who spread myths about "death panels'' for the elderly are now spouting misinformation about the swine flu vaccine, and they're getting support from holistic-medicine enthusiasts, some autism activists, and talk show host Bill Maher."
So let's CAREFULY examine the facts from President Obama's weekend announcement.
One Thousand Deaths from Swine Flu?!
Oh really?
Well I am from Chicago and I want to see the evidence. If you read Obama's declaration, you will find a complete absence of documentation to support his assertion that 1000 have died from H1N1 in the US. Nada, nothing no links, no references anywhere in the document to back up his assertion.
In fact, if you go to the definitive collector and holder of the US data, you will find that there is NO evidence to back this claim.
The CDC's own web site readily admits that since August 30, 2009 they are no longer testing for H1N1. They don't even recommend it any more. They are substituting a clinical definition for blood testing that will positively confirm that the "suspected" cases of H1N1 influenza are actually H1N1 influenza.
They've even coined what appears to be a whole new term: "ILI," which stands for "influenza-like illness."
"... tracking of 2009 H1N1 hospitalizations and deaths will not be the same after August 30, 2009.
In an effort to add additional structure to the national 2009 H1N1 reporting, new case definitions for influenza-associated hospitalizations and deaths were implemented on August 30, 2009.
The new definitions allow states to report to CDC hospitalizations and deaths (either confirmed OR probable) resulting from all types of influenza, not just those from 2009 H1N1 flu.
- Influenza and pneumonia syndrome hospitalizations and deaths may be an overestimate of actual number of flu-related hospitalizations and deaths, but CDC believes influenza and pneumonia syndromic reports are likely to be a more sensitive measure of flu-associated hospitalizations and deaths than laboratory confirmed reports during this pandemic.
However, the syndromic reports of all hospitalizations and deaths recorded as either influenza or pneumonia will mean that the case counts are less specific than before and will include cases that are not related to influenza infection."Folks, make no mistake about it. Health officials and media WILL trumpet these numbers as being H1N1 "swine flu deaths" even though, as you can CLEARLY read on the CDC's site, they admit that they will now include hospitalizations and deaths that are not even RELATED to the common influenza infection, let alone H1N1.
Well, no wonder the flu appears to be spreading when they are now including mere "symptoms of flu," which the CBS investigation found were NOT EVEN INFLUENZA RELATED in the overwhelming majority of cases!
Public Health Emergency Declaration This Weekend Was Initiated MONTHS Ago
Most have no idea that the declaration announced over the weekend was not legally initiated then. In fact it was initiated months ago. There was no new legal action that occurred over the weekend, only an announcement about a highly questionable and completely unsubstantiated 1000 deaths in the US from H1N1.
The Secretary has actually renewed that declaration twice, once on July 24, 2009, and more recently on October 1, 2009.
National Emergency Declaration is an IRRATIONAL Response
It seems quite obvious that the US government has full intention of administering as many doses of swine flu vaccine as possible this season, despite what the scientific evidence demonstrates. Declaring a national public health emergency because of an influenza virus strain that is milder than the seasonal influenza strains that have been circulating in the past few decades every year is nothing short of bizarre.
One can only wonder the motivation behind this intention.
Could it be that $7 BILLION dollars will be earned by the drug companies for the vaccines? Quite possibly, but even if that were not the case let's look to Warren Buffett, one of the wealthiest individuals in the world and one of the wisest investors the world has ever known.
One of the principles I guide my business by is his investment recommendation of "Opportunity Costs".
Let me explain. Buffett makes it very clear that when you choose to invest in one project by definition you are choosing to not invest in something else that may be far more beneficial to you or your company.
Same principle applies. All these resources are being focused on what appears to be a phony pandemic that does not exist and is no real threat to the public.
What else could we do with $7 billion dollars and all the time, effort and attention that this issue has received? I won't speculate here but you can let me know what you think in the comments section below.
Why Aren't President Obama's Own Children Immunized for Swine Flu?
Despite the urgency and threat of this virus, the President's own daughters have not been rushed to the nearest clinic for a protective swine flu shot. According to a blurb on the Fox News White House blog, President Obama's daughters have not been vaccinated against H1N1. The White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said "the vaccine is not available to them based on their risk."
This seems odd, if you ask me. Surely the First Family would receive any and all protective measures against a deadly epidemic that is spreading like wildfire and claiming the lives of healthy children and young adults?
It also seems odd to declare a national emergency even if there were 1,000 confirmed swine flu deaths. There are so many diseases that claim so many more lives each and every year... The only difference is they don't have a vaccine against them that they can promote that every man, woman, and child should take.
For example, hospital-acquired infections alone kill some 90,000 people annually in the US!
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is one specific type of infection that poses a very serious public health risk. MRSA infections are getting progressively worse and actually exact a greater death toll than "modern plagues" like AIDS.
In fact, a 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found there were close to 100,000 cases of invasive MRSA infections in the United States in 2005 (one of the most recent years for which data is available), which lead to more than 18,600 deaths.
Again, I have to stress the obvious that the response to the swine flu is so outrageously exaggerated it defies all logic.
However, we knew all along it could get to this, and I, along with many others, have warned you about it for months now.
BEWARE: Taking Tylenol with Flu Vaccine May Actually Make You Worse
It feels like we're rushing head-first toward a man-made major public health catastrophe. And unfortunately, recent research shows that common medical practices may aggravate the situation.
According to a two Czechoslovakian studies, published in the journal Lancet on October 17, giving your child an analgesic to prevent fever when getting a vaccine could render them more prone to secondary infections.
Their studies showed that after vaccination, the immune response was lower among babies who were given acetaminophen (such as Tylenol), right after they received the shot.
The vaccines used in the study were for pneumococcal disease, Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib), diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, polio and rotavirus.
No flu vaccines were included. However, it's likely the effect would still be the same.
MSN.com quotes infectious disease expert Dr. Marc Siegel as saying that:
"... the conclusion that Tylenol not only suppresses fever, but also decreases immune response is plausible. After all, what is an immune response? It's an inflammatory response."
The researchers also found that although fewer infants developed a fever after getting acetaminophen, they also developed significantly fewer antibodies against the disease they were vaccinated against. They believe the acetaminophen's anti-inflammatory activity might interfere with your body's immune system antibody response, which could explain why the vaccine was rendered less effective.
However, what is not mentioned by either MSN, or foodconsumer.org, which also ran an article on these findings, is that a lowered immune response also means you're more susceptible to develop other infections. And, as we now know, it is secondary infections such as bacterial staph infections that turn out to be deadly -- not the flu virus in and of itself.
The First Reports of H1N1 Vaccine Deaths are Now Here
Many of us knew that this too was more or less inevitable.
Reports have now emerged from Hungarian and Swedish news sources that some people have died shortly after getting vaccinated against the H1N1 virus. The Budapest Times reported the death of a 64-year-old woman who had received the vaccine two days prior to her sudden demise.
The Hungarian H1N1 vaccine is supplied by local vaccine manufacturer Omnivest, whose vaccines are egg grown and adjuvanted with aluminum phosphate.
Meanwhile, the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that the swine flu vaccine may be "too potent," and that four people with compromised health had died just after receiving the swine flu vaccine. One man suffered a fatal heart attack after his vaccination, and a 65-year-old woman was found dead in her home two days after receiving the H1N1 vaccine.
In addition, the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter reports:
"So far, the authority has received more than 190 reports from both health care and private individuals. By far the most common are pain in the arm. Then mild flu symptoms like fever, muscle pain, stomach pain, headaches, dizziness and fatigue."
The article goes on to state that GlaxoSmithKline is attributing a higher than normal rate of side effects to the adjuvants in the vaccine:
"According to the vaccine manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline, maybe one in ten vaccinated will experience trouble, which is slightly more than the usual seasonal influenza vaccine. This is because a substance in the vaccine triggers immune your immune response."
GlaxoSmithKline's Pandemrix vaccine contains the controversial adjuvant squalene.
Unfortunately, vaccine manufacturers have persuaded countries in Europe and elsewhere to add squalene to seasonal influenza and H1N1 vaccines, whereas squalene still has not been approved by the FDA for use in the US.
In order to legally allow unlicensed squalene adjuvants to be included in licensed H1N1 vaccines, the US government would have had to issue an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). It is unclear if the EUA President Obama issued on Friday will cover adding novel adjuvants like squalene, or whether a separate EUA has to be issued in order to allow the use of unapproved adjuvants...
But European authorities may have a better clue about its safety than they're willing to admit. A recent article in the English version of the German news source The Local, for example, warns that the German Defense Ministry has ordered a special stock of H1N1 vaccines for their troops that will contain neither mercury nor adjuvants, whereas the general public will be given vaccines containing both.
Vaccinations began throughout Europe a little over a week ago. Sweden was one of the first to begin their program on October 12.
According to the Stockhom-based European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, there have been a total of 230 deaths linked to H1N1 in Europe since April. About half of all cases occurred in the UK.
The question is, are the European CDC's numbers as poor as the US CDC, whose statistics were shown by CBS News to be exaggerated by 80-98 percent?
Unprecedented Media Manipulation is Underway
The US government is sparing no underhanded tactics to indoctrinate the public with the message that vaccination is the way to go if you want to live.
Sid the Science Kid, an animated children's show, is now used to "educate" children about the flu, and going to see the school nurse to get vaccinated.
"Just like Sid, government-wide efforts to prevent flu are all about the science," says the government site Flu.gov. The episode premiered on PBS Kids on Monday, October 26th titled " Getting a Shot: You can do it!"
Continuing Education
HR 2749-FOOD SAFETY or CONTAIN AND CONTROLL OVER YOUR SMALL FARM?What you should know and no one tells you:Read on
Are we in the AGE of INFORMATION or MISINFORMATION?
The BILL FAILED at the HOUSE of REPs on the first round and then had to go under another try next day to be PASSED hurriedly.Now the senate will vote.Call your senator to protect your farm before it is too late .
Today the LA Times said 90% of VOTERS support the HR 2749...Are we becoming like AFGHANISTAN with 90% votes COUNTED for President KARAZI who has rigged the vote and now admitted that 1 MILLION votes were fraudly obtained from GHOST POLLING STATIONS?Did the pew "poll", that the LA times qouted the 90% approval of voters from call any one of you small farmers?Are we just "NOBODY"?How about starting the mobilization process to ellect more small farmers REPRESENTATIVES and SENATORS on the next 2010 election to REALLY represent our VOICES that are so far counted by some unidentidied ghost polls!
Read BELOW to find out why the bill might do more harm to small farmers :
Here what was said by :MR Roger Langford on HR 2749 before it is too late ,I qoute:
"The Food Safety Bill HR 2749 is less about food safety and more about giving the Federal Government, through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the power to control food from production to point of sale. The one size to fit all regulatory system will mean that small family farms and homesteaders will be at a major disadvantage when competing with the large industrial food production companies.
Opponents of the Bill say that if this Bill becomes law then most family farms, including organic farms, and homesteaders will be forced to go out of business. Which will mean the end of buying locally grown food and in particular organic food from organic food stores.
Some of the provisions in HR 2749 are -
The establishment of a food and ingredient tracking system. Which will track all edible raw materials from the land, or industry complex, to the retail outlets. How this will be accomplished is to be left to the FDA to create. The fear is that this tracking system will not only be complicated but that the FDA will pass the cost onto the food business facilities in the form of extra taxation.
The FDA will have the legal authority to turn up at a food facility's place of business without a warrant and conduct a search of the business records without any justification, i.e. the food facility need not necessarily have committed any offense or be suspected of having committed any offence.
If you owned a farm, or a shop, where you did all the work yourself. If the FDA were to turn up at your premises unannounced and conduct a search of all of your business records which could take all day, or several days, how much work would you get done? Would you consider the intrusion a major setback in the running of your business? Do you consider it would not happen to you?
Here are just three examples, as listed on Mike Adams web site, of the many armed raids carried out by the FDA on independent businesses.
1. During October 2007 the FDA conducted a raid on the premises of FulLife Natural Options, Inc, based in Florida. The FDA took away 71,000 dollars worth of herbal supplements. FulLife's crime was to state on their web site that the herbal supplements could lower blood sugar levels.
2. In 1990 FDA agents, without a search warrant, raided the pet food store of 57 year old Sissy Harrington-McGill, confiscating products and literature. Her crime was to say that vitamins could help keep pets healthy.
3. In 1992, in Texas, the FDA conducted raids on 12 health food stores. Stock was confiscated and never returned to the owners. No reason was given for the raids and no charges were filed. According to Mike Adams "The raids were simply a campaign of terror designed to destroy the inventory and disrupt business operations of stores selling natural health products".
The FDA will have the power to stop the movement of all food in an area regardless of the fact that the food may or may not be involved in a contamination scare. In theory this could result in some retail outlets in the designated area, such as farmers markets, running out of food.
The FDA will have the power to instruct farmers how to grow their crops. This could result in organic farms being forced to use chemical pesticides and fertilizers, thus reduce or obliterate organic standards.
All food facilities who produce, store, process or sell food will be required to pay an annual mandatory registration fee the 500 dollars. If you ever sell your surplus food to your neighbor then this also includes you.
Any individual person who violates any regulation set by the FDA will face criminal charges with a maximum fine of up to 100,000 dollars per violation and up to ten years in prison.
The legal power to be given to the FDA is horrific by any reasonable person's standards. Which is why the organic farming organisation "The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund" is so strongly opposed to HR 2749. If this Bill should become law then it is more than likely that in the near future the only food available to buy will be processed food either frozen, in a packet or can. Fresh food will become a rarity.
One last point. Even if fruit and vegetables in their natural state are still available there is a high probability that they will not be fresh. The FDA is well known for its support for the irradiation of food. If the FDA get full control of the food supply it is highly likely that they will regulate that all natural unprocessed food is to be irradiated. Their excuse for the irradiation of fresh food - food safety."
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roger_Langford |
21 Oct Wed 2009
HOW SAFE IS OUR WATER-II?This mineral additive might be a concern for mens libido REDUCTION!That chemical might be a carcinogen...
Erin Brackovich was here in the Acreage Florida.Learn more about the "Cancer Cluster"alleged to come from the contaminated well water.
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmviewid=20091008005007
The English tasted that water and pulled it out of the shelves for Containing a SEDATIVE and a Carcinogen.
http://www.naturalnews.com/001028.html
http://guardian.co.uk/business/2004/mar/20/medicineandhealth.lifeandhealth
It is more than the plastic.It is more than the effect on the endocrine glands.It is more than what you imagine.The safety of water is not a concern only for the is a concern for all.Let the people know!
HOW SAFE IS THE SOIL-I?THE CHALLANGE OF HEAVY METALS,PHARMACEUTICAL and other HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS traced to SLUDGE used to grow ORGANIC VEGGIES in COMMUNITY and HOME GARDENS.
The Problem:
The soil is sandy and infested with nematodes in some areas of S.Florida .To solve this dilemma some find solutions in using compost that is derived from SLUDGE ( treated human sewage).Even some rush to buy organic fertilizers that use sludge in the form of pebbles to grow ORGANIC VEGGIES..During the clinton administration,the EPA designated sludge derived fertilizers and compost to be used only on the LAWNS.Standards were changed after that and now sludge is labelled as organic and safe for veggies.
Still,I do not use it in my organic vegetable garden .Instead, I make my own soil and compost or I draw it from a trusted local farmer source.I learned the hard way.In the past:There were news about recalls of some contaminated vegetables .There were news about rocket fuel in Romaine Lettuce and Milk etc.With no health insurance, I better be safe than sorry.
I respect what others might think or choose ,but here I am talking about my OWN choices and why I consider NOT to use compost or organic fertilizers that are derived from SLUDGE.Traces of the following hazardous pollutants were traced to this man made compost:
1-Heavy metals :Lead,cadmium,uranium,mercury.
2-PCB and other manufacturing and industrial chemicals ,flushed down the drain.
3-Pharmaceuticals like prozac and other medications , flushed down the drain.
The References:
There are numerous studies , articles and books which were published that found evidence of harm done to the body especially to the endocrine system from such heavy metals traced to sludge.
Recently an article in Mother Jones traced lead , a heavy metal found at the new White House Organic garden to fertilizers derived from sludge .
http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2009/06/did-sludge-lace-obamas-veggie-garden-lead
Recently also we witnessed a protest and jeers from environmental groups concerning the new shift from using new tests on pesticides to determine their influence on the endocrine system .Old tests were recommended instead.
http://www.olympus.net/community/oec/sldgbl.html
Books ref.:
1-Hazardous Waste. By: Keith McGowan.ISBN:1-56006-699-7"Chapter 1-Tha Hazardous Wate Problem"
2-Garbage and recycling.ISBN:0-7377-3651-8"Chapter 7-Sewage Sludge Recycling Poses a Threat to Human Health."
Periodicals:
Mother Jones-June -2009 issue.
The solution:
Refrain from using compost derived from sludge.
When in doubt about the source of your soil, make your own.Consult with a local gardener/ urban farmer near you .
Use composted horse- or home raised chicken -manure instead of sludge.An alternative.
Ask about what is in your soil.make sure you know the source well.
Check the soil out: Organic soil shoild not smell foul.Should not contain PCB ,PLASTIC TRASH,HEAVY METALS,OTHER PHARMACEUTICAL OR INDUSTRIAL TRASH.
I recommend non-invasive environmental methods to extract heavy metals from the soil in case contamination is found.One of the methods I use is :PHYTOREMEDIATION.
This word is derived from GREEK.Phyto means :plants,Remedia means:extract.Plants are used since ancient times to extract heavy metals and pollutants from the soil.The process is slow,it takes years but it is environmentally friendly.For example: I am a fan of SUNFLOWER.The native Americans used it to purify the soil.Modern science found out that sunflower draws LEAD out from the ground.
Have a SAFE SOIL!
20 Oct Tue 2009
Here is a latest for Florida Job SEEKERS:A JOB SEEKER CENTER ON WHEELS coming to a library near you.
Are you familiar with a blood bank on wheels ? Here is something else on wheels :A job Center !!.Yes , I saw it and visited it at my neighborhood library.Great innovative idea to have a" job opportunity bank" BUS equipped with a state of the art information technology searching for job seekers to donate their resumes instead .I did my own donation!
I like the idea of COMMUNITY OUT REACH.I support the way of life that treats all with EQUAL OPPORTUNITY as WELL EQUAL JUSTICE FOR ALL!
I have lost my only transport :my van to a junk yard after I could not come up with money to repair it.They took my only way of transport without giving me a dime.My neighbor lost his home to the bank because he could not come up with the money .He owed the mortagage guys $190,000 .The bank sold his foreclosed home for $35,0000.Heand his wife were working THREE JOBS together.The mortgage payments were much more above the masrket value of their house.How many of you can relate to me and to my neighbor?If not now, may be it will happen to you along the way...
There is a joke about DEPRESSION AND RECESSION.Do you know the difference?If it happens to you and you lose everything, it is a DEPRESSION.If it happens to your neighbor,it is RECESSION!
I am a positive person , so I like the POSITIVE idea of THE WORKFORCE ALLIANCE initiative to send HELP to JOB SEEKERS right on wheels.I had to use my bicycle to reach them..They told me this is a PILOT PROJECT..Taht was a GOOD initiative!But,it was only a trial to measure the response from the public.Well the library printed few flyers to inform us, like couple of days ahead of time.The outcome was a show up of 13 people.I am sure there are more job seekers than that .The thing which we must adress is :LET THE PEOPLE KNOW!
There are stimulus money for many other than the banks , but the problem is that MOST OF THE PUBLIC DO NOT KNOW .
Awareness is the key.It is always GOOD TO KNOW!Thank you WORKFORCE ALLIANCE for the sending HELP on wheels.Next thing I love to see:ORGANIC Locally grown fruits and vegetables on wheels for those who HAVE NO MEANS of TRANSPORT TO visit the soup kitchens or the food pantrys (mostly distributing canned food and bread)!. .At least we have a lot of job seekers who are eligible and qualify for a plot at a community garden ,to grow their own organic fruits and vegetables.The question is :Where are the land that still holds on the fertile soil here in Florida?Do not ask the developers or the officials who helped this to happen.They have erased two community gardens with good fertile soil not long time ago ,which I know of.Where are the LAWS that protect AGRICULTURAL LANDS WITH FERTILE SOIL in our COMMUNITIES?
Top soil out.Hydroponics in.What happens if safe potable water be next to miss ?Where will we grow our food?The Florida Areage community of 45,000 is now battling a Cancer Cluster that is being allegedly traced to the well water.It is time to raise the WATER AWARENESS level to higher STANDARD ,before we end up with WELL WATER ON WHEELS!
16 Oct Fri 2009
Building and enhancing the community resources brick by brick the Brickman'sand Lake Worth Resource Center WAY!A lesson on how a local Landscaping business and a local Volunteer oriented Mentoring Center join hands to help out the community by DOING !
Lake Woth ,Florida.
Reported by :Blogger Tony Dagher BA,CFMG
The sun was shining in another beautiful fall Florida day.
There was Ms.Taylor ,a photographer from the Palm Beach Post and another camera man from a local TV -channel 5-snapping shots and interviews respectively !.I was there reporting and interviewing for my Local Harvest blog alongside with the media.Why not having farmers reportes ..to touch base with reality from an urban farmers perspective.I felt proud taking part in another COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER event.
There,I was witnessing something different which rarely catches the eye of the common observer:A landscaping crew of managers -regional-operational-adminstrative and more office STAFF -in addition to arborists,technicians,trainers-sweating in the sizzling Florida sun with hands and shirts covered with dirt and mulch.
They were mostly white colar staff DOING some LABOR INTENSIVE PHYSICAL WORK by volunteering at the Lake Worth Resource Center .Tell me about farming and gardening being a trade for the under paid and overworked , a job looked at as demeaning by some!May be it is the right time now to introduce URBAN FARMING in our school programs for the general public as something to be PROUD OF:GROWING YOUR OWN ORGANIC FOOD LOCALLY!
They were beautifying the city of Lake Worth by planting their donated trees,ornamental shrubs and flowers,and spreading environmentally friendly Melaluca mulch at the LWRC.ALL DONE FOR FREE!THAT IS UNCONDITIONAL COMMUNITY LOVE IN ACTION!
They were giving demonstrations on using equipment and TRAINING the Lake Worth Resource Center job seekers for careers in landscaping.
The Trainees were mostly Hispanic non-documented migrant workers.But there were others who are documented citizens who came to learn as well.They were being taught HOW TO: Operate landscaping equipmen,applying safety gear, spray, mulch etc.
Just finished ,was an indoor multi media Brickmans University power point presentation fascilitated by M/S Katerina Albertson the director of employee development ,assisted by Boca Raton operational manager Mr.Martin Tapia . Among other important things,we learned about the UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES OF MOWING:
1-BRING IN BIG MACHINES FIRST.
2-USE NON-EXCESSIVE WEEDING
3-KEEP THE GRASS IN THE GRASS ,NOT ON THE SIDE WALK.
Brickman group was celebrating the Founder's Day by volunteering and giving back to the community.
As in today,back in 1939 ,Mr Theodore Brickman founded the company with head quarters in GAETHERSBURG-MARYLAND.Today the Family owned and operated company ,a home for more than 10,000 employees nation wide ,is headed by grandson and CEO SCOTT BRICKMAN.
This community celebration by reaching out and giving back should be a LESSON to all.Present was a crowd of more than 100 volunteers , jobseekers ,company satff and officials spearheaded by Brickman regional manager Mr.Mark Swanson,Lake Worth Commissioner Susan Mulvehill , LWRC president and directors Lisa and Don Wilson,and Brickmans WPB branch manager Mr.Brendan Dooley .Let us give a hand and volunteer .Let us celebrate by beautifying and enriching our community.Let us news report the POSITIVE and spread more awareness aboutPRODUCTIVE HORTICULTURE .
For more info about the LWRC visit :
http://www.thementoringctr.org
Fotr more information about Brickman ,visit:
http://www.brickmangroup
For more info about our blog visit:
http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M20618
15 Oct Thu 2009
THE GROWING SEASON IS ON IN S.FLORIDA.NEED HELP ?JUST GIVE US A BUZ!
Welcome to the growing season in S.Florida.Now , we will experience a flood of now birds looking for organic vegetables to buy LOCALLY so they head to the green market or farmer market in hopes of getting some.Guess what?No local farmers are found ?Why? Because the farms were gone long time ago as the developers took over .Now the trend is to grow organic veggies in the home backyards,community gardens ,school and church yards .Most people have no clue about Organic gardening here because there are not many programs available to the public in general.
I give workshops and classes upon request to groups who live close by.The first thing to know is HOW MUCH OF:
1)Time you have to spend gardening?
2)Budget to spend on the garden?
3)Space you intend to use for gardening?
Profesional help is important to know before you grow.
09 Oct Fri 2009
How safe is our water-I?Find out more details about how RADIATION CAN CAUSE CANCER in this Florida Cancer Cluster AGRICULTURAL and RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY
Remember SILAS MARNER and John Milton FAMOUS :Water Water evry where but no DROP to DRINK ?Well Come and meet the Acreage Community at this Convention Center which took place yesterday with a FAMED ENVIRONMENTAL CRUSADER :ERIN BROCKOVICH.Read more at:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/search/content/local_news/epaper/2009/9/10/08/1008brockovich.html
What brings this to our attention is we farmers use water for irrigation and for consumption.In times of Draught like in California and concern about cancer clusters like in Florida , it is worth it to reconcider what we know or NOT know about WATER.
First thing as farmers we must be concerned about using the treated SEWAGE water.We also should refrain from using chemical fertilizers as it is now the case at the ACREAGE, the fertilizers chemiclas seap down into the aquifers in the end and we recycle them into our water wells.
The water wells inspected had residues of above the standard levels RADIUM 226-228 that causes cancer.There are at least ten families now at the Acreage area with members with cancer.
The time is ripe now to follow the European standard of testing water and regulating it.So far No regulations.Lots of CONCERNS.
There are more ways to save the environment and our own families from harmful chemicals and radiations that make their way into our potable and irrigation water.I will follow with another article about the potable water in bottles and the risks that we are unaware of.We need more farmers and gardeners who DRINK and USE WATER for IRRIGATION to raise more awarness about water.OUR FOOD and OUR LIVES depend on this important source that is becoming more ENDANGERED .Stay tuned .Stay safe!