Good Food is Everybody's Business
Walk past any college laboratory and you could probably identify the subject at hand by the smell. The chemistry lab reeks of chlorine and sulfur, the biology lab sends off whiffs of formaldehyde, and even the botany lab smells earthy, fruity, and sometimes sweet. But never have such wonderful odors come from a lab until you pass something called the Bread Lab!
Freshly ground whole grain flour is alive – and lively – according to Dr. Steven Jones, WSU Wheat Breeder and founder of The Bread Lab. Age, processing, and chemicals will “kill” your flour, and will give you flour that is “nothing of interest other than to carry other flavors.”
American agriculture is at a cross-roads: a point where we can either apply our scientific knowledge to create a vibrant and healthful food and farming system for the future, or double down on an outdated model of agriculture that is rapidly undermining our environment and our health.
Scientist, author, and activist, Vandana Shiva presented the University of Victoria’s President’s Distinguished Lecture and Special Convocation address marking the school’s 50th anniversary.
The Pacific Crabapple tree has been growing in Northwestern North America longer than any other species of ornamental fruit. The Pacific Crabapple tree grows in lifezones ranging from grasslands to foothills. The tree usually grows in moist environments; either in open wetlands or near bodies of water. Native groups from British Columbia all the way down through Cascadia used the Crabapple tree for various purposes.
Organicology – a “portmanteau word” meaning the study of organics – is the biggest conference/trade show focused entirely on organic seeds and produce in the country. This year more than 700 people attended the three-day conference that included a trilogy of key note speakers, five daylong intensive sessions, 15 workshops, an educational (and practical) “seed swap,” winter vegetable tasting, and a trade event featuring nearly 60 vendors.
Dave Christensen has spent 40 years rescuing this corn from extinction and breeding it to find or create the hardiest, most nutritious varieties. Someday, he hopes, it could feed millions. He grows multicolored heirloom corn on 12 different plots scattered across Montana. Mainly dried and ground, the kernels are highly nutritious and chock-full of antioxidants.
A grassroots campaign has been launched in Washington State for the adoption of a labeling law for genetically engineered foods (a.k.a. GMO or transgenic foods). The grassroots initiative seeks support for I-522, which would mandate labeling of transgenic crops or foods containing GMOs. You can read the full text of the proposed initiative below this commentary. The I-522 movement is led by a diverse group of consumer advocates, organic farmers, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and has recruited a wide variety of endorsements from NGOs, municipalities, faith-based groups, farmers and farmer associations, seed savers and exchange groups, plant breeders, and well-known and respected elected officials.
