Another Look at our Food System

A hundred years ago, the food consumed in southeastern Manitoba was grown locally, and the main input going into the growing of that food was local labour. Land was not considered a scarce resource at that time, so it was not expensive. The machinery used was elementary and simple. It did not cost much. Draft horses consumed on farm inputs, mostly labour. And horses reproduce themselves. Fertilizers and other agricultural chemicals were not known, so the only consumable input used was seed, and even that often had been saved by the farmer from the previous year. Meat consumed was grown and processed locally.

Click to read more ...

What can a Transition Town do?

What can a Transition Town really achieve? That was the question a colleague asked me the other day when I said I was writing an article on behalf of the South Eastman Transition Initiative. It is a good question, and one I ask myself quite often when a small group of us are sitting in a local coffee shop sharing ideas and experiences (mostly about our gardens at this time of year). I feel the need for South Eastman Transition Initiative to get its teeth into something in one of our local communities, but what can we do?

Click to read more ...

Auto Addiction

According to Miriam-Webster, to be addicted is to devote or surrender oneself to something habitually or compulsively. There are harmless addictions – music, puzzles, even video gaming – they have no negative effect on others. On the whole we ignore them. But when compulsions begin to harm others we become alarmed, and such addicts are prosecuted – unless the addiction is to the automobile. Auto addiction is encouraged.

Click to read more ...

You can’t beet it…

If your garden is anything like ours, we are starting to get an abundance of certain vegetables. This month it’s beets. And this abundance of vegetables at one time can be a little disconcerting when you are producing your produce for yourself rather than relying on the grocery store.

Click to read more ...

Keeping your cool

With summer finally arriving, bringing hot humid weather it can be tempting to reach for the air conditioning controls if you have them and blasting the air cool. But is there another way to stay cool?

Click to read more ...