September was marked by Organic Week in Ireland. It was encouraging to see broad media coverage and growing awareness among people. Even Lidl had a special promotion selling organics at 1/3 to 1/2 off – milk and eggs were cheaper than regular product so it was an opportunity to try them. And there was lots of coverage in newspapers and on TV with news reports and recipes etc.
Coincidentally, the ILO had a meeting during organic week where changing land use and the outlook for agriculture was discussed. The ELO recently published a report The 21st Century Land Use Challenge (pdf), which focussed on the need for farmers to develop sustainable land use applications which enhance biodiversity and protect nature if agricultural subsidies are to be continued. The rationale is that the “food security” myth has been exposed while natural phenomena underpin the need to nurture the biosphere.
While the necessity of valuing nature may be recognised by some, the majority of farmers and land-owners remain uninformed, and therefore not in a good position to innovate. For example, genetically modified organisms (GM) and Monsanto are still seen to be good, though information soon converts people to the realisation that they fall in to the same category as DDT and chemical warfare – they might seem like a good idea until the results are actually in! Have a look at these two articles which came out recently to put yourself in the picture: The World According to Monsanto and Why Schools Should Remove Gene-Altered Foods from Their Cafeterias which, in particular provides a powerful argument for staying away from junk food, especially for children.
(I also drafted a short piece on Organic Ireland for a friend which you can see here.)
Last weekend we also passed through the autumn equinox. Yup, that means we’re now in the more night that day zone in the northern hemisphere. This has been compensated for by a week of sunshine and dry weather which has cheered spirits, allowed the harvest to be brought in (albeit late) and provided good conditions for the National Ploughing Championships.
Peace Day 2008 almost coincided with the equinox. Its a great initiative and even supported by some big organisations like the UN. Unfortunately, it needs to be supported by rich governments and weapons businesses before its going to make a real difference. Importantly, though awareness is a precursor to action so maybe we’ll see some disarmament in our lives.
On the home front, tomatoes are bursting out of the greenhouse. I love them and we eat them for two or three meals a day. Its such a treat to have such a flavoursome, healthy food. And children love them – when they help harvest they usually eat more than they collect! As always, let us know if you’d like some. Otherwise the garden is slowing down for the winter. While I enjoy the work, it’ll be nice that the pressure eases for a while. Winter chores, like logging and repairs, never seem so urgent.
Yoga has also started again in Tullow. Pam is teaching a couple of classes on Tuesday and Thursday (as well as private sessions). The format for Tuesday evenings has changed: you can now choose between a gentle hatha yoga class (7-8 pm) or try another style of yoga, shadow yoga (8:15-9:30). Call Pam if you would like advice on which to choose. If you want to sign up for a course, just go along to Teach Bride on Tuesday evening or Mount Wolseley on Thursday evening or call Pam on 059 9155037.
We’ve also finished rebuilding The Shed. This was a derelict farmhouse which we’ve transformed into a cosy cottage with wood burning Rayburn, underfloor heating and a large deck. It’s available for short or long lets. And if you are looking for a good building team – just let me know … before I get them started on Ireland’s first Sustainable Community or another project 🙂 !
Well, I hope this has taken your mind off the ridiculous behaviour of financial markets and the economy for a moment. Perhaps its a good time to enjoy the changing colours of autumn and change course …
Best wishes,
Tom
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