Sept 2, 2015

FOOD ISLAND DAY SET FOR WEDNESDAY . . . 50% LOCAL FOOD CLUB – NOVA SCOTIA . . . REPLACING PESTICIDES WITH GENETICS . . . CILANTRO SUSPECTED IN FOOD POISONINGS . . . BEE-KILLING NEONICOTINOID PESTICIDES EVEN WORSE THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT . . . OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST...

FOOD ISLAND DAY SET FOR WEDNESDAY
Source: Island Farmer
Food Island Day is slated for Clinton Hills Wednesday. It is a one-day symposium that will bring together over 150 P.E.I. food processors, growers, exporters, food tourism operators, industry associations, product development centers, government agencies, and other stakeholders to learn about emerging food trends, best practices, and network. (read more)

50% LOCAL FOOD CLUB – NOVA SCOTIA
Source: ACORN This September, Step Up To The Plate! September marks the return of something wonderful – the 50% Local Food Club! A province-wide, month-long initiative designed to increase purchasing and consumption of local food, the 50% Local Food Club aims to support and celebrate food producers and farmers in our province. Last September, eaters of all ages stepped up to the plate in support of local agriculture – more than 3,000 Nova Scotians committed to sourcing 50 percent of their diet from local producers! (read more)

REPLACING PESTICIDES WITH GENETICS
Source: New York Times
Every spring, a host of unwelcome visitors descends on the Hansen farm in upstate New York. Diamondback moths blown in from the South threaten rows of cabbages to be sold for slaw and sauerkraut. The moths can’t be fought off with a single insecticide. Workers must spray a series of chemicals throughout the growing season to keep the moths’ numbers in check. (read more)

CILANTRO SUSPECTED IN FOOD POISONINGS
Source: Ontario Farmer
Cilantro from Mexico is the prime suspect in a growing list of food poisonings across the United States and Canada. However, so far there is no conclusive evidence that it’s the culprit in 495 cases in the United States and 92 across Canada, most of those in Ontario. Cyclospora, a microscopic single-celled parasite that is passed in people’s feces, is the problem. If it comes in contact with food or water, it can infect the people who consume it. This causes an intestinal illness called cyclosporiasis. (read more)

BEE-KILLING NEONICOTINOID PESTICIDES EVEN WORSE THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT
Source: Treehugger.com
We’ve been writing for a while about the damage that neonicotinoid pesticides are doing to bee populations around the world, but according to the latest science, things might be even worse than we thought. A new assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa) of three chemicals that are already banned in Europe, clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam, has found that they pose a “high risk” to bees when sprayed on leaves. (read more)

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

CURRENT EL NINO CLIMATE EVENT “AMONG THE STRONGEST”
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-34120583

SO WE DRINK LESS MILK – LET’S UNDERSTAND WHY
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/so-we-drink-less-milk-lets-understand-why/article26158646/

IS CREEP FEEDING AN ANSWER TO YOUR PASTURE WOES?
http://www.canadiancattlemen.ca/2015/09/01/is-creep-feeding-an-answer-to-your-pasture-woes/?module=carousel&pgtype=homepage&i=1

NEW WASTE-TO-ENERGY FACILITY TO BENEFIT EAST TENNESSEE
http://www.bioenergy-news.com/display_news/9565/new_wastetoenergy_facility_to_benefit_east_tennessee/