From the monthly archives:

April 2009

Swine Flu? Bird Flu? How about Factory Farm Flu?

Thumbnail image for Swine Flu? Bird Flu? How about Factory Farm Flu? April 29, 2009 by Ryan Slifka

It’s official. Two Calgarians have come down with swine flu and made the front page of the Calgary Herald today, masks and all. People with masks scare me, even though the mask is supposed to symbolize “safety.”
There’s a lot of talk about swine flu in the media lately. I can’t figure out if it’s just [...]

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Water, Blood of the Earth & Monsanto Pays Percy Schmeiser

Thumbnail image for Water, Blood of the Earth & Monsanto Pays Percy Schmeiser April 28, 2009 by Jon Steinman

The New Resilient now features Deconstructing Dinner, an award-winning weekly radio podcast about local and international food issues brought to you by Kootenay Coop Radio CJLY FM in Nelson, British Columbia. You can download the latest episode here, stream it here or download the podcast via iTunes. The following is a rebroadcast of a March [...]

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Why we must fight the Government’s plan to end the Canadian Grain Commission as a Farmer Advocate

Thumbnail image for Why we must fight the Government’s plan to end the Canadian Grain Commission as a Farmer Advocate April 27, 2009 by National Farmers Union

The following is an Op-Ed, published with permission, by National Farmers’ Union Vice-President Terry Boehm on Bill C-13, the Conservative government’s plan to amend the Canada Grain Act that is about to go before the House of Commons. For more information on the implications of the bill, please see this report by the Centre for [...]

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An Open Letter to The Western Producer

Thumbnail image for An Open Letter to The Western Producer April 24, 2009 by Jon Steinman

The Western Producer (WP) is Canada’s most circulated agricultural publication. The weekly newspaper reaches over 65,000 Canadians (mostly farmers). Understandably, The WP exerts a considerable influence on agricultural and food perspectives in Western Canada.
As a journalist who, for many years has been covering the topic of genetically modified (GM) foods, I’ve come to recognize a [...]

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The Take: Expropriations, Cooperatives and Do-it-Yourself Economics

April 23, 2009 by Ryan Slifka

A couple nights ago I had the pleasure of viewing the Take, a 2004 documentary by Canadian writers/journalists Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein on the rise of worker-run cooperatives in Argentina. The difference between these cooperatives and most worker cooperatives is that many of them are run by workers that lost their jobs thanks to [...]

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Green reasons to cut back on meat

April 22, 2009 by Mike Soron

In honour of Earth Day, Kathy Freston offers 13 Breathtaking Effects of Cutting Back on Meat. Elsewhere, she’s produced A Beginner’s Guide to Conscious Eating and The Startling Effects of Going Vegetarian for Just One Day.

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Mountain Valley Farm II: Kootenay Alpine Cheese

Thumbnail image for Mountain Valley Farm II: Kootenay Alpine Cheese April 21, 2009 by Jon Steinman

The New Resilient now features Deconstructing Dinner, an award-winning weekly radio podcast about local and international food issues brought to you by Kootenay Coop Radio CJLY FM in Nelson, British Columbia. You can download the latest episode here, stream it here or download the podcast via iTunes.
On last week’s episode we ended up at Mountain [...]

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Tell me what’s in my food: GMOs and stark contrasts in world food policy

Thumbnail image for Tell me what’s in my food: GMOs and stark contrasts in world food policy April 20, 2009 by Ryan Slifka

On Tuesday, Germany’s agriculture minister announced that the German government would be putting a ban on Monsanto’s MON 810, a breed of genetically engineered corn that is thus far the only GMO crop allowed to be planted in Germany.
The minister cited the reason for the decision being based on the fact that the corn poses [...]

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New Resilient Digest: Shipping containers, boats, and more

April 17, 2009 by Mike Soron

Global depression got you down? Is the collapse of mystic capitalism affecting world trade? Put those vacant shipping containers to good use: turn them into homes designed for resistance to our other alarming problem, climate change induced extreme weather. (via GG)
Need a weekend project? Chelsea Green suggests enlisting in the urban garden guerilla army. Food [...]

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Guelph organic agriculture axed… almost!

Thumbnail image for Guelph organic agriculture axed… almost! April 17, 2009 by Jon Steinman

“How can the president of this institution express support for organic programs while at the same time allow the closure of the major,” –Sylvie Fojtik, University of Guelph student
At a time filled with great economic and ecological challenges, how we choose to respond can shed insight into what our society values.
Over the past year, it’s [...]

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How-To: Grow 100 lbs of Potatoes in a 4 Square Foot Tower

Thumbnail image for How-To: Grow 100 lbs of Potatoes in a 4 Square Foot Tower April 16, 2009 by Mike Soron

I devour potatoes. There is something comforting and inviting about them. A devoted fan of big weekend breakfasts, I’m a sucker for fresh hash browns, especially. And mashed? Astounding.
Yet, the idea of growing them in one’s backyard seems very intimidating, especially in the city.
Not so, says recent internet chatter. Attention has turned to an article [...]

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University of Guelph Organic Agriculture Axed… almost/Mountain Valley Farm I

Thumbnail image for University of Guelph Organic Agriculture Axed… almost/Mountain Valley Farm I April 13, 2009 by Jon Steinman

The New Resilient now features Deconstructing Dinner, an award-winning weekly radio podcast about local and international food issues brought to you by Kootenay Coop Radio CJLY FM in Nelson, British Columbia. You can download the latest episode here, stream it here or download the podcast via iTunes.
In late March 2009, the University of Guelph announced [...]

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Towards Sustainability: one couple’s working model (part III)

Thumbnail image for Towards Sustainability: one couple’s working model (part III) April 13, 2009 by Jonathan Wright

This is part three of a series of articles penned by Jonathan Wright, a Calgary area farmer and co-founder of one of the city’s first community supported agriculture programs. Jon operates a zero-emission farm called Thompson Small Farm near Carbon, Alberta with his partner Andrea.
Thompson Small Farm uses animal power for as many tasks as [...]

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