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Source: Life.ca As you begin to dream about and plan this season’s garden, you might want to think about the type of seed you’re ordering, as well as the variety of vegetables or flowers. Unfortunately, the simple act of planting a seed has become politicized. Traditionally, gardeners and farmers have saved seeds from one year’s crop for planting the next year, exchanging their favorites with neighbors and family. These open-pollinated seeds (as opposed to the hybrid varieties found in most seed catalogs) will produce the same vegetable or flower each year, until cross-pollination (via insects, wind or plant breeder) by another variety occurs. That ensures genetic diversity and a strong supply of healthy plant varieties. However, the practice is endangered. Hybrid seeds result from a deliberate cross between two inbred lines. They are becoming increasingly popular among farmers and gardeners because they are often more vigorous and uniform than open-pollinated varieties. But their main claim to fame is that they provide built-in protection for the seed producer, because seeds saved from their plants do not grow properly. In other words, only the person who controls the original parents can produce this hybrid seed. This fact is being exploited by the large corporate seed growers. Intellectual property rights legislation being passed around the world allows corporations to patent super hybrid seeds that they have bred and charge royalties for their use. |
Source: MSN If you include organic foods in your holiday menu, you’ll be in step with the latest food trends, according to industry polls. And you may also be doing your children’s health a favor. Parents who feed their children organically grown food can substantially lower the levels of pesticide residues to which their kids are exposed, according to a new study. + Click here to read full article.
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Source: Star
Telegram You wouldn't knowingly eat something that might raise your risk of heart disease, breast cancer, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, diverticulitis, macular degeneration, inflammation and diabetes -- not to mention possibly leading to premature aging, memory loss, reproductive problems and immune dysfunction. But you may not know that foods you eat every day -- potato chips, cookies, energy bars -- are hiding an ingredient that could pose those risks. You've heard, no doubt, that trans fat is the baddest of the bad fats when it comes to heart disease. But scientists keep weighing in with studies linking trans fat to other ailments, affecting body and brain functions -- including those listed above. The spotlight on trans fats got even harsher last month with the government's new Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Released Jan. 12, the new guidelines tell us not to eat more than 2 grams of trans fats a day. + Click here to read full article.
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