I haven’t checked on my honey bees yet this fall but this does not sound promising:
B.C. apiarists stung by bee deaths – The Globe and Mail
An unprecedented die-off of commercial honeybees on southern Vancouver Island this winter has left beekeepers in the region scrambling to rebuild their devastated stocks in time for spring.
“It’s really bad between Nanaimo and Victoria. We’re talking in the vicinity of about 90-per-cent losses,” said Stan Reist, president of the B.C. Honey Producers Association. [read more]
Sustainable agriculture, consumer groups, Monsanto encourage farmers, consumers to submit comments to U.S. Department of Agriculture
Amid ongoing uncertainty over the safety and efficacy of genetically engineered (GE) crops, or GMOs, a new round of fighting has broken out, this time over GE alfalfa and its impact on organics…
This was from last fall when a friend and I purchased two live lambs, slaughtered, cleaned and processed the meat all in one day. The meat has tasted excellent and there is an appreciation for the work that went into the meal when eating it; from the farmer that raised the animal to the time the meat was wrapped in butcher paper.
The bulk of my seed order for 2010 was placed this week. This year I decided to try and order most of the seeds I could from William Dam Seeds since there seeds are untreated. I will also be using what I can of my seed inventory left over from last year. This years seed order only required small modifications from last year. Going into the ground again this year will be squash, potatoes, corn (I’ll try it again), kale, lettuce, swiss chard, peas, spinach, tomatoes, eggplant, beans, carrots, beets and onions; and more.
I’m hoping to improve upon last year where some of the varieties I planted did not succesfully make it to market.
At the height of summer squash season, I believe they have a place at every meal, everyday. A variety of small, colourful and flavourful patty pans can be used as a side dish, appetizer or main course, and they are easy to prepare, and quick to cook.
Cut into ½ inch slices, long and wide. Brush with extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill hot for ~2 minutes each side.
Prepare ‘matchstick’ style and add a handful to any raw salad.
Steam whole until tender and finish with butter, salt and pepper as a side dish to any meal.
For medium/large pieces, remove centers and stuff with your favourite savoury rice, bread or custard filling and bake as a main course.
Cut a variety of squash and stew with equal parts onion, eggplant, peppers and tomatoes with fresh herbs and garlic for ‘ratatouille’.
Dice, sauté for colour with butter and herbs, then bind with cream cheese for a ‘bruschetta’ topping.
Pan-frywith butter and garlic. Wisk together 4 eggs, ½ cup milk and ¼ C grated cheese, and add to the hot pan for summer squash frittata.
Stir-Fry, Deep-Fry (tempura), Pickle, Fire-Roast
As a rule, wash…do not peel these squash. Delicate skins offer delicate flavours. Compliment their earthiness with other ‘flavourites’- thyme, rosemary, oregano, garlic, and don’t forget the salt and pepper. Be creative, be adventurous.
