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Separating the Grain from the Chaff in Agriculture & Food
Is There “Illegal GMO Wheat” in Kraft Mac & Cheese? NO!
This is going to be quick and dirty, but I just came across a flurry of tweets regarding this topic and feel the need to address it. Vani Hari, aka “the Food Babe” is acting like she’s uncovered the conspiracy of the century because she discovered a box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese that, upon […]
Posted in: Food
Wordless Wednesday: This is Your Milk. This is Your Milk on Grass.
May 23, 2013
Today’s post came to me this morning while I was milking Bonnie, our Jersey cow, and watching the golden milk froth into the pail. The difference in colour between these two glasses of milk can probably be partially attributed to a difference in butterfat (the store-bought milk is 2% and our own is probably testing […]
Wordless Wednesday: Spring Plowing
May 8, 2013
Gabriel is tagging along behind the plow on his own tractor, acting as quality control officer and chief earthworm counter.
Posted in: Uncategorized
Bees & Neonicotinoids: An Organic Farmer’s Perspective
May 3, 2013
The Debate The past several months have seen a lot of coverage of the alleged links between neonicotinoid insecticides (neonics) and widespread, puzzling, and distressing bee deaths. This week saw the European Commission ban the use of neonics for two years, starting in January of 2014. Many groups are calling for similar action on this […]
Posted in: Agriculture, Organic
It’s Time to Re-Focus the GMO Debate
April 20, 2013
Dear friends (anti-GMO and pro-GMO), I don’t know about you, but I’m getting tired of the debate over genetically modified crops and food. Tired of the constant claim and counter-claim, the hyperbole, the exaggerations, the fear-mongering, the mis-quotes, the lack of context, the narrow perspectives, the sniping and snarking, the name-calling, the disrespect – all […]
Posted in: Agriculture
The GMO Song: A Ditty About Co-Existence
April 18, 2013
I discovered this video last week over on the Biofortified Blog (a good place to visit for science-based information and discussion on GMOs, despite – or because! – of the pre-dominance of those who support the technology). The video is a good reminder that despite differing opinions, at the end of the day, we’ve all […]
Posted in: Agriculture
Wordless Wednesday: Spring Planting – What a Difference a Year Makes!
April 10, 2013
Posted in: Agriculture, Songberry Organic Farm
Thoughts on GMO Alfalfa’s Potential Release in Eastern Canada
April 8, 2013
The issue of GMO alfalfa is a hot topic in Canada these days, especially considering the series of protests planned for tomorrow, April 9th, across the country. There’s been a lot of hype around the issue, but here I’ll try to boil it down to a few key points: The End of Organic Farming? Some people claim […]
Posted in: Agriculture, Organic
Does Mark Lynas Represent Leadership or Divisiveness in Agriculture?
April 4, 2013
Background A lot has been said and written about Mark Lynas since his infamous speech to the Oxford Farming Conference in January. To the pro-biotech community, he’s their latest hero: a self-declared “leader” of the anti-GMO movement who “suddenly discovered science” and now offers his unwavering support to genetically-modified crops. To others he’s a “traitor” […]
Posted in: Agriculture
Wordless Wednesday: Old-Fashioned Manure Handling
April 3, 2013
In honour of yesterday’s post on manure, I thought I’d share this photo of my son helping me clean out the barn last fall. With only 2 cows sheltered in a log barn well over 100 years old, we handle manure the “old-fashioned” way and apply it to our hay fields to build and maintain […]
Posted in: Uncategorized
The Blog of Rob Wallbridge
Occasional posts on food, farming, and related topics from an organic farm in Western Quebec, Canada.
The Fanning Mill 
May 31, 2013
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