Comments on: The “Scape Pig” And Other Fairy Tales http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=12 Letters from Mariquita Farm Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:00:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Donna http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=12#comment-24 Donna Fri, 30 Mar 2007 22:08:51 +0000 http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=12#comment-24 Andy, do you grow rampion? If not, do you know anyone who does? As you know, I've a great interest in medieval foodstuffs. Donna Andy, do you grow rampion? If not, do you know anyone who does? As you know, I’ve a great interest in medieval foodstuffs.

Donna

]]> By: Michelle http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=12#comment-23 Michelle Tue, 27 Mar 2007 03:17:23 +0000 http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=12#comment-23 Bravo! Great points and a good read... Bravo! Great points and a good read…

]]> By: andy http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=12#comment-22 andy Sun, 25 Mar 2007 01:13:21 +0000 http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=12#comment-22 The wind blows all the time. It's not clear to me that the cattle in San Benito County on the rangeland surrounding the Natural Selections Ranch in Cienega Valley implicated in the spinach contamination were eating anything other than pasture grass. I don't have much faith that the E. coli problem can be treated at the source very often, especially once testing reveals how many sources there are. In the end, the most secure way to grow leafy greens might be in greenhouses, a la the Netherlands. In this way there could be centers of vegetable production in or near urban centers all around the U.S. with the added advantages of proving diffuse, non-seasonal employment for all kinds of people. The technology exists. One of the biggest problems is that for a lot of people who profess to be environmentalists greenhouses are an "eyesore." I grew in greenhouses for five years and it was the most satisfying growing experience of my career. The ability in a greenhouse setting to avoid pesticides with beneficial insects makes clean farming easier than in an outdoor setting. If I owned the greenhouses I'd still be in them. The wind blows all the time. It’s not clear to me that the cattle in San Benito County on the rangeland surrounding the Natural Selections Ranch in Cienega Valley implicated in the spinach contamination were eating anything other than pasture grass. I don’t have much faith that the E. coli problem can be treated at the source very often, especially once testing reveals how many sources there are. In the end, the most secure way to grow leafy greens might be in greenhouses, a la the Netherlands. In this way there could be centers of vegetable production in or near urban centers all around the U.S. with the added advantages of proving diffuse, non-seasonal employment for all kinds of people. The technology exists. One of the biggest problems is that for a lot of people who profess to be environmentalists greenhouses are an “eyesore.” I grew in greenhouses for five years and it was the most satisfying growing experience of my career. The ability in a greenhouse setting to avoid pesticides with beneficial insects makes clean farming easier than in an outdoor setting. If I owned the greenhouses I’d still be in them.

]]> By: Tim Bray http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=12#comment-21 Tim Bray Sat, 24 Mar 2007 21:52:34 +0000 http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=12#comment-21 I'm fairly sure the wind blows in Watsonville from time to time. The bird netting probably isn't going to keep wind from blowing E. coli-laced dust from the feedlot onto the VERY LARGE STRAWBERRY GROWER's fields, now is it? The O157:H7 problem needs to be treated at the source - the feedlots, and the bad feeding practices that lead to the acid-tolerant strain of E. coli in the first place. I’m fairly sure the wind blows in Watsonville from time to time. The bird netting probably isn’t going to keep wind from blowing E. coli-laced dust from the feedlot onto the VERY LARGE STRAWBERRY GROWER’s fields, now is it?

The O157:H7 problem needs to be treated at the source - the feedlots, and the bad feeding practices that lead to the acid-tolerant strain of E. coli in the first place.

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