That Was Close!

     The week began with forecasts of heavy winds and rain. We got the trees sprayed to protect them from molds and blossom rot. The first front passed through without much ado. Thursday evening and Friday morning had a fair amount of rain. I had fifteen hundredths at the house, but we had half an inch out on the west side. By lunchtime Friday the storm had passed and the bees were back at work pollinating the almonds.

   We are passed peak bloom now. The petals are fluttering of the trees now and it looks like a light snow in the breeze. It is always amazing when the trees change from dormant, to blooming to fully leafed out in the matter of a few weeks. Spring is in the air.
   The weather is supposed to warm up  this week. Maybe a couple of days of 80 degree weather. That would give us a false sense of security. I have seen guys plant cotton in 80 degree weather the end of March and then have to re-plant after the weather turned cold and wet again.There is still plenty of unsettled of weather ahead.

Three Cheers for Modern, Conventional Farming!

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright February 2013

                2012 was a good news year for conventional farmers. Three academic studies came out supporting the benefits of modern, conventional farming.

            The Stanford School of Medicine reviewed almost three hundred studies. Their conclusion? One researcher is quoted as saying, “There isn’t much difference between organic and conventional foods.”
(New York Daily news.com)

            The American Academy of Pediatrics wrote, “in the long term there is no direct evidence that consuming an organic diet leads to improved health or lower risk of disease.” Their recommendation? Kids should eat more fruits and vegetables, less processed and fast food.

            Oxford University’s Journal of Environmental Management concluded, “organic products such as milk, cereals and pork generate more greenhouse gases than their conventional counterparts.”

            I’ll post the links to these reports on my blog so you can read them yourselves.

Predictably, the true believers in organic food went on the warpath, that’s OK. We need to keep talking about how create the best food system possible.

I am proud of what I do. We grow food and fiber for a hungry world. These studies confirmed what we have known all along, what we do is good for our customers and good for the planet.

Sources-

Stanford School of Medicine- http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/American-Academy-of-Pediatrics-Weighs-In-For-the-First-Time-on-Organic-Foods-for-Children.aspx?nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token

University of Oxford-

American Academy of Pediatrics- http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/American-Academy-of-Pediatrics-Weighs-In-For-the-First-Time-on-Organic-Foods-for-Children.aspx?nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token