From The Garden

Serious problems with our food safety system have made a lot of us begin to take a look at what we can do to make sure we're avoiding poisons that the present criminals in high office are protecting from inspections. Consider the price hikes in groceries, and you have a fortunate combination of health/safety with saving the money you are finding goes less far every day. As I mentioned, my little garden is under development. I expect I'll be checking with plantsman about his great knowledge of plants. (Note: plantsman has given me one source, http://www.woodprairie.com/category/s )

Today, I was delighted to come across a really intriguing account of the potato that confirmed something I've thought for a long time, that that basic white potato has had much food value bred out of it for our white bread tastes. Getting back to unbleached wheat products is good, and it appears so is getting back to real spuds.

The International Potato Centre is working with the government to drive the internal consumption of native potatoes, which come in a rich variety of colours, shapes and flavours.

The idea is not only to help poor rural communities, but also the 70% of Peru's population that lives in urban centres.

"The price of bread has gone up and I just don't have the money to buy it as I used to," says Hermelinda Azurin, who supports her two daughters working as a maid in Lima.

"A kilo of potato bread is 3.4 soles ($1.16) whereas normal bread has gone up to 5.40 soles ($1.84) in my neighbourhood. A kilo of potatoes is just 70 centimos ($0.23). Nowadays we eat potatoes every day in my family."

The Peruvian government is also looking at exporting native potatoes. They are exotic-looking, organic and have vitamins and amino acids that regular white potatoes do not have.

I'll be looking for those health foods for spring planting. There may be problems finding the healthier and safe veggies, though, because your government discourages it. That's that same government created in the original social contract to serve shared community needs, that now is trying to keep your interests from interfering with the business sector's outlandish profits.

If you've stood in line at a farmers' market recently, you know that the local food movement is thriving, to the point that small farmers are having a tough time keeping up with the demand.

But consumers who would like to buy local fruits and vegetables in the produce aisle of their supermarket will be dismayed to learn that the federal government works deliberately and forcefully to prevent the local food movement from expanding. And the barriers that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has put in place will be extended through the farm bill that congressional negotiators are working on.

The extent to which this administration is fighting our best interests is pretty overwhelming sometimes. My hoeing isn't going to make the corporate interests happy, I guess they prefer to do the ho'ng. Forgive me, can't resist the occasional pun.

326 days.