When is the Best time to plant a tree? 30 years ago. When is the next best time to plant a tree? Today. When is the Best time to switch to a sustainable economy? 30 years ago. When is the next best time? Today.

I recently attended a Symposium sponsored by the Centre for Applied
Renewable Energy in Brussels, Ontario. The title was “Merging with the
Green Economy” and it was an encouraging look at opportunities for rural
renewable energy products and Green Collar job possibilities in Rural
Communities. I particularly liked David Blaney’s comment “our sons and
daughters can pursue their interests and stay local if we push renewables.”

It was also exciting to hear John Wilkinson, the keynote speaker and
Ontario Minister of Research and Innovation, say that we need to rejoin

An alternative to panicking when GDP stops growing is to view it as a sign of maturity.

Human activity cannot expand forever on our finite planet. An economy growing at 3% a year doubles its size every 24 years. Centuries of such growth have brought us to a mature size. As with individual maturity, there comes a time for societies to stop growing and to take responsibly for their strength and impacts on others.

It doesn’t appear as though this farmer will ever suffer from writers block. Then again, I am sure I will be forced to eat my words sooner or later – after all, that’s the way the world works, right?!

What do I mean? Well, Ying-yang, of course and while I hope I will never experience a typing drought comparable in length to some of my extensive emails, today I have been struck over and over by this ancient Chinese philosophy. Take the following examples:

It must have rained two or three times today, but we also had some brilliant sunny breaks.

I assume it is safe to say you’re sitting down and likely familiar with what ‘Farmer Ryan’s Rants’ are all about. Well, this one should be true to character, but as it has been brewing for well over a week now you’ll have to excuse me if it has more buzz than usual. That said, this diatribe is not intended to be an attack on any one in particular, especially not your average conventional farmer – the good natured folk that have been growing our food for generations and who are largely well-meaning.

Thank you for your interest and support for the operation of a farmers' market in Lion's Head this summer.

It will run most Saturdays from 8 a.m. until noon, beside Golden Dawn Senior Citizens' Home on Main Street in Lion's Head. Although it is not an ideal situation for advertising and establishing a client base, it will run one week at a time based on the availability of vendors and their products. If there are 6 to 8 vendors able to come, it will run. There will be signs put out a few days before if it is going to operate that week.

This just in from Ziggy Kleinau.

The fight is heating up, thanks to our neighbours south of the border!
PLEASE SEND YOUR COMMENTS BEFORE THE JUNE 18 DEADLINE !!

*Great Lakes United Green Energy & Nuclear Free Task Force*

Public Participation Necessary in Proposal for Nuclear Waste Dump

Unprecedented underground site would store radioactive waste materials from all of Ontario’s nuclear reactors