Another news story. Another ramp ceremony. Another pedestrian-lined highway and a darkened vehicle convoy making its way to a sombre destination. Another city flag at half-mast and another mournful wail from the bagpipes of Charles Meanwell.

Anyone Else hear back from Helena Guergis, MP?!

Unfortunately we did, and the disturbing news was nothing short of cannon fodder around the lunch table today at Chescott Farm. Here are some of our favourite excerpts from the notice outlining why Bill C-517 was voted down:

Helena Guergis, MP: “Although my colleagues and I recognized that labeling genetically modified foods to support consumer choice is an important issue for consumers, we were hesitant to support some of the provisions outlined in the bill.”

Given the impact that any changes in mail services, particularly changes to rural post offices or rural mail delivery, would have upon us all both individually and to businesses I felt I had to share this.

This is from a letter published in the Orangeville (Ontario) Citizen newspaper written by the President of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.

I am one who does not feel we should be celebrating the 2008 Olympics in China because I do not like the way that the Chinese Government does business. This is an authoritarian regime that represses minorities, freedom of speech and individual expression in order to fulfill a warped manifesto that prioritizes material gain over life, liberty and environmental security.

The intersection of food, politics, agriculture, health and economy is a breading ground for controversy and worthy of a lifetime of newsletters. But to what end do I scribe? Debate for debates sake, much like talking about the weather to make conversation, seems pointless unless we’re asking the right questions, setting the right goals and have the willingness to bring about necessary change for the betterment of all.

A few years ago, Ted took down an old wooden fence in our back yard and replaced it with a few prickly sticks he assured me were raspberry canes. This summer, instead of waiting for a dry day to scrape and paint, he spends a few minutes each evening picking a handful of red ripe raspberries.

It's made me look at boundaries and fences with a new eye.

Last week I began speculating as to how the inevitable ‘scaling up of organics’ would affect the craft here in Ontario (note I did not call it an industry – perhaps a sign of things to come…?!) with the entry of the Norfolk Organic Growers Association into the marketplace headed by 1000 acre conventional grower Nightingale Farms of Delhi, ON.