HOW DO YOU MANAGE?

Prairie folks watch weather

It seems to me that, as prairie people, we watch the weather more than any other beings. That’s why this book, Never Sell Your Hen on a Rainy Day, by Shirley Byers Lalonde of Kelvington, Sask., was so much fun to read.

In 1990, the author set out to investigate the science behind the weather folklore that was so much a part of her growing-up on the farm. She discovered yesterday’s farmers, fishermen, and even shepherds – without benefit of the weather channel – had endless reserves of weather-related proverbs and observations. They used these to forecast rain, wind or sunshine, any of which could determine the outcome of the crop or catch. She explains a little about weather science and principles that may have led to the proverbs.

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Producers face the reality of shifting grain price expectations

Significant price shifts have occurred in various grains as compared to what was expected at the beginning of the calendar year. Crop insurance prices can be used as a base for the changes.

Within these pages are the explanations of why bees may sting more often on a cloudy day, how to determine the air temperature from the number of chirps in cricketsong, why bad-hair days signal a change in air pressure systems and thus a change in the weather, and of course, why one should never sell a hen on a rainy day.

Never Sell Your Hen on a Rainy Day: Weather Signs, Rhymes and Reason is a 64-page paperback, published by Sandhill Publishing, and distributed by Sandhill Book Marketing Ltd.

It is “hot off the press” and available for $8.95 in bookstores or by calling 800-667-3848.

Understanding food safety

A special issue of the Canadian Journal of Development Studies on Food Security is about food safety in the 21st century. An official launch of this special issue took place in Ottawa in November 1998, during the Canadian Conference of International Health.

Copies of this issue are available from dvuong@uottawa.ca.

When it comes to food safety, Kathryn Cooper of the Guelph Food Technology Centre said Canada is ahead of the rest of the world. “There is no country in the world pursuing HACCP on the farm like Canada is.”

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points is a preventative plan designed to help manufacturers, farmers and others eliminate the risk of food safety problems. First the hazard potential is analyzed along critical points of the process. Then these points are monitored for problems, corrected and verified with regular record keeping.

In the estimated one million cases of food-borne illnesses a year in Canada, home kitchens are often the scene of the crime. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency recently joined a coalition of more than 50 major stakeholders in Canada’s food industry to help bolster the food poisoning fight in the kitchen. The coalition has named its campaign Fight BAC!TM, which stands for “fight food-borne bacteria.” The coalition, called the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education, has launched a national public awareness campaign based on four simple steps: clean, separate, cook and chill. Although the steps are simple, the results they achieve can be dramatic, even lifesaving. Food poisoning can result in a variety of symptoms ranging from stomach upset to, in extreme cases, death.

Clean means being as bacteria-free as possible. Wash hands, utensils and cooking surfaces with soap and hot water before and during food preparation. Produce should be rinsed under cold running water before eating or cooking.
Separate meat from other foods during storage and preparation. This extends to even using a separate cutting board for raw meats and vegetables.

Cook foods thoroughly and serve immediately. The danger lies in letting food linger in the danger zone between 4 and 60 C where bacteria can grow.
Chill or freeze perishables, prepared food and leftovers within two hours. The idea is to get the temperature of the food below 4 C.

Canada has one of the world’s safest food supplies, and this campaign can only make it better. For more information, contact the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education at 613-798-3042 or www.canfightbac.org.

If you have any comments about this initiative or other topics you would like to see addressed, contact http://www.agr.ca/cb/mail/emailmin.html or write to Lyle Vanclief, minister, agriculture and agri-food, Sir John Carling Building, 930 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ont., K1A 0C5.

What’s your opinion?

The United States Environmental Protection Agency claims foods grown organically are a safe alternative to those grown using pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. But many experts say evidence suggests consuming organic foods could be more dangerous than eating food treated with pesticides that may be carcinogenic.

Organic means the food was grown in animal manure – used as fertilizer, often after composting. Experts say animal manure is the primary reservoir of a new strain of E. coli bacteria, designated 0157:H7. Crops grown organically have higher rates of infestation by natural toxins from fungi, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including aflatoxin, one of the most virulent cancer agents.

Organic food producers may compound the risk by not using chemical washes, disinfectants or even chlorinated water to prepare products for market. Researchers say composting manure may not kill the bacteria, since the compost must be heated to at least 160 F.

Still, the Environmental Protection Agency food safety leaflet in U.S. supermarkets will warn consumers of the dangers of pest residues in food, and suggest buying organic food as an alternative.

There are questions we need to ask:

How do you define organic?
What regulations are involved in organic growing?

What is the risk?
Do quality assurance programs exist with the product that has been grown organically?
If it is organic, is it necessarily healthier?

We need to know the answers if we are consuming organic products.

When writing this article, I called a food scientist friend in Saskatoon. She explained to me that organically grown produce has the potential to produce natural mechanisms for survival to protect the plant from pests, whereas foods periodically treated with chemicals do not have the need to do so.

What do you think?