High Fructose Corn Syrup Damages Bees Immune Response

commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beatrice_the_Honey_Bee

Isn’t it interesting that high fructose corn syrup is being linked to colony collapse in honey bees?  It turns out a highly varied diet from many sources is the key to bee health.  They gain valuable immune function from a variety of sources.  This creates a stacked immune response of cumulative value, but one that is also extremely complex and difficult to understand. 

Bees are extremely social and live in hyper-crowded conditions.  This makes them especially susceptible to disease.  Optimum nutrition is paramount and feeding them nutrient poor foods like high fructose corn syrup are just empty calories with no nutritive value.  This waters down their intake of essential micronutrients and photochemicals, which would be taken in through normal, natural foraging.  This does not even take into account the fact that it is an unnatural food which has been proven dangerous to humans.  Bees are even more sensitive than we are and we are playing around with things that we do not understand.

I have also noticed that many of the ‘studies’ done on bees do not take into account the cumulative effect of multiple generation exposure.  They just do a limited trial over the course of a few weeks or months and tag the product as ‘safe’.  While the affects of a product may not be immediately apparent, subsequent generations may reveal them over time.  No doubt the corn syrup trial did not include other factors such mites, malnutrition, adverse weather, insecticides, viral suppression, and a host of other problems that bees face. 

Science is unfortunately not always able to understand this cumulative, stacked suppression which is always present in healthy ecosystems.  This is what keeps things in balance.  A stacked suppression along with a stacked response allows for resiliency in both population suppression and population persistence.  This creates the stable systems we seek in ecology based agricultural systems.

http://phys.org/news/2013-04-high-fructose-corn-syrup-tied-worldwide.html

Geoff Lawton Has New Videos!

Here are a couple of great new videos by Geoff Lawton.  They are pretty long so grab the popcorn.  It may ask for your email address.  If so don't fret about it.  I received a couple of emails from him but it wasn't to bad and I am certain Geoff does not sell your email to others.

http://www.geofflawton.com/fe/33811-property-purchase-check-list

http://www.geofflawton.com/fe/46743-5-acre-abundance-on-a-budget

http://www.geofflawton.com/fe/32461-surviving-the-coming-crises

Eco-Regions PNW

I found this AMAZING map of PNW Eco-Regions.  There are other ones for different parts of the country.  Its quite interesting to see how and why the topography affects climate and plant communities.  Once you know what the natural ecosystem of your area is, you can study it and plant accordingly.  It can sometimes be difficult to know if you live in an area that is severely altered by human activities.

Oh The Poor Soybean!

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kudzu_in_South_Carolina.JPG

It just never stops for these big agriculture mono-crops does it?
The kudzu bug has moved its life cycle into the soybean fields.  It showed up in 2009 and is no doubt natures attempt to put the kudzu epidemic back into balance.

Evidently kudzu is not the only legume that this insect can feast on.  Isn't it interesting that it rode in on the coat tails of an overcrowded, invasive ecosystem and has now moved into another?

Here is another thought.  Keeping the Kudzu in check through browsing would have been a good start to keeping this problem at bay in the first place.  Kudzu moved in and took over because there is nothing to put it in check.  An unbalanced ecology allowed it to take over.  It is the same reason Himalayan Blackberry has taken over portions of the Pacific Northwest.

Keeping your landscape healthy and increasing biodiversity within farming systems are the only way to create the resiliency needed to absorb shocks like this.  We just don't seem to be getting the hint.  No doubt there will be a whole new wave of chemical solutions from our friends in the agriculture industry to solve this most recent problem.  The insects and pests will then adapt and and ever increasing measures will be necessary to control them.  It is an inevitable and destructive outcome.

Invasive kudzu bugs pose greater threat than previously thought

Update: Tracking the Kudzu bug in Maryland

Since I last wrote about this there have been some updates.  The original thought was that the Kudzu bug would be relegated to the Southern states.  The reason is that it has several generations in its annual life cycle.  Normally, generation A lays its eggs on Kudzu and the larvae move to soybeans when they are mature.  Generation A then leads to generation B which is able to feed exclusively on soybeans.  This means that the kudzu bug should be relegated to where kudzu grows.  The problem they have discovered is that this is not a necessary part of the equation at all.  The kudzu bug only uses kudzu because it PREFERS it.  Experiments show that multiple generations can live entirely on soybeans without kudzu being utilized at all.  We should keep an eye on this for what happens in the immediate coming years.  It is amazing how quickly insects can adapt when an available food source is staring them in the face.

'Eco-Friendly' and 'Green' do NOT mean what people think!

Picture Citation

I am very uncomfortable using terms like ‘Eco’ or ‘Green’ these days.  They seem to have been stolen and twisted into marketing strategies with no real meaning behind them.  To be honest I am tired of hearing these words and I never use them.  It has become a way for people to be complacent and stop thinking.  People are really kidding themselves if they think they can working within our crumbling, industrial infrastructure without causing environmental damage.

Eco-Friendly laundry detergent is all fine and dandy, but is it really?  Inert biochemistry is great and it definitely helps.  But even if what is inside of it is biodegradable, how did it get onto that shelf?  It was probably created in a very un-green way with a very ecologically damaging infrastructure and supply chain.  The collateral damage associated with its production, distribution and packaging are not eco-friendly in any sense of the word.

Buying a Prius is not green.  Do you have any idea how much energy and infrastructure go into making a car?  It doesn’t really even matter what powers it.  Not having ANY car would be truly green.  Riding a bike is more green.  Riding a horse is pretty dam GREEN.  An oxen pulled wagon carrying produce to the neighborhood market is REALLY FRICKIN' GREEN.

What matters is the lifestyle choices you make, not what purchasing choices you make.  What matters is what you can provide for yourself or go without so you don’t have to buy it!  If you burn carbon but sequester far more than you are burning through agroforestry or rotational grazing, then you may be on the path to becoming ‘green’.  Becoming a carbon and pollution sink is what makes you ‘green’.

These are a few questions I try to ask people before I work with them to find out if we have a similar vision.  I am probably forgetting some stuff and it is by no means a complete list, but it gives me a good idea if we will be able to work together.  There is almost nobody that does all of this so the answer to every question does not have to be yes.

1)      What does ecological farming or homesteading mean to you?

·         What do you think the difference is between organic and ecological farming?

·         Would you be willing to sacrifice productivity of one particular crop in order to increase overall productivity and fertility through diversification?

·         Are you willing to be flexible and adapt to the ecology instead of forcing it to adapt to you?

·         Are you willing to adapt your gardening and farming strategies to work with the least amount of inputs possible?

·         Are you willing to move away from intensively managed annual systems and towards perennial grasslands, plants, orchards, and natural systems?

·         Are you willing to set aside portions of your property to exist in a natural, unmanaged state with native plants?

·         Are you willing to save money by putting some energy and capital into building infrastructure that will decrease the need for energy and inputs later?

2)      Do you use chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides and if so would you be willing to stop?

·         What chemicals have you used in the past?

·         Would you be willing to use ecological diversity to solve these problems instead?

·         Are you willing to us medicinal plants to keep your animals healthy as a pre-emptive measure?

3)      How do you feel about ornamental lawns and landscaping?

·         Would you consider converting your lawn to pasture, orchard or gardening space?

·         Are you willing sacrifice order for a more chaotic and natural beauty?

·         Are you willing to let crops, trees, pasture and shrubs grow naturally and allow the animals and livestock to do their job?

4)      How do you feel about managing and encouraging insect populations and wild life on your property?

·         Would you live along side insects such as ants, bees, locusts, spiders, wasps, sow bugs, earwigs, centipedes, millipedes and aphids without using destructive measures to control them?

·         Would you be willing to keep one or more beehives?

·         Would you be willing to live with moles and gophers?

5)      How do you feel about livestock and eating animal products?

·         Would you be willing to keep one or more beehives?

·         Would you be willing to take on chickens, rabbits or guinea pigs?

·         Would you be willing to take on goats, pigs or cows?

·         Would you be willing to manage your animals in a rotational grazing system using a series of hard fenced paddocks or temporary fencing?

·         Will you try to produce their food on-site?

·         Are you willing to eat, sell, or barter your animals as a population management strategy?

6)      What does the word ‘Green’ mean to you?

·         Are you willing to try and supply as much of your own food as possible?

·         Are you willing to make increasing fertility and building soil a priority?

·         Are you willing to harvest water for consumption and irrigation?

·         Are you willing to re-use grey and black water?

·         Are you willing to compost or mulch any organic waste you have?

·         Are you willing to use worm or insect cultures to manage waste?

·         Are you willing to make bioremediation a priority?

·         Are you willing to create products like soap, fuel, or clothing from the byproducts of your operation?

7)      Are you willing to change your habits and design priorities to meet the needs of the system as opposed to your own preconceptions?

·         Will you give priority real estate to plants and animals based on their needs?

·         Are you willing to place labor intensive and high traffic areas like composting systems and chicken coops close to your home for quick access?

·         Are you willing to eat new foods or sacrifice old ones based on the needs of your system?

·         Do you and would you be willing to eat ‘in season’ and store food for the winter?

8)      Are you willing to use design to decrease your need to expend energy?

·         Would you buffer your house using vegetation?

·         Would you consider a rocket stove for heating?

·         Would you use passive solar energy to heat and cool your home?

·         Would you use stone, cobb, earth, bricks, concrete and water to create thermal mass?

·         Are you willing to manage woodlands for fuel wood and construction materials?

·         Would you switch to solar or hydro-generated electricity?

·         Are you willing to build with natural, existing, or recycled materials?

Invasive Crab Species Returns Balance To Cape Cod Salt Marshes

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cardiidae_Carcinus_maenas.JPG

Most of the time a new species are introduced, they cannot survive the local ecology.   But there are instances where they fill a role and are able to reproduce. Most of the time this ends up being a bad thing.  In some cases it can be a good thing.

In this particular situation the native crab species Sesarma Reticulatum population has grown out of control.  They subsist on marsh grass and have thus done great damage to the ecosystem in the area.  The reason this has happened is that the native fish species who prey on them have been overfished and they can no longer control the crab population.  Despite the fact that all native species are present, an imbalance remains which is causing devastating consequences.

Enter Carcinus Maenas.  This green crab species kills or displaced Sasarma from their burrows.  Their food needs are different and they do not feed on the marsh grass.  Since their accidental introduction, the marsh grass is restoring itself to health.

This is another example showing that nature will often find a balance if we allow it.  We can try to eradicate invasive species, but there is often a point at which more harm is being done than good.  It is always prudent to prevent the introduction of invasive non-natives.  But healthy and diverse ecosystems are often able to protect themselves.  Disturbance creates opportunity

Whether or not this new species is truly a good thing remains to be seen.  When the scenario balances out will the native crabs still remain?  Will the marsh grass over grow?  Will the invasive crab switch its diet when the native crab species are suppressed?  This story warrants careful observation in the future.

Invasive Crabs Help Cape Cod Marshes

These are the types of stories we try to bring you.  It helps to understand the kind of damage that mono crops and non-ecological food production methods create.  Modern food production is the single most destructive thing that our civililzation participates in.

Here is a list of a few other stories we have brought you in the past:

Gypsy Moth Problem Beginning To Resolve Itself
Beavers Are Engineers Of Structural Diversity And Biodiversity
More On Beavers And Trophic Cascade

The Newest Big-Ag Answer To All Our Woes! More Systemic Toxins And More Dependence On Them!

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cotton_bullworm.jpg

Commercial agriculture already reached the point of lunacy back in the 50's.  Its been clear over the subsequent decades that it is both extremely destructive and unsustainable.  Not only that, life has found a way to fight back as it ALLWAYS does.  Their product is becoming less and less viable as pest species adapt to their model. 

What is their answer to this issue?  More of the same!  More GMO with more systemic toxins.  More poison going into our food and our bodies.  Isn't it interesting that their solution involves more dependence on them

I am sorry but this is absolutely infuriating.  Thankfully, it seems that the backlash is much bigger this time.  People are beginning to wise up.  But honestly I doubt anyone is going to do anything about it.  Its time we began to remove ourselves from this model voluntarily.  If there is no market for these products, nobody will produce them. 

It is also interesting that one of the solutions to resistance has been to provide a trap crop for non-resistant insects.  This is a Permaculture principle that has been around for a long time.  Chicken soup anyone?

I have often maintained that healthy populations of pest species are essential.  All this business about 'beneficial' insects is fine and dandy.  But healthy ecosystems and insect populations require ALL links in the food web.  Plagues come from unbalanced and unhealthy ecosystems.  STABLE pest populations develop STABLE predator and disease responses.  The more diverse the ecosystem, the more resilient any single crop will be.

The problem is that nature is now adapting to our overall strategy.  Nature does not compartmentalize issues and develop canned responses like scientists in laboratories do.  Nature develops whole-system responses to all issues.  If we continue to fight this, we will expend ever increasing amounts of time and energy maintaining a crumbling agricultural infrastructure that is quickly becoming obsolete.  Ultimately, however long we choose to drag this out, there can be only one outcome. 

We can no longer consider ourselves separate from nature.  Choosing to work within the framework we have been provided is the only solution.

http://phys.org/news/2013-03-multi-toxin-biotech-crops-silver-bullets.html
http://phys.org/news/2012-06-larger-refuges-sustain-success-transgenic.html#nRlv