From the Fields March 31st 2007

Unlike our northern neighbors who are shyly approaching their season, our southern growing is closer to its end. The close of our season shows itself through the many summer varieties of plants now up and growing, such as summer squash, cucumbers, and beans. After 28 weeks, our last share pick-up will be Saturday May 19^th. We will be sure to remind you again as we get closer to the date.

Sunrise and Sunset: 7:15am/ 7:39pm (actual)

Solar noon: 1:27pm

Moonrise and Moonset: 5:15pm/ 5:39am

On Friday March 30^th there will be 13 hours and 11 minutes of visible light.

April 2^nd will be a full moon.

Field Notes

Many changes have occurred over the last few weeks - the extending length of day has certainly made itself apparent as we squint more often in the light of the fields and our noses tickle under layers of wind-whisked pollen. It has been a tough season overall in the fields, and so it is well below our normal levels of rainfall that we have entered the dry season. The land, although irrigated continually throughout the week, is parched. In addition to the obvious water needs of leaf and fruit, this drought has also drawn some pesky visitors such as squirrels, hares, and the usual assortment of voracious bugs to seek out (and eat) moisture-holding plants, fruits, and vegetables. Both mammal and insect have sought shady refuge and moisture in what little the fields can offer. Needless to say, we think there’s a good chance it may be those once-itty bitty hares that may now be decimating the carrot supply. For this reason we have needed to harvest them earlier and a little smaller than we’d originally planned. Even such drought tolerant plants as hot peppers and chives look scorched with their leaves turned slightly upward in hopes of replenishing drops of rain.

Flora

Last week the Oak trees, heavily laden with pollen, tossed off their yellow coats to expose their new spring-green growth. The heat and dryness of the past few weeks have spurred the warm weather-loving plants to send out flowers. At last, we ate our first handfuls of ripe mulberries! The distinct high-pitched peep of the mulberry-devouring cedar waxwings can still be heard, but it appears that many have begun their spring flight northward.

Fauna

Spring is also in the air for many beside the snowbirds, year-round residents such as ospreys, ibises, herons, and egrets can be seen congregating and calling out in courtship.

We have fallen under the spell of one determined mockingbird as his savvy repertoire includes the squeaky tones of the neighbor-dog’s toy. Back on the ground, the bugs are back! Never having truly left, they are just much more in abundance lately. Courting lady bugs and bumble bees dance through the air around us, oblivious of our presence below over the pitter-patter of their hearts and the buzz of their wings. Black racer snakes continue to (unexpectedly!) pop up from eye-level tree limbs and from below-foot when traveling to and from the safety of shady tomato plants.

Vegetable Spotlight – Striped Cavern Tomato

Some of the shareholders have commented on the strangeness of this tomato, unsure of whether or not it was ripe or simply a mutant. The shape and hollowness of this red-ripe tomato more closely resembles a bell pepper than other members of its solanacea family. Only a small cluster of seeds fills this red and golden striped fruit, making it ideal for stuffing or putting in a salad. Possibly due to its less-water-demanding hollow interior, the striped cavern appears able to take on the vigorous challenges of cold nights, hot days, lack of rain, and bug attack that characterize our tomato season here in Central Florida.

Grower’s Tip

Coffee grounds are a great source of nitrogen for those demanding plants (tomato, pepper, eggplant, etc…). Add grounds to your compost pile (unbleached filter and all) or shallow dig/sprinkle some directly into/on the soil around plants (place a few inches away from stem).

Eco-Agri-Food Definition of the Week – Terminator Gene (a.k.a. Technology Protection System)

The terminator gene is a genetically modified gene that is injected into seed to control its germination ability. “Technically known as a Genetic Use Restriction Technology or GURT and like most genetically engineered plants, Technology Protection System plants are transgenic, meaning their new genes come from other species. TPS plants hold three new genes: two derived from bacteria, and one from another plant. The bacterial genes' only function is to help the newly introduced plant gene to work” (information gathered from http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/terminator110105.cfm).

The following information, taken directly from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agriculture Research Service (ARS) website at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/br/tps/#how, explains how the seeds are prepared and sold:
“Before sale, seeds of the plants are treated with a compound that activates a molecular switch in one of the bacterial genes. This switch begins a chain reaction that readies the plant gene for eventual action.

The farmer plants the seed and cultivates the crop in the usual manner. When—and only when—the crop's new harvest of seed is almost finished maturing, the new plant gene becomes active. The gene then stops the seed from manufacturing any of the protein it would need to germinate and produce offspring plants.

Aside from the inability of the second-generation seeds to germinate, in all other respects the plants grown from treated TPS seeds should perform normally in terms of growth, maturation, harvest and quality. Also, if seeds of TPS plants do not undergo the seed treatment before planting, the TPS plants produce second-generation seeds that are capable of germination.

The patent covers all plants. The genetic molecular switch was originally inserted into tobacco cells as a model for later research. The ARS researchers subsequently inserted TPS genes into cotton cells, which grew into normal cotton plants in a greenhouse. The TPS would have to be designed specifically for each crop. TPS will initially be used with self-pollinated crops such as cotton, soybeans and wheat” (**)

“Developed in a collaborative effort between the USDA and Delta Pine and Land, the Terminator gene’s primary purpose is to render a plant sterile. In essence, once implanted, the gene stops the plant from producing viable seed. In all, we provided $190,000 tax dollars (combined with Delta Pine’s $530,000) to fund this revolutionary research. The government’s rationale behind the investment was that companies would cease to invest in future technologies if they could not be assured of a return on investment. USDA spokesman Willard Phelps stated, “[t}he new technology will be so widely developed that future farmers will be able to purchase only sterile seed” (from Bitter Harvest: A Chef’s perspective on the hidden dangers in the foods we eat and what you can do about it by Ann Cooper: pp 98-99).

“Henceforth, the seed-saving issue, lawsuits and all, ceases to exist. Joan Gussow described her feelings about the Terminator gene to me: “In my view, that is a fist in the eye of God, and I am not even religious. It is so outrageous, the idea that you are going to build sterility into seeds, which are the basis of all life, it is so frightening. We are talking about building sterility into the second generation, so that the seeds will not germinate at all. That is really a sort of wildly dangerous thing to do. Delta Pine calls this technology “Control of Plant Gene Expression,” and under U.S. law, since DP&L worked with the USDA to develop the technology, the company has the option to negotiate an exclusive license. Martha L. Crouch, associate professor of biology at Indiana University , explains how the effect of the Terminator gene differs from hybridization:

When the Terminator gene is part of a plant whose seed is saved and which is replanted, the second generation is killed. With hybridization, the second generation is variable, but alive. Any genes present in the hybrid will be present in the second generation, although in unpredictable combinations. Therefore, a plant breeder who wanted to use the genetic material from the hybrid in his or her own breeding program could retrieve it from these plants” (Cooper: pp 98-99).

As of January 2006 there remains a moratorium on the utilization of Genetic Use Restriction Technology (GURT).

Recommended Readings and Pertinent Websites

A Pet Food Recall has been called due to chemical contamination that has caused kidney failure in both dogs and cats over the last few months. Please see www.howl911.com/petfoodrecall.html or www.local6.com for more details and links to the list of recalled brands. For now, the recall has only pertained to wet foods, but People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expand the withdrawal of the Menu Food brands in question.

“Eating Better than Organic”, the cover story of the March 12^th edition of Time, brings to the forefront the dynamics of purchasing organically versus locally produced food in the United States . Examining the travels of two apples (one from the author’s home state, the other from a distant organic farm), article author John Cloud discusses the health and ecological complexities of purchasing produce today.

Read the article at www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1595245,00.html

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