Flip of the Coyne

Seems as if I have been slacking in my blog duties not only here but on another blog as well.  Since I have been slacking I thought it would be best if I made a couple of posts with some of the other stuff I have been working on.

First one is a list of some of my articles that have been published.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similkameen/similkameenspotlight/opinion/85888862.html

http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similkameen/similkameenspotlight/opinion/85009792.html

Published Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Vol. 61 Issue 6 Page A4

Since I have started writing about food security people have been coming up to me on the streets in shops and even at work and have asked me, “What can I do?”

This week I am going to focus on what we can do.  Although there will be a role for local government I believe that most of our local food economy needs to be driven by we the people.  Food security needs to be a grassroots movement.  Food has become part of the global economy and when this happened government stopped concerning itself with feeding the local population and became more concerned about imports and exports and how it affects GDP.  We all need to eat; without food you die.  For this reason food is something that we need to take ownership in and work together to secure.

I have talked to many local residents who all say they would shop at a local farmers’ market.  I love this idea but saying you would shop there is one thing.  If there is to be a farmers’ market there needs to be two things: a group of residents who are willing to organize it, and farmers who will supply the market.  Before farmers will grow produce for a market they need a market for which to grow, so if people in Princeton really want a farmers’ market they need to get one organized.  It’s that old saying; if you build it they will come.

Plant a garden this spring.  People think that gardening is hard.  Growing is easy.  Some of the preparation is hard.  With the economic climate everyone should be thinking about planting a small garden even if it is just some lettuce and tomatoes you can offset some of the hard times with only a few dollars in initial expenses.

A program I have been reading about lately is called “Grow a Row, Share a Row”.  This program helps those who might not have the ability to help themselves.  If you have a garden, you grow an extra row and it goes to a local food bank or other local social program.  This could be taken a step farther if you have a neighbour who cannot garden due to health, age or living condition.  You could grow a garden with them in mind.  I am starting to really love this idea as it is not about me but about helping my community.

Lastly we come to a community garden project.  I have stayed off this topic for a reason. I was once an elected official and when I look at projects now I have to admit I look at them and ask how much will this cost the taxpayers?  For this reason I have been looking at how can we do a local community garden plan that costs taxpayers little to nothing at all.  I have come up with two ideas: firstly, Town Council grants use of some public land to a community garden society to develop.  I am not sure if this would work.  My second idea costs taxpayers upfront but would see the costs recovered over a period of time.  Town Council would need to see if there is really a need first then depending on demand council would develop a percent of a park or parks with a deer fence and plots and water.  Water is already accessible in the parks so there would only be a need for some hydrants.  The costs would then be recovered with a plot rental or lease.  The recovery cost would be spread across the plots and time to make it affordable to those who need the plots.

Published Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Vol. 61 Issue 6 Page A4

Inspect yourself. The Federal government has proposed that poultry processing plant employees would be responsible for policing themselves under the proposed “poultry rejection program.” The program would make processing plants responsible for monitoring the birds as they pass down the line, and according to veterinarians who monitor food safety, the plants would no longer have to publicize the reasons that the birds were rejected.

This is mind-boggling to me. We have an avian flu outbreak in the Fraser Valley, an ever growing peanut recall, and recalls on some products for listeria and our government has turned over the safety of our food system to someone who may have just started working in a processing plant making less than 12 dollars an hour. I just cannot wrap my head around it.

I have been talking about food security and the need for local, sustainable and safe food systems. I have begun to pay more attention to what is happening with our food systems and it is not good. All you need to do is turn on the evening news and you will hear of more health risks due to our factory farm system. Take the peanut recall; it now seems that the peanuts that contaminated the products being recalled were actually turned away at the Canadian border for being dirty and then taken to a plant in the US where they were processed and sent around North America. A handful of dirty peanuts have contaminated millions of dollars worth of products.

Food is a commodity because we trade it, but food is not like other commodities; we cannot live without food. We have allowed our governments to dismantle our agriculture in return for agribusiness. Agribusiness has centralized the means of production and has over processed our food stuffs to the point that when we have a small outbreak or contamination we end up with a large percentage of our system being compromised. Be it lack inspection or new unproven science or genetically modified seeds our food system is under attack twenty four hours a day seven days a week. Small family farms are swallowed up by larger ones that need to produce more to stay competitive and keep costs down so food processors can bring us the newest, cheapest and fastest way to make dinner.

Take a look at the products on the shelves at your local grocery store. How much of it is raw natural food? A bit of produce, some meat, and a bit of dairy and in some places there is natural flour. You can now buy a roast that you take out of your ice cream tub looking container put it in your slow cooker, add water and you’re done. It might have taken a couple extra minutes to add a couple spices and a potato, but a roast is a roast. The difference is the frozen one you buy has preservatives and has been prepared and frozen for you before packaging. I would wager the one you bought from the local rancher and some fresh vegetables would taste better and would only add five minutes to your cooking time. If we have fewer controls in these massive processing plants the chances of things going wrong shoot up drastically. So at a time when our food system is under siege our government has decided to take a page from Wall Street and let the processors police themselves.

Published Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Vol. 61 Issue 5 Page A4

60,000 turkeys from one farm will be killed and disposed of by the time you read this and that number may rise before publication date.  Why are 60,000 turkeys being killed?  There has been another outbreak of Avian Flu (bird flu) at an Abbotsford farm and there are at least 23 other neighbouring farms under quarantine.

It is time that we as a society begin to re-examine our farming practices.  Factory farming has allowed us to mass produce our food, but at the same time, when you have outbreaks of disease you are also losing massive quantities of your food line and the possible spread and mutation of the disease can cause devastating results.  The 2004 outbreak of avian flu saw the destruction of 17 million birds.  17 million!  Of course, not all the birds culled were infected, but officials could not take the chance since bird flu can jump straight from birds to humans with devastating effects.

It seems that these types of outbreaks are becoming more and more common, be it avian flu or another salmonella contamination.  It has become clear that factory farming is failing us.  I will agree that a small local producer will have higher overhead, might not produce as much per acre, but I will argue that local production can meet local demand and can do it in a more ecologically sensitive manner.  This means that in the end the local farmers can feed their community in a way that is sustainable and at the end of the day will help create a stronger and healthier community.

The mass production of food is starting to endanger our food delivery system.  Just think back to last summer when the salmonella outbreak was thought to be from tomatoes.  The tomato supply was completely shut off and the industry was devastated as a result.  In the end it turned out to be something other than tomatoes.  There was also the California spinach incident.  This week it is peanut paste and peanut butter products.  In the end it doesn’t really matter what is infected.  It is that fact that it is happening more and more often and people are dying as a result that is unacceptable.

Our food is no longer local.  It comes from all across the world and we have very little control over quality or growing conditions.  When there is a disruption in the supply line or if there is a health risk our grocery chains’ shelves become bare and we run out of food.  When there are disease outbreaks in livestock we end up losing not only a few head of cattle or a couple flocks of chickens.  We lose a percentage of the entire national production and in many cases it causes shortages and puts the entire food system under stress.  We need to change in order to protect ourselves from disease or other food borne illness but also to protect ourselves from food shortages.  We need to change not only how we produce food but how we think of food.

Published Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Vol. 61 Issue 4 Page A4

It’s hard these days not to discuss President Barack Obama.  When I was thinking about what to write about, I was going to avoid talking about the topic because of the 24-hour coverage since the inauguration, but really, how can you not talk about what could be one of the most significant moments in history since the fall of Berlin Wall, Tiananmen Square and the end of the Soviet Union?  Obama has inspired a generation of Americans, not to mention all peoples around the world.  I personally have big hopes for Obama.

My hopes for Obama aren’t for him to bring an end to the war in Iraq, or to save the economy, although it would be nice to see both.  My hope is that Obama recognizes that urgent action needs to be taken to reign in green house gases.  Without real leadership, alternative energy will not grow out of its infancy and into the mainstream.

Obama needs to break America of its oil addiction.  If America does it, the world will follow.  Obama needs to look at the massive trade deficit with the rest of the world and get the American people back to work.  Again, if America does it, the world will follow.

Why do I want America to break the chains of oil and head back down the road to self-sufficiency, ultimately hurting the Canadian economy?  The answer is simple: if America changes its economy to a self-sufficient green economy, Canadian governments will follow suit, new markets will open up and new companies will rise to fill demand.

The green economy or eco-economy is the future and it will take some real leadership to make the change.  Nations, or more specifically, regions, will need to become more sufficient to make the new economy work.  With the current economic collapse, it is time to take advantage and begin the switch in earnest.

Our national government is slow to make any major changes in the way we do business.  Our government decided not to follow the Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty to which our nation had agreed.  This is where we need strong leadership from our southern neighbours.  Obama and his Democratic Congress and Senate can show the world that it needs to change, and with the stroke of a pen, they can make this happen.  Ottawa would have a hard time not signing onto a new economic plan when our largest trading partner no longer does business as usual.

It’s time for change.  Obama might just be the person who can make that change happen.  Now we need to have hope that he will do the right thing and make the change that he promised.

Published Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Vol. 61 Issue 3 Page A4

Thinking about the future can be a scary thing.  Global climate change, peak oil, food shortages and so many other dire warnings are thrown at us daily.  Out of all these depressing warnings could come a brighter future.

I will admit that there is probably not a silver bullet that will save the planet, replace cheap oil and produce copious amounts of food, but there could be a multilayered strategy that could steer us in a new direction.  If we look at the peak oil and the inevitable collapse of the oil industry (which will have catastrophic effect on how we live our daily lives), there might be a way to lessen the impact by looking at our past.

At one time in our history we had local power production that powered local businesses and homes.  There is also local agriculture.  It feels that every year another family farm is sold off and is used for recreational property, or worse, subdivided.  The loss of local agriculture is a trend that has swept across North America leaving communities at the mercy of the oil-intense industrial agriculture and the oil-dependent transportation system to bring it from processing plant to big box outlet.  At one time communities just like ours had an agriculture base that could provide a large percentage of the total food consumed in the area.  Today those farms are mostly gone.  The grain fields that once grew on the Summerland Road or Dairies that provided milk to the community are but footnotes in our 150 year history.  Today dairy is something that comes on a truck, not from a cow, and grain is something that is grown far off on the Prairies.

Local agriculture has become non feasible because a family farm has a hard time competing against a factory farm that can outproduce them for half the cost.  The lack of local markets and new regulations have made it hard for farmers to rationalize working a full day’s work at a job then coming home to farm for the next 8 plus hours.  People have become detached from where their food comes from.  Some younger people have never even seen a cow or a chicken.  They have never cooked a meal from scratch.  This disconnection and the want for cheap fast processed food has helped push the family farm further into obscurity making it part of history, not part of reality.

In the end if the warnings about global warming and the estimates of 30 to 40 years for the end of cheap oil are accurate we may have no choice, if it’s not too late, to look at the way we have done things in the past.  Those old ideas of local economy may just be the way to save our way of life.

Published Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Vol. 61 Issue 2 Page A4

Reading a recent article in Small Farm magazine got me thinking back to the last municipal election and the call by so many for a farmers’ market. When the topic came up during the election I was excited that people were actually thinking about having a discussion about a real famers’ market in town. Only months before while our garden was in full swing I had the same discussion with friends about selling our produce at a local market. Now maybe there would be a movement, after all if it was an election topic there must be others out there thinking along similar lines as I was. But alas like so many other election topics once the votes were cast the ideas seemed to be put back on the shelf for another three years.

The reason I started to think about our own situation was because in the January/February 2009 issue of Small Farm there is an article that talked about how “Farmers’ Markets” were selling products from China and other far off places. The problem was not that these products were for sale but that they were being sold at a farmers’ market which is perceived as selling local goods but when oranges and bananas are being sold next to garlic from China there was nothing local about it. The article then went on to explain that a farmers market could be almost anything from a flea market to a producers market. This is where Princeton came in.

When you think about the idea of eating locally we in Princeton are very lucky. We are less than an hour from the lush orchards of the lower Similkameen or a few hours from the fertile fields of the Fraser Valley. Despite that we have no Farmer’s Market.

How does a community in the middle of all this farm country go about getting a farmers market? Turns out there are a number of ways to do it but as it turns out there is a provincial organization called the BC Association of Farmers’ Market that has an abundance of information for market managers and vendors. There is another step that needs to take place and it is at the municipal hall level. Currently the Farmers’ Market bylaw an extension of the business licence bylaw (bylaw No. 744, 2002) actually prevents a farmers’ market like in Penticton from happening here in Princeton. This is a problem that could be easily remedied as legislation is never written in stone and can always be amended.

I believe that with a change in the bylaw and the creation of a society to run a market this would be a good first step towards getting local producers to look at selling their products in Princeton. If we are going to try to eat local we need to grow local and buy local.

Published Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Vol. 61 Issue 1 Page A4

Could you live for one year on food sources that fall within a hundred mile radius from your home? It is a challenge and would take some work, some sacrifice, but it is possible.

The 100 mile diet is a movement that is having a real impact on some food service providers, as well as raw food retail. This past summer I had the pleasure of talking to a lady working at one of the fruit stands in Keremeos. She told me that although things were slower, they were seeing more people looking for food that was grown within 100 miles of their homes. She was surprised just how many people had started to live by this lifestyle.

Before anyone jumps up and says “Let’s do it,” there are some sacrifices that will need to be taken before one decides to join the movement towards eating locally. We do not have sugar production and we cannot grow coffee beans, oranges, bananas and a lot of other foods that we take for granted. On the other side of the coin, we do have an abundance of orchards, vineyards, dairies, honey production, cattle, poultry and other necessities. We also live in a region where we can grow a lot of staples like potatoes and beans.

It would be harder to do some things, but you may discover that locally we can support ourselves and live a healthier existence. You are probably thinking to yourself, “What about you, Spencer Coyne? Are you practicing what you preach?” Good point. Last summer my wife and I grew the majority of the food that we ate. Our vegetables came from the garden. Most of our meat came from our farm, a local river, or lake. I still bought my bread and milk from the grocery store as well as other items, but it was a start. Since the garden was dug under for the winter, I have been looking for local dairy sources as well as other local sources for the basics.

We have a great resource in town for locally grown foods. The Healthy Harvest Box program works with a supplier that tries to keep the majority of the products that it supplies within 100 miles. We do like to find the easiest way to do things. The Healthy Harvest Box may just be the way to do it.

I hope I have given you something to think about for the New Year. It may not stop climate change and it may not stop pollution, but when you sink your teeth into a fresh apple off the tree, or into a steak from a local rancher, there is nothing else like it.

Published Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Vol. 60 Issue 53 Page A4

Have you made your New Year’s resolutions yet? There is a lot to think about: the financial crunch, Coal Bed Methane, the provincial election and food security just to name a few.

2009 should be a year of political intrigue with the excitement on Parliament Hill. The CBM issue still looms over our community and proves to be a hot button topic in the provincial election. A candidate on the Liberal ticket took her opening salvo on the issue during her nomination campaign calling the “SOS a small pocket of people”. The NDP MLA quickly responded to her nomination and her comments about the SOS in a letter to the editor before the election has been called.

According to recent news reports the federal government is preparing for a $30 billion deficit. If the economy continues to fall we will all feel the pinch. If oil prices skyrocket again next summer we could see food prices jump to prices that will push those already struggling over the edge. The financial situation will not only affect everyday people but will have repercussions on council spending. The provincial government is spending big money but as the economy slows so will government’s cash flow. All of these factors will have ripples that will touch everyone.

With all the doom and gloom on the table it’s time for us as citizens to step up to the plate.

Plant a garden this spring. It will help offset your cost of living not to mention the health benefits of eating fresh vegetables. Plant an extra row in your garden. There is a program in many areas called “plant a row, share a row.” In this program, those who can plant a little extra can donate to a food bank or to those in need.

It’s also time to volunteer. Many of our service groups have a membership that is getting older and there is no new blood. I know many do not have time but if we lose these service groups the community will feel the effect.

As you are planning your New Year’s resolutions think about what you want next year to look like. If you want a better financial outlook, think about ways to save money. If you are concerned about your community think about joining a service group. If you want to cut your carbon footprint think about the 100 mile diet, shopping consciously, gardening or not using chemical cleaners. The main thing is to become proactive in your life. I have come to the conclusion that you need to be the change you want to see. You cannot expect others to do it for you. Getting involved in your community and taking your life by the reigns gives you a feeling of accomplishment like nothing else.

Published Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Vol. 60 Issue 52 Page A4

Can you correctly answer four simple questions about our government?

1. Who is the head of state?
2. How can Canada’s system of government best be described?
3. Do Canadians elect the prime minister directly?
4. Can the Governor General nix a prime minister’s request of a new election?

Write out your answers before you read further.

If you can answer those four questions correctly, you are smarter than the average Canadian. These questions were taken from a recent poll done by the Dominion Institute. The poll found that only 24% of Canadians could answer all the questions correctly! There are a couple of startling numbers to come out of this poll: 17% of Canadians said we live in a representative republic and 25% said a co-operative assembly, and maybe one of the most worrisome is that 51% of citizens polled said that we elect the prime minister directly! Also, a recent Ipsos Reid poll found that 75% of Canadians believe that the prime minister or Governor General is the head of state.

I suppose shocking findings such as these explains some of the outrage and confusion over what is happening in Ottawa. When people do not understand how their own government works, how it is elected or how it represents them, it takes very little to persuade them that what is happening in the House of Commons is wrong.

That being said, you have to question the motives behind some who have tried to paint our duly and lawfully elected members of parliament as traitors. Not only are such allegations borderline slanderous, but they fan the flames of ignorance. I do not care what your party affiliations are, when you call a lawfully elected member of parliament a traitor you are walking on very thin ice, especially when the now prime minster has hinted at coalition governments in the past (press conference April 20, 2005). The proposed coalition government of the Liberal and NDP is not only a legitimate proposal, but it is also a constitutionally legal proposal.

What it all really boils down to is that the majority of Canadians do not have the basic knowledge to be able to participate fully within our democracy. I am worried about these findings. I am scared of what it means for the future of Canada. I urge our schools and educators to take a more active role in educating the next generation of citizens. I call upon elected officials to make the right choice and find a way to educate the electorate on how our system of government works. If we are to stay a democracy, we need an educated and active citizenry.

Here are the correct answers to the four questions:

1. the Queen
2. Constitutional Monarchy
3. No
4. Yes