Pests: Big Eaters.

The weather continues to surprise us, although the nights are getting cool, and the leaves turning golden yellow, the days are warm and sunny. Usually, I'm looking for my long underwear and winter boots, but, this year, I'm still wearing my shorts.

Last week I briefly mentioned the Irish Famine and suggested that, in addition to an overdependence upon potatoes, the ownership of the land was something that needed to be given some consideration. Around the planet, land reform has been and still is a serious issue. Simply put, whoever owns the land, controls the land and determines its usage. This has signficant meaning for any food supply system, as the owner decides what is grown and this decision may be based upon current marketplace demands rather than long-term strategic thinking.

I have mentioned, this before, and will likely bring it up again: the shorter the distance between the field and the table, the safer the food. So, for all you gardeners who have some land that you control, if you have never grown potatoes, give it some thought for the next growing season and stop by Suite101 for up-to-date gardening advice.

Diseases aren't the only threats to the food supply. Pests have ravenous appetites and can reduce a crop to scrapes in a relatively short time, or cause it to wither slowly on the vine. A story in the local paper from CP wire in Toronto, about the couple who found a black widow spider in the imported grapes they brought home from the supermarket, fit ideally into this week's article about pests and their ability to migrate readily,from one location to another. Our extensive transporation system with its intensive food imports provides a perfect network for insects to cross oceans and vast distances. These travelling bugs show us how truly global our society has become.

The Germans are developing an interesting approach to ensuring food supply. They are using what they call a post-harvest system to keep the crop healthy after harvesting so that the possibility that it arrives in good condition in your kitchen increases.

Knowledge is your best weapon against the critters who want to eat your produce before you get an opportunity to do so. Increase your awareness of what possibilities exist when you are planning a garden so that you increase the probability of having a succesful harvest. On the larger scale, buy locally from farmers in your area, so that your food dollar acts as an investment in the local food supply system. This way you are buying security when you buy dinner.

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