Prop 37 - A Temporary Setback in the Drive for GMO Labeling

Amid the many positive developments in the recent election, particularly at the state level, one of the most disappointing losses was the defeat of Prop 37, the California ballot initiative that would have mandated the labeling of foods containing genetically modified organisms. The 47%-53% loss of this almost universally approved practice - more than 40 countries around the world already require such labeling - came at the hands of a voracious, $46 million misinformation campaign led by Monsanto and DuPont, and supported by junk food and pesticide companies.

Far from this being a last ditch effort, though, this was really the opening shot of what has quickly become a national campaign. Washington and Oregon now have campaigns brewing for similar ballot initiatives in their states, and plans are being made for a legal approach with the Food and Drug Administration - and more than a million Americans have already signed the "Just Label It" petition urging the FDA to require GMO labeling nationally. (You can read more about the campaign's future here.)

In the meantime, you can help move the campaign forward by signing this thank you to the heroes of Prop 37, the food companies that stepped forward to support the initiative - Dr. Mercola, Dr. Bronner's, Lundberg Family Farms, Nutiva, Amy's Kitchen, Organic Valley, Clif Bar, Udi's, Earth Balance, Annie's Homegrown, Applegate, Eden Foods and Good Earth Natural Foods, among others - and by supporting them when you visit the supermarket as well. And remember, you can ensure that you are eating GMO-free foods yourself by buying certified organic foods, in which GMOs are not allowed. (And here's a handy set of tips from Green America on how to avoid GMOs while shopping.)

So stay tuned to the MVG update, and keep on supporting this campaign. As Gary Hirshberg, co-founder of Stonyfield Farm organic yogurt company noted, "We are going to have to come to grips with this. Labeling of GE [genetically engineered] foods is not a question of whether, but when."

When to Deploy Your Low Tunnel

Many people took an MVG class this past year on building low tunnels, and the idea of using a simple mini-greenhouse to extend harvests well into the winter months is clearly catching on. With low-tunnels, fresh food can be a virtually year-round endeavor!

A common question is when to erect the low tunnel, and it's understandable that when we feel cold we would believe that our plants need protection too. But cold hardy greens and other veggies are just that, and as numerous uncovered but still perfectly healthy gardens in the southern part of our county will attest, these plants can easily handle nighttime temperatures in the low-to-mid '30s - and the temperature dipping down to 31 or 30 for a an hour or two at night won't hurt 'em. (And truly cold-hardy plants like kale and other brassicas can go even lower than that.)

Of course hard freezes are on the way, so if you haven't built your low tunnel already now's a good time. But be careful: if you are using 6 mil clear plastic, as many folks do, you don't need to keep it closed up unless it's truly going to freeze - so a series of days with nighttime lows in the 30s and daytime temps in the 40s and 50s are perfect for keeping them uncovered, with the plastic rolled to the side. (And if the temps rise into the 60s, as they sometimes do, you can actually bake your plants in a closed plastic low-tunnel.)

Any questions on how to build your low tunnel? If you missed the great MVG classes, you can still check out this very helpful video from the "Grow It Eat It" program -in the video the frame is being used to hold up a floating row cover to prevent insect damage, but the process is the same for building your plastic-covered low tunnel for winter protection.

Ken Burns' "The Dust Bowl" - Sunday & Monday, Nov. 18 & 19

Ken Burns, the award-winning documentarian who has done brilliant multi-part films on baseball, jazz, Prohibition and America's national parks, among others, has turned his focus to another fundamental American experience - the Dust Bowl.

"The Dust Bowl" tells the story of the worst agricultural and ecological disaster in American history, in which a frenzied wheat boom and destructive farming practices, followed by a decade-long drought in the 1930s, led to unprecedented land loss, massive dislocation, and incredible human suffering, as the nation's breadbasket was nearly swept away. A historic crisis that is incredibly relevant to our situation today: as Ken Burns emphasizes in this recent interview on The Colbert Report, the Dust Bowl was very much a man-made disaster. It is "a morality tale about our relationship to the land that sustains us - a lesson we ignore at our peril."

A definite must-see for anyone who cares about the past - and future - of farming and food in our country, "The Dust Bowl" airs Sunday and Monday, November 18 and 19, 8-10pm on PBS. Click here for the program website and more information.

Choices for Thanksgiving!

While many of our holidays revolve around food (as it should be!), there is no food holiday quite like Thanksgiving. For anyone who has not completely scheduled their day or their dinner yet, here are a few great options for those living in Montgomery County and the DC area:

Life-Affirming Thanksgiving Celebration - This annual gala vegetarian Thanksgiving event, organized by the Vegetarian Society of DC, combines a gourmet vegan feast with live music, door prizes, a silent auction fundraiser, and keynote speaker Dr. Milton Mills, a practicing physician and the Associate Director of Preventative Medicine with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, who will discuss the health benefits of a plant-based diet. The Life-Affirming Thanksgiving Celebration will be held this Thursday, November 22 from 12Noon to 4pm at the Hyatt Regency in Bethesda. Registration closes soon, so if you are interested, don't delay - click here to register today!

Organic Turkeys - We have had a few inquiries this year, so for the meat eaters among us who are looking for the healthiest, most humanely raised and additive-free turkeys, we want to recommend our good friend Nick Maravell, at Nick's Organic Farm. When he isn't busy trying to preserve organic farms here in Montgomery County (see below), he cultivates organic seed crops, cattle and poultry, including pasture-raised, certified organic turkeys. You can still order a turkey from Nick by going here - and tell him MVG sent you!

Serving Others at the Fillmore - Another great tradition on Thanksgiving - in additon to family and neighborhood football games that often leave us older folks temporarily crippled - is the chance to serve a great holiday meal to those in need. There are many such opportunities, but here's a new one in Silver Spring you should know about: the Fillmore Silver Spring music hall is hosting its first ever "Giving Thanks," a free holiday luncheon, from 11am to 2pm this Thursday, for those families and individuals in need. It's a great way to give thanks for our own abundance - click here for more information on volunteering at the "Giving Thanks" holiday luncheon.

Another Step Forward to Save Nick's Organic/Brickyard Educational Farm

We are delighted that barely an issue of the MVG Update goes by without there being another positive development in the struggle to save this invaluable heritage organic farm in Potomac, Montgomery County - the only organic seed producing farm in our county, and home to the Brickyard Educational Farm, which gives county school children a hands-on experience with local organic agriculture and the wonders of growing food.

The newly re-christened "Save This Soil" campaign announced in late summer that Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley had written a public letter to MC County Executive Ike Leggett, warning him that it would be "a big mistake" to plow up the organic farm to install soccer fields. If you missed that story, you can watch the ABC 7 news coverage of it here.

And while the County Executive has so far maintained his inflexible position - one that flies in the face of the vast majority of community input he's received so far - the list of area politicians supporting Brickyard Educational Farm just increased by five, as County Council members Roger Berliner, Phil Andrews, Marc Elrich, Valerie Ervin, and Hans Riemer just signed a letter to Leggett, urging him to reconsider his position. You can click here to read the Save This Soil press release on the County Council letter, and the letter itself.

We know that changing course can sometimes be hard, but we continue to hope that the County Executive will see the wisdom in reconsidering his current course of action, and in preserving this invaluable farm asset in our county. Save This Soil, Mr. Leggett!

Become an MC Master Gardener - Sign Up for the 2013 Training!

More and more people are taking advantage of the Master Gardener training program here in Montgomery County, and that's great news, both because it's a fantastic program (class of 2011, here!), and because we need all the environmentally literate gardeners we can get in our county.

The 2013 training begins this coming January. The five week course meets three times a week, and is chock-filled with some of the most amazing teachers and solid information you could hope for. Whether you want to focus on growing food, pest issues, or the abiotic diseases of woody shrubs and trees, or just learn more about the growing world around you and help others do the same (volunteer hours are required), this is a truly great training course.

These classes do fill up quickly, though, so if you're interested don't delay! Click here for information to register for the 2013 Montgomery County Master Gardener training!

Black Gold!

Yup, that's one huge pile of composted manure, and that's me and fellow gardener and MVG volunteer Denny May shoveling it into the back of a pickup truck to transport to our gardens.

This is the real stuff, and it comes courtesy of Star Gazing Farm, a great little farm animal rescue and sanctuary in Boyds, just north of Germantown - and home to delightful, friendly animals like the sheep below (whose name I forgot - sorry!). Their composted manure is just as rich and dense as could be, and by all reports makes food gardens simply explode with produce. Star Gazing Farm is giving it away free (donations to support the farm's work are accepted) during their "Composted Manure for Gardeners" Days. The first one was today, Saturday November 17, but they are holding another next Saturday, November 24, from 10am - 2pm.

If you've got a truck, trash cans or just some buckets and tubs, this stuff is worth the trip (and a beautiful trip into northern Montgomery countryside, at that)! Click here for more information and directions to Star Gazing Farm, so you can visit with the animals and get some of their beautiful "black gold" for your own garden! (And a call to confirm the hours probably wouldn't hurt.)

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That's it for now! Please accept our best wishes for an abundant, delicious and warm Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends!

Sheepishly yours,