Mother Nature is...

Mother Nature [1]. Previously I’ve called her ingenious [2], grand [3], angry [4], and mercilessly vengeful [5]. Even muscular [6]. But that’s not all she can be. This growing season’s been a tough and cruel one for most, and maybe nearly all, Australian primary producers. Including darling Brendon and Kate at Daylesford Organics. In the last few months floods [7] (on at least two occasions), locust plagues (ditto) and fungal diseases have reduced their farm’s produce to almost zero – apart from eggs. (Apparently the chooks have continued to lay eggs, oblivious to the adversities just mentioned.) Of couse that’s a huge setback – compounded because in the previous two seasons their produce had won national awards, and they’d been supplying top restaurants. It’s hard not to take all this personally – even though, of course, there’s nothing personal about it. I know [8]. Brendon and his farm team have made plans to ensure future seasons like the present one won’t result in such massive production losses. One must learn by one’s experience and do what one can. But as people in Brisbane and Christchurch can confirm, Mother Nature can’t be totally controlled. She’s perverse, she’s contrary, and she has wry senses of irony and humour. Yesterday darling Kate and darling Jarrah picked some giant blackberries (pictured). As if Mother Nature created these giants as a reminder of who’s boss. And to signal that she’s not a bitch after all.

This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium – comprising eight health-connected items. This week…

1. research showed regular sunscreen use significantly cuts melanoma risk [1]. It cuts the risk of squamous and basal cell cancers too.

2. research showed sunlight exposure cuts the risk of mature-onset diabetes – mediated via vitamin D [2]. But even weak sunscreen – e.g. for melanoma prevention – markedly lowers vitamin D production.

3. research showed daily low-dose aspirin reduces the all-cancers death rate by 34% (and the stomach and bowel cancer death rate by 54%) [3]. It protects against stroke and heart attack too.

4. research showed overweight and obesity are associated with an increased all-cause mortality; and to a lesser degree so is underweight [4]. All-cause mortality is lowest when the Body Mass Index [BMI] is normal or just below normal, i.e. 20.0-24.9.

5. research showed lap band surgery’s effective in people with a lower BMI than that presently deemed acceptable by the US FDA [5]. Thus the FDA’s considering lowering the minimum BMI from 40 to 35 (and from 35 to 30 for people with other health problems).

6. the 16th UN Climate Change Conference [COP16] began in Cancun, Mexico [6a, 6b]. The health connection? It’s obvious. But COP16’s a giant ho hum.

7. I saw this fascinating video about what sits on Oliver Sacks’s office desk [7]. The health connection? He’s a neurologist.

8. darling Indi began a duck egg business unit within Daylesford Organics [8]. The health connection? Indi has the flu. Get well soon, Indi. xxxxx

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. a new luxury shopping mall opened. Where? In Gaza [1]. What humanitarian crisis?

2. a study concluded that compared with normal-weight men, obese men reported more erectile function [2]. If you can’t see it, you can’t know what it’s doing.

3. the same study concluded that compared with normal-weight women, obese women were more likely to report unintended pregnancies. If you can’t see where he’s putting it…

4. the Port Phillip Leader reported that yet more trees in Albert Park are set for the chop [4]. What goes around, comes around. Will the Park’s subjugation never end?

5. though the American YMCA changed it’s name to the Y, the Village People are holding tight [5a]. And so’s the Aussie YMCA [5b].

6. the Get-It-Done Guy tells us how to prioritise [6]. Maybe some day I’ll learn.

7. in a 3-year controlled experiment on 345 people with hip arthritis, an avocado-soybean extract produced a statistically significant reduction in radiographic disease progression [7]. Ain’t Mother Nature grand.

8. that ‘amazing little farm punching well above its weight’ won a Gold Medal in the ‘From The Earth’ category at delicious. magazine’s 2010 Produce Awards [8]. Congratulations, Daylesford Organics. I’m so proud of you.

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

Never, never, never, never give up

After six days away, on Monday I returned to a hill of work. Not a mountain let alone an alp, but a daunting pile nonetheless. So much so that yesterday morning I had trouble getting out of bed to face it. But I did. All through yesterday I persevered – because I knew that if I didn’t, the hill wouldn’t get flatter. By evening, I’m pleased to report, it was almost gone. It’s amazing what you can achieve when, though not in the mood, you’re determinedly persistent [1].

That’s enough about me. But continuing on about persistence, I publicly pay tribute to darling Kate and Brendon. Last Thursday marked nine years since they moved to Daylesford – equipped with lots of dreams and not much knowledge. What they’ve achieved over the subsequent nine years is astounding. But don’t take my word for it – for I’m unashamedly biased – read what the Weekly Times says [2]. Despite my Farmdoc moniker, I’m not a real farmer. Because I earn my living from doctoring. But I know enough about farming to tell you, with conviction, that farming’s a Murphy’s Law enterprise if ever there was one. Self evidently persistence’s paying off for Daylesford Organics. Happy birthday to that ‘amazing little farm punching well above its weight’ [3]. Long may you prosper. I am so proud of you.

This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. and indeed yesterday marked four years that Hamas has illegally held Gilad Shalit incommunicado after kidnapping him [1]. And still the world tolerates the Hamas terrorists and denies Israel its legitimate right of self-defence against them. Shame.

2. the BMJ published research showing no association between the risk of early childhood cancers and mothers’ exposure to mobile phone base stations during pregnancy [2]. Hmmm. Interesting.

3. the Invasive Species Council told us that in the Concord woods made famous by Thoreau, weeds are responding to climate change faster than native plants [3]. Ho hum.

4. another warning was published about the hearing effects of listening to risk to MP3 players [4]. Not one study’s shown that listening to MP3 players improves hearing.

5. treehugger put out a ranked list of Australia’s most sustainable cities [5]. Does anyone care?

6. I came across this compendium of pet care and welfare topics [6]. I’ll read some when I have time.

7. I read this Grammar Girl piece about when to use ‘which’ versus ‘that’ [7]. It’s something that’s always puzzled me.

8. the Media Department of Daylesford Organics triumphed again [8]. Oh, that photograph!

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. my Canadian cyberfriend Chrows25 [1a] sent me a link to a site showing the size of the Gulf oil spill [1b]. Scary. Very scary.

2. with superb timing, the Rocky Mountain Institute launched Reinventing Fire – its plan for a secure and climate-safe energy system [2a]. Watch the video here [2b].

3. further to item 3 in last week’s compendium, Yahoo stopped using its iPhone weather app to make a political statement [3]. Good on you for sticking to your knitting, Yahoo.

4. planetgreen wrote of a Wafu – a Sydney Japanese restaurant offering a 30% discount to customers who eat all the food they order [4a]. Wafu has other interesting policies too [4b].

5. in central Australia a 17 km bike path was opened; and it’s made entirely of discarded printer cartridges [5]. How wonderful.

6. Grammar Girl explained the whys and wherefores of ellipses [6]. Well…okay then.

7. Jono remembered the Anzacs [7]. No comment can do it justice.

8. Daylesford Organics closed its farmgate shop until the Spring [8]. What a spectacular opening season it was, guys.

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

Lists: ‘15 Reasons to Eat Organic Food’ & 10 tips for optimum vegetable storage’

Today’s ‘List Friday’. After pitifully pathetic lists on the past two Fridays [1, 2], I promised you, dear readers, a much less soporific list today. And I’m a man who stands by his promises. Sometimes at least.

The book I read last week, about men’s health, was big on diet and eating habits [3]. And this week I’m on to a book about Gi [glycaemic index] foods and food preparation [4]. So health, food, cooking, and eating are on my mind right now. Front and centre.

To atone for the last two lists, today I’m offering you two: the first is planetgreen’s ‘15 Reasons to Eat Organic Food’ [5]. And what a broad list it is – embracing nutritional, safety social, environmental and biodiversity factors. Given all this, buying and eating organic food’s a no-brainer. Nutrition Diva agrees [6]. But if you’re a doubter, at least invoke the precautionary principle [7].

Today’s second list, courtesy of darling Emily’s heads-up, is also food-related. But not limited to organic food. It’s thestonesoup’s ‘10 tips for optimum vegetable storage’ [8]. Of these 10, the main one is ‘Don’t refrigerate your tomatoes’.

P.S. Thanks to darling Kate and Brendon for today’s photograph – of Daylesford Organics’ prize winning heirloom beetroot [9].

This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. US health reform legislation was approved by the House of Representatives [1]. No-one knows the exact implications. But surely the outcome will be a massive improvement on the status quo ante

2. the latest estimate is that peak oil will occur around 2014, i.e. a decade earlier than previously predicted [2]. Good news – the environmental and geopolitical effects of fossil fuel use are catastrophic.

3. Australian F1 Grand Prix boss Ron Walker underwent brain surgery [3]. Eh?

4. regarding the GP circus which runs for four days ending in the race tomorrow, the media, acting out of altruism in the public interest (sorry, that’s a joke), continue to promote the unpromotable [4]. Attendance will be abysmal this year, again requiring a massive injection of public money.

5. the JAMA reported that women with normal food intake require 60 minutes per day of moderate-intensity physical activity to prevent significant weight gain [5]. This is a big increase over the previously-advocated figure of 150 minutes per week.

6. a Lancet article by Australian researchers concluded the placebo effect is under-recognised and under-used [6]. I agree. The placebo effect confounds the fundamentalism of Evidence Based Medicine – which can only be a good thing. The art of medicine mustn’t be removed.

7. UK supermarket chain Sainsbury, known for its environmental initiatives including electric vehicle charging stations and converting waste food into energy, is moving into another area that’s a supermarket first – beekeeping [7]. Sainsbury makes Australian supermarkets look positively neanderthal.

8. the amazing Daylesford Organics gained sixth place on Australian Traveller magazine’s list of ‘100 Greatest Australian Gourmet Experiences’ [8]. Kate Ulman and Brendon Eisner: I am just so proud of, and happy for, you. xxxxx

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

farmdoc's blog post number 691

Today’s ‘List Friday’. Have you ever seen carrots as beautiful as those in the photograph? They’re from Daylesford Organics, grown by darling Kate and Brendon. They look wonderful; but I’ll bet you anything they taste even better. No doubt we all have our own reasons for the quality and quantity of food we eat. And often, or mostly, the decisions aren’t conscious ones, but rather reached by habit. When I buy food, the three matters uppermost in my mind are (in order): low fat, low sugar, and price. As I’ve grown older, the food I eat’s become more important to me – no doubt as the link between food and health (and/or food and disease) has become clearer. Today’s list’s from the New York Times way back in June 2008. Its title says it all: ‘The 11 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating’. The list, which Sweetheart Vivienne alerted me to, was reportedly compiled on the basis of three criteria, i.e. healthy, easy to find, and rarely bought. The writer ends her article by disclosing that only two of the 11 are in her house. My score’s also two, i.e. cinnamon and sardines. But I’m aiming to up the number in the coming weeks and months. It shouldn’t be too hard to do. But the thing I’m really looking forward to is eating a Daylesford Organics rainbow carrot – at the Collingwood Children’s Farm Farmer’s Market tomorrow morning. I can hardly wait.

farmdoc's blog post number 618

Worms. There are two types of them: good worms (e.g. earthworms. Isn’t the Daylesford Organics one in the photograph a beauty) and bad ones (e.g. computer worms, tapeworms, ringworms). You’ve probably heard of the aphorism ‘even a worm will turn’. It comes from this line in Shakespeare’s Henry VI: ‘The smallest worm will turn being trodden on’. Whilst that line and the aphorism refer to turning from good to bad, meek to angry, there’s no rational reason why a worm can’t turn the other way. Enter stage right the Institute of Public Affairs. The IPA calls itself ‘an independent, non-profit public policy think tank, dedicated to preserving and strengthening the foundations of economic and political freedom’. I call it right wing. In 1992 when that right winger Jeff Kennett became Victorian premier, his legislative program was implemented so fast it must’ve been pre-planned. And I’ll bet the IPA, for all its self-proclaimed independence, was a prime mover. Including poaching the F1 Grand Prix from Adelaide in 1993, as the jewel in the crown of Kennett’s major events strategy. I’ve known from day one that this strategy’s a dud. But it’s taken the IPA 16 years to hear the penny drop. This article in last Sunday’s SMH is evidence it has. Reverting to the original metaphor, the IPA worm has turned. Surely now, finally, the days of the Grand Prix in Albert Park are numbered. Surely.

farmdoc's blog post number 615

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. I read on Planet Ark’s website of the outstanding success of South Australia’s ban on plastic bags. In the first six months of the ban, plastic bag usage has fallen by an estimated 200 million. [1] What’s holding back the other Australian states – including Victoria and Tasmania?

2. regarding reporting on the Middle East, the HonestReporting website published the nominees for, and winner of, its ‘Dishonest Reporter Award 2009’ [2]. Regrettably there was no shortage of worthy nominees – unsurprisingly including the Age.

3. the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists launched a website titled Inside Radiology aiming to provide consumers (patients, potential users) and referrers (medical and other health professionals) with accurate, up to date and accessible information about radiology procedures and interventions [3]. An excellent resource.

4. Grammar Girl listed the four commonest grammar questions put to her in 2009, with links to full explanations of the answers [4]. Interesting holiday reading.

5. Nutrition Diva explained when you add wine or other liquor to a recipe, although some of the alcohol ‘cooks off’, up to 85% of the alcohol remains in the finished dish [5]. Now you know.

6. the North American Aerospace Defence Command [NORAD] set up an official NORAD Santa Tracker website [6]. Maybe NORAD knows something I don’t know. That wouldn’t be difficult – because I don’t know much.

7. the 2009 Global Solar Report Card gave Australia a C minus for focus on solar energy, and a C regarding incentives for installing solar [7]. (Germany was top nation, with A minus for each.) Ho hum.

8. Daylesford Organics received a council permit for farm gate sales of its prize-winning organic fruit, vegetables and eggs. Now sales can, and will, begin in early January as planned. Details are here [8]. Good luck, guys. Actually, luck isn’t needed – because your top quality produce speaks for itself.

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

farmdoc's blog post number 473

Abraham Lincoln. Perhaps the most famous words he said in his life came at the end of his Gettysburg Address, regarding ‘government: of the people, by the people, for the people’. They’re obviously true. Or are they?

Of the people – suggests those elected are representative of the public-at-large. They aren’t. They’re people with a propensity to exercise power, to be in the public eye, to give expression to some perceived ideology or ideal. Or whatever. But they’re self-selected – not selected by a table of random numbers.

By the people – suggests voters know what they’re doing, who they vote for, why they vote the way they do. Seemingly self-evident. But wrong. Nowadays election campaigns are slick and targeted, run according to the numbers, peppered with half-truths, or even quarter-truths. And election winners are often those with the biggest budgets and cleverest spin doctors.

For the people – suggests governments serve the people’s interest. They don’t. To think they do is a joke, a furphy, patent nonsense. They serve various interests: campaign donors, big business, those who ensure future re-election, others. If governments governed for the people, there’d be no need for the Grands Prix Act, the Pulp Mill Assessment Act [1] and other laws that purposely curtail citizens’ rights and freedoms. And Hepburn Shire wouldn’t block local farmers obtaining permits to build shops for farmgate sales – which is a problem facing Daylesford Organics. The Shire’s policy’s myopic and stupid. Its rationale’s obscure. It serves someone’s interests. But not the people’s. That’s for sure.

farmdoc's blog post number 391

Reading a corporate mission statement never fails to bring a wry smile to my face. Because usually the jargon’s impenetrable. And often there’s a big gap between what’s aimed for and what’s done. Especially in the realm of customer service. But in general, the smaller the enterprise, the narrower the gap. Many years ago, Sweetheart Vivienne and I worked out a mission statement for us as spouses and parents. And each year we’d set aside time to discuss how we were going, and what we’d do to improve in future. But we haven’t done it for the last 3-4 years because we thought we were doing it continuously. I now see that’s a mistake. Because it’s all too easy to live our day-to-day lives whilst ignoring the big picture. To not look at the road behind and the road ahead. To be sidetracked by routine and minutiae. That’s my experience, anyway. But others are more focussed than I am. And I envy them that. In our family there are two, at least, wonderful recent examples: Sweetheart Vivienne’s book contract. And then last Monday night, darling Kate and Brendon’s triumph at the 2009 Vogue Entertaining +Travel Produce Awards. The best carrots, beetroot etc in the nation. What an achievement. I’m so happy. Over the moon, even. My mission? To bake the perfect loaf of bread. I expect to spend the rest of my life trying to achieve it.

farmdoc's blog post number 348

Last Saturday morning, a perfect Melbourne autumn morning – still, cool, grey and slightly misty – Sweetheart Vivienne drove me to Abbotsford Convent where we helped darling Brendon on his Daylesford Organics stall at the Slow Food Farmers’ Market. For sale were beans, carrots, squash, beetroot, eggs, and blackberry jam. It all looked exquisite – both to me, and several people with cameras – and so it was unsurprising the customers rushed it. Some were clearly regulars. But whether they were or not, they were excited, talkative, curious, good-natured, and above all appreciative. It was a joy to behold. I felt privileged to be there and witness it. And I was so proud of Brendon whose farming, marketing and product knowledge and skill were evident in all I saw. His long hours of hard physical work and frequent frustrations must seem worthwhile when he comes to a market loaded with produce and leaves with only a few jars of jam. Last 29 November I wrote that one of my favourite films is Field of Dreams in which one of the best lines is ‘If you build it, they will come’. And to the Daylesford Organics stall last Saturday morning the customers sure came. Darling Kate and Brendon’s field of dreams is a fertile reality. All credit to them.