The article is an interview with Barry Eastbrook, the author of a book on the subject called Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit.

Here are some choice quotes from “Strange Fruit: An interview with Barry Eastbrook on the high cost of cheap tomatoes” by Megan Peck, Orlando Weekly, July 28:

they inject methyl bromide, which is a fumigant which kills every living organism in the soil – every germ, every bug, every bacteria. [...] After a couple of weeks, when the soil is sterile – dead – they then poke holes in the plastic and put seedlings in.

There is also a fair deal about the immigration status, living conditions, and low wages of the workers who pick the fruit, at one point claiming that “it’s abject slavery”:

Our governor, Rick Scott, ran on a hard-line anti-immigration stance. He’s since taken heat for backing down. Might this have anything to do with agriculture companies and migrant workers?

He may have taken a look across the border at what’s happening in Georgia. Florida’s agricultural sector is huge. [In Georgia] you have a situation where they had enacted one of these crazy laws, and right now there’s $300 million lost so far, with crops rotting in the fields because the workers simply – well, they are nothing if not migrant.

Is there anything we can do to get around this evil?

The closer your tomato is raised to your kitchen counter, the better it’s going to be. It’s not as easy in Florida, but there are small farms … [or] grow your own tomatoes. When fresh, good tomatoes are available, make pasta sauces and freeze them.

For more information, read the full interview, or pick up a copy of Barry’s book.

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From Orlando homeowner battles HOA, wants roof to reflect energy-saving ethic:

She said she understands that her neighbors denied the request because no one else has a white roof.

But “until you get one white roof, you can’t have two. Until you have two, you wouldn’t have three,” Piper said. “If we did all the roofs at one time, with $100 of savings a year on each one and 100 homes, that’s $10,000 … for electricity that is just wasted now.”

From “Betting on the Farm” by Lindy T. Shepherd:

But Florida Hospital’s Paradis deliberately partnered with an entity outside of the hospital’s insular system, rather than re-create the project within the hospital system. “I’m big enough to do the whole thing,” says Paradis of the hospital’s resources, “but I’m choosing to talk to (Homegrown Co-op), because (those) guys are so passionate – I call Michael and Emily ‘community passionaries.’”

They will also be opening a retail store sometime in the Fall, according to the article. On Orange Avenue, on one end of the “Antique Row” along Lake Ivanhoe. Orlando has sorely needed something like this for a long time, and now thanks to a generous matching grant program from Florida Hospital, it can become a reality, despite a rough economic climate.

The Weekly article says Homegrown will not be selling pork products because of Florida Hospital’s involvement. That’s a small price to pay for such a huge leg-up in your third year of existence. I honestly can’t wait for the retail store to open, and for Orlando to become a bit more self-sustaining.

Download Eco Footprint Special: 350.org
ecofactory_350.mp3
Length: 3:04

Gabe LeBlanc of EcoFactory left me this message about the event being held on 10/24/09 to raise awareness about the level of Carbon in the air. More info can be found at http://350.org and http://ecofactory.com

Gabe is offering free beer to the first 350 people to arrive at Orlando Brewing at 3:50 PM on October 24th. Gabe is doing awesome stuff in our community, and I recommend everyone go and support him, or find a similar event in your area.

Ryan Price here, producer of the Shrink Your Ecological Footprint Podcast. If you take a look, you’ll realize we haven’t recorded any new episodes in a while. There are a number of reasons for this, but I think one of them is people. Gina and I are still very interested in doing the podcast, but more people makes for better conversation, more viewpoints and a richer end-product. By working together we can make something bigger and better than by working alone. This is true for environmental issues, personal health and podcasts, too.

If you’re interested in making a guest appearance, becoming a regular speaker, or just getting added to the rotation, we can accommodate your request. We use Skype to record all the shows, and right now we don’t have a regular recording time since we’ve been away for so long. Use the contact form at the top of this page to get in touch with me and tell me what you’re passionate about. We’ve got someone to cover technology and someone for personal nutrition and wellness, we could use some more specialists in other areas, so tell us what you’d like to contribute.

Hope you’ve enjoyed the first 5 episodes, and hope you’ll enjoy those that will come in the future! Leave a comment here if you just have suggestions or feedback. I’d love to know where you’re listening from.

Peace,
Ryan Price
Producer
Liberatr.net