Pumpkin Picking

Every pumpkin is known by its stem. - proverb

...from the Old Farmers Almanac - October brings autumn into full swing, and who doesn’t love a fall walk in the woods or a stroll through an apple orchard to enjoy the season’s bounty?

We’re noticing pumpkins brightening up farm stands across much of the country. For many, the harvest came early. Here are some tips for pumpkin picking:

...Do not pick pumpkins off the vine because they have reached your desired size. Wait until they mature. (If you want small pumpkins, buy a small variety.)

...Cut fruit off the vine; do not tear. Be sure not to cut too close to the pumpkin and to leave a liberal amount of stem

...Before storing, pumpkins should be cured in the sun for about a week to toughen the skin.

...Early harvest? No worries. If you store in a cool, dry, dark place between 50 and 55 degrees, the pumpkins should last about 6 months.

...They are best stored sitting on a board or cardboard or straw (not a cement floor) about 2 inches apart (not stacked or touching).

...One of our readers shared this tip: Wash a picked pumpkin in a very mild chlorine solution (1 cup of chlorine to 1 gallon of water. This gets rid of bacteria that cause rot. Then thoroughly dry.

See our pumpkin page for more harvest tips - and great reader Q&As.

If you’re going to a pumpkin patch, remember to buy pumpkins with stems attached; they will keep better.

Listen! The wind is rising,
And the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings,
Now for October eves!

- Humbert Wolfe (1885–1940)

Recipes

All this talk of pumpkin gets us excited about mouthwatering pumpkin recipes.

Enjoy these fall favorites—courtesy of our new Everyday Baking cookbook.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Pumpkin Sugar Cake

Creamy Pumpkin Pie

TIP: See how to cook and clean a pumpkin.

Rural living could be an obesity risk factor

The United States is currently going through an obesity epidemic, and public health experts and others are understandably very concerned. There isn't a single state that has an obesity rate of under 20 percent and the medical costs associated with obesity were estimated to be approximately $147 billion in 2008.

Many researchers have wondered whether there might be a rural-urban divided as regards obesity rates, and a team of scholars at the University of Kansas and the Unviersity of Florida has done some work on the subject that is garnering attention.

Using data from the National Center for Health Statistics, the team found that 39.6% of people in rural areas were obese, as compared with 33.4% of those in urban areas. The team of researchers also noted that several factors were associated with higher rates of obesity, including being married, consuming a high daily calorie intake or a higher percentage of calories from fat, or being of African-American descent.

One of the investigators, Professor Michael G. Perri, noted that

"Rural areas have fewer resources to assist residents with lifestyle changes related to weight management."

It remains to be seen what might be done to address this disparity, but one solution might be to use the expertise of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Cooperative Extension Service, which has offices in just about every county in the United States.

Read the full article at the Los Angeles Times

>From The Scout Report,
Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012.
http://scout.wisc.edu/

Canada celebrates Organic Week Sept. 22-29, 2012

OTTAWA, September 21, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - For the third consecutive year, the Canadian Organic Growers and Canada Organic Trade Association are partnering with groups across the country to celebrate Organic Week in Canada.

This energized week recognizes the environmental and community-building contributions of organic growers and businesses in both urban and rural communities. From organic farm tours to harvest meals to wine tastings—there are dozens of events taking place across the country. A school contest is also encouraging children to get their hands dirty and better understand farming.

"In Canada, there are more than 3700 organic growers," said Beth McMahon, Executive Director of the Canadian Organic Growers. "Organic Week is an opportunity to applaud their commitment to the environment and a healthy food system. We really encourage people to get to know their farmers."

Organizers of Organic Week are also taking the opportunity to highlight the strong growth of the sector: with 66.5% growth in organic farms since 2001, according to the latest Census of Agriculture. The value of the organic market is now valued at more than $2.6 billion in sales, and has grown by 160% since 2006.

"Organics are a tightly regulated and inspected system, which prohibits synthetic toxins, GMOs and many additives in growing and processing," said Matthew Holmes, Executive Director of the Canada Organic Trade Association. "As people continue to look to reduce exposure to synthetic chemicals and genetically modified ingredients, as well support environmentally-friendly choices, demand for organics will only grow."

To find out more about events in your area, visit www.organicweek.ca.

Organic Week was made possible this year by champion sponsors Nature's Path Foods, Hain Celestial Canada, The Big Carrot, Mill St. Brewery, Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods & Oils, The Canadian Health Food Association, and UNFI Canada; as well as national supporters Ambrosia Organic Growers, Beretta, Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, Earthbound Farm, Ecocert, Ethical Bean Coffee, Fruit D'Or, Grainworks Inc., Kamut International, Left Coast Naturals, Nature's Fare Markets, Organic Garage, Organic Meadow, ShaSha Bread Co., Silk Soy Beverage, SunOpta, Taste of Nature, and USC Canada.

SOURCE: CANADA ORGANIC TRADE ASSOCIATION

Paper Explores Environmental, Economic Costs of Dam Removal

GUELPH Ontario - September 11, 2012 - University of Guelph News Release - It’s a “dam” dilemma for more and more resource managers. Remove a dam to help restore sport fishes in the Great Lakes or to save endangered lake sturgeon, for instance, and you risk allowing parasitic sea lamprey to harm the fishery or further decimate a threatened species.

A new review paper whose authors include University of Guelph biologists discusses tradeoffs and possible economic or environmental costs of removing dams or creating fishways, an increasingly popular option among resource managers.

The paper was published online this month in the journal Fish and Fisheries.

“There’s a large push for new fish passageways and dam removal,” said Rob McLaughlin, a professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and the paper’s lead author.

He and former master’s student Eric Smyth worked with fisheries scientists in Michigan, Massachusetts, Ontario and British Columbia.

More resource managers are looking to fishways and dam removal to help build up migratory fish populations and to restore stream biodiversity and natural ecosystems.

Referring to fish and invertebrates that can harm native or desirable fish, McLaughlin said,

“The reality is that dams can be good if they’re blocking aquatic invasive species. There’s a need for a more nuanced approach as opposed to a bandwagon, one-size-fits-all approach to the problem.”

The team looked at almost 200 research publications involving more than 40 fish species and numerous dam locations across North America, Europe and Australia. Their paper discusses tradeoffs and effects of dam removal and fishway construction on various species, and ways to assess costs, benefits and tradeoffs.

The authors highlight an example involving invasive sea lamprey, highly prized walleye, and endangered lake sturgeon and northern brook lamprey at the Black Sturgeon dam in northern Lake Superior.

Smyth studied the Black Sturgeon River for his master’s thesis at Guelph. Referring to competing interests from sport fishers to environmental groups to government agencies, he said,

“There is no simple way to resolve the tradeoffs. No matter what, there’s going to be some negative consequences to management.”

Around the Great Lakes, a number of dams were built initially to control water levels and later modified to thwart sea lamprey. These parasitic fish entered the Great Lakes in the early 20th century.

Canada and the United States created the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC) to control sea lamprey. McLaughlin has worked with the GLFC on lamprey control, and came to Guelph in 2002 under a GLFC-funded ecosystem program.

Ministers of Education Mark International Literacy Day

TORONTO, September 8, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - Provincial and territorial education ministers are joining today with governments, business and labour, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals from around the world to celebrate International Literacy Day (ILD).

ILD was established in 1965 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to highlight the fundamental value of literacy and promote greater literacy around the world.

UNESCO has chosen the theme "Literacy and Peace" for ILD 2012 to underscore the role that literacy can play in resolving conflict and promoting civic engagement and social harmony.

"Ministers of education are pleased to add their voice to the global call for greater literacy for all peoples," said the Honourable Ramona Jennex, Chair of CMEC and Minister of Education for Nova Scotia. "We recognize that literacy is a one of the pillars of an open and democratic, economically strong, and socially inclusive society."

Provinces and territories continue their efforts on literacy through a wide range of programs and initiatives adapted to meet the varied needs of their respective populations. This flexible approach — a hallmark of Canada's education systems — ensures that government resources are used to maximum effect and successes are shared among provinces and territories and on the international stage.

Canadians can learn more about literacy in Canada by visiting www.cmec.ca/literacy.

Literacy also remains an integral part of the work of CMEC and is addressed in a variety of programs and activities, including education data and learning assessment, international engagement, and early childhood education.

Of particular note is CMEC's participation, in partnership with the federal government, in OECD's flagship assessment of adult skills and learning, the Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). PIAAC will provide Canadians with one of the most complete portraits ever of adult skills in Canada, including literacy, and will inform policy development for years to come. The first results from PIAAC will be released in fall 2013.

About CMEC

Founded in 1967, CMEC is the collective voice of Canada's ministers of education. It provides leadership in education at the pan-Canadian and international levels and contributes to the exercise of the exclusive jurisdiction of provinces and territories over education. For more information, visit us at www.cmec.ca.

August brings two full Moons! A Blue Moon and a Full Red Moon August 31

From the Old Farmers Almanac - It is the Almanac’s style to use Native American or colonial names for the full Moon. The first full Moon, on August 1, is the “Full Sturgeon Moon.”

The second full Moon, on August 31, is the “Full Red Moon,” which is an Algonquin name. Read our August Moon Guide for Moon phases, video, best days, folklore, and more.

This is not to be confused with the expression “blue Moon,” which many folks define as the second full Moon in a month (which occurs about every 2.5 years).

The expression "blue Moon" may have derived from the extremely rare occurrence of a Moon becoming tinged with blue when seen through atmospheric layers of forest fire smoke or volcanic dust. Since these blue-looking Moons were very unusual, the phrase “once in a blue Moon” was coined.

There was also an earlier definition of “blue Moon” related to the seasonal (tropical) calendar; the phrase’s roots have a long history involving calendars and the measuring of the year.

Nowadays, the definition that has taken off as modern folklore is simply the second full Moon in a month.

No matter what meaning you give them, blue Moons are rare, and we all know what you mean when you say, “once in a blue Moon”!

When high the Sun in noonday glory rides,
Where willows keep the lake’s green margin cool,
The speckled trout amid their shadow hides,
And dragonflies haunt every shaded pool.

– Thomas S. Collier

Sincerely, The Old Farmer’s Almanac

Ontario's Lennox and Addington County's Dark Secret Comes To Light With Opening of Province's Most Southerly Lookout to View the Pristine Night Sky

NAPANEE, Ontario, August 7, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - Astronomers have long known a dark secret about the rural southeastern Ontario community of Lennox and Addington (L&A) County. Now that secret has come to light with the official opening of the L&A Dark Sky Viewing Area - the most southerly point in Ontario where you can view the pristine night sky uninhibited by the glare of city lights.

The opening of the L&A Dark Sky Viewing Area could not have come at a better time from an astronomical perspective, coinciding with the beginning of the Perseid meteor shower, a spectacular natural display of "shooting stars" that will rain across the sky this week and peak Saturday, August 11, 2012.

The L&A Dark Sky Viewing Area is easily accessible and located at Ontario's Sheffield Conservation Area north of the 401 on County Road 41, 36 km from Napanee, ON, making it the most southerly point in the province to see the pristine night sky for stargazing. (See http://goo.gl/maps/LG5T) The specially designed open air viewing area officially opened to the public on Tuesday, August 7, 2012. (See www.DarkSkyViewing.com )

"Lennox and Addington County is the best location this far south in Southern Ontario for stargazing, giving you a night sky experience very similar to what was available 100 years ago," says renowned astronomy author Terence Dickinson, who has published 14 books on the subject, selling over two million copies worldwide.

"I moved here in 1976 knowing it was a location where you could access such a pristine night sky," adds Dickinson, who is also editor of SkyNews magazine. "The L&A Dark Sky Viewing Area creates a dedicated, accessible space for anyone to now enjoy what really is the biggest expanse of nature - the universe. The question I get asked the most, especially by people in bigger cities like Toronto or Ottawa, is where can I go to really see the stars. Now I can tell them. This is really a gift of nature here in this part of L&A County."

While the L&A Dark Sky Viewing Area is ideal for both amateur astronomers and astrophotographers, Stephen Paul, Lennox and Addington County's Manager of Economic Development, says the appeal is much broader based.

"This designated stargazing site is open to everyone," says Paul. "You don't need a telescope to enjoy and appreciate the natural wonder of the pure night sky. We are very fortunate in this area to be surrounded by the right natural conditions where you can enjoy a view that is not available in any other place in southern Ontario. So we designed the site with a flat surface to make it easy to take pictures, set up a telescope or just bring along a lawn chair and enjoy the view with your family."

The site's designer and project manager sees the L&A Dark Sky Viewing Area as a special place and he imbued his design with spiritual symbolism.

"We tried to create an environment that symbolizes the connection between heaven and earth, where infinity is expressed in the skies," says Hans Honegger, Designer Bon Eco Design. "We had complete reverence for the natural terrain, finding a spot that is naturally open and unencumbered by trees and integrating the natural presence of the pre-cambium rock of this region into the design. We also incorporated the symbol of a raven into the platform as the astronomical north arrow indicator."

The end result is a rustic, nature-inspired viewing area that blends with the natural environment and includes benches for those who just want to sit and admire the natural beauty of the sky the way their ancestors would have 100 years ago.

Lennox and Addington County is situated in south-eastern Ontario, conveniently centered between the cities of Kingston and Belleville. The county covers a sprawling area of 2,841 square kilometres, stretching from Lake Ontario, northward over 130 kilometers to Renfrew County. The northern half of the county forms part of the Canadian Shield. The southern half of the county is essentially rural, with the exception of the Town of Greater Napanee and the suburban community of Amherstview within Loyalist Township. The rural area is dotted with a number of villages and hamlets which function as commercial and tourism centres for the surrounding area. Settled at first by United Empire Loyalists and later by American and European pioneers, Lennox and Addington County is alive with reminders of a rich past: the family names of the earliest pioneers endure, and hundreds of grand Victorian homes and farmsteads still stand as symbols of an era of hard work and bustling growth, their survival and vitality a testament to the vision of the founders. Visit www.lennoxandaddington.com