Recession, Rain, Record Profits At Goldman

The universe seems entirely unfair right now.  But it's all tolerable, if only there are tomatoes in August. Unfortunately, peace of mind is threatened on this front, too.  Read Julia Moskin's utterly horrific New York Times piece about the late blight epidemic.

Comments

[susan harris]

Utterly horrific!! I'm afraid to click the link!

[Linda]

I hear you, Michele. I am a non-heat tolerant Northerner now living in Washington DC, and tomatoes and peaches are about the only things that make summer (and indeed our currently [messed] up universe) bearable.

While I'm grateful there has not been much oppressive heat this summer, it's looking as if the price might be too high.

[Anne (in Reno)]

Whoof. I guess I should be glad I'm in the hot and dry now - my tomatoes are looking ok and I managed to get them from local farms instead of big box stores. But I will still now be hovering over them looking for spots! How terrible!

[Kim McDodge]

It is too bad that the first thing we seem to reach for is chemicals and sterilization which leaves the ecology devastated and the niche defenseless. We could follow right along with a weekly actively aerated compost tea, by putting extra good compost around each plant. Rather than kill them all, we could watch carefully for ones that may show some resistance. We could let some of the crop go ahead and keep reproducing. I have seen good fruits come out of really sick plants and still be viable the next season. If we are thinking like the soil food web, we might understand that the fungi are just doing their jobs of cleaning up the dying plants and compost then in the piles or just into the field or bed with a good aerated fungal compost tea to help chose for the microbes that will eat this blight instead of being so afraid of the natural processes of decomposition. Disease has much to teach us. In understanding that the plants cannot get enough nutrition from the soil biology to stay viable, we can plant with more diversity of variety, with more resilience, with better understanding that the world is not in a Gaia stasis in Gausian curves but a dynamic in the mode of fractals in punctuated equilibrium and how we have to go with this to bring forth supernatural from the ruination in which we dwell. Will we be able to pay the price for our food? To buy varieties that are less sugary, but better for the growers? To grant more intelligence to the farmers to change and adapt? Without pouting?

In your area you are very fortunate to have

http://www.pogoorganics.com/

Some of the best in the nation.

[trey]

We have been talking about this for over a week at my blog, The Blogging Nurseryman. http://thegoldengecko.com/blog/?p=779

[gardenmentor]

East Coasters let me just say "welcome to a typical tomato growing season in western Washington". More often than not, fellow PacNW gardeners seem to find themselves with a plant full of green tomatoes (or no tomatoes for that matter) turning to mush in the rain. This season, we've had an oddball (hot/dry) year and the blight seems to be taking an early vacation from our region to yours -- sorry.

As much as it may break your hearts other-coasters, definitely tear out and dispose of blight-infected crops outside your compost heap. If you don't sacrifice the infected, you may be cursed with this particular bit of nastiness for years to come.

[shira]

I just returned from a trip and gasp - my plants at home have it, i'm quite upset! Heading over to the community garden to see if my plants there are okay.

[greg draiss]

"that the world is not in a Gaia stasis in Gausian curves but a dynamic in the mode of fractals in punctuated equilibrium and how we have to go with this to bring forth supernatural from the ruination in which we dwell"

This guy has been drinking too much compost tea!!!!LOL

Shame on the almighty consumer who in the selfish mode of doing anything for saving a dollar,at the expense of their neighbors job,
by shopping at box stores. It is funny how chic it was to tell how much you spent on something in the 80's and 90's has turned into just as chic saying today how little you spent on something today....it is still greed.

the TROLL

[Kim McDodge]

Tea is awfully good with a twist of lime and some rum. You are right. Way too much has rotted the mind and made an olde fanatic outta me. Hiccup. Here's to ya, Trolly!

[Jessica]

My grandma's porch garden seems to have the dreaded blight. She's still in watch and see mode, but I think we'll have to bag them and toss them this week. :(