Is the food we eat safe?

Kerala imports more than 80 % of the vegetables from other States, creating jobs for others. What we get is vegetable   infested with pesticide which contains poison more than the human body can handle. You may remember there are few occasions in last years   Saudi Arabia banned the curry leaves exported from Kochi which was coming from Andhra and Tamil Nadu. The reason was that it contains more insecticide than the allowed limit. The poison content in vegetables leads to frequent illness and high rate of diseases like diabetes, kidney failures, cancer etc. Kerala is the world capital of diabetes now.  Moreover research has shown vegetable we buy from supermarket  loses up to 57%  of nutrients on its ways  from the farm to kitchen but the pesticides won't deplete that fast.   It is high time that we have to do something to change our life style.  We are left with a choice: our life or our present lifestyle?

When we buy these imported cheap vegetables, we pay for one we get two free: organ failure like kidney, pancreas and frequent illness, diabetes , cancer etc. Buy one get two free.

What we can do is grow a few easily growing vegetables in your backyard or in buckets. We are blessed with a climate where we don't have to wait for sunlight or hot weather to grow some vegetables like Europe or North America.  Make use of the resources that are freely available.

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Is American food safe?

Most of us think that the vegetable we get in North America is pesticide free. Is it true?

We all got a natural tendency to go for cheap things. It is the same with food too. When we go for cheapness we have to compromise on quality.  When a farmer pays approximately $10 per hour as minimum wage for a worker, who works in the farm; how can you expect vegetable to be cheap. The farmer has to use some pesticides, hormones, fungicides etc to safeguard his crop  and do large-scale production in order to sell his produce cheaper in the market.

To quote Nikhil Swami Nathan in a recent article in "Psychology today" November 2012, published from US, " the U.S uses 22 percent of the world's pesticides to produce 4 percent of world's agricultural output."  The EPA (Environment Protection Agency) sets safe levels.  "in reality we are exposed to multiple pesticide residue at one time. They lower IQ in kids and may cause ADHD"

There is an increasing percentage of people in U S getting allergic to many foods like, milk, wheat, peanut, eggs, gluten etc. There is an increase in diabetes, cancer etc. Why? Why the second generation of immigrants from India  to US has more allergy than their parents. Why the immigrants from  India  has more allergy than their parents living in India. We changed our bio chemistry by eating more processed food and pesticide infested food.

Eat food that is natural, not processed. Eat food that is organic, not pesticide infested. Eat super foods that require less care to grow and use fewer pesticides to grow.   Eat food that is cooked in a simple way not complex way. Eat food that is not baked but cooked in water (not oil cooked or fried) or steam. Baking  or cooking at high temperature depletes the vitamins.

Michelle Obama with students in white house garden

In his speech in TED,  Dr.Dean Ornish, the author and prof of Medicine UCSF, tells that American diet and lifestyle is globalizing illness.  To quote " countries are beginning to eat like us, live like us and die like us". On a global level people are blindly following the junk food  lifestyle in US  that many of the  Americans don't like.

After observing the falling quality of food we eat , many farmers, scientists, and politicians are trying to educate people to grow back yard veggies. Many farmers changed to organic farming. Michelle Obama the first lady of US started her own garden in white house. She inspires others to do gardening. Please remember she was not a gardener before. She acquired  the skill to teach others. That is called leadership. See what she is doing to improve the lives of or people.

Click here if you want to know about Michelle Obama, contribution to the world
http://www.letsmove.gov/

If you want to live a healthy and happy life change your lifestyle today. If you want organic food, grow at your back yard.  You are the master of your health and destiny.

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BARAGA, The garden of Eden

BARAGA- The Garden wisdom

Why do we do gardening? Some says it gives them peace of mind, reduce stress, make them healthy. To some it gives pesticide-free organic and nutritious food for them as well as for the community. It gives tasty, delicious, diversified, healthy food.To others it connects them to nature, universe , and the creator. If you are looking for a combination of all these benefits of gardening  and enjoy your life,  BARAGA ranks number one choice.

The Burnaby and Region Allotment gardens Association- BARAGA- is a community garden located in the Big bend region of the city of Burnaby. The land is about 5.9 hectare (15 acres)  gardens which is a part of BC Agricultural Land Reserve. It is one of the largest of its kind in North America.

There are 372 garden plots   of 1000 sq ft each ( 93 sq m) which is 50 ft by 20 ft.There are more than 400 gardeners. We are blessed to have a plot after a long waiting.

Allotment gardens are basically collective gardening. Each member is allotted one plot. He / She has to adhere the bylaws set by the Board of members. Members are allowed to make a green house, tool shed with in the byelaws. Each member has to do minimum 6 hours voluntary work for the community each year.  They cannot leave the plot empty or use any pesticide or weedicide

The most important thing in this community is that they are down to earth farmers, simple and humble;  ready to help each other, by sharing the knowledge, sharing their produce, and sharing their experience. Instead of competition you can find co-operation, instead holding back, you can see sharing to others, instead of patent protection, you can see sharing the knowledge. All farmers are happy, healthy and contented. Here love flows. We produce vegetables and fruits and contribute  thousands of Kilos every year to the soup kitchens to feed the people in need. Every year government saves approximately 870,000 pounds of perishable food to feed the people in need through this Food Bank Program. 
 Moreover now this garden is going to be study center for students to know where the food comes from.  It is self-sustained with its own honey bee farm to pollinate  this 15 acre garden. This is the place where multi-millioners, CEOs, scientists,  chefs, retirees, teachers, students  from  5 to 95 years old  are passionate of their favorite hobby in gardening.

There are members who are more than 80 years old doing gardening. They find it their health spot or find gardening as secret of their health.

 It is a cosmopolitan community with people from all parts of the world. Every garden has got something from the gardener's homeland. You can find different vegetables from all over the world. When you see one plot with the European radicchios,  and endive, the next plot will be with bok choy , and bitter gourd, snake gourd,  the other one will be with  beans , lettuce, butter squash etc.  It is a unity in diversity.

Visitors are not allowed. Only members and their guests are allowed. Picking others produce is strictly forbidden. Every produce is earned. It is somebody's labor and sweat. You can see and enjoy. Respect others hard-work.

Pleasure of gardening keeps the wheel of BARAGA moving  year after year faster and faster.  Fascinating color of vegetables, flowers and fruits  makes this place one of the most exotic garden . 

 You can see the real presence of God here. The creations of God: man, sunlight, air, water, plants, honeybees, go hand in hand to produce pesticide-free organic food for the mankind. Isn't it a magic you plant a small seed you get a giant pumpkin. It is the Garden of Eden.

The Garden of Eden was created for mankind. "God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food" Genesis 2.9 Bible. Yes, God made BARAGA like the Garden of Eden for the mankind.

This is  a project that every community, school, church, and temple  throughout the world can copy. Let us do some thing for others rather than preaching. Together we can change this world to a better place to live.

Look at the pictures that tell the story of it. Enjoy......... the presence of God........ here.

Honey bee farm

Brussels sprout

Kale

Three different Kale

Lettuce  different colors

Blackberry

Kale

Kiwi- Japanese

A gourd grown by my friend

Not veg alone, birds too




My sister Evan  harvesting Zucchini

Garlic

Apple

Asian pears

Kale- ornamental too

Swiss chard

Pole beans

Beat root

Radicco

Green  car  in the Garden



Broccoli



Our son Subin- in gardening

Blueberry



A friends Green house. Tomatoes.Very few leaves on tops, all pruned