The Comox Valley Growers and Seed Savers (CVGSS) kicked off their season of presentations with a bang last Thursday.
Dr. Thierry Vrain, a longtime researcher and educator on soil biology, and more recently on genetically modified (GMO) plants, presented powerful evidence to a large audience in the Florence Filberg Center on how to treat soil organically, so that it best supports plant growth.
In short, keep soil healthy by adding compost, manures and various plant materials — not quick-dissolving fertilizers, which can harm micro flora and fauna.
Vrain spent much of his professional years supporting the development and use of GMO plants, but he has turned 180 degrees toward organics because of peer-reviewed studies published in the past 10 years showing that mammals become ill after eating GMO plants.
Various other evidences reinforce his stance.
On Jan. 27, Carol McIntyre will present her audience with a short course on how to have winter vegetables, both leafy and root types, to harvest through the coldest months and into the late spring. She will emphasize the gathering of their seeds for replanting.
— Comox Valley Growers and
Seed Savers