Thought I'd pass along this notice from Seeds of Diversity. If you live in the Toronto GTA area, you might want to attend: - - - - - - Urban Seed Savers Network If you love food, gardening, seeds and sharing, you're invited to a meeting of The Urban Seed Savers Network, Toronto Sunday April 30, 2006 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Northern District Library 2nd Floor, 40 Orchardview Blvd., Toronto (just east of Yonge, one block north of Eglinton) The Urban Seed Savers Network is a new project started by Seeds of Diversity members in Toronto. ItÂs a way for urban gardeners to connect over common interests in seed saving and sharing, growing heritage organic veggies, fruits and flowers, genetic diversity, food security and more. We hope you will join us and share your ideas and dreams! RSVP for the meeting. E-mail or call: ussnto@seeds.ca or 1-866-509-SEED Thanks for supporting Seeds of Diversity Canada

Hemlocks I've seen in the forest that have been tipped over by the wind have had root systems flat as a pancake. I suppose someone will now point out that the deep-rooted ones don't windthrow! But, I'm in agreement with the above comments........not likely to cause a problem. Bboy alludes to old pipes. While not an inexpensive proposition, new water and sewer laterals are wonderful things. +oM

Glyphosate toxicity Glyphosate has a United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Toxicity Class of III (on a I to IV scale, where IV is least dangerous) for oral and inhalation exposure.[46] Nonetheless, as with other herbicides, the EPA requires that products containing glyphosate carry a label that warns against oral intake, mandates the use of protective clothing, and instructs users not to re-enter treated fields for at least 4 hours.[46][47] Glyphosate does not bioaccumulate and breaks down rapidly in the environment.[48] Human The EPA considers glyphosate to be noncarcinogenic and relatively low in toxicity.[46] The EPA considered a "worst case" dietary risk model of an individual eating a lifetime of food derived entirely from glyphosate-sprayed fields with residues at their maximum levels. This model indicated that no adverse health effects would be expected under such conditions.[46] Effects on fish and amphibians Glyphosate is generally less persistent in water than in soil, with 12 to 60 day persistence observed in Canadian pond water, yet because glyphosate binds to soil, persistence of over a year have been observed in the sediments of ponds in Michigan and Oregon.[46] In streams, maximum glyphosate concentrations were measured immediately post-treatment and dissipated rapidly.[46] Glyphosate is "practically nontoxic to slightly toxic" for amphibians and fish.[49] Wikipedia again. Roundup (Glyphosate) is the least toxic herbicide in the world. This accounts for its widespread use and acceptance for use on food products by the EPA. It is an acid molecule that inhibits plant enzymes (not animal enzymes) and kills plants. In contact it binds with soil and and degrades. Unless you swallow it before it dries it is basically harmless to humans or pets. Organic herbicides would be limited to vinegar or practices such as mulching. All fine for small plot in your backyard, but impractical on a commercial farm. Here is a snippit from the Renegade Gardener that should be mandatory reading for those who rail against Roundup and demand the use of organic pesticides. "You chose glyphosate as your cause? FYI, the most commonly used pesticide in the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s, copper sulfate, is far more toxic and still widely in use today in the US and around the world. Where? Organic farming. Copper pesticides are organic, understand, and approved for use today in the US, England (well, not for long) and many other countries. Each season, organic farmers spray it by the hundreds of thousands of gallons. It has an EIQ of 47.8! That’s off the charts!!" Roundup has an EIQ of 15.3 Here is a link that might be useful: Renegade Gardener on organic pesticides.

Wow that was so cool!! I love that song too. Everyone should have been standing up, as is the tradition! It must take a lot of courage to be the person who stands up and sings first. Well done. We had something similar happen at our center city Macy's. Alexa posted it on FB. There were 650 participants! In this video you can see the amazing Wanamaker Organ as well as the iconic bronze eagle. In Philadelphia, it is tradition to say "meet you at the eagle." Macy's used to be the wonderful John Wanamaker store. It's a beautiful building and I wish it were still Wanamaker's. Here is a link that might be useful: Flash OPera in Philadelphia