Woodford Files
May 2008
Julia Woodford
The tart taste of spring is on the menu this month, captured in our feature on rhubarb by Linda Gabris. According to her grandma’s old recipe books, rhubarb is a wonderful spring tonic for flushing impurities from the system, purging the blood and bowels of winter toxins. Baked in pies, steamed in soups, or chewed up raw, this is one plant that enjoys a long history of healing in folklore medicine. Once again, the wisdom of our elders prevails.
Another spring plant that gets a close look in this issue is hawthorn, a prickly bush that grows wild all over Ontario. Michael Vertolli, local herbalist and wildcrafter, shares tips on how to identify the plant, harvest it wisely, and create wonderful teas and tinctures for home remedies. Widely known for its therapeutic action on cardiovascular problems, hawthorn works to strengthen the heart and blood vessels and protect them from the harmful effects of toxins. Lesser known, but equally valuable, properties of this herb include its tonic action on the nervous system, working to calm and relax the mind, which in turn helps reduce stress, tension, anxiety and depression.
Our feature on cancer in pets and wildlife this month is a real eye opener. In it, authors Guy Dauncey and Michael Gilbertson uncover alarming statistics about the clear link between environmental pollution (including commonly used lawn and garden pesticides) and cancer rates. For example, “When researchers interviewed the owners of Scottish terriers with bladder cancer, they found that dogs whose owners had used phenoxy acid herbicides on their lawns were four to seven times more likely to have cancer than dogs whose owners had not. Phenoxy acid is an active ingredient in 2,4-D, a widely used herbicide that has been linked to various cancers.” From there, the writers go on to examine the eerie similarities between cancer rates in animals and humans.
Fortunately, the Ontario government is now getting ready to ban the use of lawn and garden chemicals. According to a recent report on CBC, “Experts warn pesticides could have devastating health effects on vulnerable groups like pregnant women and children,” said Gideon Forman of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. His group and several others, including the Canadian Cancer Society and the David Suzuki Foundation, banded together to lobby for a ban, which Premier Dalton McGuinty pledged to enact during last fall’s election campaign. More than 300 pesticide products will be banned for use in Ontario once the ban is fully implemented in 2009, Forman said.
This will certainly make our lawns and gardens a safer place for people, pets, and wildlife, and likely reduce cancer rates across the board. Unfortunately, pesticides will not be banned from agricultural use, so our food supply continues to be a source of concern.
Meantime, if you plan to get a jump start this year on lawn and garden maintenance without the use of pesticides, feel free to email us your favourite tips and we’ll publish the best ones in coming issues.
- JW
The tart taste of spring is on the menu this month, captured in our feature on rhubarb by Linda Gabris. According to her grandma’s old recipe books, rhubarb is a wonderful spring tonic for flushing impurities from the system, purging the blood and bowels of winter toxins. Baked in pies, steamed in soups, or chewed up raw, this is one plant that enjoys a long history of healing in folklore medicine. Once again, the wisdom of our elders prevails.Another spring plant that gets a close look in this issue is hawthorn, a prickly bush that grows wild all over Ontario. Michael Vertolli, local herbalist and wildcrafter, shares tips on how to identify the plant, harvest it wisely, and create wonderful teas and tinctures for home remedies. Widely known for its therapeutic action on cardiovascular problems, hawthorn works to strengthen the heart and blood vessels and protect them from the harmful effects of toxins. Lesser known, but equally valuable, properties of this herb include its tonic action on the nervous system, working to calm and relax the mind, which in turn helps reduce stress, tension, anxiety and depression.
Our feature on cancer in pets and wildlife this month is a real eye opener. In it, authors Guy Dauncey and Michael Gilbertson uncover alarming statistics about the clear link between environmental pollution (including commonly used lawn and garden pesticides) and cancer rates. For example, “When researchers interviewed the owners of Scottish terriers with bladder cancer, they found that dogs whose owners had used phenoxy acid herbicides on their lawns were four to seven times more likely to have cancer than dogs whose owners had not. Phenoxy acid is an active ingredient in 2,4-D, a widely used herbicide that has been linked to various cancers.” From there, the writers go on to examine the eerie similarities between cancer rates in animals and humans.
Fortunately, the Ontario government is now getting ready to ban the use of lawn and garden chemicals. According to a recent report on CBC, “Experts warn pesticides could have devastating health effects on vulnerable groups like pregnant women and children,” said Gideon Forman of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. His group and several others, including the Canadian Cancer Society and the David Suzuki Foundation, banded together to lobby for a ban, which Premier Dalton McGuinty pledged to enact during last fall’s election campaign. More than 300 pesticide products will be banned for use in Ontario once the ban is fully implemented in 2009, Forman said.
This will certainly make our lawns and gardens a safer place for people, pets, and wildlife, and likely reduce cancer rates across the board. Unfortunately, pesticides will not be banned from agricultural use, so our food supply continues to be a source of concern.
Meantime, if you plan to get a jump start this year on lawn and garden maintenance without the use of pesticides, feel free to email us your favourite tips and we’ll publish the best ones in coming issues.
- JW