February 2009

When Winter Strikes, Smoke A Chicken

by bdunn on February 28, 2009

in Recipes

Because, why not? OK, most of me knew it was too good to be true, this false spring we’ve been living in. But I kept a sliver of hope alive, since dashed, that this would be the earliest spring ever here in the Semi-Subtropics of Semi-South Texas. But of course winter slapped back, just the [...]

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It’s Not Nice to Fool with Mother Nature

by bdunn on February 25, 2009

in Big Ag, Nature

But we do it all the time. Are we not men? Especially at Monsanto, which has been working for years to splice Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt to you and me) bacteria genes into the DNA of cotton, corn, potatoes – you name it. See, Bt, which is found naturally in places such as dirt, makes the [...]

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Making Way For Tomatoes

by bdunn on February 16, 2009

in Garden

Back at the One Acre Ranch, a false spring has turned my thoughts to this year’s tomato crop. Along with hot peppers and eggplants, they’ve sprouted and been growing along nicely since early January, upstairs under the plumeria lights. After all, what good is a 1,000-watt metal halide bulb if you can’t make room for [...]

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Why Do I Keep Harping On This?

by bdunn on February 7, 2009

in Big Ag, Factory Food

OK, this will be the last one for awhile, but by now I suppose the reader might wonder why a blog ostensibly mostly about growing your own fruit and vegetables in south Texas seems to have morphed into the Peanut Butter Salmonella Report. I’m glad I asked that question. Here’s why: Because this, the latest [...]

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What’s Wrong With The River

by bdunn on February 2, 2009

in Brazos River, Nature

It started last Wednesday with the turkey vultures. Normally you might see a couple of pairs scouting for roadkill together. But here were a dozen roosting in a neighbor’s cottonwood tree. The next day there were 30. Taking the kids to school on Friday, I glanced over at the trees between the city park a [...]

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