Greg Cocks “This is a dead honeybee. The pollen on her legs is from dandelions. Her tongue is sticking out due to what killed her that was on the dandelions.
It’s spring, dandelions are the bees first food. This bee is dead from weed killer spread on what we see as weeds, but what nature sees as food. Please don’t spray for weeds until you see the blackberries blooming. In this area, weeds, flowers and fruit trees are bees only source of food until middle of June. There are FAR more weeds than flowers or fruit trees, so it's their only food source. No bees, no food crops for us and we all starve.”#bee #pollination #garden #weedkiller #pesticide #environment #weeds #dandelion #death #spring #agriculture #farming #food #foodsecurity
#foodsecurity
11 posts6 participants1 post today
A banned chemical found in fresh berries on supermarket shelves—alarming but crucial to acknowledge. Professor Kirsten Benkendorff from Southern Cross University tested supermarket blueberries and detected a long-banned, highly toxic insecticide (thiometon), confirmed across multiple samples. This raises urgent questions about oversight, supply chain safety, and pesticide regulation.
Time to strengthen monitoring, protect public health, and ensure our ‘superfoods’ are truly safe.
#pesticides #foodsecurity #publichealth #banthiometon #regulatoryreform #berries #safefood #environmentalhealth
ABC News · Banned chemical found by scientist in fresh berries sold at NSW supermarkets
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Still hundreds of huge #apples left to harvest!
My Thai mint & Vietnamese coriander bathtub. Cut down so more will grow. I keep these contained to stop them from spreading.
An early start to Solarpunk Sunday.
More tomorrow.
At the Meise Botanic Garden you can see wild banana varieties, some originally collected in Papua New Guinea, through the Crop Wild Relatives Project, used in pre-breeding research to help make cultivated bananas more tolerant to drought.
https://www.plantentuinmeise.be/
www.plantentuinmeise.bePlantentuin MeisePlantentuin Meise, een 92 hectare grote groene oase, vlak bij Brussel, waar 20 000 plantensoorten groeien uit de hele wereld. Kom genieten van de groei en bloei, van geur en kleur, van weelde en afwis…
At Eco Youths Network, we celebrate the strength of local women sustaining families and communities through fresh produce markets 
. Supporting small-scale farmers means empowering livelihoods, promoting food security, and protecting culture. Together, we can build resilient, eco-friendly economies starting from grassroots. #EcoYouthsNetwork #CommunityEmpowerment #LocalMarkets #WomenInAgriculture #FoodSecurity #SustainableFuture #EYN
Help us rescue surplus fruit, reduce food waste, and share fresh, local produce with community members who need it most.
In 2024, we harvested 30,757 lbs of fruit with the help of 151 volunteers!
Through the #FruitTreeProject - we harvest fruit that would otherwise go to waste—and ensure it reaches community members who need it most. By transforming how people engage with the Urban Orchard and with one another, we’re reimagining what a connected, resilient local food system can look like!
Your donation helps sustain this invaluable program, which has been operating since 1994 — a long-standing pillar of community care and food-sharing in the Greater Victoria Area.
Every contribution counts.
https://fruit-tree-project.raiselysite.com/
Running the Fruit Tree Project costs approximately $145,000 per year. Your donations directly support:
Wages for staff who coordinate harvests and volunteers
Coordination for fruit redistribution
Vehicle and fuel expenses to reach trees across the region
Insurance to keep everyone safe
Cold storage to preserve fruit
Website administration and outreach tools to connect with the community
Every dollar helps us rescue more fruit, support more families, and strengthen Greater Victoria’s local food system!
#Nonprofit #FoodSecurity #VictoriaBC #YYJ #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #PNW #FeedingCommunity #ReduceFoodWaste #DonationsNeeded #CommunityWork #LifecyclesProject #LocalFoodSystems #FoodSharing #CommunityCare
fruit-tree-project.raiselysite.comSupport the Fruit Tree Project!Help us rescue surplus fruit, reduce food waste, and share fresh, local produce with community members who need it most. Become a sustaining donor to make a lasting impact!
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We're still not done with all the harvesting/ #community #gleaning for fruits around the city.
As of this week - we've surpassed 20,000 lbs of locally harvested #fruits 
In 1931, a #Oregon nursery called #HudsonNursery made a new #apple discovery. A seed dropped in a hedgerow that produced a new variety of apple. They named the apple after their orchard - #HudsonsGoldenGem.
The Hudson Golden Gem #heirloom apple species is one of 125 heirloom apples that we grow at #WellandCommunityOrchard as community orchard park stewards/orchard caretakers for town the of #ViewRoyal in partnership with #LifecyclesProject society #nonprofit.
These apples taste like pears 
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I had a wonderful serendipitous moment today at LifeCycles HQ too. About an hour into fruits sorting, I saw Ariel & his family show up! I do community work with my black brother from another mother & was delighted to see him.
My dreams of bringing LifeCycles Project Society together with Iyé Creative Collective is coming together!! We are going to plan some collaborative community events for next year - including a #BIPOC cultural foods cookout in the community orchard 
HOMEWELCOME | HOME
I'll get my full list of tasks that need to be done & figure out all the events I'm working at on September 19th. They're also paying for an educational course of my choosing as part of this new PT contract work opportunity with LifeCycles Project Society
We are figuring out my work payment installments on the same date too.
I'll be working at our #LifecyclesProject booth, with Ella, on September 21st at the annual Fall Fairfield Community Festival. It's free to the public.
Come out & meet us there! Try out our juice & our fig jam!
More info on Fall Fairfield event: https://fairfieldcommunity.ca/events-projects/fall-fairfield/
fairfieldcommunity.caFall Fairfield – Fairfield Gonzales Community Association
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At #LifecyclesProject HQ with Hannah & a jar of our 100% pure apple juice.
Thanks to all the #volunteers who helped with fruits sorting!
Mark your calendars & save the date:
#LifecyclesProject #CommunitySharing Day!
Our #free annual #harvest celebration 
Join us at the urban orchard to:
Taste heritage apple varietiesSample and learn how to press fresh juiceAsk questions about fruit treesEnjoy fun kids’ activitiesCelebrate the abundance of the season with neighbours and (new) friends!
Saturday, September 28
11 AM – 3 PM
Welland Community Orchard, 1215 Stancil Lane
Parking is very limited. We’ll be offering free shuttles from our office at 808 Viewfield Rd (schedule coming soon). Biking, carpooling, and public transit are also encouraged.
All ages are welcome—hope to see you there!
Accepting #SeedDonations !
As summer comes to a close, it’s a great time to look through your seed collection and set aside any extras you’d like to share. Your seed donations help grow our #VictoriaSeedLibrary and support local gardeners in cultivating diverse, climate-adapted plants.
Donations can be dropped off at the Lifecycles office (808 Viewfield Rd, Unit A) during office hours.
Fig Jam & Canning Workshop!
Saturday, September 13, 12:30pm - 2:30pm.
Few things taste more luxurious than homemade fig jam — sweet, rich, and perfect on everything from toast to cheese boards.
In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn the basics of jam making and safe water bath canning, so you can preserve the taste of summer long after the season ends.
You’ll leave with:
Your own jar of fresh fig jam A tested recipe to use at home New skills to keep the harvest going
Workshops are offered on a sliding scale, and proceeds support our work connecting people with local food systems.
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/fig-jam-making-workshop-tickets-1383099601139?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
EventbriteFig Jam Making WorkshopLearn how to make a tasty fig jam in this 2 hour workshop. Each person will get a jar to take home and enjoy!
I'll be at LifeCycles HQ in an hour to assist with sorting a bunch of fruits to distribute around the community & putting some aside to get pressed into juices.