Comments for Eclectic Eccentricities:

Comment on Vavilov Under Siege Again by miranda

miranda — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:45:24 +0000

Thank you for clearing that up. The In-Situ labeling must be a common misconception, because the institute was listed as such in 4 different articles. I do like to be as accurate as possible.

Comment on Vavilov Under Siege Again by Jeremy

Jeremy — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:11:54 +0000

Thanks for keeping up with this story and advising your readers what to do.

Can I, in the interests of accuracy, just correct one misunderstanding, which helps to explain why the Pavlovsk collection is so important?

The collection isn’t really an in-situ collection, it is a field genebank. The difference is that in-situ normally refers to the material being grown in the farmers’ “fields” where it was developed. The Pavlovsk collection was gathered all over the world, and is being grown at Pavlovsk, not where it is collected. Furthermore, because most fruits do not breed true from seed, it is the plants themselves that have to be kept going by propagating them vegetatively (cloning) and refreshing the collection that way. And that is why it is almost impossible to save the collection by moving it. If it were just a question of seeds, it would be easy to save them in some other ex-situ genebank. But because it is a collection of plants, being grown as a field genebank, that makes it almost impossible to find another site, prepare the plants, transfer them, and so on.

That is why it is so important to do everything possible to help the Russian Federation to make the right decision, and why your links to the petition and Twitter accounts are so valuable.

Thanks.

Comment on Vavilov Under Siege Again by miranda

miranda — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:19:23 +0000

Here are some more things that you can do:

* Sign this petition: http://bit.ly/PavlovskPetition
* Write a letter to the President and Prime Minister (with a copy to the Russian ambassador in your country): http://eng.letters.kremlin.ru/
* Tweet President Dmitry Medvedev: http://bit.ly/Pavlovsk

Comment on Rational Living Begins Today by miranda

miranda — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:15:56 +0000

Thanks for the advice Mike H. I really spend most of my spare time sewing, reading, and gardening. I do watch the occasional movie or documentary though.

Comment on Rational Living Begins Today by MikeH

MikeH — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:23:13 +0000

Get rid of your television and watch what happens to your life without the consume message. Watch how your life changes – you do things rather than sit; you get fit rather than sit; you have time rather than no time. Yes, the first few weeks will be tough. Withdrawal for an addict always is.

Comment on Vavilov Under Siege Again by MikeH

MikeH — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:16:00 +0000

Tell the President of Russia to Stop the Destruction of the Future of Food – http://www.change.org/croptrust/petitions/view/tell_the_president_of_russia_to_stop_the_destruction_of_the_future_of_food

Comment on For the Love of Vavilov by Vavilov Under Siege Again - Victory Garden - - Eclectic Eccentricities:

Vavilov Under Siege Again - Victory Garden - - Eclectic Eccentricities: — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:22:20 +0000

[...] In April, I wrote an entry about the Vavilov Seed Bank in Russia. I outlined how the scientists at the station starved during the Siege of Leningrad, rather than eat the specimens held there. [...]

Comment on Rational Living Begins Today by Rhonda

Rhonda — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:09:39 +0000

Such a cool idea! I have always been fascinated by accounts of Brits during and after WWII, latest read being “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society”. A also love wardrobe refashion and generally trying to make something from nothing and living with as light a footprint as possible. I’m a librarian and at one of our book clubs a patron actually brought examples of ration books from here in the US during the war. It was really interesting to see them. I have had fun reading through your blog. Good luck with your project!

Comment on Food Ration by Rational Living Begins Today - Ration Diet Ration Wardrobe - - Eclectic Eccentricities:

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:22:44 +0000

[...] Food Ration Home » Ration Diet, Ration Wardrobe » Rational Living Begins Today [...]

Comment on The Incredible Unedible Egg by Beth

Beth — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:49:27 +0000

I am reading the Hunger Games books now (I’m just waiting for my friend to finish with her copy of Mockingjay) and it has made me think a little more about the system of food in this country, and in the world in general. Nearly everything we do in America can be instantly gratified in some form or another – buying a couch, getting that new blouse, and especially eating.

We really do need to have a better connection to the food we eat. Last night my husband and I were reading about Buckwheat and we discovered we didn’t know what the plant looked like.

After reading this, I’m very sad that I didn’t buy those farm-raised eggs I saw at the farmer’s market the other day.