Is there a link between gluten intolerance and glyphosate?

by Kenneth Keavey

It has been a bright few days and we are thankful for that.  We have ploughed the land and done our first pass tilling. We have our tunnels ready and, in a week, or so we will be filling them with the first amazing crops of spring, the season is in full flow now.

I saw my first bumble bee, or bee of any kind today, and this morning the buzzards that live in the local forest were being chased away from our fresh ploughing by some agitated seagulls.

The first buds on the hawthorn are opening up and are soon to be bursting into life. The first dandelions and daisies have miraculously appeared, and it is hard to know from one day to the next where they came from, they just suddenly appear.

This is nature, and it has its own ebb and flow and intelligence.

Then we come along with our harsh chemicals and try to exert control and power over these natural processes. Chemistry has its place but in the fields with our food and biodiversity is certainly not the place.

I certainly could not fill a tractor sprayer and go out into the fields and unleash these harsh chemicals. Roundup or glyphosate is still the first step for clearing fields, the extension of it’s licence in 2023 by the EU for a further 10 years was a lost opportunity, the reality is if that licence had been rescinded, by now farmers would have adapted to this new landscape and found alternative methods.

In the UK they have seen the first weed resistant to glyphosate and it is only a matter of time before nature adjusts and changes as it always does to render this chemical useless.

It may be a little more than a coincidence, but there have been some correlations drawn between the increased Glyphosate application: it has gone up by 1400% since the early 1990s, and last year alone $10.5 billion was sold and sprayed on our planet and the incidence of chronic disease.   

The above graph shows the correlation between increased glyphosate application and increased incidence of coeliac disease. I am sure there is other factors at play here too, but at the same time this patented antibiotic is in our food and does disrupt our intestinal microbiome, so for sure it certainly is not doing us any good and should be avoided if possible.

The best way to avoid this probably carcinogen chemical, is to choose organic where possible.

There certainly will never be synthetic chemicals like this used on our farm or on any of the organic food we grow or supply. It’s back to the fields now, and the ploughing, tilling and planting!

as always thank you for your support.

Kenneth

Colcannon with a Wild Garlic Butter

by Nessa Robins

In the past, potatoes were always an integral part of dinners in Ireland, and by the mid-18th century colcannon emerged as a staple meal. They mixed potatoes with garden greens, such as kale or cabbage, with the intention to produce a meal hearty enough to keep a working man full for the rest of the day. Colcannon is still a well-loved dish in Ireland, though it is now normally served as a side. 

I’m using Irish-grown potatoes and cabbage from my vegetable box in this recipe, and I’m topping the colcannon with a wild garlic butter, but finely chopped scallions can be used in the wild garlic’s place. As wild garlic is only available for a few weeks each year, I normally make a batch of this butter and store it in the freezer to enjoy over the coming months. It pairs perfectly with the creamy mashed potato but works equally well with roasted vegetables.

With a host of wholesome, nutritious ingredients, this colcannon has the makings of the most delicious Irish dish to enjoy this St. Patrick’s Day.

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Colcannon with a Wild Garlic Butter

Ingredients

  • 1kg potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 250g sweetheart cabbage, finely sliced
  • 100ml milk
  • 50g butter
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the butter

  • 100g butter, softened
  • 20g wild garlic leaves
  • ½ tsp sea salt

Method

Stir though the steamed cabbage and divide between 4 plates, making a well in the centre of each mound of colcannon. Add a slice of the wild garlic/scallion butter to the well and serve. Enjoy!

Place the peeled and diced potatoes into a metal steamer, with simmering water beneath, and simmer for 20-30 minutes until cooked through. 

While the potatoes are cooking, steam the cabbage for about five minutes until a little tender. 

To make the wild garlic butter, wash and fully dry the wild garlic leaves – a salad spinner is best for this. Then, finely chop the wild garlic. Add to a bowl with the softened butter and sea salt. Combine well using a wooden spoon. Transfer the butter to a square of greaseproof paper, before wrapping tightly and popping in the fridge until needed. 

When the potatoes and cabbage are ready, add the milk and butter to a large saucepan with a little salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Place over a medium heat and once it begins to simmer, turn off the heat below and add the potatoes. 

Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until smooth and creamy. 

How to remove pesticides from non-organic food

by Kenneth Keavey

We assume our food is safe and government regulators set limits on how much pesticides are allowed in our food. These limits are called MRLs, but here are two interesting points. 1 We as a society accept that there are pesticides in our food and 2. These limits for the same chemical on different crops can vary, for instance it is deemed safer to eat more glyphosate in your oats then in your wheat, how is that?

In 2021 there was 3 million kg of pesticides sprayed in Ireland. The department of agriculture in that same year tested just over 1000 fresh fruit and veg samples for a staggering 474 chemicals.

And here is what they found.

For fruit, of the 528 tested, 63.8% had pesticide residues detected, 5.5% had residues detected above the MRL.

3 fruits contained a cocktail of 9 different pesticides in them.

For veg, of the 511 tested, 43.6% had residues detected, 5.1% had residues detected above the MRL. A cocktail of 15 pesticides were found in one sample.

So, the reality is that most conventional vegetables have pesticide residues on/in them, that is just the world we live in unfortunately. It shouldn’t be that way and obviously we are strong advocates to have pesticides completely removed from our food chain.

But not everybody is lucky enough to have access to organic food, and the majority of fresh produce in supermarkets is conventional and therefore will contain pesticide residues.

We have this strange situation where we don’t really know and don’t have time to think about the reality of chemicals in our food, but they are there.

So here is a way that has been shown scientifically (published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry in 2017) to work to remove some of these pesticides.

Take 1 teaspoon (about 5g) of baking soda in about 500ml of water, dissolve. Soak the produce for about 12–15 minutes After soaking, rinse thoroughly under running water.

The alkaline nature of the baking soda reacts with the pesticides and breaks them down and removes at least some of them. This method is especially effective for removing surface pesticides from fruits and vegetables with smooth skins (like apples and cucumbers). For more porous produce (like berries), a quick rinse is better to avoid absorption of the solution.

Systemic pesticides will not be removed by this means as they are absorbed into the plant. The EU are doing a good job at monitoring and reducing the limits of pesticides allowed in our food.

But why do we accept any pesticides in our food?

It would certainly be better if they were not there in the first place, better for our health, better for our planet and better for biodiversity. So, where you can, choose organic and of course please support our farm and business, we need your support to continue to practice sustainable farming and to support other farmers who also share our values. You get the very best pesticide free produce, and we get to continue championing the cause and protecting biodiversity.

As always thank you for your support.

Kenneth

Loaded Open Sandwich

by Nessa Robins

There are certain sandwich fillers which have the ability to elevate and even transform an ordinary sandwich into something spectacular. Red onions are one of my favourite vegetables to pickle as they’re so versatile. They work well in a sandwich (plain, toasted, or open), on burgers, in salads, or as a chilli topping. They become a little sweeter the longer they sit, so it’s best to prepare them a couple of days before you plan on using them, and they keep well in the fridge for up to two weeks. Once all the onion slices are gone, the liquid can be re-used for another few red onions. Likewise, hummus makes for a great addition to any sandwich or wrap. I’ve used a gorgeous za’atar in this recipe which adds deep woody and floral flavours to the hummus. To assemble the sandwich, I’m frying off some Irish chestnut mushrooms in a mild-flavoured marinade, but you could replace these with roasted vegetables, strips of pan-fried courgettes, or summer salads, once they’re back in-season. 

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Loaded Open Sandwich

Pickled onions

Hummus

Mushrooms

  • 200g mushrooms, sliced
  • 1tbsp soy sauce
  • 1tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1tsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • Salt & black pepper

To assemble

Method

Prepare the pickled onions by adding the vinegar, sugar, salt, and bay leaf, if using, to a small saucepan. Place over a medium heat. Bring to the boil and simmer for two minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Add the onion slices to a sieve and holding over the sink or a large bowl, pour over some recently boiled hot water. Place the onion slices in a large, sterilised jar and pour over the hot liquid. Seal and once cooled, refrigerate for up to two weeks.

For the hummus, add the ingredients to a food processor and blitz until smooth. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

For the mushrooms, add the soy sauce, balsamic, olive oil, garlic and a little salt and pepper into a bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the sliced mushrooms and stir to combine with the sauce. Either use straightaway or cover and refrigerate for using later in the day. To cook the mushrooms, add a little olive oil to a hot pan, add the mushrooms and cook over a high heat, stirring well, for about 5 minutes. 

When ready to enjoy the sandwich, brush a little olive oil on each side of the slice of bread and cook for a minute or so on each side on a hot griddle pan. 

To assemble, add a layer of hummus to the griddled bread, top with the mushrooms, some pickled onions, and a scattering of microgreens. Enjoy straight away!

It’s time to stop treating soil as if it was dirt…

by Kenneth Keavey

We have just finished ploughing our fields. This act truly symbolises the start of the season, the soil, freshly turned over, the lengthening days, the increased light, the presence of hope as a new season unfurls.

We have been busy clearing tunnels too and we are getting ready to transplant our first plants soon. The tunnels for the tomatoes are already getting prepared so that when our plants are ready for transplant, we can get them into the ground quickly and get the season off to a great start.

We have assembled an amazing team this year on the farm, with the most recent recruit being confirmed this week as part of an OGI (organic growers of Ireland) internship, we also have two other amazing individuals that are very experienced growers working under the guidance of our farm manager Emmanuel. Of course, we will be taking on several students over the summer holidays and we are taking applications now. (e-mail: farm@greenearthorganics.ie)

A couple of the fields we have ploughed had cover crops of clover and phacelia last year and it is clear without any doubt the difference these cover crops make to the soil. Of course, these cover crops provide an amazing biodiversity haven for pollinators (Gerry who keeps bees here tells us he has never seen the volume or the quality of the honey as he sees here on our farm) but the often overlooked benefit: they allow the soil microbiome to flourish.

They are a tonic; you can see it in the soil. The soil is fluffy and gorgeous, it is alive with earthworms and the millions of microbes you cannot see, who are instrumental in growing our food and cycling nutrients. This is where great food starts; you simply must start with healthy soil.

In our globalised extended food system, it is time to stop treating soil as if it was dirt. If you have ever put your hands in healthy soil, you will know it, it is soft, fluffy and malleable, a living soil. This is in stark contrast to the dead overworked medium, supplemented with chemistry that is used to produce most conventional food.

Did you know that Roundup, or its constituent glyphosate has been patented as an antimicrobial, i.e. a chemical that kills bacteria. That is very unfortunate since there are more microbes in a teaspoon of soil than there are people on the planet, and roundup is sprayed everywhere. We are spraying out most valuable natural resource with a chemical that damages the underlying life we need for healthy food.

Glyphosate disrupts microbial diversity: Long-term glyphosate use can lead to reduced microbial diversity, affecting soil health and fertility.

It has been shown to reduce beneficial bacteria: Studies suggest that glyphosate can suppress beneficial soil bacteria such as Pseudomonas and Bacillus, which play essential roles in nutrient cycling and disease suppression.

It also promotes harmful microbes: Some research indicates that glyphosate can create an imbalance by favouring pathogenic fungi (e.g., Fusarium) and harmful bacteria that are more resistant to its effects.

But not only does it disrupt the bacterial microbiome it also has been shown to upset our human microbiome unsurprisingly,

1. Studies suggest that glyphosate can reduce beneficial gut bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, which are essential for digestion, immunity, and mental health.

2. Allows Opportunistic Pathogens to Thrive: Glyphosate exposure has been linked to an increase in harmful bacteria like Clostridium and Salmonella, which may contribute to digestive issues and inflammatory conditions such as dysbiosis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Isn’t it time we stopped treating our soil like it was dirt and start treating it like the crucial beautiful resource that it is, without which we will have no food.

As always thank you for your support.

Kenneth

PS I have been asked to do a Ted talk which has stopped me in my tracks. I am delighted, humbled and honoured, excited and nervous, all rolled into one. We in the Irish language have a great word to describe this feeling: “sceitimíní” I will be talking with seven other excellent speakers for about 15 minutes on our broken food system and what we can do to fix it on the 21st of March at Trinity University auditorium my talk is at 4.30pm, if you can come you can get tickets here. GET TICKETS

I will also be doing a practice run through of the talk at our farm shop on Saturday the 15th and if you can come and help put a little pressure on me that would be appreciated………so please come along at 11am on Saturday 15th if you would like to help me out and hear the talk too!

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-science/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2017.00034/full?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7602795/?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://www.soilassociation.org/media/7229/glyphosate-and-soil-health-a-summary1docx.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Wholemeal Pancakes with Caramelised Banana Recipe

by Nessa Robins

Pancakes are so versatile, working equally well as a sweet or savoury treat. I’m using Irish wholemeal flour in this recipe, which is fine in texture, allowing it to combine perfectly to create light and fluffy pancakes. The extra fibre in the wholemeal is also great for our gut, while helping to keep us feeling fuller for longer. This is one of my favourite pancake toppings, and if you’re a banana fan, I know you’re going to love it too. 

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Wholemeal Pancakes with Caramelised Banana 

Ingredients

Topping

To serve

  • Good quality vanilla yogurt
  • Caramel sauce, maple syrup or honey

Method

Add the flour to a large bowl. Sieve in the baking powder and whisk gently to combine.

Add the egg to the bowl and combine with the flour before gradually adding the milk, whisking well in between each addition.

Place a pan over a medium heat. Add a little oil and once hot add a ladle to the pan, once bubbling, flip and cook on the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter. This quantity should make about 8 small pancakes. 

To caramelise the banana, add the butter to a pan, once foaming, add the banana slices and fry on each side for about a minute, until golden. Drizzle over the honey. Allow to sizzle for a few seconds before taking from the heat.

To serve, top the pancakes with the caramelised banana, add a good dollop of yogurt and a drizzle of caramel sauce, maple, or honey. Enjoy straightaway!

1 of 60 growers

by Kenneth Keavey

As organic vegetable growers we are lucky in some respects, after 19 years we are still growing. So many stop or have no choice but to get out of the industry. I was advised once that you can’t make any money from growing vegetables commercially, and it is certainly challenging and has been more so over the last ten years than ever before.

But this seems wrong to me. We never started for the money, nut any business needs to be profitable to survive, to reinvest in the business in the people in the land and more Over the last number of years, we find ourselves subsidising our farm from our business. We are lucky we sell directly to you our customers that allows us some reprieve and a bit of flexibility. Something you would never get with supermarkets.

But there may be change afoot. And two amazing things struck me this week.

1. Finally, I think, supermarkets are starting to realise at least in a small way that they need growers. You would have thought that this realisation would not be a new Eureka moment! When was it ever otherwise? Where do you think the food will comes from when/if we all stop growing? After 3 decades of playing one grower against another and effectively dismantling any resilience in the vegetable growing sector in Ireland, the penny is starting to drop that the situation is perilous.

But all of the talk in the world is pointless without supporting the talk with clear action and fair prices. Farmers don’t want to have to rely on grant aid to survive, who wants that? Imagine a food system where farmers don’t have to rely on grant aid, where fresh food is celebrated for the amazing nutrition it supplies, and as a fulcrum for protecting and enhancing biodiversity. Isn’t that the way it should be? What could be more important that having a vibrant resilient food system? Or to put it another way, what happens when our food system collapses, and we have empty supermarket shelves? What then?

Cheap imports that are becoming less cheap and scarcer, are reliant on a labour system that is not transparent and is less than fair. Exploitation of vulnerable workers is rife and underpins much of the cheap produce on supermarket shelves. That and a reliance on pesticide applications which damage our health and biodiversity.

2. The other amazing thing that is happening is young people are really fired up about growing food and in particular growing vegetables sustainably. These are the next generation of growers who want to protect biodiversity and stop using chemicals and grow food locally. Isn’t that amazing and wonderful and don’t people who want to do this deserve to get paid fairly for their efforts? They only can if the price of food increase.Just recently we have had several applications for the amazing OGI internship on our farm we hope to decide on a candidate next week.

So maybe there is a chance to reverse erosion of our vegetable growing industry and the fact that there are only 60 commercial vegetable growers left in the country, and we are one of them.

All of this has left me feeling hopeful for this season ahead, more than I have been in a while. So now we need to get muck on our boots and get on with the growing season and that we will do with your support, as always, thank you.

Kenneth

Oat Bread

by Nessa Robins

Ultra-processed foods are everywhere, and it can sometimes be hard to believe a basic staple, such as the bread we use for our lunchtime sandwich, can be included in this list. Over the past week there has been an international celebration of real bread through Real Bread Week – a campaign which promotes the importance of real, additive-free bread. 

I love bread-making. I find it to be therapeutic but also making my own bread allows me to know exactly what I’m feeding my family. Traditional soda bread is my go-to but when I’m looking for a more substantial, nutrient-rich loaf, this oat bread would be top of my list. This oat bread is packed with protein-rich ingredients to give you a good energy boost first thing in the morning or enjoy it alongside a salad as a nutritious lunch. It’s simply oats, a good quality full fat Greek yogurt, milk, sunflower seeds, salt, and bread soda to help it rise, and a little honey to sweeten. It’s easy to assemble and bakes in just over 60 minutes. I’d love you to give it a try.

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Oat Bread

Ingredients

400g porridge oats

2tbsp sunflower seeds, plus extra for topping

1tsp bread soda, sieved 

½ tsp salt

400g Greek yogurt

50ml milk

1tbsp honey

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C /Gas Mark 6. Lightly grease a loaf tin with some butter.

2. Place the oats into a food processor and blitz for a few moments, until fine and they have a similar appearance to flour. 

3. Add the blitzed oats to a large bowl with the seeds, bread soda and salt. Stir to combine.

4. Make a well in the centre and add in the yogurt, milk, and honey. Using one hand, keep stirring the ingredients until a ball of dough has formed. 

5. When it comes together, place into the greased loaf tin. Top with a scattering of sunflower seeds and flatten slightly to ensure the loaf is even and the seeds are sticking to the dough. 

6. Place in the preheated oven for 50 minutes. After this time, carefully remove the loaf from the tin. Place the loaf directly onto the oven rack and continue to bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, after which the base of the loaf will sound hallow when tapped. 

7. Leave to cool on a wire rack before cutting into slices. 

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication

by Kenneth Keavey

Recently on a well-known Radio Talk show a nutritionist claimed that “it is a myth that organic produce does not have pesticides on them….. and some studies show that organic produce has higher levels of pesticides.” in addition she claimed that there was no benefit to eating organic produce. I have to say having dedicated 20 years to growing organically and having come out of a career in chemistry I would like to dispute both facts and there are clear scientific studies that demonstrate that both statements are false.

It was Leondardo Da Vinci who said: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” and farming organically is simplicity in action, and a key principle is working with nature without the use of “pesticides” to treat weeds, or the little critters that eat our vegetables every now and then.

That being said, there is a list of approved substances that can be used in organic farming if an issue persists. But on this list, you will find things like neem oil, beeswax, mineral oils, paraffin, soap, mint oil, clove oil, and an insecticide, pyrethrum (which is extracted from the chrysanthemum flower) and such natural elements as sulphur and copper, the latter both used as traditional methods to control fungus. It is important to highlight that generally a derogation must be requested to use any of the last three on the list, and they will only be used where there is little other choice.

In 2021 the Department of agriculture tested 1,039 fruit and vegetable samples for a staggering 474 chemicals (synthetic chemicals manufactured in a chemical plant, with labels such as toxic, irritant, carcinogen and more)

For fruit, of the 528 tested, 63.8% had pesticide residues detected, 5.5% had residues detected above the MRL (the maximum residue limit, this is the limit that is deemed safe for human consumption, personally and this is my opinion I would prefer to avoid these chemicals in my food entirely if possible).

3 fruits contained a cocktail of 9 different pesticides in them.

For veg, of the 511 tested, 43.6% had residues detected, 5.1% had residues detected above the MRL. A cocktail of 15 pesticides were found in one sample.

And if you were still unsure about whether non-organic produce is no different to conventional go and visit Tesco’s website and check out fresh oranges with the following details:

NOT SUITABLE FOR VEGANS Post Harvest Treatments & wax by Country of Origin: Spain: Imazalil/Thiabendazole/Pyrimethanil & Wax E914, E904 Israel: Imazalil/Thiabendazole/Orthophenylphenol & Wax E914, E904 Morocco: Propiconazole/Pyrimethanil/Imazalil & Wax E914, E904 Egypt: Imazalil/Thiabendazole & Wax E904, E914 Peru: Imazalil/Orthophenylphenol/Thiabendazole & Wax E903, E904 RSA: 2,4 D/Imazalil/Thiabendazole & Wax E914, E904 Chile: Imazalil/Fludioxonil/Pirimethanyl & Wax E903, E904

I get it though and the fact remains that it is certainly better to be eating fresh fruit and vegetables that much of the Ultra processed food that line supermarket shelves.

But if you wish to limit your exposure to pesticides in your fresh food which were found in over 50% of veg and over 60% of fruit then organic is the clear choice.

And finally in 2015 one of the most comprehensively undertaken studies showed

“……that the evidence from this study is overwhelming – that organic food is higher in antioxidants and lower in toxic metals and pesticides.

So please if you are going to make general sweeping comments such as “there is more pesticides found in organic produce, and it is no better for you” on national radio please get your facts straight.

As always thank you for your support.

Kenneth

Veggie Meatballs & Spaghetti 

by Nessa Robins

These veggie meatballs are rich in plant-based protein and full of flavour. They can be prepared in advance and refrigerated, ready to cook later in the day, turning them into a convenient dinner to enjoy with family or friends. I like to serve them with a smooth tomato sauce and spaghetti, before topping with some microgreens or basil leaves and a good grating of cheese – which can be dairy or plant based. A simple seasonal salad makes for the perfect accompaniment. I packed mine with Irish kale, microgreens, and carrots, along with a few nuts and slices of juicy blood oranges. 

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Veggie Meatballs & Spaghetti 

Ingredients

Serves 4

Veggie meatballs

  • 1tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 25g butter, dairy or plant based
  • 250g mushrooms, sliced
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 sprig of thyme, leaves only
  • 1 tin lentils, drained
  • 100g oats
  • ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
  • 1tsp olive oil

Tomato sauce

To serve

  • Chunk of hard cheese, dairy or plant based 
  • Microgreens or basil leaves
  • Seasonal salad 

Method

Add the olive oil to a small saucepan over a low heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring regularly, for about ten minutes, until the onion is soft but not coloured. Take from the heat and leave to one side. 

Add the butter to a large pan, over a medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, season with a few grinds of black pepper. Turn up the heat and fry, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes.  Once the mushrooms are cooked, stir in the garlic and thyme, and continue to cook for about 1 minute, stirring continuously. Take from the heat and leave to cool. 

Once the onions and mushrooms are completely cooled, add them to a high-powered processor along with the lentils, oats, and chilli flakes. Blitz until it turns into a paste-like mixture. 

Scoop out a tablespoonful of mixture at a time, shape into a ball and place on a greaseproof paper-lined baking tray, the mixture should make about 16. Brush each one with a little olive oil. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 25–30 minutes until crisp and slightly browned.

To make the tomato sauce, add the olive oil to a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion, reduce the heat to low and sauté for 5-10 minutes until soft and slightly coloured. Stir in the garlic. Add the tomatoes, mixed herbs, sugar, and season well with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook over a low heat for 20 minutes. Blitz until smooth.

Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the pack. Once cooked, add to the sauce, and gently stir though the cooked veggie meatballs. Top with microgreens or basil leaves and a grating of cheese. Enjoy!