Comments on: Strawberries / Morangos http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/2009/04/strawberries-morangos/ Quinta das Abelhas, Permaculture in Central Portugal Sun, 08 Jan 2012 10:02:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: sophie http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/2009/04/strawberries-morangos/comment-page-1/#comment-122 sophie Thu, 30 Apr 2009 07:42:05 +0000 http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/?p=309#comment-122 yes, i'd be very wary of eating non-organic strawberries. we have some friends who once worked in the polytunnels on the spanish coast growing strawberries - they were basically grown on sand as there was no soil, so you can imagine all the fertilisers etc they had to pump into it in order to grow anything. Plus of course growing only one crop in a big area attracts all kinds of pests and diseases that they are sprayed against. Our friends said they had to wear protective clothing and masks in the polytunnels. Then people eat the strawberries! Scary. yes, i’d be very wary of eating non-organic strawberries. we have some friends who once worked in the polytunnels on the spanish coast growing strawberries – they were basically grown on sand as there was no soil, so you can imagine all the fertilisers etc they had to pump into it in order to grow anything. Plus of course growing only one crop in a big area attracts all kinds of pests and diseases that they are sprayed against. Our friends said they had to wear protective clothing and masks in the polytunnels. Then people eat the strawberries! Scary.

]]> By: Steven Caldecourt http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/2009/04/strawberries-morangos/comment-page-1/#comment-121 Steven Caldecourt Thu, 30 Apr 2009 01:31:23 +0000 http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/?p=309#comment-121 Hi Sophie, Very interesting , I wasn't aware of all the good properties of Strawberries. I've always been a bit wary of eating them in England, this goes back to when we had all the PYO fields right next to busy roads and the plants were being given a nasty dose of lead! Ok , so now we have unleaded fuel, but a few years ago I read (in the Telegraph I think, although I can't find the article on the net) about the intensive cultivation methods used by Strawberry producers in Britain. These days all the Strawberries in our supermarkets are grown in huge poly-tunnels on raised beds. These beds are first treated with Methyl Bromide or Methyl Iodide, a pesticide so dangerous there are only a few contractors licensed to apply it! http://scienceblogs.com/effectmeasure/2007/09/methyl_iodide_strawberry_field.php Organic is the only way! Keep up the good work. Steve Caldecourt. Hi Sophie,
Very interesting , I wasn’t aware of all the good properties of Strawberries. I’ve always been a bit wary of eating them in England, this goes back to when we had all the PYO fields right next to busy roads and the plants were being given a nasty dose of lead!

Ok , so now we have unleaded fuel, but a few years ago I read (in the Telegraph I think, although I can’t find the article on the net) about the intensive cultivation methods used by Strawberry producers in Britain. These days all the Strawberries in our supermarkets are grown in huge poly-tunnels on raised beds. These beds are first treated with Methyl Bromide or Methyl Iodide, a pesticide so dangerous there are only a few contractors licensed to apply it!

http://scienceblogs.com/effectmeasure/2007/09/methyl_iodide_strawberry_field.php

Organic is the only way! Keep up the good work.

Steve Caldecourt.

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