Articles - Environmental

Branding the Boreal

With yet another nasty cold and flu season behind us, Mom’s everywhere can finally stop worrying whether they’ve got enough Kleenex on hand.

And that’s a very good thing because even if Canadians use only 3 boxes each, that’s over 90,000,000 boxes every year.

As one of the world’s top 43 brands, Kimberly-Clark has no trouble keeping up with demand. There’s only one problem. Market demand for ultra soft tissue puts stress on the Canadian Boreal forest- incredible stress.

Sadly, the softest tissue comes from the oldest trees, some as old as 1000 years. Kimberly-Clark says recycled fibres simply don’t cut it.

But you won’t find that information printed on the box.

Up 23% from 2003, worldwide demand for Kleenex shows no sign of letting up. Basically, the Boreal is in big trouble. Add toilet paper to the mix and things begin to look pretty grim.

But without resorting to the Sears & Roebuck days, what can we do to change things?

Perhaps we’ve simply underestimated the marketing potential of the Boreal. Maybe it just needs a good press agent.

Would it have more appeal if we called it ‘Wilderness Wonderland’ or ‘Canada’s Northern Playground’? Certainly nobody would let a perfectly good park be destroyed. Maybe a reality tv series. We could call it ‘Survivor Boreal’. Millions of Canadians could tune in to their big screen tv’s to watch Don Cherry camping in the Boreal for a week. With lucrative product placements we could raise millions in funds to save the remaining intact regions of unspoiled forest.

He could wear NHL branded gear, use Coleman lanterns and snuggle up in Canadian Tire sleeping bags. Canadians could phone in pledges, sponsor an acre of forest while Grapes gets chased around the camp fire by a black bear, no Ron Maclean around to rescue him, after the game of course. Maybe Mary Walsh could dance under a full moon on summer solstice or Rick Mercer could run naked with Wooldland Caribou. (cartoon drawings suggested).

The truth is, the war on the Canadian Boreal needs everyday warriors. It is larger and as valuable to the planet as the Amazon, some say more, yet only 3% is protected from industry. As a nation, we are failing to embrace this treasure in our own backyards, this stunning emerald crown that the occupies the circumpolar north of the entire planet.

And if branding can help awaken our hearts and minds before Canada becomes the next Easter Island, then who’s to say it’s not worth a try?

Fulvic Acid: The Soil-Making Miracle Molecule

Fulvic acid is rapidly on its way to becoming known as one of the most powerful healing substances of the 21st Century. Scientists throughout the world are starting to recognize its extraordinary potential.

Fulvic acid is an organic, natural electrolyte that balances and energizes all biological processes. It regulates cellular electrical energy and could be called the life force of the body. It controls all electrical and chemical balances within the cell … the body’s mini battery chargers!

Fulvic acid has several primary functions. It dissolves minerals and trace elements, transports the nutrients into the cell, catalyzes enzyme reactions, stimulates metabolism, detoxifies pollutants and assimilates into cell structure by increasing the permeability of the cell membrane.

In addition to nutritional benefits, fulvic acid has agricultural and industrial applications in the treatment of sewage and landfill, neutralization of radioactive and toxic wastes and soil regeneration.

Origins and Overview

In the beginning the earth was blessed with optimum organic growing conditions. The soil was rife with minerals, trace elements and rich humus teaming with microbes. The earth’s minerals had not yet been depleted from over-farming, soils were exceptionally lush, the abundant vegetation creating life giving humic deposits. These untouched natural deposits are relatively rare and can be found in only in certain areas of the world.  Inside humic deposits is a little known substance called fulvic acid.

Fulvic Acid Lacking in Food Crops

Missing from our diets for generations, sterile soil conditions prevent the formation of fulvic acid which we now know to be essential for human health.

It is a well known fact that our soils are ailing from years and years of poor agricultural practices. Chemical residues from pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and natural top soil erosion over the years have produced nutritionally empty, tasteless foods that continue to find their way to our tables.

"Almost all of the degenerative diseases, arthritis, osteoporosis, dental problems, hypertension, heart disease, cancer, bone spurs, kidney stones, muscular dystrophy, carpal tunnel syndrome, cataracts, Alzheimer's disease, are either directly or indirectly related to mineral deficiencies. Our plants cannot manufacture minerals, our soils never had all 60 minerals in them, and soils that were enriched with minerals are now depleted from intensive farming."

Farmers & Writers - A Natural Bond

When I first thought about it, I wondered, "Do farmers have anything in common with writers?  One makes a living with their hands, the other with their brain - they couldn't be more different, right?

Priding myself on creativity, I dug a little deeper. Then it hit me. Who is more undervalued in our society than farmers and writers? 

We are both keen observers of life and keepers of knowledge. We have a passionate attachment to our craft that comes from a need to connect deeply to living things and living ideas. We work tirelessly from sunrise to sunset to create something from nothing. We nourish bodies and souls. Complete strangers depend on us for daily nourishment.  We dig right in and don't mind getting dirty, not knowing if something will flourish or die in the prevailing climate. And even though we're under appreciated, we're happy to live modest lives because we know we're making the world a better place everyday.

As a writer, I decided to create a place where farmers could interact and where consumers could get accurate organic information. It's called the Organic Farmers Network.

Knowledge sharing is so important in helping us understand the principles and practices of working organic farms and the importance of soil regeneration across Canada. Together we can provide healthy food and healthy farming communities.