By: George Kurzom
https://www.maan-ctr.org/magazine/article/3349/
The frost in last mid-January destroyed summer crops planted in the northern Jordan Valley-in winter- such as eggplant, zucchini, cucumbers and tomatoes.
Exclusive to Environment and Development Horizons (Afaq magazine):
If we take a look at the on-ground situation, there has not been a radical change in the climate patterns in Palestine, despite the lack of rain and drought in the past few years. Rather, what has actually changed is the lifestyle and consumption culture of the people themselves.
In the past few years, the phenomenon of frost damage to some varieties of plants, including crops in plastic greenhouses, is repeated almost every year.
However, if we take a closer look at the nature of the crops that are frequently damaged by frost, we find that they are mainly summer crops that are being artificially grown in winter at an untimely date.
Summer crops are grown in greenhouses in winter. Why are many of us surprised when the summer crops that are grown in winter are destroyed?!
Why are the crops of cucumbers, tomatoes, and eggplants grown artificially using toxic chemical fertilizers in winter?
While cauliflower, cabbage, and garlic are not affected by frost, or at least they are mildly affected? Nature's wisdom has been embodied in providing a cover for cauliflower, leafy layers for cabbage, and garlic peels to protect them from frost.
Also, the nature of the composition of grains that are resistant to severe cold and frost, such as lentils, wheat, barley and others.
The same applies to the nature of almost all the foods that we have come to consume throughout the year. Instead of consuming seasonal vegetables, grains and fruit that are characterized by a nature of growth consistent with climatic factors, we are eating in the winter the plants that are supposed to be planted and ripen in the summer.
This consumer behavior is against the laws of nature. It is known that some foods provide our bodies with energy, and this is precisely the one that we should eat more of in the winter, such as winter crops represented by grains like lentils, wheat and oats, and winter vegetables such as spinach, peas, beans, chickpeas, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce and radish, in addition to grains and dried fruits, and citrus fruits such as mandarin, oranges, grapefruit, pomelo and lemon.
While some other foods take energy from our bodies, which we should not eat in the off-season, specifically in the winter. These foods include summer vegetables that are not suitable to be eaten in winter, especially those grown in plastic greenhouses, such as zucchini, eggplant, cucumbers and tomatoes.
Translated by: Rasha Abu Dayyeh
