Dear Friends and fellow Gardeners,

I am thoroughly disgusted with the trend of more and more of business monopolies. It is clear that we will soon be completely under their control. Without competition prices will increase, and what about product selection? We have already seen that go down the drain. As an example, take the soft drink market. If a business even thinks about introducing a new soft drink, the pressure from Coke and Pepsi would be so great that the market would be forced to pull the competition from the store, or do as they do with other alternative products and put them on the bottom shelf. Drink fruit juice instead.

What about the social interaction between store employees and the consumers? It seems to me that, more and more, we are being treated as a number. "May I see your drivers license?" "What is your telephone number?" I am not a number, I am a human person. Do you even care that I have a name?

Why is it that company mega-mergers usually result in the layoffs of hundreds if not thousands of people? It can't be for lack of money, because they have accumulated billions of dollars that allow them to buy out each other. I think it is outright greed. They don't give a damn about the employees, especially when they lay off just before Christmas.

It is time for us to take a stand. We the consumers can make a difference. Shop in locally owned businesses. Buy the union label, purchase food from co-ops and farmers markets, grow as much food as you can in your own backyard, and when you can, buy from non-profit and organizations such as Church World Service, Heifer Project, SERRV, UNICEF, the Southwest Indian Foundation, the Market Place, and many others. As I write this I think it would be a service to the readers of Connections if we made a list of organizations and businesses that represent a wide variety of products deserving of our support. Let me know what you think. Email me at mulchman@yolo.com or write to 720 College St Woodland Ca. 95695.

Gardening tip of the month: Want to grow strawberries but don't have the space? Grow strawberries in a pillar. Pound 4 stakes into the ground forming a square 14 inches in diameter and 3 feet high. Wrap burlap around the outside of the stakes. Wrap 1 inch poultry netting around the burlap to hold it in place. Fill the insides with a mixture of compost, peat, soil, and/or planter mix. Plant Strawberries on 4-6 inch centers all around the pillar by cutting a little larger hole in the poultry netting. I love Chandler strawberries for their taste and size. Be sure to build the pillars in a sunny location