ASAP Local Food Guide has Sprouted!

The ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) Local Food Guide is available now in both print and on-line versions. The on-line version is search-able which is a great tool for finding specific things... the print version is good for browsing.

You will find our An Urban Plot listing in both the farm listings and the farms to visit listing! Check it us on-line at http://buyappalachian.org/index.php?view=detail&entityID=1448

As we know, every dollar spent is a vote for the business/agriculture/environmental/human practices that the product we purchase represents. Many areas of the country have their own Local Food Guide version. Check out your sources for local food. If you are not growing your own, support these local sources. Inform your choices. Ask questions.. where did this come from (how many food miles are you paying for), how was it grown (pesticides? organic/natural practices/small farm vs. factory farm?) Make your dollar-vote count where you really want it to count!

Garden Thoughts While on the Road

I traveled last weekend to Portland OR to call for a dance festival there, The Portland Raindance Weekend. It was fun, a really fabulous time, but kept me from the garden at a time of year that I hate to miss a minute. When I am away, I carry my garden journal along, a sort of portable garden, and I write of growing things. It helps pass the time... and chronicle thoughts and ideas that crop up as I wait for airplanes!
Yesterday, I left Portland on time homeward bound, but got waylaid at my next stop.. Dallas/Ft Worth. Here is something I wrote while waiting 9 hours to get on a plane to complete my trip...

Stuck in Texas and longing to be in my little piece of North Carolina, longing to see my garden, to touch the earth of home, to drink in the changes that are surely waiting for me. To revel in the magic of growth and the accomplishment of my plot while my back is turned..
I know... it has only been since Friday that I was there among the spirits of my ground and today is just Monday.. only a few days, but away I have been, though never far, for in my mind I am ever diggin' in the dirt. Away but ever connected.
I have imagined my homecoming, rushing into the kitchen-first stop, hugging my family, my loves, then a trip out to the front garden to see what those plants have been up to while I have been gone.. I'll be in by 6:30 tonight, still plenty of light, the perfect prelude to dinner, a walk in the waiting garden.....

LATER....
But the weather had other plans for me, hours now sitting, walking, waiting in the airport, plastic, impersonal, I am alone in a sea of humanity stopped by the weather and eating food that smells more like a chemical copy of food than the real thing. I am so grateful for the care package of food that my hosts sent me off with this morning as I am not forced to eat airport food to survive.
Now I will not get in until well past midnight.... We have just celebrated the new moon, there will not be much light.. so I imagine myself, flashlight in hand creeping out to the dew-damp, midnight garden to check in with nature, to touch the ground after this long, long day of waiting... will I dare, right now, waiting until morning seems an impossible task.......

Earth Day

Thinking about Earth Day and knowing that EVERY DAY is Earth Day... according to my very wise nearly 8 year old!, I thought that it would be good to make a list of what we do everyday to Celebrate and care for our earth... it's the only one we really have!

So here is my list in no particular order of importance:
~Growing a large percentage of our own food.
~Planting primarily heirloom and open pollinated seeds.
~Choosing Local Food first.
~Choosing organically grown products.
~Eating meat that is humanely raised, grass-fed, free-range, etc.
~Avoiding Bovine Growth Hormone, Antibiotics and Genetically Modified Foods.
~Choosing not to eat foods that contain high fructose corn syrup.
~Shopping at the Farmers Market.
~Focusing on Local products and services whenever possible.
~Using the Better World Shopper Guide to choose products and stores.
~Turning our yard into a sanctuary for birds and bees and other wildlife who appreciate our organic ways.
~Composting our kitchen, office and yard waste.
~Teaching our daughter fabulous ways to take care of the planet.
~Sending our daughter to an amazing public charter school, that focuses on Environmental Education and Green Living.
~Harvesting rainwater for use in the garden.
~Using mulch to minimize water usage.
~Reclaiming found objects and giving them new functions.
~Reducing the amount of things that we NEED to buy.
~Making as many meals as possible at home and from scratch.
~Repairing things that break instead of replacing.
~Finding new uses for throwaways.
~Recycling things that we can not compost, reuse, repair or reassign.
~Freecycling. Both to get stuff and get rid of stuff.
~Use compact fluorescent light bulbs.
~Filter our own tap water and do not buy bottled water.
~Minimize the use of credit cards.
~Sharing rides and minimizing car trips.
~Always looking for ways to lessen our Carbon Footprint.

I am sure there are more things.. but for now.. this is what comes to mind.

All of this is not only good for the planet but really good for the pocketbook and serves to bring our family and our neighbors and community closer together. Working for the greater good!

Make everyday EARTH DAY!

Busy times in the garden

What a bountifully busy time of the year. There don't seem to be enough hours in the day to get it all done. I feel like I am choreographing a complicated ballet....getting seeds started ahead of planting time, prepping the garden beds, direct sowing, weeding, rearranging plants from previous plantings, re-designing certain areas of the established garden, creating new beds and doing away with more lawn! There is SO much happening... and even with my best of intentions to keep up with blogging about all of this, it seems to be the blogging that falls by the wayside. Can't eat the blog... spend time on the food.

This is the first garden year.. (year number 4) that I have been working without a bunch of help from friends and co-conspirators.. As much as I liked having the help and company, I am certainly enjoying the solitude that I find out there by myself. My daughter, Rebecca, now nearly 8, helps out when she gets a mind to and my fiancée, David, helps when I need him... but mostly it is me out there keeping up with the ballet which is Spring planting time. I am a busy farmer!

This year I have added a new batch of Asparagus, so I now have 3 plantings of Asparagus. We have been getting a few spears here and there.. generally not enough to have a big asparagus feed.. but rather tastes of asparagus in other things.. YUM! Last night, however, we had asparagus sautéed with garlic and mushrooms as a side dish.. the closest we've come to getting to really eat asparagus.. wow... what a treat! I am looking forward to MORE!

I have also added Jerusalem Artichokes this year.. this is a first for my garden but my parents grew them when I was growing up and I remember really enjoying them. They have a new bed outside the garden fence.

I rearranged the herb bed on Saturday. It was time to give the sage plants more space and to break up the chives. Everything got a little cultivation and mulch. Then Sunday was a day of light rain. What perfect timing. Everything looks fabulous!

There is lots of salad greens for fresh salads and kale that wintered over and is now producing well. Spinach that made it through the winter and snow peas are up and coming soon. Arugula is doing well.. but now that it is warming up.. it is bolting.. but I keep cutting it back to prolong the going to seed process.

Life is good, Full and bountiful and BUSY!

Beautiful Snowy Garden

We had a big snow storm on Sunday night.. it was the biggest snow we had this winter and we sure enjoyed it.. These photos were taken Monday morning. School was canceled for the day and the whole family had fun out in the white stuff.. Funny thing is that it was mostly gone by Wednesday with temps around 50! and today the projected temp is 70! Seems odd after having a morning temp on Tuesday of 12.. But that is Western North Carolina for you. We get winter... but it rarely stays around for long. Thank you southern exposure.
I had just planted my baby salad starts out in the garden... but I had them covered with row cover... a double layer on one bed and the other bed is under glass...
I peeped into the glass covered bed to check on the babies.. they seem to be doing okay... the row-covered bed looks good too. Today I will open the covers and let the warm air get in.
I'll post some picture of the grand opening later today..
Have a good day. Spring is on the way! YAY!

No Farms No Food

I've seen this bumper sticker around town and on the road. It's a great slogan. But I wanted to know more about where it came from and just who's slogan it is. I did an on-line search to find out... (I just love the internet for connecting with the things that really matter to me!) and I found out the it belongs to the American Farmland Trust. The mission of American Farmland Trust is to help farmers and ranchers protect their land, produce a healthier environment and build successful communities. To that end, the campaign of No Farms No Food, is all about supporting local food and farms.

The message is simple and couldn't be more clear—America's farms and ranches provide an unparalleled abundance of fresh, healthy and local food, but they are rapidly disappearing.

Eighty-six percent of America’s fruits and vegetables are grown near metro regions, where they are in the path of development. And every hour we lose 125 acres of farm and ranch land. That's why supporting local food and farms is more important than ever!

A few weekends ago, I took a class sponsored by the ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) on Starting a Market Garden Business. One of the many things I was surprised to learn is that 96% of the food that is grown in our Western North Carolina Region goes away, into the global food supply. That fact just amazed me. Add to that the fact that most of the food in our local stores has come 1000's of miles to get to us. No wonder food costs are soaring and much of the produce at the local grocery looks like it's been to the war and back! What is that all about?

No Food No Farms offers 2 ways to get involved...

1. Get the Free Bumper Sticker and display it. Spread the message in your community that you support local food and local farms by displaying a free No Farms No Food bumper sticker from American Farmland Trust. Request yours today!

2. Take the Keep It Local pledge and stand up for local food and farms! As consumers, we make a difference when we support local food and farmer's markets. Make a commitment to local food, farms and ranches and take the Keep It Local pledge now!

I must say that this excites the local foodie in me! I have ordered my bumper sticker and made the pledge. I invite you to do the same. If you can, make a donation to support the work of the American Farmland Trust.

After you take the pledge you too will get a letter like I did with some more great resource information.

Dear Beth,

Thank you for making a commitment to your local farms and ranches by taking American Farmland Trust’s Keep It Local Pledge. We hope you discover a new favorite food, make new connections with local farmers and ranchers and gain a deeper appreciation for what it takes to get a meal from farm to fork.

Here are some resources to get you started:

Find farms and ranches in your area. Map the distance to your home to find those within your pledge distance. Subscribe to their CSA, find them at a farmers' market or go to the farm if they have pick-your-own operations.

Search for restaurants that buy from local farms and ranches. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about where the food is from. A lot of restaurants take pride in providing fresh ingredients and will be glad you asked!

Learn what’s fresh in your area—and how to cook it. When you start eating local, you might come across new varieties of fruits and vegetables that you’ve never seen before. Your taste buds are in for a treat! Experiment and share recipes with other local food enthusiasts.

American Farmland Trust is committed to protecting farm and ranch land and increasing the availability of fresh, local foods. Support our work by donating today. Your gift will go a long way to help in our work with policy makers, communities and producers to save the land that sustains America.

Sincerely,

Your friends at American Farmland Trust

Every Dollar Spent is a VOTE!

A few months ago I saw something about The Better World Shopping Guide and went right ahead and ordered my family a copy. Right now I can't even remember where I saw it.. but I tell you that it has changed even more the way that I shop! This little book is a small but mighty weapon! It fits in my purse so that I can always have it with me... but really, that's the only small thing about it. I am so impressed with the work that went into this project that I want to share it with you.

from the website....

The idea: Money is power. And wherever large amounts of money collect, so also new centers of power form. The latest historical manifestation of this is the modern corporation. Make no mistake, these new power centers are not democracies. We don't vote for the CEO's or their policies (unless we are: rich enough to be significant shareholders, informed enough to know what's going one, and compassionate enough to care about more than just personal profit), yet our destinies are increasingly in their hands.

The solution: As these power centers shift, we must shift our own voices if we wish to be heard. As citizens, on average, we might vote once ever 4 years, if at all. As consumers, we vote every single day with the purest form of power...money.
The average American family spends around $18,000 each year on goods and services. Think of it as casting 18,000 votes every year for the kind of world you want to live in. Use this site to take back your power.

The Key issues:
1. HUMAN RIGHTS: sweatshops, 3rd world community exploitation, international health issues, divestment, child labor, code of conduct.

2. THE ENVIRONMENT: global warming, rainforest destruction, pollution, recycling, renewable energy, greenwashing, toxic waste, eco-innovations, illegal dumping, sustainable farming.

3. ANIMAL PROTECTION: factory farming, animal testing, humane treatment, wild animal habitat.

4. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: family farms, local business support, volunteer efforts, sustainable growth, philanthropic donations, nonprofit alliances, establishing foundations.

5. SOCIAL JUSTICE : fair wages, fatalities, union busting efforts, health & safety records, discrimination based on: race, gender, age, ability, religion, sexuality, ethnicity.

So how do we use this weapon? Knowledge is POWER as much as money is. And by arming ourselves with knowledge we can make informed decisions as we wield our POWER. The authors of this book bring us the knowledge we need to make these informed decisions.

My amazing seven-year old LOVES money. She thinks it is really cool to be able to buy herself the stuff that she wants. One of my goals as a parent is to teach her the concept of voting with her dollars! So yesterday we were out buying groceries and she had a few dollars burning a hole in her little purse. I had already used the book that day to make several shopping decisions... like which brand of ice cream, rice and cheese to buy. We were standing in line at the check out and Rebecca decided that she had to have some gum. After setting the example through our entire shopping trip, I handed her the book and said, "Look up Candy and see if you can find any of these products on the list and what grade they get." It was fascinating to watch her face as she realized that not a single candy product on the shelf in this conventional mainstream grocery had even a C or D grade. She decided to pass on the gum here. We did go to a healthy grocery next to pick up a few more things and they had the gum that scored an A.
Let me tell you, the satisfaction this kid has knowing that she supported a company that got an A with her 79 cent purchase was glowing on her face at the check out and every time she pops one of those pieces of gum into her mouth, true satisfaction! Lesson learned. Start'em young, I say!
I encourage you to check out the website, buy yourself a copy, give a few as gifts, share the lesson/solution with friends, co-workers, and family! Know that supporting this project will help get subsequent editions published and spread the teaching of a new way of thinking about dollars spent.
Start revolutionizing the way YOU shop. BE armed with knowledge. And remember that EVERY DOLLAR spent is a VOTE for the practices of the company your dollar supports! Make sure that you are supporting practices that you can believe in.

More on HOPE

Ohhh this book is good! Here is another piece I must share with you on HOPE.

...bringing food from farmers you can name to real people who eat food, agriculture is recreational hope. It recreates hope. You can recreate hope off the grid or on the grid. Fun hope is the soil in which serious hope can grow. A lot of people are stuck in (legitimate) despair. Gardening and farming--agricultures--can grow them out of it.
~Donna Schaper from Grassroots Gardening

I just love this image of growing hope and curing despair through the garden and the act of recreating (create again, renew) while recreating (activity done for enjoyment)! Yes indeed, good stuff happens in the garden, layers and layers of amazing stuff that one can not even begin to measure by any standardized means.

Garden to Remind Ourselves of Hope

My Family gave me a bounty of new garden books for Christmas. I am a lucky woman!
Right now I am reading one called GRASSROOTS GARDENING: Rituals for Sustaining Activism by Donna Schaper. I am still in the Preface but here is a great quote.

As a gardener, I have a front-row seat on global warming and the many other idiocies of capitalism untamed. Humanity is headed for a brick wall of inequality and injustice that breeds war and destroys the air. I believe we can change; that is what makes me an activist. I garden to remind myself of my hope.

Newfangled Corn Dodgers WOW Family

Yes indeed. My family was WOWed by my latest version of the old corn dodger recipe! The new dodgers were a big hit... even if I do say so myself.
I mused in my last post about some additions I might make next time...
Well, next time came and I added...
Minced red onion
Chunks of freshly harvested Shitake Mushrooms
Minced Garlic
All mixed in with the previously posted recipe.
They were SO good that I could have made a meal of them alone!
Give it a try.
YUM!