Banned Food

Well, how terrifying is this.  You know you're eating nutritious food when it's banned in other places...
http://www.themindunleashed.org/2013/08/10-american-foods-that-are-banned-in.html

Pattypan Squash

So this happened to my squash....  I didn't have time to go to my community plot and they turned this big!  Oops!  You technically should be able to eat the skin of summer squash but I just ended up peeling these and dicing them up–to eat with hummus and to put in a pilaf. Delicious!

Edible Wild Food

I've been perusing this awesome reference website the last little while and I recommend a read.  Change your perspective on your foodscape–eat some "weeds!"
www.ediblewildfood.com

Radical Home Economics

A great little video about two very down to earth homesteaders in LA

"You just start with one thing that really calls you. And usually in the course of learning how to do that one thing you will be attracted to something that's related to it. Because these things tend to pile on top of each other; they're all linked in some way"
http://www.upworthy.com/see-how-one-couple-in-los-angeles-squeezes-an-entire-farm-into-a-small-city-home?c=ufb1

Living with Roommates–Part 2

A tricky part about living with neighbours...  When they have dogs your beautiful beds might look like this when you come back from a weekend retreat... And your heart might break a little...

So you might have to suck it up and buy some fencing from the dollar store, which will hopefully keep the dog at bay...  Crossing my fingers!

Buying Direct from Farmer

The Organic Council of Ontario has a great local, organic food guide that has just been made electronic.  Have a peek at pages 6 and 7 for a great list of organic vegetable, dairy, and meat farmers in Ontario:
http://organiccouncilofontario.memberlodge.org/Resources/Documents/013_OCO_local_organic_food_guide.pdf

I also just discovered that Culinarium does chicken, meat, and vegetable CSA shares if you're up in Midtown Toronto:
http://www.culinarium.ca/index.php?page=tastes-the-way-chicken-should&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Welcome%20to%20Culinarium&utm_content=Welcome%20to%20Culinarium+CID_ba14a902ee97c7205a5059e14466363f&utm_source=Email%20Marketing&utm_term=Chicken%20Share%20Program

Plot Planning–Timelines

6 weeks before last frost
-Start indoors:
          -Tomatoes
          -Okra

3 weeks before last frost
-Start indoors:
          -Cucumbers
          -Callaloo/Amaranth

As soon as soil can be worked–under row cover until last frost
-Lettuces
-Brassicas
-Alliums
-certain peas and beans (sugar daddy snap pea / scarlet runner bean / tom thumb shelling pea)
-Beta vulgaris (swiss chard + beets)
-Parsley
-Sorrel
-Sage
-Lemon Balm
-Feverfew
-Korean Mint
-Sunflowers
-Poppies
-Watercress (may not get to it this year)

After Last Frost (May 9 this year in Toronto)
-Zinnias
-Cilantro
-Bush beans (Royal Burgundy Bean + Tendergreen)
-Trionfo Violeto pole beans
-Morning Glories
-Calendula
-Basil
-Borage
-Pattypan Squash
-Plant out seedlings:
          -Tomatoes
          -Okra
          -Callaloo
          -Cucumbers

1st Week July
-Start indoors:
          -Winter Squash
          -Broccoli
          -Cabbage
          -Cauliflower

1st Week August
-Plant out seedlings:
          -Winter Squash
          -Broccoli
          -Cabbage
          -Cauliflower

Community Mind-Body Collaboration

I had a meeting with an ESL school for young students the other day and the owner, Sarah, and I were chatting about the possibility of having me and my company, bodymind ConfiDance, come in to do some movement workshops once a week.

The school's summer camp has each afternoon set aside for active learning–trips, workshops, hands on activities.

I was supremely excited by Sarah's desire to engage all types of learners, not just focus on rote "book learning", and explore different interesting topics as a tool to learn a new language.

In our discussion and brainstorming on structure and topics, I threw out the idea of food awareness. In talking a bit more about it, Sarah jumped right on board and we chatted for a good 15/20 minutes about potential trips, collaborations with outside organizations, subjects, and even went out on their space's back patio to see if we could grow any food back there. All I had to do was ask.

I'm hoping to use this opportunity to develop some food and consumption based mind-body workshopping to use with youth if Sarah is interested in having me in for the week.

I'm so glad I asked!  ALWAYS ASK!  The worst that can happen is you get a no.

My Little Urban Farm Plot: Before and After

Beauty!!

Pet Beet Greens?

In making my beet preserve the other day, I decided to put my beet tops in some water and see if the greens would grow. I cut the bottom off a mushroom container that my roommates had bought–a perfect shallow dish! We'll see how this goes!

Successful Juicer "Garbage" Wraps

So my second attempt at using my juicer "garbage" (beet, celery, apple, orange) to make a fruit leather turned into a wonderful mistake–I turned it into wraps instead!

For some reason, this time around, all the sweetness disappeared from the leather so it was great with savoury foods.  I think by leaving it in the stove longer (I forgot about it and ended up leaving it a day in the stove) it had longer to dehydrate and all the sweetness disappeared...  Maybe... It was also quite dry so I wouldn't eat it by itself but hummus or guacamole or a bean dip would have also been nice!

It worked much better on parchment paper, where it came off in one whole piece instead of in chunks (as it did off the tin foil). I rolled up the parchment paper to save for next time. Yum!

"Farmageddon"

I just finished watching a fantastic film called Farmageddon:
http://farmageddonmovie.com/
I'm realizing that part of my process of coming into low-impact living means doing my research about what systemic problems there really are, informing myself, and sharing that information.

I began this process with a vague overview of what is going on systemically, but my major instigators were cost, freshness, and nutrient density. The only produce I thought I had around was a No Frills (pretty pathetic). I was starting to understand that I needed to put my money where my mouth was (quite literally) and purchase at small organic markets, farmers markets, and co-ops. I researched Foodshare and currently purchase their organic food box weekly–I get beautiful organic produce for market price or lower. I am slowly shifting my food dollar purchases to organic. I am asking questions about GMO's. Slowly, I'm shifting my purchasing dollar away from big agribusiness and into shorter supply chains and farmers or producers who I can actually speak to. I'm reading labels (i still make some shelf-stable purchases)–making sure my  dairy isn't American (to stay away from Bovine Growth Hormone), staying away from lecithin (soy), canola, soy, and corn (most GMO), and obviously, the shorter the ingredient label the better. And this summer, I plan to preserve the most food I can so that I buy the least amount of canned product as possible

Starting this blog was a way of almost keeping myself in check, but I realize it can also be a tool for sharing information and inspiring others to make small changes.  We are all empowered to make out own choices. We can all put our money where our mouths are, even if it's little by little. We can all become a little more aware. Each choice we make can spread slowly, but exponentially, if we decide to speak to those who care to listen in a kind and understanding way. A lot of little choices add up. WE have the power. Empower yourself.

"Independence Days"

I bought a book a few weeks ago at the Canadian Organic Growers Conference called "Independence Days: A Guide to Sustainable Food Storage and Preservation" by Sharon Astyk
http://www.amazon.ca/Independence-Days-Sharon-Astyk/dp/0865716528/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1364535807&sr=8-3-fkmr0

Catching the worst cold I've had in years has confined me to my house for the day so as not to contaminate anyone I come near.  But it has allowed me to read.

A few things in the first few chapters of this book really struck me:
"Do now, do today, with all our hearts, the things we should have been doing "anyway" all along"
I realized that I have been seeing this everywhere. People engaging in direct action; movements like Occupy; small community-based restaurants and stores like Karma Co-op, The Depanneur, Creme Fraiche Market Cafe; the ever expanding list of farmers markets in the city–people are taking up arms and "doing what they should have been doing 'anyway'".
It is in everyones best interest to support local organic food systems that don't put huge emphasis on oil (approx. 35% of our fossil fuels are used in food systems).
It is in everyones best interest to lower their energy consumption because climate change is a thing.
It is in everyones best interest to grow their own food because our soil systems are becoming so degraded they are leaching nutrients like never before.
It is in everyones best interest to waste less food so that there is more for the impoverished (we have no food shortage, we have food wastage–we throw out approximately 1/3 of the fresh produce we buy).
It is in everyones best interest to support local organic food systems instead of major corporations to combat the massive economic and social inequities that our current system has created.
Start growing your own. Start small. Build as you can. It's worth it for all of the above reasons.
And hey, I guess I'm doing this in a way with creating my own social enterprises–creating the jobs that I think are missing, engaging those who need it, working from the ground up instead of waiting for the government to implement curriculums that reflect our current social and economic structure.

"It was a process of unlearning all the things that society had taught me"
I feel like this spoke the words that I've been thinking about the last few months.  So much questioning has been happening, a desire to get rid of all my 'stuff', to grow my own food, to make healthy body products, to cut my consumption.
It is just an unlearning.
I take comfort in that.

Perhaps this is why I got sick. To reflect. To further question. To slow down and remember the important things instead of getting swept away in paperwork and "busy-ness. Who knows.  Whatever the reason, I'm grateful.

Low-Impact Living

I heard from my friend Andrew today about an event going on at University of Guelph, Sustainability Week.  He was mentioning that there was a panel on "Low-Impact Living". The phrase sounded totally appropriate and so I did a little looking around and found this fantastic resource on anything and everything Low-Impact!  It is a British site so some of the resources are irrelevant for North Americans (like workshops) but the general information is beneficial nonetheless.
Have a look around! Be inspired!
http://www.lowimpact.org/

Fruit Leather/Crackers

Seeing as my worms were needing a break from feeding, when I made a new batch of juice, I tried to think of another thing to do with the leftovers.  And I remembered my friend erin telling me a recipe for a fruit leather-y type thing.  So here is my attempt: 

I spooned some chia seeds into a small bowl with some water (about 2 tsp of chia with 1/4 cup water) and let it make it's gooey magic (technically, chia is mucilaginous, but you know, ooey gooey works too...) for about 5 minutes:

While the chia goo-ified itself, I spooned the leftovers of my apple, orange, beet and ginger juice onto a tray that I had lined with tin foil:

I then mixed the two together on the tray and flattened it out along the tray, pulling out any seeds or big chunks as I went.

I put in in the oven at the lowest heat (on my oven 200) for about 2.5 hours then left it sit in the oven as it cooled for another hour or two. I peeled the dried fruit off the tin foil an put it in a tupperware to store and munch on over the next few days:

They're somewhat of a cross between a fruit leather and a cracker.  I think they would be pretty tasty with hummus or guacamole or maybe a yoghurt dip too.  Yummy food made from "garbage bits"–fun!

Re-growing and Sprouting Fails...

So it seems that my regrowing cilantro attempt didn't work....

I wasn't sure what happened... It was very happy in the water but once it got into soil, no dice... After researching I learned that cilantro hates to be re-potted...  Oops!  I'm sure this could work with other herbs though.  Or maybe just keeping it in water.  Trial 2 at some point, I'm sure!

Luckily my lettuces are doing well!

-----------------------------------------

Also, my chickpea sprouting didn't work.  I realized after my attempt that I had initially put the beans in boiling water and then let it sit to soak as per the instructions on the bad.  I wasn't thinking of sprouting at the time so didn't think that I was "killing" the beans.  Next time I will just let them soak and then see if they sprout.

On the plus side, this was the first time I had used dried chickpeas to make hummus and WOW!!  The texture and flavour are INCREDIBLE!
I will never again buy canned chickpeas.  The soaking and cooking process is totally worth the extra little bit of work.  Nevermind how much cheaper it is to buy beans in bulk...

Lots of good learning happening!

Drying Organic Carrot Tops

Totally edible.
Totally full of carrot-y deliciousness (when they're fresh).
Dry out the tops, put them in a jar, add them to salad for a little carrot flavour throughout the season if you can't eat them enough raw
(If you don't even eat them raw, do it!  Add them anywhere you would add spinach)

Wonderful Film

I watched a wonderful film today about urban farming.
It's called Edible City: Grow the Revolution
Inspiring. Thought provoking. Have a watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIVqGtgDHBo&list=PLw69HSUDzgSKKvwgggYbfKv08GXJKBae5&feature=mh_lolz

Plot Planning: Genus Separation

In planing my crazy plot, one larger than I've ever planned before, the first step I needed to take was to split up all the seeds I acquired into families, or genus.  The ones I seem to have acquired are:

Perennial Herbs:
Sorrel
Sage
Lemonbalm
Feverfew
Korean Mint
Thyme
Marjoram
Oregano (cutting from my mum)
Echinacea (to buy seedling)
Lavender (to buy seedling)
Rosemary (from last year)

Annual Herbs:
Parsley
Cilantro
Dill (saved seeds!)
Basil (to buy seedling)

Perennial Plants:
Rhubarb (to transplant from my grandma's house in April)
Raspberry (to transplant from my mum's house in April)
Wild Ginger (to buy plugs from Richter's Herbs in April)

Nightshades/Solanum:
Tomato (chitting potatoes as we speak)
Potato
Caynne Pepper (to buy seedling)

Alliums:
Garlic
Leeks
Onion (upstairs roommate has sets)
Chives (cutting from my mum)

Beta Vulgaris:
Beet
Swiss Chard

Beans and Peas:
so many kinds!!!

Curcubita:
Summer squash
Winter Squash
Zucchini
Cucumber

Cruciferous Veg/Brassicas:
Baby Brassica Salad Mix
Kale
Broccoli
Bok Choy
Arugala
Watercress (perennial)
Radish

Lettuce:
Romaine

Annual Flowers (to attract the polinators!)
Sunflower
Zinnia
Calendula
Poppy
Morning Glory

And my major experiments:

Amaranth (for the grain)
Callaloo (for the greens)
Okra

HOLY GARDEN!

The reason I started with this was to ensure "crop rotation" for the future.  Basically this just means, don't plant one family in the same place you planted it last year.  Each family sucks up specific nutrients from the soil so, in order not to have to use pesticides, Organic farmers use crop rotation to keep their soil happy and healthy.  

I also did this to make it easier to plan my plot.  I'm going to be experimenting with companion planting this year but keeping families together allows for ease of watering (ie-lettuces like to be sprayed on, roots and fruits like a deep water with no water on the leaves) 

This year will be a grand experiment in having a massive kitchen garden. I'm more interested in variety then monocropping my whole plot and my friends keep dumping seeds on me, which seems to be supporting that plan! Step 2 soon!

Celery Sneaky Success!

So it seems that my celery has snuck up on me and is actually starting to grow!  I assumed that it wouldn't as it's been about 2 weeks of no action but here it is, wanting so badly to grow and nourish me:

Also, here is my lettuce doing it's thing after a few weeks.  It's so exciting watching this grow! Almost as exciting as from seed; almost more so since it's regrown! My new plans to speed up the growing process are leaving a few small leaves on both my lettuce and celery to speed up the growing process from the get-go, like this:

What a fun new hobby!