"I see the time coming where people fill their stomachs and are starving"

Rudolf Steiner was a smart man.
Pfennings farm sounds like a fantastic place too!  Who knew they have been at this since 1965!  I just see it everywhere without thinking to look into who Pfennings are. A wonderful little clip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG41w1ZgDnI

"Natural" Face Washes

I bet a good chunk of society pays a bunch of money each month or two for face wash. Once I looked at the ingredient list on some of them, I was shocked. Some of them, even those claiming themselves "natural", have plastic bits in them.  Yes plastic. That is essentially made just to wash straight down the drain for little fish to eat.  Next time you buy something with an exfoliant in it, look for something without polyethelyne in it–yup plastic. You can get actually natural exfoliation from scrubs that have salt, sugar, baking soda, seed husks, oatmeal and more–anything with a natural coarseness to it. Even, make your own!  I just use baking soda but if you want something a bit more luxurious, have a peek around the internet for recipes–there's so many, almost for any taste! But essentially, something coarse (like the list I had before), a binder like honey or olive/almond oil, and sometimes some lemon juice or tea. Cheap luxury with ingredients you already have!

First Garden Filled Hearty Salad!

My first pickins!

From left to right top row: bok choy, kale, mustard, chard, radish, arugula.

From left to right bottom row: lovage, chive flowers, arugula flowers.

I made a delicious rice pasta salad after I baked some organic chicken with dijon mustard and fresh cracked black pepper, roasted a red pepper, a yellow pepper, and 2 asian eggplant, and diced them all up. The herbs and greens I cut up nice and fine and yum! Fresh, hearty garden salad!

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

First homegrown ingredient recipe of the year!

This recipe came out of my organic food box containing magoes, which I haven't eaten in YEARS (my ex was deathly allergic), not much in my fridge because I'm going away for the weekend, and an organic chicken breast sitting in my freezer. Also, my garden's first green onions!

Salad
1.5 cups organic quinoa ( cook 15 mins in 3 cups water–bring to boil then simmer until water is gone)

2 ripe organic mangoes, diced
1 sweet red pepper diced
5 large stalks organic green onion, diced

1 roasted chicken breast in bits (My second only chicken that I've ever cooked in my life! I now only buy hormone-free, nitrate-free, free range, organic chicken.  After being a vegetarian for 10 years, my body has begun to crave meat-based protein and I can't deny it that.  I don't eat meat often, and when I do, I make ethical choices.  One day I know I will have to kill an animal in order to justify eating it's flesh and I'm willing to do that to fully understand the meaning of my choices.  But I know that I can't deny my body what it needs. I cooked this defrosted chicken simply on 375 in my toaster oven for 40 mins with some dijon mustard, salt, and pepper put on before putting it in the oven)

Dressing
5 cloves garlic, minced
1inch piece minced fresh ginger
approx 1/2 cup organic sunflower oil
approx 1/8 cup organic apple cider vinegar
approx 1/8 cup organic white miso paste
approx 1/4 cup mango smoothie (apple, banana, mango)

YUM!!

Seed Companies

I just discovered recently that Monsanto keeps trying to patent more of our food! Have a read here:
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/the-four-steps-required-to-keep-monsanto-out-of-your-garden/
and sign the petition here!
http://www.avaaz.org/en/monsanto_vs_mother_earth_loc/?pv=28

In buying my seeds, I will now check in on these forums and make sure I ask to make sure none of the seeds came from Seminis. I lucked out and most of my previous purchases are safe. The rest came from knowledgeable organic farmers so I'm assuming those are safe as well:

Moral of the story, keep your eyes open!  Don't buy those mystery dollar store or Canadian Tire brands without checking where they come from first!

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

First seeds planted outdoors!

Today was an exciting day: the first of my seeds got planted outdoors!
Heirloom Organic Romaine Lettuce
Organic Ruby Red Swiss Chard
Pak Choi
Organic Russian Red Kale
Organic Bloomsdale Spinach
I was going to plant more but ran out of time...  Tomorrow maybe?

Seeing as all my cold hardy veg are nitrogen hungry, I mixed in a bit of extra coffee grounds into the soil before I planted my seeds.

For speed of planting, I used a tool that I don't know the name of that I got from my parents house to make narrow troughs to lay the seeds in.
I spaced the rows according to the directions on the seed packets or information that I found online and recovered with the displaced soil.

After I finished and lightly watered the ground where I planted, I covered the plot with a floating row cover (with rocks on the corners) to keep the soil warm on the still cool nights:

So soothed :)

Plot Planning–Layout

Here's the layout of my plots.
My house:
A small collection of garlic, tomatoes, basil, and giant sunflowers near my front gate.
Potatoes in sacks along my fence with morning glories climbing for some privacy.
A west-facing perennial and herb garden, with a few callaloo near my my stairs and some blue cherry tomatoes to climb by railing near my porch.
A corner full of radishes and peas to be replaced with winter squash.
A slightly shaded (by the giant maple) south facing wall of cool hardy veg.
Wild ginger to be planted under my maple.
A larger south-east plot of climbing beans, peas, cucs and a few okra plants (if they germinate!)

My plot at Scadding Court:
An simple and easy to maintain collection of bush beans, pattypan squash (also bush) and delicious paste tomatoes.  Simple and easy to maintain because it's farther from my house than last year. I may potentially plant some radishes in what will become the shade of the tomatoes if I don't have enough room at my plot (if I decide to plant more peas!)

It's very exciting and kind of terrifying.... Beauty!

Growing from Kitchen Scraps

My beet greens don't seem to be loving this whole re-growing thing....

But the green onions:
Speediest growth yet!

Carrot tops are doing ok too :)

Green Living Show

I had a wonderful time at the Green Living Show today.  A few highlights for me:

The Organic Council of Ontario booth
I ha a lovely chat with the girl there (how could I forget to ask her name!) about great things happening in Toronto and in Guelph, got some info about meat CSA's, some direction on where to look for Ontario-grown bulk grain purchase, and picked up their guide to buying local and organic food, a handy little document.

The Ontario Culinary Adventure Pavillion!
You buy tickets. You pick little sampley sized foods from various regions of Ontario. You feast on a smorgasbord! Such delicious beauty emerging from Ontario!
A millet-crusted whitefish taco from 'Hooked', topped with coleslaw, mayo, and lots of cilantro.
A beautiful celery root and pear soup from 'The Table'
A Chocosol blue corn tortilla (the freshest I've ever tasted–they grind and nixtamalize the corn themselves) with beautiful mole, a lovely red cabbage salad and pea shoots.
'The Grange of Prince Edward County' Gamay Noir–a gorgeous fruity, bold, and slightly spicy red. A perfect way to end off the meal!
YUM!

Greenpeace
I had a lovely chat with Kevin and signed up for their monthly donation program. I know that I am not the kind of person to do the kind of work that they do so I am glad to support them in their endeavours.  For a small amount a month, I help them do the work they do in the best way that I can at the moment, at the amount that I can at the moment.

Ananda Chocolate
I purchased the most decadent sugar free banana sweetened 80% chocolate, as well as a gooseberry 80% dark–both gorgeous!!

Tradeshows are a little overwhelming at times, but this time, for free admission, I got to see a decent overview of what's happening in the "green" world right now, get a delicious local smorgasbord, and chat with some lovely folk. A pretty decent Saturday afternoon...

Soap Nuts

After I finished my last batch of eco-laundry detergent, I was looking through my neighbourhood organic store called Nuthouse and inquired about these. Apparently they were an absolutely natural, biodegradable, petroleum free version of what we have come to consider a cleaning product! Of course there was something before there was laundry detergent.... And it was a fruit!

Soap Nuts/Soap Berries have a lot of saponin on their shells, which lowers the surface tension of water and so allows it to act as a cleaning agent. Or something like that.... 

There's some actual great information here!

http://www.soapnuts.pro/?gclid=CMfKioG9ybYCFeNhMgod4AcAsA

Generally things recommend 4 or 5 nuts per wash but I do a triple loader only once every 3 weeks or so, so I put in 10 nuts per load. They come with a mesh cotton bag that you just throw in the washer with your clothes, and then you hang it out to try for next time! I've heard of varying re-uses from 4 to 10 times. See how stuff feels as you go.  A homemade science experiment! 

Reusable Snack Bags/Storage Containers

I bought a few of these organic cotton bags at the Guelph Organic Conference in January, and had purchased the mesh-like larger produce bags at No Frills (I think) or possibly Metro in the past.

They are super handy for buying bulk nuts/dried fruit/pasta/rice etc. The produce bags are great when I remember to bring them to the store (if I don't have them I just annoy my cashier and have 5 loose apples or the equivalent rolling around). The small cotton one is nice for bringing dry snacks with me as I go around. I've tried using them for apples, raw balls etc but they just tend to squish and guck up the fabric.  I stick to small mason jars or small tupperware for moist goods.

I use the tupperware because I have it, I wouldn't buy new plastic tupperware now. If anything, I'd buy tiffin tins:
http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/India/Central/Madhya_Pradesh/Mandu/photo36124.htm
or glass tupperware:
http://www.pyrexware.com/index.asp?pageId=14&CatID=380&SubCatID=2237&upc=71160065321
But also, saving glass jars as you use them is greatest (and free-est!). Try to buy products in glass jars when you can (pasta sauce, peanut butter, etc) and save your roommates purchases as well! You'll be needing them now, before you start making all your own preserves and don't need to buy any from the store!

Double Digging

There was a lot of hard work to be done at my plot as the majority of the space was covered in grass and the large maple tree on the south end of the yard had its roots reaching far towards the house. What we ended up doing on the south end of the lawn was double digging:

1). We cut off the top layer of sod

2). Dig down about 2 feet

3). Pull out all the tree roots

4). Lay down sod, grass down

5). Add some compost, coffee grinds, and banana peels with the soil we dug up

Hard work but lovely with friends, snacks, and tea. 

My beautiful friends digging away at the sod:

 Erin writing a blessing for the plot:

 Double digging away:

"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.

Homemade Vitamin C–Success!

Today I took my dried orange peels and made them into an edible powder.  They had been hanging for 3 weeks and seem completely dry:

I threw them in my magic bullet and ground them up a bit at a time until there were no large pieces.

I'm storing the grounds in an old empty Vitamin C container as it is a darkened plastic.  Any herbal remedies you make with fresh herbs should be kept in darkened glass so that it doesn't go rancid.  Seeing as I'm feeling a cold coming on, it's perfect timing for me to take some of this!

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!

Garden Preparation: Part 1–Soil Supplements

I moved to this new apartment this past November, a big reason why being the giant south and west facing yard that surrounded the house.  My upstairs neighbour tried planting some things last year, with not much success.  She didn't supplement the soil at all and discovered it must be lacking.  After asking around for natural ideas, I've been collecting things for a few weeks to add to my soil when the time comes for planting.

Eggshells:
I've used these in the past as a slug deterrent and it's pretty great.  Crush them around your plants and it hurts their bellies so they don't come near.  Bonus, they're also a great source of calcium and a little bit of nitrogen, so they're great natural fertilizers as well.

 Used coffee grounds:  
These are a great source of nitrogen (one of the main ingredients you'll find in all commercial fertilizers).  Nitrogen is essential to plant growth, and is difficult to pull out of the air, only done so by nitrogen fixing plants like beans and peas.  So, save up those coffee grounds and save some money on fertilizer!  

Blood Meal:
I had been given some by a colleague 2 years ago and have used a bit of it in the past.  Now I know what its for: Nitrogen!  I'm going to add that to my saved up supply of coffee grounds. I'm a much bigger egg eater than coffee drinker.

I came across this article and congratulated myself for being on the right track:
http://youngurbanfarmers.com/tips/48-more-on-plant-nutrients/
All the knowledge that had been passed down to be from friends and farmers was, in fact, ways of adding macronutrients to my soil. The macronutrients are:

• N, Nitrogen
• P, Phosphate
• K, Potassium
• Mg, Magnesium
• Ca, Calcium
• S, Sulphur

I've got the Nitrogen and Calcium covered, what else did I need?

Wood ash:
I've been hunting around for people with fireplaces...  Tricky in the city, but I'm on the lookout for this natural source of Potassium!

Epsom Salt:
I'm going to wait until I test my soil but Epson Salt (Magnesium Sulphate) is a good source of both Magnesium and Sulphur.

Banana Peels:
I just read about this today and am going to figure out a good way of saving up some banana peels for the spring as a natural source of both Potassium and Phosphorus.  I'll let you know how I decide to do this!

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On an unrelated note, I'm quite proud of the soup I made up today!

2 medium organic onions
5 cloves Ontario garlic
3 organic potatoes
3 organic carrots
2 bunches of kale stems (totally useful after the kale was made into salad a few days ago)
2 small stalks of organic broccoli
organic chicken broth
3 tbsp Thai Kitchen red curry paste
3 tbsp tahini
fresh ground pepper to taste
fresh parsley ripped on top
YUM!!