GrowWhereYouAre

Personal Sustainability Part 1

2012-02-01T17:58:00.000-06:00

'Sustainable' seems to mean different things to different people. The Websters Dictionary defines it as "of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged". So many things in our world are labeled 'sustainable' these days...I think it has become an overused greenwashing adjective.

So what does it really mean? In relation to my life, I like to think of it as an ideal. A sustainable lifestyle leaves a light footprint. So if we take a look at the things we consume, and try to reduce the amounts expended in our own personal pursuit of happiness, then that would be my definition of sustainable, or at least MORE sustainable. Since I've been told life is a journey, not a destination, I'm going to make the assumption that sustainability is a moving target, and try some things on for size.

We use water, electricity, gas, and food, and produce garbage and laundry. I've tried to reduce the laundry - my son thinks that if a piece of cloth has touched his body for a millisecond it can't possibly be worn again until it has been laundered. I find myself secretly refolding his clothes and putting them back in his drawer. He thinks I do an enormous amount of laundry because things reappear quickly for him to wear again. Score one for mom.

Rainwater harvesting is becoming a hot topic, and I found a product the other day that leads me to believe I can try this without spending an enormous amount of money. Some states have actually outlawed rainwater harvesting, legislating ownership of the water falling from the sky and assigning it to the government. The product I found is carried by Don Dubberly of Catch the Rain, and it's simple diverter. We had drainage issues on our property (areas of flooding) and ended up with enclosed gutters leading to French drains and pipes moving water from our property to the creek. Whatever idiot designed the product we have has never heard of mosquitoes. The pipes have box drains inserted at intervals in areas that flooded. Each drain has a recessed area below the pipe that retains about two inches of water, even when the pipes are dry. And we have seven of them in our yard.

The first year we had them the mosquitoes were so thick and constant I rarely went in the back yard. One day I ended up taking a screwdriver, drill and a hammer and decorating the drains with numerous holes to allow the standing water to drain. Problem solved. But back to the diverter. This is a piece of guttering that is inserted into a downspout, and attached to a rainbarrel. It diverts the water into the barrel just until the barrel is full, so that there is no overflow. This would allow me to install it into the system I already have with no disruption, so it's definitely going to happen. Soon.

Another reason to use rainbarrels: I was listening to Randy Johnson of Texas Discovery Gardens last Saturday, talking about compost tea. I've made compost tea before, but not had the best success with it. And now I know why. Apparently using tap water is not a good idea, since the chemicals in our water discourage microbial growth. Rainwater only, Randy says. So I will try it and see if I have better results.

Another tenant on the production side of sustainability is garbage. And Americans produce a lot of it. The EPA says that each American produces four lbs of garbage daily. That seems way too much to me. We recycle quite a bit (Dallas makes it so easy), and use Freecyle for things that are still in working order but that we don't want to have to sell. We also compost - leaves of course, but also our table scraps, using black soldier fly grubs. These grubs are the neatest science experiment you could ever have in your backyard, and they're also a great conversation starter. "Hey, did you know my grubs can completely consume a fish in under 24 hours?" For those who just have to see it to believe it, here you go:

Not that this is a competition to see what cool sciency stuff you can put in your back yard...but it is fun to see things being put to use rather than just going in the trash. More later.

A year of community...

2011-12-20T14:11:00.002-06:00

I always feel a little introspective as the end of the year draws close. It's a time to evaluate all that's happened this year, maybe redirect some activities, and generally focus on my goals and where I want to go. This year, I'm feeling truly grateful for all that's happened this year and for the amazing people I've been blessed to have in my life. Here's a few of the highlights:

Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Conference: We were part of SSAWG's Share the Wealth program in January, flying to Chattanooga, TN with a group of people who, individually, have had a large impact on my thoughts concerning local agriculture.

Slow Money DFW's 20x20 at SMU: What a great line-up of speakers! This event in April left many of us motivated, inspired and ready to change the world. In the process, we were able to see a community begin to develop. Thanks to Robert Olivier of Compostmania for all his hard work in putting it together!

Dallas' first Food Summit: In September, forty-plus individuals got together to take a look at the north Texas food system, and to talk about what we could do to make it better. Farmers, gardeners, university professors, chefs, public and private organizations - many areas of our community were represented. We had some great interaction and it's helping focus our efforts in the New Year.

Barn Aid 3: Eden's Organic Farm put together a fundraiser for Feed Texas First in October. Fabulous food, great people, and some funds raised to help pay for some workshops in the next year. Chefs in Dallas are wonderfully supportive of local agriculture.

MoonRyvr Ranch BBQ and Hay-down: This is an annual event in November that my family always enjoys. This year it was different in that the dairy was hit with a huge hay bill due to the drought. Lack of water = no grass = not good for grass-fed cattle. Lunch, a silent auction, and cow-patty bingo (use your imagination) and the money raised helped feed the animals. Truly a community in action.

Weston A. Price Foundation's Wise Traditions conference in Dallas. Judith McGeary's heartfelt plea for Texas farmers at the Saturday banquet resulted in over $2000 being donated to the Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners' Disaster Relief Fund.

So, I guess as I look back this has been a year of community - a community that I feel so blessed to be a part of! It's also been a kick-start for Feed Texas First, which will transition to a project under the nonprofit Grow North Texas in the New Year. Here's looking forward to a great year for sustainable agriculture in 2012!

Simple Cleaning Products

2011-12-19T12:57:00.001-06:00

When I think about a "sustainable" lifestyle, one of the first things that comes to mind is cleaning products. The companies that make household cleaning products would have you believe you need a special product targeted for each job...window cleaner, floor cleaner, toilet cleaner, tub and tile cleaner - the list goes on and on. Who wants all those bottles under the sink? And what if you accidentally mix them? I have this vision of green chloride gas coming from the drain in my tub that I think came from a cartoon I read years ago, but the real point is that I don't want to use cleaning products that require me to read instructions before use. Or that scare me.

One of products I've become enamored with is baking soda. This stuff really is magic. We've all been brainwashed by those scrubbing bubbles on television to think that we need something "better", (read "more expensive") to clean our homes and do the amazing things that baking soda does. Here are just a few uses I've found:

Toothpaste - make a paste with water and brush gently. Or for the lazy brusher (me), just pour a bit on your brush and wet it).

Deoderant - no chemicals here! Just pat some on your underarms after a shower.

Facial Scrub - the same paste you use on your teeth goes on your face as well.

Toilet Cleaner - the original scrubbing bubbles! Use baking soda and white vinegar, then swish with a brush. Your kids will love to clean the bathroom for you!

Kitchen Scrub - fantastic for getting out tea and coffee stains from your favorite coffee mugs. I have a jar with baking soda and a little lemongrass oil that I use for the sink...makes everything sparkly and it smells wonderful!

Carpet freshener - sprinkle over your carpet and let sit for an hour, then vacuum.

I bought a box in the grocery store for 69 cents today - what have you got to lose? Think of the money you'll save and all the space you'll free up under the sink....

Radishes

2011-12-09T21:02:00.001-06:00

Radishes make me happy. I know, it seems like such a small thing, but like many, it's all wrapped up in my family history.

My mother loved radishes. She grew up spending time on her grandparents' farm in upstate New York, and she loved to slice fresh radishes, salt them, and pop them in her mouth. We kids never understood it. We tried them, of course, but they have a burn to them, and being Canadians, we weren't brought up with jalapenos and other hot peppers in our daily diet.

Now that I'm (somewhat) grown up, I love the idea of radishes. I used to buy them and put them in the crisper, then cut them and try to eat them the way my mother did. I never managed to make it through an entire bunch before they became soft and mushy. Just recently, however, I've become a convert to the true wonder that is the radish.

I received two bunches of gorgeous radishes in my CSA basket. Hmmmm, I said.....what shall we do wih these bundles of loveliness? My farmer, Marie Tedei of Eden's Organic Farm, likes to saute them so I thought I would give it a try. The result? Heaven. I'm in. I've planted them in my garden and my husband is already sick of them. Yay! More for me!

Sauteed Radishes

1 bunch of radishes, with greens
Butter
salt & pepper

Wash radishes and remove greens. Slice the radishes thinly, while heating butter in a skillet. Add the radishes and sautee until tender. While the radishes are cooking, wash and dry the greens, then roll and cut into ribbons. Add them to the sautee pan and cook until wilted (just a few minutes). Salt and pepper to taste, serve hot.

Enjoy!

Cranberries...any way I can get them...

2011-11-30T22:19:00.001-06:00

I love cranberries. Dried cranberries, cranberry juice, cranberry sauce, in salads, on my oatmeal...you get the picture. I'm always looking for new ways to use them, and I found a recipe for Pickled Cranberries the other day that had me dancing. All the way to the store, to buy a few spices. I found it on a blog called Food In Jars, which is all about canning. Marisa McClellan, the canner behind the blog, makes everything look easy, and isn't that what it's all about?

I would never have thought to pickle cranberries, but why not? I have pickled radishes and onions in my fridge, and they are truly awesome. So I tried this today, and Oh. My. The apple cider vinegar and spices somehow make the flavors coalesce in a different way, and it's truly something to wax poetic about. I tried the brine as a shrub in sparkling water, as suggested, and you need to add a fair bit to get the flavor, but it's quite nice. I will definitely be trying it as a salad dressing. All in all, it's a winner!

"Real Food" Deserts?

2011-11-25T23:08:00.001-06:00

I spent the Thanksgiving holiday in south Florida. There are a lot of people living down there, and a lot of grocery stores. However, the stores didn't have much variety. Publix is on every corner, and there is an occasional Winn-Dixie, and a few Whole Foods. There are apparently five Whole Foods stores in the West Palm Beach / Lake Worth area, but they are by no means mainstream. It was challenging to feel cut off from what I call "real food".

I'm sure some of my difficulty stemmed from just not being familiar with the area. I know that Publix has a "green" store they have rolled out, although I've not seen it, but I'm actually thinking that my expectations have changed. I currently buy my raw milk and eggs from a dairy farm, where I also purchase grass fed lamb and pastured poultry. I belong to a CSA that provides me with organically grown produce, and I try to get to the farmers market as often as I need to. Whole Foods is a place to buy milk (when I run out), bread (organic is not easy to find in a conventional grocery store), and fruit. I'm spoiled. I don't have to read the labels anymore, and I find that when I have to use a grocery store, it takes me forever to shop because those pesky labels are crying out to be read. Twenty-five ingredients? Forget it. I no longer trust the food.

That is the crux of it for me. I no longer trust the food. When our government allows undocumented additives in our food, how can I trust it? If I don't know the rancher or farmer, everything is suspect, because many take the easy way out.

The next time I travel, I will be spending more time beforehand researching farms and availability to ensure that I can maintain what I consider to be a healthy diet. Right now, I'm in detox for a week or so.

Grow!

2011-11-17T18:48:00.001-06:00

Wednesday night I attended a free screening of the movie Grow! at the Texas Theater in Oak Cliff. It was sponsored by Slow Money DFW, and afterward there was a small panel of local farmers who answered questions for the audience.

Most of the farmers profiled in the movie were college students or college graduates. Entrepreneurs. One of the things several of them noted as being paramount in their decision to farm was that they didn't work for someone else. They had the ability to make their own decisions and mistakes, and to see the direct fruits of their labor. Making mistakes came up more than once. We used to make mistakes and learn from them, but it doesn't seem to be the case so much anymore. One mistake can derail your career.   And that is what's mulling around in my head.

Our culture has changed from one where young workers were apprenticed to a master in a field; trained and supervised from day one until they were competent in their expertise and decision-making.  Now our workforce embraces a CYA effort where "new meat" can be used to bolster someone else's career.

When I was a captain in the U.S. Army, there was a mass exodus of company grade officers that was so large they conducted a study at the U.S. Army War College to determine the cause. A comment from the study has stayed with me for years (paraphrased) - "My battalion commander would just as soon toss me under a truck if it would benefit his career." Not the best environment for making mistakes and learning from them. Or for creating leaders that can mentor the generation that follows.

The farmers I have met are old-school types. They help each other. They pool resources. They are not reticent about sharing information, because they want other farmers to succeed. All of them need more customers, and those customers need to be the kind who will come out to the farmers' market even when it's raining. As much as they need us, we need them more.  Knowing who grew or raised what ends up on your plate is a lovely thing. It brings the real value of the role of a farmer into focus.

Grow! was uplifting in its message....it gave me hope that the local food movement in north Texas can gain enough traction to expand and provide a sizeable percentage of what our local population consumes. Because it's not just the food we need; we need the people who aren't afraid to make mistakes and learn from them.

The farmer panel at the Texas Theater last night included Kim Martin and Laurie Bostic from Barking Cat Farm, which has acreage in Rockwall and Greenville, Marie Tedei of Eden's Organic Farm in Balch Springs, Wendy Akin from Akin Organic Farm in Terrell, and Matt Hamilton of Genesis Beef and the Local Yocal in McKinney.

Sweet Potatoes

2011-11-02T12:27:00.000-05:00

I am seriously questioning my abilities as a gardener. Now, this has been a year that would make a seasoned farmer question his ability, but I'm definitely having a hard time. My potatoes this year were a disappointment. As a friend of mine would say, "all hat, no cattle". The sweet potatoes, unfortunately, have met the same fate.

I decided that today was the day I should dig them up. It hadn't rained in a few days and the soil wasn't too damp. I pulled the first vine and got....roots. And vine. I pulled the second. I got a sad excuse for something...

I've included the spiderweb just because of
Halloween, and in case you're wondering,
that's a cherry tomato.

This is the sum total of my harvest. At least, from below the ground. I was determined to get something out this, so I got on the web and found an interesting tidbit. Apparently, sweet potato vines and leaves are an Asian and an African green, and The Bitten Word has a good recipe. After reading this blog entry, I decided I would at least sautee some of the greens (there were quite a few).

No potatoes, but lots of leaves.

I started with olive oil, added some onion, and after it had softened, added the sweet potato leaves and some salt and pepper. All told, it took about 5 minutes, and was very tasty. The leaves were a little sweet, not tangy like mustard or turnip greens. Definitely something I could incorporate into my recipes.

So, at least my sweet potato episode hasn't been a complete waste of time. I am wondering about the Smart Pots - I used them for potatoes and sweet potatoes this year, and neither has had a good harvest. I'll have to try them again next year and see if I get a better result. Either way, I've found a new way to eat sweet potatoes.

The final result

Bugs

2011-10-23T21:55:00.000-05:00

It's official. With the change in the the weather the plants are growing again, and so are the bugs. I found the biggest tomato hornworm I've ever seen on one of the plants in my garden. I found it as I checked a tomato and realized the entire back side of the fruit was missing. There he was, waving at me...I dropped him in the compost tumbler with the grubs. Just a little retribution....

Helping

2011-10-19T11:24:00.001-05:00

I went to visit some family in Oklahoma City over the weekend who are very active in their church. They volunteer monthly in the food pantry their church supports, and because I was there I decided to help and see how their small pantry worked.

We arrived a half hour before the doors opened and there was already a line of twenty people. A lady close to the front of the line handed me a bag, telling me a man had dropped it off as a donation and asked her to turn it in.

We headed into the building and I received a tour of the "pantry". It was actually well appointed, with six large freezers and lots of shelving. Initially, it didn't appear to me that there was very much food on the shelves...and some of it was indeed junk food. Individuals requesting help are given "pantry bucks" to spend based on the size of their family and their reported income. Volunteers take the "bucks" and escort each client around the pantry with a cart, showing them what is available and letting them pick the products that fit within their "pantry buck" budget and their eating habits.

There was an enormous amount of meat, which had been donated by Walmart and was all past its sell by date. All of the freezers were full. One held nothing but frozen vegetables - corn, sliced zucchini, carrots and yellow wax beans. In the process of helping the clients, I couldn't help but think about what I would select if I were in their position. What I saw was very interesting.

The hispanic clients were very structured - meat, vegetables, rice, beans, and very little processed food. They looked for cuts of meat we consider less desireable - thighs rather than boneless skinless chicken breasts, and they were also the only group that selected whole chickens and gizzards, which a young boy translating for his mother told me were wonderful in soup. The other ethnic groups were not so focused on nutrition, choosing instead potato chips, soda, ramen and pasta. I realize that food pantries carry whatever is donated to them and rarely have the opportunity to choose the food that lines their shelves, but it bothered me to have the junk food drawing attention away from better choices when these people had so little to start with. I wondered if the individuals really understood the difference good nutrition could make in their health...or even what good nutrition was.

One gentleman told me he had no access to a kitchen or even a freezer, meaning he had to forgo the frozen meat and vegetables and opt instead for canned goods and dry cereal. This was a circumstance I hadn't really thought about before...that even when nutritious food is available and accessible, it's not always feasible for the individual to accept it.

We served 68 clients in two and half hours that evening. The shelves were almost cleaned out of dry goods, and they needed to restock for the following day. I left feeling that I had done some good, but also that it was the tip of the iceberg. But that is another discussion.

Food Policy

2011-10-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

I'm sure that title just makes you want to read this post! That's the problem with food policy...we don't really know what it is or how it affects us. We think the FDA or USDA or some other acronym that we don't feel connected to will take care of it. We don't see a connection we can affect, or even why we should care. How wrong that is...

My friend Marie has a 14-acre urban farm in Balch Springs, where she grows vegetables, raises chickens and holds a bi-weekly farmers market. She doesn't get an agricultural exemption on her property taxes because she's within the city limits. Each dollar she has to pay the city for property taxes adds to the price of her vegetables. This is food policy.

Other friends who live in Carrolton would love to have chickens, not just for the eggs, but for the manure so they could use it on their vegetable gardens. Not in Carrollton unless you live on more than an acre, but it's okay in Dallas, as long as you don't have a rooster. This is food policy.

Because I am concerned about my family's health and the effect of industrial production on our food, I regularly drive an hour north of Dallas to pick up my raw milk from a farm, because Texas doesn't allow it to be sold off the farm. This is food policy.

DISD has been providing breakfast for every student this year, which I thought was paid for by my property taxes. And I guess it is - but Walmart provided funding for the start up costs. Who decides what they get to eat? Did they have to fire teachers to pay for ongoings costs of this program? This is food policy.

When you can't sample the fruit at a Farmer's Market because the city won't allow it, thank your city council and mayor. All of this is food policy. It happens at every level of government, and can be strongly influenced by an active constituency that knows what it wants. If we don't care or don't pay attention, someone is going to tell us what we can eat, how we can eat it, and from whom we can get it. This is the slippery slope, and we are already sliding.

Liquid Sunshine

2011-10-12T20:44:00.000-05:00

Rain. How wonderful to wake up to the sound of raindrops outside my window. And if all we had to do was plan an outdoor event like Barn Aid to bring it on, I say let's have more events!

I'm so glad this has been a soaking rain. The little cloudbursts we've had here and there have simply raised the humidity level and made us feel better, while doing little for our water table and dry, dry soil. A friend on Facebook wrote that he received 1.7" so far today - just a little dose of liquid sunshine for any farmer in the midst of this drought.

Time to put in some rain barrels...

Barn Aid

2011-10-08T16:25:00.000-05:00

We've been getting ready for Barn Aid this week. Cleaning and making Marie's urban farm in Balch Springs ready for a party. In the process of moving and storing frostcloth we even found a black widow spider the size of a marble...Marie with her soft heart lovingly carried it into the woods to protect it from the sole of my boot.

The reason for Barn Aid

I am humbled that she would work as hard as she has to raise funds for my organization, Feed Texas First. Marie shares my passion for creating a secure food supply here in north Texas. That doesn't mean that food is available at the grocery store...it means food is grown here, processed here, and purchased here. That's where the "First" in our name comes from - we want it to be eaten here rather than be shipped all over the country.

My sister Sue and I came up with Feed Texas First in reponse to her experiences starting a U-Pick blackberry farm. She and I both learn with our hands - reading a book is not enough, and since we learn by doing, we felt that there were probably loads of other people who felt the same. Besides, it's difficult to start and complete a new project on your own. Much more fun to do it in a group and spread the labor around. I like to think of it as a barn raising. The Amish have the right idea.

Part of our plan for this organization was networking. People know so many things (that you don't know they know) and when you get a number of them together, they seem to answer each other's questions. "I've done that - it's easy! You just...." You can fill in the blanks. We are creating a network of people in north Texas that are ready to help with the next project...and learn in the process. Thank you Marie - for helping make this possible!

Lacto-fermented Ginger Carrots

2011-09-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

I've been canning this year. It's a fairly new thing for me, but I've found some recipes I love and really don't think I could live without. Blueberry Jam, Sweet Pickle Relish and Pickled Radishes & Onions (I know - sounds a little odd, but trust me - it's like crack) are my favorites right now. My husband made a point of telling me we were out of the relish on Monday. I think he wants more too.

I was looking for a carrot recipe today and had a light bulb go off in my head. I have a great cookbook called Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon that covers traditional food preparation. Lacto-fermentation is a method of preserving vegetables and fruits that doesn't require a hot water bath. It's like making creme fraiche - you leave it on the counter or in a cupboard for a few days and presto - something great!

This is something that is truly sustainable, and I had to try it. It seems a little scary - leaving fresh food out on the counter for a few days and then eating it is pretty out there for me. Because of this, I've been dancing around it for a while. I have several books on the subject, and I keep pulling them out, then putting them away again. I am the Queen of Procrastination, after all.

This one recipe struck me as very simple, so I went for it. It doesn't require any special equipment, although I did sterilize the jar I used since it had been sitting in my cupboard for a while. Lacto-fermented vegetables are supposed to be very healthy, since they contain the lacto-bacillus bacteria (just like in yogurt) and can help repopulate your gut with this good bacteria.

According to Fallon,

...lactobacilli are ubiquitous, present on the surface of all living things and

especially numerous on leaves and roots of plants growing in or near the ground....

The proliferation of lactobacilli in fermented vegetables enhances their digestibility

and increases vitamin levels. These beneficial organisms produce numerous helpful

enzymes as well as antibiotic and anticarcinogenic substances.

I'm all for that! So - I'm supposed to leave these carrots on the counter for three days at room temperature, then I can put them in the fridge or a cool dark place. The book I'm using says the flavor will improve with time, so it only gets better, right?

Here's the recipe:

Ginger Carrots (makes 1 quart)

4 cups grated carrots, tightly packed
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 tbsp sea salt
4 tbsp whey (if not available, use an additional tbsp sea salt)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and pound with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer to release the juices. Place in a quart-sized wide-mouth mason jar and press down firmly with a pounder or a meat hammer until juices cover the carrots, The top of the carrots should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and leave at room temperature about three days before transferring to cold storage.

My carrots were apparently not as tightly packed as I thought they were, because my final result is several inches below the top of the jar. It's really amazing how the juices emerge...it looks like tomato sauce. I'll update in a few days.

Driving...

2011-09-25T20:21:00.002-05:00

Today I drove north to pick up my raw milk from a local farm. The farm is about an hour's drive from my home, but this is something my family is committed to because of the health benefits that stem from drinking raw milk. We try to purchase as little processed food as possible, but sometimes it's more difficult than others. And when we run out of milk, well...sometimes we just wait until we can get to the farm.

Note the cream line...

The first thing I did when I got home was shake up that jug (it's not homogenized, so the cream floats to the top) and pour myself a big glass. The taste is fabulous, and I'm reminded why I've added this three-hour task to my to-do list.

Hopefully, Texas will loosen the restrictions on this wonderful food and make it more readily available. The downside of this is that if you buy it from a grocery store you never meet the farmer. Either way, I'm very glad I've found a farmer I can trust.

So much to do, so little time...

2011-09-22T22:47:00.000-05:00

There are so many organizations in north Texas that revolve around growing and gardening that I am frustrated. I want to do it all! In case you haven't noticed, this area is experiencing a mini-boom in small businesses related to local food. Now we just need the farmers to support them with produce!

If you are interested in learning to grow vegetables in your backyard, the Citizen Gardener program is a great option. During one weekend, two mornings, we built and planted a raised 4'x4' bed, built and planted a double raised 4'x4' bed in the lasagna method (pictured), built and filled a compost pile to the point that the next morning it was over 140F, and discussed rainwater harvesting. Not to mention the networking that went on while we were working. The class was only $30 and is well worth the money.

The DFW Truck Farm is a farm planted in the bed of a pickup truck. Donelle and Marilyn Simmons of Garden Inspirations in Waxahachie use it as a teaching tool and visit schools and groups that are interested in learning more about agriculture. Because it's such small scale, the kids can really wrap their heads around it. Marilyn and Donelle also offer a vegetable growing seminar that consists of four classes with lots of hands in the dirt training.

Feed Texas First is a grass roots organization that is concerned with food security in north Texas. As Marie Tedei of Eden's Organic Farm said: We. Need. More. Farmers. And that's what we are trying to do, using on-farm workshops, networking and mentoring opportunities to bring people interested in farming together to learn a specific skill and help a farmer complete a project. This year, Feed Texas First will be the beneficiary of Barn Aid 3.

NorthTexasVegetableGardeners.com is the brainchild of Brian Gallimore, who also manages the Citizen Gardener program in the metroplex. It's a place to meet with others online and learn through articles, interaction and events all over the area.

The Dallas Sustainable Living and Organic Gardening Meetup group has almost 600 members and conducts and promotes events all over the region. They cover everything that falls under the name "sustainable", and if you don't see what you're looking for, you can suggest it and you might just find some like-minded people.

Slow Money now has a chapter in DFW, and is looking for individuals who would be interested in being on the leadership team. This organization will be offering micro-loans to small farmers in our area. There will be a fundraiser for them at Elevation Burger (Hillcrest and Northwest Hwy) on October 24th.

Take a look at the Food Day Dallas Facebook page. There will be numerous events all over the area, and more are being posted every day. Food Day is October 24th and is being sponsored by Slow Food.

The Gleaning Network of Texas is headquartered in Dallas, and serves our community through coordination with local farmers and produce houses to acquire and distribute excess produce to needy families. They are always looking for volunteers to help glean - the Sweet Potato Roundup is coming up soon!

This list contains just a few of the groups currently active in north Texas. Please contact any of them and they will be happy to plug you into a project or group that is making a difference in our area. You never know - you might just be our next new farmer!

Poisoned Poop

2011-09-22T16:49:00.002-05:00

I went to purchase some soil today to finish filling my new raised bed so that I could plant. The soil retailer I visited didn't have topsoil, and tried to sell me on their mix of topsoil and compost. They almost had me, until I asked it there was manure in the compost. Yes, they replied, and it was horse manure. So much for that.

Some history: There is an herbicide named picloram, which was mixed with 2,4-D and was used during the Vietnam war on foliage that Agent Orange didn't kill. The mixture was informally called Agent White. This herbicide is still produced by Dow Chemical, but it usually doesn't kill grasses. Because of this, it's used to spray hay fields to keep the weeds down. But, you say, cows and horses eat hay. Yes - they do. And their manure is composted and sold in bags at every garden outlet or hardware store in town. And yes, it's a persistent chemical, which means traversing the gut of an animal and then being composted do not break down this chemical.

More history: I worked in a school garden a few years ago, and used manure as an amendment one time. The beds produced little to nothing for two years. I won't take the chance again unless I know exactly where the manure came from and what the horse or cow was fed.

That said, there are sources for good manure - any organic farm with horses or cows, or a grass fed beef operation, will have usable manure, so there are work-arounds. The bigger picture here is what really bothers me - what does it say about a food system (and that's what we're talking about) where even the poop we use to fertilize our crops is poisoned?

Tell the Truth

2011-09-12T16:42:00.000-05:00

This week I am spending several days in San Antonio,attending a conference with a number of people for whom I have greatrespect. This conference deals with thelegislative impact of government on small farms and local food systems, and howto be a positive advocate for change.

According to Dr. John Ikerd, the only real food securityconsists of the productivity of our farmland and the commitment of our farmers. His comments were eye-opening to me.

Having the government tell us that as a nation we produceenough food doesn’t mean that food will end up on our plate at the end of theday. The main thrust of his discussion,which included a history of the leveraging of power by the meat packingindustry in dealing with small farmers, was that as local – no, REAL – foodadvocates, we need to TELL THE TRUTH.

Tell the truth to taxpayers and consumers, so they know howcorporate interests are shaping food policy in this country. Tell the truth about the safety of food fromall over the country that passes through one of only four processing plantsbefore it reaches your grocery store. Tell truth about the dangers of a centralized food supply – and how adecentralized supply where small family farms are the lynchpin can have apowerful economic impact on our small towns and rural counties, as well asprovide us with safe, available food.

I am resolving to tell the truth.

Potatoes, revisited

2011-08-30T14:38:00.008-05:00

I'm feeling the pain of my farmer friends. The heat and drought have taken such a toll in north Texas, and things aren't growing the way they should. Not just growing - in some cases, they aren't even germinating, and hardening off?? Good luck with that.

I planted potatoes a few months ago - something new for me, and because I had never done it before, I was very diligent in caring for them. I fed them, watered them, and generally babied them, and here is what I harvested ----->>>>

Yes - that's right, I harvested less than I actually planted. I won't lie, I find this disheartening. Where's the satisfaction in this?? I just had a 15 gallon bucket, and I'm upset with the weather. Some of my friends have plowed under their fields because there was nothing to harvest. My friend Marie has replanted the same crops several times this year and still had little to no harvest. It's even hard to get farm eggs right now...the hens are just too hot and aren't laying. But farmers are very special people. Hopeful people.

Some friends outside Austin raise chickens on their small farm, and their pond has been hit badly by the drought. Jules writes:

This pond was over 15' deep and once covered the entire space up to not the first row of vegetation but the second almost to the top. The herons are feasting on the fish that are left in that small amount of water at the bottom... and when those fish are gone, I don't know where our resident great blue and green herons and egrets will go, but leave they will when the food is gone.

What sorrow and trials this is! For us, for the wildlife too... we have a well that

we can use to refill it but must repair the pipes that run down-pasture and then be able to afford the electricity to run it long enough to pump many thousands of gallons. Sooo, nature will take it's course without our intervention at this point.

We haven't seen the full effect of this drought yet. But think about your local farmer when you are in the grocery store or farmers' market and see a sign that says "LOCALLY GROWN". When you look at the price, and think, "wow - I can get it much cheaper than that...." The price is a reflection of how difficult the harvest has been, and if we don't help our local farmers out now, they won't be here when we really need them.

Hot

2011-08-02T09:19:00.000-05:00

There's really nothing else to say. I'm having a hard time even going near my garden right now...when it's in the 80's at 6am and over 100 at 10pm, it's just not fun anymore. My tomatoes are burnt and I'm trying to keep them alive until the fall so they can produce again. Strangely enough, my Swiss Chard is STILL fabulous. It's as if it's on steroids....

School Based Gardening Workshop - K-8

2011-08-02T09:15:00.000-05:00

There is a local (to Dallas) workshop coming up in September that has the potential to have a great impact on our local schools. It's being put on by a group called the School and Community Based Gardening Coalition, which is focused on ensuring that school gardens are used, and that teachers have curriculum ideas at their fingertips that allow them to incorporate the garden into the various subjects they teach.

Brian Gallimore of NorthTexasVegetableGardeners.com has put together a great synopsis, so I've included it here. This workshop is a great opportunity to get some solid resources and contacts for your school garden.

Friends and Pickle Relish

2011-07-19T17:13:00.000-05:00

I've spent the past two days with my friends Marilyn and Donnelle Simmons of Garden Inspirations in Waxahachie. We have had such fun! They decided to have a canning class since they've had a lot of interest, and Marilyn has been canning for years. In fact, she's had to unlearn some of her apparently bad habits since the canning rules have changed since she was a child. It was so nice to work with someone who is very comfortable with the processes - she knows how to step back and regroup when the wrong recipe is used and things need to be reworked. It really takes the anxiety out of it and makes it fun. We made three kinds of jam (blueberry, blackberry and peach), a pickle relish (that is truly a form of crack) and green beans. I had never made jam before so I feel like I've learned a new skill.

The most enjoyable part of all this was having all the other people there. They are starting a canning club that will meet once or twice a month to put up whatever is in season - what a fantastic idea!

My concern the past few years has been the lack of food actually grown in north Texas, but there is another component to this....how much do we waste because we don't know what to do with it and it goes bad?

We (I included) have become separated from our food supply to the extent that we need someone to tell us that it's safe. Everyone I've talked to, unless they grew up preserving their own food, seems to feel the same way. It's a scary thing to be responsible not just for putting a meal on the table, but for the actual safety of the food we're eating. I have a friend whose father wouldn't eat the eggs from her chickens. He would buy eggs at the store because the farm eggs were just too....farmy. I certainly feel blessed to have friends who think nothing of putting up a couple quarts of tomatoes. I'm learning so much from them. And I'm really going to enjoy this relish...

Sweet Pickle Relish

from The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest by Carol W. Costenbader

Use a boiling water bath canner; yields 9 pint jars

3 quarts cucumbers, chopped

3 cups green bell peppers, seeded & chopped

3 cups red bell peppers, seeded & chopped

1 cup onions, chopped

8 cups water

4 cups ice cubes

3/4 cup salt

4 tsp ground turmeric

4 tsp whole allspice

4 tsp yellow mustard seeds

1 tbsp whole cloves

6 cups distilled white vinegar

2 cups sugar

Combine the vegetables, water ice and salt in a 12 qt saucepan. Let stand for 4 hours. Drain and recover with fresh ice and water for an additional hour. Drain thoroughly.

Combine the spices in a cheesecloth bag. Place the spice bag, vinegar and sugar in a stainless steel 4 qt saucepan and heat to boiling. Pour the vinegar syrup over the vegetables and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Heat the mixture to boiling and ladle into sterile jars, leaving 1/2" headspace. Cap and seal.

Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath canner. Adjust for altitude if necessary.

Natural Pest Deterrents

2011-06-30T22:22:00.001-05:00

When you grow things, bugs come. It’s like a welcome mat for insects…all that lovely green foliage just waiting for them to suck the life out of it. We don’t like bugs that mess with our food, but everything we put on our vegetable plants ends up in our bodies. Hmmmm….what if the food itself could help??

I’ve been experimenting with some homemade garlic pepper tea. Very simple to make, and it seems to be giving me the result I was looking for. Just be careful – stand upwind when you spray, or your friends will avoid you!

Garlic Pepper Tea

Take a couple garlic cloves, and pop them whole into a gallon jug. An old milk jug with a cap works great. Slice up some fresh hot peppers and add them too. Fill the jug with water, cover, and let it sit for 24 hours. Then you can pour it into a spray bottle and spray the foliage on your plants.

I’ve been using this for the past few weeks and it’s gotten rid of cabbage worms on my Brussels sprouts, cucumber beetles on my beans and potatoes, and a few others that I don’t know the names of. The smell is pretty awful – it smells like rotting garlic – but that part goes away quickly and the garden itself smells fine after an hour or so. Side benefit – I feel very powerful. J

Potatoes

2011-06-06T08:08:00.000-05:00

I've discovered a product that seems promising. It's called a Smart Pot (http://www.smartpots.com/) and it is essentially a nylon fabric pot that is filled with soil and plants. The fabric construction adds some benefits over a plastic bucket - plants tend to "air-prune", or move away from the edges of the pot as they come into contact with air moving through the porous sides. This stops the practice of girdling roots that circle the pot, and the roots become fibrous and larger, taking in more nutrients and producing healthier plants.

I decided to try these this year, and purchased two 15 gallon Smart Pots to use for potatoes. My soil is clay and since potatoes like depth, it's much easier to do in a pot. I started with a few seed potatoes from a local farmer, Marie Tedei of Eden's Organic Farm in Balch Springs, but you can always use organic potatoes that you get from the grocery store. Only use organic - the others are sprayed with chemicals to prevent the potatoes from molding and sprouting.

I let the potatoes harden a bit; in fact they were shriveled and ugly when I planted them. I cut the potatoes into sections, each with an eye or sprout, dusted them with sulfur, and arranged them in a few inches of soil in the bottom of the pot. I added 3-4" of soil on top, and watered them well.

Poof! If the foliage is any indication, I'll have some great potatoes this year. The plants were up in a few days, and are currently about 30" high. They are starting to flower, so I'm watching to see when I need to harvest, and I've been adding soil to the pot and rolling up the sides as the plants have gotten larger. I'll let you know what the final result is!

Urban Agriculture

2011-06-03T13:57:00.000-05:00

Urban agriculture is an idea whose time has come. It's actually past time for us to grow our food where we live. For years we've laughed at those "old-fashioned" folks who had a vegetable garden in their backyard, preferring to purchase our tasteless tomatoes at the local grocery store, where we are at the mercy of the industrial agriculture machine. Oh, we've complained, (to our friends), and griped about the quality of the produce available, and the fact that it all comes from Mexico or California, but have we really done anything to make it better??

Have we written the FDA to stop the planting of GM alfalfa? Have we registered our discontent about the use of methyl iodide on strawberries? Have we planted a GM free butterfly garden to ensure that bees and butterflies have a safe haven?

I think it's time to put up or shut up. And that's what we'll be talking about here - ways that you can be more self sufficient and in control of your family's food supply. We'll be looking at small-scale methods for growing food, so don't be overwhelmed! As we start small, it will snowball, and before you know it, you'll be glad you no longer have to mow your yard (because it's covered in bush beans), and that you can get your fresh herbs from the balcony outside your apartment. This is a journey of self discovery. Let's see where it takes us...