Recently in Food and Farmers Category
m o r e (ocean action)
The End of the Line is now out on DVD and I watched it over the weekend.
While I'd already heard that current fish stocks would be in true collapse, over the brink of ever coming back by about 2050, seeing the film with all the details of how and why that's playing out is well worth it. I feel like I always say this about documentaries I recommend, but I'll say it again: see this film!
There is one main point: there will be no more fish in the sea if we keep overfishing the way we do. The ocean is not inexhaustible (even though it's vast--so are the glaciers and so is the atmosphere, both of which can be depleted and polluted).
The depths behind that point:
*In 2002, scientists figured out fish stocks had been decreasing since the 80s, but through misreporting, they'd missed it despite local lore everywhere of diminishing supplies.
*Bluefin tuna has declined by 80%.
*Long lines used in commercial fishing could cirlce the globe 550 times.
*Trawling nets could fit 13 747 airplaines inside them and the bycatch brought up on deck, and then discarded, dead, like sponges, coral, sharks, and fish, according to one man interviewed, "would make an angel weep."
(I was first introduced to these techniques in Sharkwater.)
Commercial fishing, which we've been doing since the 50s (the same time all that plastic and chemical agriculture went big), is out of control. We're catching too many fish. And sometimes choking out local fishermen in areas where fish is crucial to the diet and livelihood.
The problem is a combination of the fishing industry's overzealousness for profit, poor regulation (which is often ignored anyway), a lack of consumer information--the usual big business as usual. And fish farming isn't the answer either. It has its own pollution issues and since they feed small fish to the farmed ones being raised, it's a net loss of fish stocks anyway.
Get more information on the science here.
The answer? Charles Clover, who wrote the book before the film says, "It's doing something about it time."
1.) Only buy, order, and eat sustainably caught fish and fish not endangered. That means no more bluefin tuna on one's sushi plate!
2.) Tell politicians you support fishing regulation.
3.) Support the creation of more marine protected areas. Less than 1% of our oceans, which cover 70% of the globe, are currently off limits to fishing. It's not enough.
There is the question of the people who make their living by fishing, which is hugely important. But we'll have more fishermen (and women) in years to come if there are limits set now. Otherwise, they'll all be out of work pretty abruptly.
As you probably know, the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program is the best source for what and what not to eat when shopping a grocery store or sitting down to order. Seriously, you can print out a PDF or get the app for your iphone or memorize your favorite fish that are on the good list. I've only been eating sardines for some time now and loving them!
There's a guide for sushi too.
"'Best Choices' are abundant, well managed and fished or farmed in environmentally friendly ways.'Seafood to 'Avoid' are overfished and/or fished or farmed in ways that harm other marine life or the environment."
Here's the list for all regions, but you can get more specific too.
You can also look for the Marine Stewardship Council seal.
And at fish2fork, you'll find a restaurant rating system so you can support restaurants serving only sustainable fish (and/or speak out to those that aren't). I only found three in the database in Los Angeles (one with a horrid score, one with pretty good), but you can also "rat on a restaurant" or give a "chef a pat on the back" too by reviewing a restaurant.
Here's to getting more fish in the sea for generations to come.
Photo credits: End of the Line & Wild Ocean Blue
m o r e (opting for organic across the board)
Organic can get a bad rep for being pricey, but I've found that shopping for produce at the farmers' market is pretty darn reasonable (though it's been so long since I got veggies at the grocery store, living in Southern California where so much is always in season), that I can't even remember. But I get a head of bunch of bok choy or carrots for a buck or buck fifty. And even if I were to pay more than for conventional counterparts, I'm totally willing to invest in sustainable agriculture and small farmers if it means a few more dollars in the bank not going toward mass production, monocrops, soil degradation, and poor environmental and human health. Oh, and a summer peach from a stall that was picked that day or the day before and not treated with chemicals tastes so much better! (And there's looking for packaged products that have the certified organic seal--there's wheat and pasta and oats that are grown organically too.)
So, here are two campaigns afoot in the rally for organics:
Rodale Institute's Demand Organic. Its research shows that organic passes the muster in terms of performance and its ability to feed the world while doing it good. Here's all the dirt on why organic farming is important.
Organic Consumers Association. This is the place to take action for organics. And, specifically, its Coming Clean Organic Body Care Campaign is all about making what we put on our bodies clean, safe and good for us and all around. After all, what we slather on gets absorbed by our skin and all those petroleum-based and scary chems can't be good for Mother Nature either.
It asks that you boycott brands that don't have the official organic seal because the seal is really the only way to ensure a company is the real deal in terms of its ingredients. I think that's a good idea, to support the brands that are taking their committment to the official level, however, I know of some startups too that can't afford the certification...yet. (Same as at the farmers' market, some stalls may not be certified, but if you talk to the sellers, they'll assure you they're truly spray-free.) But since the FDA doesn't regulate what goes into the bottles and tubes in our medicine cabinet, I can see why the organic label is an important signifier.
I was surprised to see some really well-known brands on the boycott list like Avalon Organics and Nature's Gate--and looking at those links to the Skin Deep Database dish on their products, I can see why they don't make the cut. (It's also interesting that a quick google search of organic personal care brings up others on OCA's no-no list.)
According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, there are over 10,000 chemicals in personal care products today. Here are the real baddies to look out for. And I really like the Environmental Working Group's PDF shopping guide for what to avoid when you're in the personal care aisle.
As for me, I get all my produce from the farmers' market except on some rare occasions. Most of it is organic and when it's not, I figure I'm opting for local, which is a good thing too.
In the personal care department, most of what I use is organic or at least has organic and natural ingredients. If it's more expensive, at least I figure I'm putting my money where my mouth is and doing right by me and the planet at the same time. I also figure it makes me more creative about making it last and using one product for more applications.
My staples:
*Organic jojoba oil bought in bulk from Mountain Rose Herbs. I use it for baths, for moisturizing, for body rubs and on the occasions I wear mascara, as a makeup remover. (I love the green clay mask in bulk there as well.)
*Aubrey Organics. While not certified organic, some of the stuff inside this line I love is organic and the rest are "natural." At least it gets a low score from Skin Deep.
*When I can afford it, I love to treat myself to Terresentials fragrance-free lotion, which is certified organic. As is my more budget choice, Dr. Bronner's, which also gets the seal.
*Anything from Badger Balm is usda organic, including my favorites: sleep balm, foot balm, and lip balm.
*I like Alaffia's shea butter soaps and plain old shea butter because it takes care to be Fair Trade but am intrigued and excited about Purely Shea, which is on the OCA's list to support. I use shea butter for really dry skin and for my hair.
*For shampoo and conditioner, I use lavera, and for deodorant, it's Terra Naturals.
And, you've gotta have a Preserve toothbrush that is closed loop recycled and recyclable.
Inspiration Elsewhere:
Angela at My Year Without Spending is taking on her medicine cabinet and beginning the journey of going organic.
And Abby at New Urban Habitat has fabulous ideas for simplifying your personal care routine by discovering DIY.
m o r e (burning cookware questions answered)
Unfortunately, I've been using nonstick muffin pans since I got married, seven and some years ago, back when I wasn't yet privy to the noxiousness of nonstick.
(Nonstick surfaces coated with Teflon are pretty dangerous when exposed to high heat--the fumes can even kill pet birds! Read more on toxic nonstick here).
While I've shunned nonstick cooking pans for a long time (see my efficient, healthy cookware here), it just didn't click with the muffin tins that I bake with almost once a week. Until recently when I decided it was high time. (Here are some suggestions on how to reuse discarded nonstick pans if you do the same.)
So I thought about it and did some research. I came up with wanting a solid stainless steel pan, but after searching local independent stores, then chains like Sur La Table, then online, all I could find was an aluminum version with a stainless steel coating. Was this safe? Was the coating enough?
I decided this was a good time to give GreenAnswers.com a try. There, you ask the community a question and you get answers. And you can give them too.
I got this answer which states I'm probably safe with the coating but encouraged to get cast iron. A good, thorough answer to my question. I was pleased.
My only problem is that while I love my cast iron skillet, for muffins, Lodge only carries ones that hold six and it is pretty darned heavy to boot. I think I'm going to stick with the stainless steel coating, but I'm not totally thrilled with the compromise.
Do you have any suggestions/muffin pan secrets to share?
Or questions to submit at GreenAnswers?
Finally, here's Eartheasy's roundup on healthy cookware.
Photo credit: dothezonk
m o r e (seeds that matter)
Spring is just about here. Where I live, I can tell by the smell of jasmine and sound of birds and by the plum blossoms on the tree outside my apartment.
And spring means planting. So if you're getting your hands dirty in a victory, recession, kitchen, or container garden, you're going to need some seeds.
Here are three purveyors of sustainable varieties:
*Seeds of Change has over a thousand certified organic seeds. It has a research farm where it grows and studies and collects seeds, with this goal:
"to produce the finest open-pollinated varieties to share with our fellow gardeners and farmers."
*Seed Savers Exchange has been saving heirloom seeds for over 30 years. It's a non-profit working to preserve seeds and pass them down from generation to generation so we don't lose the foods our great, great, great grandparents ate all over the world and brought here. 25,000 of them, in fact.
*Slow Food's Ark of Taste is a catalog of 200 of the most delicious foods that face extinction.
Why does this matter?
Biodiversity is a big deal. According to Sustainable Table:
"About 7,000 different species of plants have been raised as food crops in the history of human agriculture. Yet in part because of modern tendencies towards mass production, only fifteen plant and eight animal species are now relied upon for about 90% of all human food."
If we're relying on monocultures of only a few crops for our food supply, that makes it susceptible to pests and diseases. Plus, we could lose all that diversity, all that goodness, all those interesting menu choices.
Here's a brief list of what to plant in early spring and after the last chance of frost. And a guide for what to plant now, whenever now is. (Both from Mother Earth News.)
What are you planting this spring? And where do you get your seeds?
Photo credit: organicgardeningassociation
m o r e (hands on the farm)
Crop Mob.
It's Guerilla Gardening meets WWOOFing.
It's a bunch of people deemed by the NY Times as "landless farmers and the agricurious" who mob a farm on a given day. In a good way.
It's pretty awesome.
The self-description:
"a group of young, landless, and wannabe farmers who come together to build and empower communities by working side by side. Crop mob is also a group of experienced farmers and gardeners willing to share their knowledge with their peers and the next generation of agrarians."
As suspected, we need farmers and farmers need us. A crop mob puts them together to learn about local, sustainable food and the community that can make it happen.
The e-mail list in North Carolina has 400 subscribers and the 15 sustainble working farms involed have seen 40-50 volunteers per mobbing (NY Times). A huge help for the harvest (and mulching and planting and pruning and pig penning, etc., etc.).
The original Crop Mob encourages that anyone can start a mob. And this map shows that there are some already sprouting from coast to coast.
Photo credits: Trace Ramsey
m o r e (worms not waste)
The beginnng of a year brings a lot of talk about weight loss and as spring emerges, talk of the same in the context of bathing suits. But might this year be different? Knowing that one in eight Americans is food insecure makes me think more about the weight and mass of food waste than my own waistline.
There are some great resources on how to make your food last, like Love Food Hate Waste and Food Waste Fridays at The Frugal Girl--and following her lead, many other frugal-minded blogs.
And while not every kind of food scrap can go in the mix, composting is the best way to clean up one's food waste stream and get something fabulous in return (aside from feeling good about not wasting): compost! Pretty much the best fertlizer on the planet. And for free, after set up costs.
For those with backyard space, there's the compost pile or the compost bin. But for those of us in small spaces (and with little patience), there's vermicomposting. That's the kind where worms eat your garbage and, in just a few weeks, churn out castings (compost) and worm tea (fertilizer). And the bin might even fit under your kicthen sink--but I've got mine outside.
Worm bins like the one I have from Wriggly Ranch are inexpensive, made from recycled plastic, and easy to set up and use. And since worms eat their body weight everyday, they know just what to do with your carrot tops, stems, apple cores, eggshells, coffee grinds, leftover pasta and bread, paper, leaves, and grass clippings. Your plants, be they house or garden veggies, will thank you.
I used to have mine set up, but didn't have a shady enough spot for the critters to thrive. Now, with a new apartment, I've got a sun-shieled patio that's the perfect spot for my hundreds of tiny wiggling pets to do their thing.
Check out my 25th lim(b) project--vermicomposting--for all the details of how I set up my bin, and how you can set up yours.
For even more:
Do you compost?
m o r e (food and fowl, not lawns)
A couple of years ago I wrote a brief post on Novella Carpenter, but I kind of can't believe I haven't mentioned her since. Well, now that I've read her book, Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer, here goes.
Carpenter has a family history of back to the landing, raising rabbits for food, for example. Her parents did it when she was a kid. But as an adult, she moves to Oakland, to a pretty rough and tumble neighborhood called Ghost Town, and does many a similar thing only this time, it's the 21st century and not back to the land but right in the city. Farming there with the freeway, the liquor stores, the people living in cars, and the shootings.
She, with some help from her boyfriend, plants a garden on an abandoned lot next to her duplex, then acquires turkeys, chickens, rabbits, bees, and finally, pigs. She's a farmer, a grower, a beekeeper, a person who raises and harvests her own meat, hanging it sometimes in her bathroom to rest.
The concept and the writing inspire. Between the antics of the animals and the neighborhood and Carpenter herself (like dumpster diving three nights a week just to keep the pigs happy), it's hard to put down. And any foodie (who's not a vegetarian) will appreciate the connection between barnyard animals and what ends up in the kitchen and on the table.
There's also some fascinating history about Black Panthers in Oakland and urban farms all over the place, like the stat that "Shanghai raises 85 percent of its vegetables within city limits." They do it in Cuba and Tanzania too.
Even without an interest in transforming the agricultural system to be closer to home or self-sufficiency, Carpenter's combination of edge and sincerity are worth the ride.
You can always keep up on her blog, too: Ghost Town Farm.
m o r e (healthy eats, simplified)
I don't do recipes. I never have. In fact, I once schemed a no recipes cookbook but it never got off the burner.
Mostly I don't use them because I have a very plain palate and because I like to just throw things together. (Of course, I do get out the instructions for baked goods.)
This is easy when all my 99% of my produce comes from the farmers' market and I get grains from the bulk bin. I sort of always have whole foodstuffs on hand and veggies go nicely with anything. My protein--I do eat poultry and fish--comes from Whole Foods at this point because I can purchase it from a farm pretty closeby that doesn't use antibiotics or hormones and treats the birds better. Ideally, I want to venture to the larger Hollywood Farmers' Market for chicken raised by people I can meet in person sometime soon.There's been little motivation though as my husband currently walks to ours every Saturday.
For fish, I get sardines that are on the green light list when considering health and overfishing and mercury. So, this winter, I'm just steaming or stewing up what I've got and am usually ending up with a soup. Like the one pictured: a miso base with chard, shitake mushrooms, millet, and kabocha squash, which I can't find at my f.m. and consider a splurge. (Here's one way to cook it--I just cut in half and put said half face down in some boiling water; it cooks pretty fast and is done when soft and crumbly--yum!.)
There are a few details and photos of my simple, daily creations at my Flickr set called simple cooking if you want to see what's in my bowl some days of the week this winter.
I've got the rundown of my healthy, efficient cookware as well.
And you can browse all my lim(b) projects here.
m o r e (perpendicular problem-solving)
"Researchers have argued that to grow some of his own food is the most effective action an individual can take for environment, not only because of the food industry's heavy carbon footprint but also because participating in agricultural production cultivates a valuable skill set around [a] sustainability issue"
So says Windowfarms. The people behind the curtains there encourage urban-dwellers to string up some recycled materials like empty plastic bottles and create a hanging, hydroponic (that's watetr, no soil) garden. The first windowfarm produced a salad a week in the middle of winter in NYC. And I suppose the bigger your window, the bigger the harvest. What a way to get fresh food to the city! Just hang it in your window.
The beauty of Windowfarms is that they get space-starved citydwellers connected to food using materials that already exist and are recycled or are easy to come by. It's kind of a DIY-er's dream. And perfect for people in whose climates the farmers' markets take hiatus during the cold months.
Check out photos of farmy incarnations so far. And check out how to make it happen.
m o r e (mindful money)
I've written here about slow fashion, slow food, and slow communities, so why not slow money?
Our financial system has already shrunk down with the recent economic meltdown, (something I'm not qualified to comment on). However, as we look to rebuilding, might things be different?
According to the NY Times, Americans are buying less and doing more in this recession. In fact, I think with signs like many more people planting so-called "recession gardens," buying local, learning to knit, looking for life/work balance, and desiring sustainble products, it's possible that our values are shifting.
Woody Tasch of the Slow Money Alliance has as new set of money values for us to consider. Instead of building on growth at all costs and mega returns, he wants to refocus our financial system on something that matters, and that takes a while to see bear fruit: local food.
What if we invested in something worthwhile within 50 miles of where we live?
He's proposing that we "invest with more realistic return expectations" and subscribe to principles that:
"enhance food security, food safety and food access; improve nutrition and health; promote cultural, ecological and economic diversity; and accelerate the transition from an economy based on extraction and consumption to an economy based on preservation and restoration."
The idea is that we invest in small farms who need help and get the rewards, some in the form of dividends, some in the form of a better world.
The Alliance is striving for a million signatures to its principles and there's a slow money gathering at a farm this June.
m o r e (sweets in season)
I have been practically living on yukon gold and sweet potatoes. Okay, not really living on, but enjoying immense amounts of these wintry tubers.
Now I'm onto a new one. My acupuncturist recommended Japanese Sweet Potatoes as being especially good for one's tummy. I tried one of these with purple skin and white flesh from my farmers' market and really, even if they weren't good for digestion, they'd be in my bowl.
I boil them or steam them. When cooked, they are yellowish and slightly translucent and taste amazingly sweet. Slightly floral, slightly nutty, they are fabulous. As for texture, they remind me of the insides of fried bananas and mooncakes I ate as a kid in Singapore. Yum. I've been eating them completely plain either as a snack or as dessert (if you close your eyes you might believe you're eating a sweet, moist, dense cake).
More on sweet potatoes (oft-confused for yams) here.
And here's a sweet potato cake recipe you can try out.
Potatoes are in season practically everywhere in the country during the cold months. In a few places, they're the only thing in season. See this graphic to find out what's popping up where any time of year.
Photo credit: culinate
m o r e (serving up local)
Leave it to Slow Food to organize a day for getting together and enjoying local foods together, with relish. This Wednesday, December 10 is Terra Madre day to celebrate mother earth and her bounty.
The pillars of slow food include access to fair, good food, biodiversity, small-scale production, and sustainable agriculture and trade relationships.
If you can get behind those, then there's still time to organize a little slow food soiree with your family or friends or school...
Or find one where you live anywhere in the world. I don't see any for Los Angeles, so my dinner with my husband prepared with foods from the farmers' market and local bulk bin will have to be extra celebratory tomorrow night!
Any day of the year, Slow Food USA has so many resources for conscious eaters (and growers). You can find an event, a dinner, a panel to attend; get involved with your local chapter; or get the resources to plant an endangered food in your garden.
m o r e (sharing the bounty)
m o r e (natural cool)
m o r e (green-thumbed ingenuity) 
m o r e (mindful merrymaking)
m o r e (green phone tools)