sustainability

Growing Roots: The New Generation of Sustainable Farmers, Cooks, and Food Activists

barbara — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Seared Scallop Salad with Honey Vinaigrette and Moqui (Spicy) Mac (n’Cheese), yum. This was simply the one of the selections of delicious recipes in Growing Roots that I attempted with the assistance of my boyfriend/sous-chef. But Growing Roots is much more than a cookbook. Chronicling one woman’s cross-country road trip and profiling folks on the ground at every level, from composting queens to herbalists to family farmers to social entrepreneurs-restaurateurs, Growing Roots is a unique window into the breadth of labor and love that is going into the ever-growing movement of food sustainability.

Each interview flows into the next by region, not issue area, but it works because you get the sense you are tagging along on this road trip with Leiner and her dog, Luna. Leiner gives a little exposition on how she met the people she interviews and where she spoke with them along the way in her travels; interestingly though, she predominantly uses their own words. Interviews focus on the daily lives and progress of their work on sustainability. Most of the profiles are complemented by each individual’s favorite recipes; most include ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert, and all of them look incredible. The two I made on Sunday, mentioned above, were scrumptious and strangely complemented one another, even though they came from different folks.

From the scope of the interviews, Katherine Leiner appears to have a real insider’s connections throughout the industry. She notes lots of personal relationships, and though she tries to sound down-to-earth her Manhattan foodie fabulousness bubbles up again and again. It appears that she sees the book as a platform to highlight the little people of the sustainability world. Perhaps she sees it as doing her part, or perhaps she has compiled this as a pet project simply because she can.

Ironically, everyone highlighted in the book describes sacrifices they’ve made in order to do this work. Day jobs that they love and feel are so important leave them with limited means or other losses. Juxtaposed with Leiner, it seems at times she is almost using them. But to be fair, I come from very much the same school of privileged environmentalism that Leiner does, and the opportunity to credit these hard work activists is incredible—very few people could pull it off.

More than anything, the consistent pattern of each interview would seem to get old quite fast, but it doesn’t at all. Each person’s story is compelling and inspiring and makes you want to read more and more. It even began to create grand delusions in my own city girl mind about the beauties of farming and that even I could be capable of it. Now, that’s a hell of a book.

Written by: Nicole Levitz, November 25th 2010

Black Tagua Ring

admin — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 03:28:00 +0000

By Muichic

As a society, we are constantly becoming more aware of how many beautiful materials we use in our attempts to make ourselves and our homes beautiful are incredibly harmful to the environment. After years of mining for silver, harvesting for mahogany, and slaughtering for ivory have taken their toll, we’ve started seeking out more viable fashion options. Organic is replacing synthetic and sustainable is replacing rare.

Yet, many of us must guiltily admit that despite our desire to be eco-minded, equally appealing substitutes can be hard to find; however, Muichic has overcome this obstacle with the tagua nut ring. In layman’s terms, dubbed vegetable ivory, tagua nuts come from an ivory-nut palm that grows in the humid rainforests of South America. This raw material can be harvested without negatively affecting their habitat, and provides an economic alternative to destroying the rainforests for farming.

The best part, however, is the natural beauty of Muichic’s products. Smooth and substantial, the shapes and designs of their rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings embody a natural vibe. All products are 100% handmade in Colombia, and each tagua nut has its own unique grain and shape, making every item one of a kind. The ring is comfortable to wear and compliments anything from a tribal print dress to jeans and a funky t-shirt. The company is based in Vermont, which makes buying and shipping within the United States easy and affordable.

As we all become better buyers with a conscience, Muichic's tagua accessories are a great, organic, eco-friendly option. Companies like Muichic are advancing the movement to reconcile our vanity with our scruples, which is a great thing for fashion and our planet.

Written by: Melissa Ablett, January 3rd 2010

The Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice, and Sustainability

admin — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:41:00 +0000

By Lierre Keith

Flashpoint Press

When I initially saw the title of this book, my inner scale wanted to weigh its contents against my fifteen year decision to exclude eating anything that had parents. I also presumed the author was one of those pork slinging individuals who just couldn’t cut it as a vegetarian. The good thing about getting older, though, is the wisdom I have acquired in remaining open. Lierre Keith discusses three reasons—moral, political, and nutritional—why most vegetarians choose to adopt a meatless diet, and the misconceived notions that often accompany those reasons.

What stood out to me is Keith’s discussion of agriculture and its effects on land, society, animals, and the relationship between all three. The land that is used to cultivate all those vegetables that vegetarians feel so ethically euphoric about consuming must be cleaned and cleared of every single piece of lint in order to be successful in producing a single plant. Consequently, the animals and microfauna (bacteria, fungi, and yeasts) that symbiotically thrived off that land are forced into their demise, with the bison serving as an example. Keith states that the sixty to 100 million bison that existed in the U.S. in 1491 have been reduced to 350,000 in number today. Also, only 10,000 wolves now remain where there were once between 425,000 and a million. Once this relationship is forced to call it quits, the land that would normally nourish and replenish itself is now barren until another piece of land is taken over, or until fertilizer is used.

With political vegetarianism, Keith uses the symbiotic relationship of the many companies that are seen as profit-fueled while also holding a financial interest in those meat-free, so-called environmentally-friendly products we so proudly consume. Basically, that soymilk we may drink out of protest against Coca-Cola is owned by the same company that holds shares in that red can.

In the section on nutritional vegetarianism, of which I took particular interest, Keith explains the physiology involved in consuming a low-saturated fat, high carbohydrate, and high grain diet. She also gives a personal account of how this diet affected her own body resulting in fourteen years of sickness, nausea, and bloating. Not only in vegetarianism, but also in the diet many Americans have been scared into adopting, the above-mentioned way of eating is being attributed to cardiovascular disease. Some of the diseases Keith states are attributed to the “diseases of civilization” are arthritis, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke.

What I thought would be a book filled with disgruntled accounts of a has-been vegetarian justifying the excuse to pig out on double cheeseburgers again, was actually a well-researched, statistically sound book that deals with truths from both a personal aspect and a social one. Keith, although opinionated in some places, still allows the reader to consider both sides of the vegetarian argument from three perspectives. For those who insist on one way versus another, The Vegetarian Myth presents us with enough information to wisely weigh whatever we choose to put on our plates.

Written by: Olupero R. Aiyenimelo, August 13th 2009

13 oz. Silver Parsley Water Bottle

admin — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:15:00 +0000

Directed by Earthlust

A new baby inspired the fine bottles available at Earthlust: it was time to start thinking about the future, and giving generations to come a clean place to stay seems reasonable. There is the Native American saying: “We are not inheriting the planet from our parents—we are borrowing it from our children.” Even the childless can appreciate the folly in generating unnecessary garbage, so why not use a water bottle? Also, once you compare it to the cost of bottled water, a larger model used twice daily will pay for itself within two weeks.

Sizes include thirteen ounce, twenty ounce, and one-liter versions, and there are also twenty ounce insulated mugs available in two patterns. Crows and hawks perch and fly on the stainless steel sides, ginkgoes leave, dragonflies fly, and mine sprouts silver parsley.

Those inclined to garden can acquire parsley seeds through Seeds of Change, easily planted in a container or garden, and then water them with liquid poured from a non-toxic, food-grade stainless steel container with its BPA-free polypropylene #5 cap. Uses of parsley include getting brewed as a tea for renal and digestive difficulties, and its high chlorophyll content has made it popular as a breath freshener, hence its persistence as garnish. I did hear a Depression-era anecdote of one restaurant saving, rinsing (one hopes) and reusing parsley garnish in order to cut costs. Desperate times... at least you can make sure that your water is fresh from the tap. And I should get an insulated version by winter for parsley tea.

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, June 28th 2009

Thursday Night Supper Club and Urban Sustainable Living (3/26/2009)

admin — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:11:00 +0000

Backstory Cafe

Chicago, Illinois

If you are concerned with economy, food security, and health, a vegetable garden makes perfect sense. The first family's organic plot is underway, and instead of being daunted by some potential setbacks (the condition of urban soil, limited space, a non-existent budget), I have decided to be inspired by their example and undertake an attempt to grow my own produce. Therefore, I was delighted when the Backstory Cafe offered a presentation on urban gardening. This young Hyde Park establishment hosts not only regular jazz nights (Wednesdays), boardgame nights (Fridays), a morning playgroup (Mondays), and occasional movie screenings, but also holds a monthly Thursday night supper club. Topics covered have included social activism in the tradition of Jane Addams, collaboration between American, European and Palestinian woman artists, natural childbirth, and most recently, gardening.

Ben and Courtney of Backyard Bounty (their local and organic sustainable agriculture consulting service) and others served a delightful five course meal of locally produced foodstuffs for a splendidly crisis-conscious fifteen dollars, and offered much useful information between the courses, so much so that the diners petitioned for a global e-mail of relevant sites and information. Apparently a 20' x 20' garden can provide produce for a family of four, and a 10' x 10', ample for an individual. Container gardening on a small porch theoretically can yield all the herbs, teas, and select vegetables that an individual or couple requires. Options such as edible flowers or loofahs provide a change from the standard tomatoes and greens, and the truly dedicated may eventually consider an apiary or chicken coop. Check your local ordinances: in Chicago, you can raise chickens for eggs, not slaughter.

For those without local resources, the Internet provides a wealth of gardening knowledge. “Garden Girl” Patti Moreno demonstrates her extensive horticultural knowledge on an impressive compound of several raised beds built in a garage originally constructed in 1917. While some of her projects may be a bit esoteric and ambitious for the beginner (i.e., an aquaponic garden that pumps aquarium water to fertilize sprouting Swiss chard, or shaving a white German Angora rabbit the size of a Thanksgiving turkey in order to make homespun yarn), she does offer more accessible options and some practical suggestions. Plant seed potatoes in chunks that have two eyes apiece. Use bread bag twist ties to strap stems to lattices. The heirloom “Tiffin Mennonite” tomato weighs in at a pound apiece, and the hostess does have the charm to dedicate a chapter to her “almost record” tomato, conveniently measured at the corner store's deli counter. The massive glossy red fruit was inspiring. I'll break ground as soon as the threat of sleet has passed. Any day now.

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, May 4th 2009

French Blue Pashmina Shawl

admin — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:24:00 +0000

Nimli

Adbusters is holding a competition for an anti-nationalist flag. This made me consider the psychology of color: the obvious choice among the contenders is a black flag with a simple white ring. Would it be flown in conjunction with the sky blue field of the United Nations banner? Blue appears to be the most popular flag color, with red a close second. "Interview suits" are conventionally blue: it is assertive without violence, bold and certain, calm but strong. “Loyal, but not forgetting sadness.” Its associations are Oceanic, heavenward, peaceful, unified, harmonic, serene, offering protection from the evil eye as glass disks and signifying the shawl of the Virgin Mary. As a skin color, it is an end of humanity, the stain of Godhood, and now associated with some amusing shaved-headed louts who spit marshmallows at one another to thunderous rock accompaniment. My perpetual blue state is both psychic and political. And while the juxtaposition of the Disney Alice in Wonderland's flounced skirt with the phrase "blue movie" is not unprecedented, it is still ironic. So I'm not sure what to make of this French blue. Is it pretty or "safe?" Staid and reassuring? Or attractive through its assurance of candor: "True Blue." I am not certain that truthfulness or loyalty are valued anymore.

In addition to a range of garments and accessories, Nimli offers luxuriantly simple fields of color in interwoven Pashmina hairs, over one hundred colors, a dozen of which could qualify as blue. Patriotic blues, dark blues, gray blues, pale blues, baby blues, royal blues, aquas, pinky blues, azure, cerulean and turquoise. The color of the company is decidedly green: entrepreneur Rajat Arora founded Nimli in 2003 to provide a one-stop location that would further sustainable living by providing a range of "green" things handled in an environmentally conscious manner. For example, individual manufacturers ship directly to the consumer, eliminating the energy-consuming practices of extra shipping and warehouse storage. Many green scarves and shawls are available, too: olive, hunter, pine, sea foam, chartreuse, celadon, willow, spring leaf, and new dollar.

Review by Erika Mikkalo

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, April 16th 2009

The Ten Minute Activist

admin — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 20:32:00 +0000

By The Mission Collective

Nation Books

The Ten Minute Activist provides a dense, insightful education into what one individual can do, or not do, to live in a more environmentally conscious manner. It is not written in a preachy or condescending manner; instead, its authors, five individuals jointly known as The Mission Collective, have written a witty and approachable text. What, you ask, are some of the issues that are discussed in The Ten Minute Activist? Here is a short sampling the smorgasbord of topics in the text: how your daily routines and product use impact the earth; suggestions for sharing resources with friends and neighbors; and ways to slow down and appreciate your food and your surroundings.

The text is interspersed with illustrations by Lloyd Dangle, which are frightening because of the frankness of their message. Another compelling aspect of the book is its references to websites, books and phone numbers so that readers can take action or further research any of the topics in the text. The Ten Minute Activist is written in a laid-back, approachable style, while still packing oodles of essential information into its pages. This book is necessary reading for individuals who want to start to tread more lightly upon the earth, and for individuals who have been living in an environmentally conscientious manner for years. After owning this text for only a couple of weeks, nearly half of its pages are earmarked so I can return to the information to reread chapters or to follow the writers’ recommendations on where to do additional research on a particular subject. The Ten Minute Activist is a book that is not only praiseworthy and ambitious in its own right, but also leads its readers in other directions, thus helping its readers to gain a broad, well educated perspective on the issues facing our environment.

Written by: Kirsha Frye-Matte, April 11th 2007