The High Price of Cheap Food

As Americans we are spending less of our disposable income on food then ever in recent history. A Pew study published earlier this year found that from 1970 to 2009 the percent of disposable income spent on food has gone down from roughly 25% to less than 10%. During the same time period caloric intake on average increased by almost 22%! There have been a lot of studies about how all these cheap calories are affecting obesity rates and the health impacts of this increased rate of obesity on Americans. The impact of increased rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes depression, and other health and social impacts upon our society are serious, but only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the high price of cheap food. We have to look into the grain fields in our heartland and the produce farms and orchards of the west coast and beyond our borders to begin to get a picture of the greater price of our cheap food. There are ecological, political and human social impacts of our industrial food system that spread across the globe.

Here are some statistics that start to paint a picture of food prices as percent of income throughout the world. According to an article published by Tree Hugger Americans spend approximately 5.5% of disposable income on food at home while folks in Germany, France and Italy spend 11.4%, 13% and 14% respectively. When we look into the developing world the numbers are even more staggering. Beginning with South Africa at 20.1% and increasing through Mexico (24.1%), Turkey (24.5%) Kenya (45.9%) and Pakistan at (45.6%). This opens up questions about economic and resource exploitation of the developing world by the first world. Many people throughout the world live in areas where more diverse crops can be produced, but over the last  75 to 100 years as the prevalence of large agribusinesses has grown, the habit of growing more diverse crops has given way to monocultures that harm both the environment and the local economy as well as the farmers who depend upon food production for their livelihood.

We have been hearing more and more about the dismal conditions of agricultural workers and farmers throughout the developing world. These workers are being treated very much like indentured servants and in some cases little better than slaves. Farmers in many developing countries have been driven out of business by competition from cheap food imported from the first world as well as by the demanding aesthetic standards of American produce buyers. Further the economic policies followed by many seed producers further victimize the small farm holders in these developing countries. Many have heard that farmers account for 11.2% of suicides in India. Some of the reasons cited for these suicides include stresses from, high operating costs, farm indebtedness, crop failure and pesticide use, among others.  What we haven't been hearing about is that these statistics are similar to those for farmers in other parts of the world. Environmental degradation of farm land is further exacerbating the plight of farmers around the world.

That's a lot of statistics and gloom and doom. So what is the point of all of this and what can we do to change the situation? So many times we feel hopeless and feel that as individuals, there is really very little that we can do to have an impact on these dire trends. The fact is that is the farthest thing from the truth. It is only we, as individuals that CAN have a true impact. But we all have to make the commitment to make a personal change. And what is that change? As with any situation, we can vote with our wallets and pocketbooks. Fresh, local, organic produce is the healthiest produce you can eat. It is also the most economically and environmentally sustainable; because it keeps dollars in the local economy and reduces the amount of green-house gasses used in the production, storage, distribution and sale of factory farmed produce.  And this is only scratching the surface of the environmental impacts of factory farming that can be mitigated by dedicating ourselves to purchasing our produce from our local organic farmers.  The same principle applies to our meat, dairy and grain products.  So please do your part and support your local organic farmer.

Reflections on Giving Tuesday

Today is Giving Tuesday. I think it is wonderful that some folks have come together around the idea that people should take a little time out from their annual holiday shopping to think about folks in need and organizations that could use a hand up. I'm glad that the organizers of this day have made a point that it's not only about giving money, but also about giving of your time and energy. Ultimately when it comes down to it, all that any of us has that is of value is the time and energy that we personally have to give. 

While I think it is a great idea and a laudable undertaking, I also think it might be one more straw on the camel's back at an already busy and stressful time of year. So, how do we fix that? Perhaps we should examine why this is a  busy and stressful time of year. I would like to encourage each of us to examine how we are spending our time, money and energy during this sacred time of year. Are our activities serving our greater purpose? Is there something that we can let go of that could make this a more contemplative and blessed time of year? Perhaps letting go of some of our shopping and parties would allow us to have more energy and funds for blessing others, and we might find ourselves more blessed as well. 

I would suggest reading the book Hundred Dollar Holiday, by Bill McKibben. Whether you are a Christian in practice or not, this book has a great deal of practical advise about bringing the sanity and sanctity back to the holiday. 

To go back to the idea of Giving Tuesday, let us also remember that these organizations that we are ready an willing to support at this time of the year when we are feeling expansive and generous also need our assistance throughout the year. Perhaps this would be a good time to set up a reasonable, affordable, recurring monthly payment to a worthy organization. This is also a good time to recommit ourselves to giving of our time to groups that are building and revitalizing our communities and helping the needy within them. 

However you decide to celebrate your holidays, and whichever traditions and faith your holidays come from during this very holy period of the year, I hope that yours will be more blessed and peaceful this year than in any year before and that they will continue to grow more blessed and peaceful as the years pass. 

Economy, Ecology, Community, Faith

There are four main areas of concern that I write about and act upon. These are the areas of our lives that I feel we need to integrate, for ourselves, for our communities, for our nation, and for our planet. I haven't written much over the last month. I've been busy living life and working toward that integration through getting more involved in my community and my faith. By participating in our transition committee, our community center building committee local art show, a craft fair, and our holiday celebration. I have also been taking stock of the the economic and ecological choices that I make on a daily basis. 

I saw a cartoon recently that showed three cans labeled "trash", "recycle", and "pretend to recycle". This really got me to thinking. There are some packages that we put in the recycling at our house because we believe that they should be recycled and recyclable. Unfortunately we have found from talking to the employees at our local transfer station that many of these packaging materials are not actually recyclable at this time. So for the last week I have been putting those packaging materials into the trash and paying attention to how much our trash is increased. It wasn't an excessive amount, but it was enough to give me pause and to remind me that there are at least 5 Rs to saving our planet (not just three) and the first of these is refuse. Refuse to purchase products that are packaged in packaging that is not recyclable. In fact, why purchase products in packaging? It is far healthier for us, for our environment and for our economy even, in the long run, if we purchase our foods in the packages nature provided them with, their own skin. We should be eating far more fruits and vegetables and far less processed foods and meats. And as important as this, we should be purchasing our food, as much as possible, directly from the people who are producing it. 

This evening I watched a film that spoke to many of these areas of concern, surrounding our freedoms, the production of our food, our communities, our faiths, and our consumer culture and behavior. I can't say that I agree with every word in this film, but I will say that it definitely gives a great deal of food for thought.  I'll share the link below and I hope that you will take the time to watch it and really give some thought to the concepts that are brought forward. I hope you will also give some thought to how integrating the concepts of economy, ecology, community and faith within our lives can help us to regain a sense of balance and security that has been lacking in American society for at least a quarter of a century and probably more. I feel that over compartmentalizing our lives is part of what has lead to the disconnection of individuals from their communities and also the breakdown of our moral and ethical principals.  I think it is this compartmentalization that has lead to the breaking down of society and the increased willingness of people to support more and more antisocial governmental policies: unprecedented exploitation of natural resources within public lands, unilateral military action against the citizens of our own country without due process, and unfettered interference into the affairs of other nations in direct contravention of international law. 

Here is the link to the movie Ethos. I hope you will find it illuminating. 

I Voted - Now What?

On Tuesday we elected the officials who will determine the course of legislation for our states and our nation over the next 4 to 6 years. In that election just over 1/3 of eligible voters nation wide turned out to make their voice heard and their vote count. Shame! Before the election I heard a lot of people talking about how unhappy they are with our government. I also heard a lot of people talking about "what is the government going to do for me." It is a statistical probability that many of the people who complain about the current state of affairs in our country are the same people who are not turning out to vote. I just want to take this opportunity to remind everyone that, as a citizen of a democratic society, voting is not only your privilege but your duty. It is one way that we can stand up against corporate greed and the power and money they wield to advance their agendas. That said, this is not a post about getting out the vote. It's a post about what we do now that the vote is over, and about what we should have been doing all along rather than sitting around waiting for the government to solve our problems.

Folks we have been far too complacent in our lives. We have been far too willing to hand over the reins of control and responsibility to someone else. We need to start taking responsibility for ourselves, our neighborhoods, our villages, our towns, our counties, our states and finally our nation. In that order. We need to join together in small groups, in medium sized groups and in large movements to create the future that we want to see. We can't wait for someone at the top to do it for us.  They don't have the same goals, and to be honest you can't blame them. They don't come from the same place you do.

We can't wait for Washington politicians to solve our problems. We need to start at home and ask ourselves what can WE do to make our homes a better place?  And we need to do it.  Then we need to go beyond our own doors and look at our neighborhoods and ask ourselves, what can  we do to make them a better place, and who can we involve in the process? And we need to DO IT! If we need affordable day care, access to healthier food, better educational opportunities for our children; then we need to form coops,  community gardens and CSA's and we need to go to school board meetings and vote in our local elections for the people who will sit on those school boards. Perhaps we should even run for local office. I understand that we all work hard, but that does not absolve us of our responsibilities as members of society. If we wonder why our society is broken, we need to stop looking to the people in Washington DC and start looking at ourselves. 

The results of the recent election may be disappointing to many, and there may be many who have given up on exercising their right to vote because they just feel hopeless about the outcome and that it wont matter regardless of how they vote. To both of these groups I say, you now have a unique opportunity to show what you can do when you mobilize on a local grass roots level to bring about the vision that you have for the future of your family, your community, and your nation. As Gandhi once said, we need to be the change we want to see in the world. 

Happy New Year Revolutionaries

Happy New Year, and welcome to a new revolution! One year ago today I began One Earth Revolution to see what could be accomplished for our planet in one year along with the help of my family and friends. I will be honest, it has been a slow start. There have been some personal and logistical challenges, but I also have a sense of real progress.  I have seen myself and my family begin to truly live by ethics and principles which we believe will help to sustain our community and our planet well into the future. We have become involved in many groups that are rebuilding the sense of community in our town and are actively working to create a future for our village which is both economically and environmentally sustainable, and not only sustainable but bountiful without being damaging to our ecology. This year has also seen the conversation of sustainability and a post carbon future really making inroads in the mainstream media. While there are still many naysayers and not a few people who staunchly refuse to remove their blinders and see the coming storm, we have begun to see real evidence that people are beginning to awaken  to the real dangers of climate change.  There is so much more to be done!

This weekend Hubby and I have spent two days in contemplation and meditation on our property, on our planet, and on  our personal feelings and goals surrounding both. We spent a day being grateful for the achievements and blessings of the past year and letting go of anything that happened during the past year that we do not want to bring forward with us. We spent today looking forward to the challenges and promises of the coming year. 

This year I finished my permaculture design certification and I'm now saving up for the advanced class. Meanwhile our homestead continues to take shape and we begin to see the real beginnings of the permaculture demonstration sight that we would eventually like to have here. In the coming year we plan to install cold frames, expand the plantings in our fledgling food forest, erect a greenhouse and so much more. Stay tuned for an Indiegogo campaign announcement early in the calendar year. 

And One Earth Revolution? We've got plans for you too. We'll be better than ever with field trips, regular feature pieces on the permaculture ethics and principles, recipe share, farm hacks and so much more. We may even have a podcast in store for you. So stay tuned here and you'll be in the know about everything that's happening on the farm and with The (R)evolution. 

Saving the Environment Starts at Home - Tips for Beating the Take-out Habit

Image from Maple and Spice 

Happy Sunday readers. It's a cloudy October morning here in southern Maine and I'm thinking about breakfast. It's kind of a tradition in our family to have a nice breakfast on Sunday. In the past we have often gone to a favorite restaurant close by our home, and still do occasionally, but lately we've started making that Sunday breakfast at home more often and incorporating things from our own garden and from local farmers into our meal. There are two reasons for this: 1) insuring that we are using local ingredients and 2) reducing the size of our food budget. If you are wondering how these two things tie in to protecting the environment, it is quite simple and comes down to transportation. The more local our food is, the fewer miles it had to be transported using fossil fuel burning planes, boats, trains and trucks. The fewer dollars we spend on food and the more often we eat at home the more we save and the less we commute to earn the money to pay for it. We also save the trip to to restaurant. These reduced trips also reduce wear and tear on our vehicle, further reducing our impact on the planet. 

So as I sat here thinking about breakfast, it reminded me that I had promised you some tips and recipes for beating the eating out and particularly the stopping for takeout habit that is so easy to fall into. 

The first and particularly timely tip is making ahead. Quiet Sundays are a good opportunity to do a little extra cooking that will make meal prep later in the week quicker and easier, reducing the temptation to just pick something up on the way home or hitting the drive through on the way into the office because you rushed out the door without eating breakfast AGAIN. Here are a couple of things that I like to do that are surprisingly helpful. I scramble up a batch of eggs and vegetarian sausage and wrap it up with a bit of cheese in a half dozen burrito wraps and freeze them. A couple of minutes in the microwave in the morning and I have a hot hearty home made breakfast. You could also defrost in the fridge over night and warm it in a skillet if you are not a big fan of the microwave. 

Another thing I like to do on Sunday is making up a pot of rice and a pot of pasta. I divide each into two containers and refrigerate one of each and freeze the others. I then have a base carbohydrate that I can build a meal on with a quick zap in the microwave or two minutes in hot water. You can make mashed potatoes ahead as well, but they are more of a challenge to reheat for those who prefer not to microwave. This generally shaves 5 to 10  minutes off of meal prep which doesn't sound like a lot, but can make a big difference when its late and you are tired and hungry.

One of the most challenging things about making dinner after a long tiring day is deciding what to make. This question taken at the end of the work day can often lead to decisions that we regret later, like the habit of eating a lot of prepackaged frozen food from the super market. This is probably as bad for the environment as the takeout given the damage that industrial agriculture and meat production do.   One way to get around this is plan ahead. While your pasta and rice are cooking, spend a few minutes to jot down a menu for the weeks evening meals. This will save time and frustration later and will allow you to be prepared and be sure that you have all the ingredients you need on hand. 

None of these things are rocket science, and you've probably heard them all before in the context of time management, but perhaps thinking about how these tips can help save the environment is a more compelling argument to get us to start employing them, or employing them more often. 

I also promised you a recipe. Here is one that we found recently that we really enjoyed and was quite simple. Start with leftovers and a recipe of "Quick and easy Pizza Crust". Divide in half and roll into two circles about 7 inches across. On one half of each put some diced leftover veg from your fridge anything like broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, mushrooms, etc. works, add some diced tomatoes and Italian seasoning, and sprinkle on some shredded cheese. Now fold the other half of the dough over and pinch it closed. Bake per the dough instructions (you might be able to shave a few minutes off the cook time, so watch them carefully) and voila! you have two tasty filling calzones in just minutes. They are a meal by themselves or pair with a small salad. 

All this writing about food has made me hungry. I think I'll go get that breakfast I was thinking about. And there is the vegan sausage recipe that I'm wanting to try out....

Unveiling the Seeming Convenience of our Modern Lives

These days, with our fast-paced work-a-day lives, we often do things that seem convenient at the time. That is they SEEM to save us time or money or energy. But often that seeming convenience is only on the surface. When we unpack these habits and look at their hidden cost we find a completely different story. This post is number one in series on revealing these hidden costs.  We'll explore various habits, look at the hidden costs and also look at developing new habits that can set us free to live a truly convenient and content life.

The first seeming convenience that we are going to look at and one that I fell into for a time myself some years ago is stopping for take-out on the way home from work. On the surface it seems to save us time and energy. What could be easier? You make a phone call (perhaps from  your cell, from the car), and you run in and pick up the food and you are off home to eat. But what are the hidden costs?

• Added dollars to your food budget (it's much more costly to eat out than cook at home)
• May take you out of your normal route on the way home adding time to your commute and cost of gas and wear and tear 
• Additional cost to the environment of the extra driving and the packaging of the food
• Negative health impact, as most take-out foods pack far more salt, fat and calories than food made at home.
• More hours at the gym to work off all those extra calories, and the cost of the gym membership
• More hours at work to pay for it all.

That take out meal sounds a lot less convenient now. Doesn't it?

Next time. Tips for breaking the take-out habit. 

Wake Up America! _ No More Time to Snooze on Climate Change

I've heard some very disturbing things over the past few days that have just made me want to shout, Wake up America! We can't keep snoozing when it comes to climate change. We need to spend our carbon resources on replacing the systems that use them so that we can have a carbon free future.

Following are some news stories from recent broadcasts that have me deeply concerned. These do not include the stories which directly refer to climate change and other environmental issues which are associated with and can be linked to climate change, such as exploding tick populations increasing moose mortality, ocean acidification and sea level rise, just to name a few.

Americans are considering lifting the ban on oil exports. Their primary motivation? Money! Of course. I'd like to hear more stories that stem from someone whose primary motivation is looking to the future of our planet and the survival of our species for the long hall, not just how fast and how much people can line their pockets so they can live high off the hog today and Devil may care what happens when they are gone!

Maine's governor, Paul LePage supports a proposed federal law which would increase federal control of natural gas pipeline permitting and could result in private corporations having the ability to take private land by eminent domain. This is yet another example of short sighted profit seeking in my opinion and likely a result of the impact of corporate money on campaigns and politicians. While Governor LePage claims he is supporting this to reduce the cost of heating for Maine families, he ignores the fact that natural gas is not a truly green or sustainable answer for the long haul and has not put resources and energy behind finding clean renewable solutions that Maine will benefit in the future.

A so called right to farm bill passes in Missouri. This amendment to the state constitution protects the "rights" of big agra business and is one more example of corporate greed finding a way to legitimize itself through legislation which favors large corporations over small independent businesses. It is a step in the wrong direction in the fight for a more diverse, distributed, sustainable food system in the United States.

A drought in California which has been exacerbated by climate change keeps the fire danger high. Forest fires blaze in California as the drought continues. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, California accounts for nearly half of US grown vegetables, fruits and nuts. This is of grave concern for food security, but also for the environment and for resource management, as with its large population, California is also a top consumer of water resources. In addition to the water woes inherent in having so much of our agricultural capacity concentrated in one corner of the country, this state of affairs also leads to increased transportation costs and a host of other environmental concerns stemming from the construction of infrastructure to the fuel to power the trucks and trains that transport the produce. In addition, there is far more waste in such a system, due to spoilage and damage in transportation; while the food that is produced is not as nutritious as local food because it is picked before it is ripe and then consumed long after it has been harvested. 

I know that this piece sounds like a lot of gloom and doom. And that isn't really what I intend to be. I do believe that there is a lot of hope for our future. We are standing at a cross roads and we have all the tools we need to make a better, brighter more verdant future, if we choose the right path. I had a lot of things to say, but I don't think I can say them any better than Morgan Freeman says them here in this video: (What's Possible) It's more than worth your time.

Local food and Entertainment add Zest to Life

This past Saturday a trip to Wentworth Gardens in Dover, New Hampshire turned into a mini adventure. We went to see the greenhouse and pickup some local produce at the summer market that is held every Saturday from Mid-June to Mid-October. As anyone who regularly attends knows, a trip to the local farmer's market is more than just a grocery run. Our latest market excursion was an educational and entertaining experience.   We spent some time with Karen from Maine Herb Farm, learning about the various healing properties of herbs in her hand-crafted salves and lip balms. while enjoying a concert by Local artist James Gilmore,

Returning home we spent some time in our own garden reaping tomatoes and other tasty treats. A round of canning tomato sauce followed. As we have been harvesting our produce and fruits, putting them up for winter and experimenting with new vegetarian recipes, we have found that meal times are more enjoyable. The fare is more varied and wholesome and there is just a little something extra special about eating food that you grew and prepared yourself. The experience is so far beyond just opening cans or emptying boxes and warming something up. It really does add a bit of extra zest to life. 

Miracle Mushrooms - How Mycelium can Help us Save the World

Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of organisms known as fungi. The vegetative portions of the fungus, or the "plant" if you will, are the mycelium which grow in soil and on other substrates such as wood or decaying plant matter. They remain unseen or unnoticed by most of us during the course of our daily lives, and yet, these amazing organisms are some of the largest on the planet. They perform multiple functions within both natural and man-made systems and; they may be one of the key components in solving a variety of environmental issues which are plaguing our planet and putting the future of humanity in question.

As mycelium grow they produce enzymes which help to break down organic compounds. By so doing they help to recycle nutrients back into the food web so that they can be taken up by other plants and organisms. Plants and fungi form symbiotic relationships exchanging nutrients and water. Some studies have shown that plants benefit from and are more productive when growing in proximity with certain fungi. Additionally certain fungi help to protect the plants from pathogens that might otherwise attack the plants. 

Mycelium can be used as both sponges and filters in various environmental protection and clean up efforts. Researches such as Paul Stamets, author of Mycelium Running, have investigated some amazing and potentially life changing uses for mushrooms, from the digestion of disposable diapers to soil clean up following oil or chemical spills. Mr Stamets has also demonstrated the use of mycelium in the organic control of certain insects pests. 

Mycelium are also being used to replace synthetic compounds in packaging. Companies such as Ecovactive Design are creating a variety of packaging materials and insulation that are environmental, economical, durable and yet compostable. One of the great things about these mushroom based packaging materials is that they can replace styrofoam which is one of the worst culprits in the world of packaging in terms of its negative impacts on human life and the environment. 

And lest you think that mushrooms are just the latest space-age panacea, remember that people have been using mushrooms for thousands of years as both food and medicine. Mushrooms contain protein and other valuable nutrients and some mushrooms, such as the turkey tail mushroom, have been used to fight cancer. But even in the food arena, mushrooms have their space-age applications. Knowing the horrific impact the industrial meat processing industry has on our environment and knowing the abysmal conditions of the animals which are processed through this system has driven many people to seek alternatives which will allow them to maintain a level of texture and variety in their diet that they might not otherwise be able to achieve with traditional vegetarian fare. There is an answer. A variety of healthy, economical and really quite tasty meat substitutes are being made from mushrooms and mycelium. 

The humble mushroom has become a source of wonder and fascination for me. With all the amazing uses we have found for these simple organisms, one wonders how many more we will discover and what other positive impacts they might have for protecting life on this planet. 

North Berwick Farmer's Market - Visit the Market - Check out the Raffle

Hubby and I were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit the North Berwick Farmer's Market on Friday. We don't often get the chance these days, due to our work schedules, and any chance we get, we consider it a blessing. Thanks to the long holiday weekend, we were both released from work early and, of course, we ran straight to the market. We enjoyed visiting with all the vendors, who are so friendly and willing to share their farming expertise, picking up some wonderful organic garlic, and taste testing the sumptuous feast of heirloom tomatoes from Sweet Thyme Farm. 

We also stopped by the SNAP booth and donated several copies of Cool Cuisine for the raffle. So, if you are going to be in North Berwick on a Friday afternoon in the next few weeks, please stop by the market, support your local farmers and take a chance at the raffle. The market runs 3-6 pm every Friday through October. It't always worth the trip.

Market Basket Madness

Delicious and made from local veg and dairy

This whole fiasco with Market Basket grocery stores being virtually shut down for more than a month has taught me to be very thankful for my garden, my pantry, and the farmer's market. When the whole thing first started I was concerned because my first thought was, "It is going to cost us so much more for basic food stuffs and things are already tight." But as the feud between the Demoulas cousins continued and we had to be more creative about where, what and how much we bought (because shopping at Shaw's or Hannaford was not an option I would take), I became very thankful for the wide variety of things my husband planted in the garden. I'm even thankful for the kolrabi and okra. They provide variety. We even started looking at the things that often get tossed on the compost pile, such as cauliflower leaves, as greens that can be steamed or put into soups. Our diet actually got more varied, interesting and probably more healthy. Particularly because we know that our garden is pesticide and chemical fertilizer free.

For the other things we need such as flour, rice, butter, milk and fruit we go to, the farmer's market, Nature's Way or  Fiddlehead Farms Market, or to the natural food store. To be completely honest I'm finding not fighting the crowds in the grocery store very refreshing. I also find that I meet more people and have actual pleasant social interactions in the smaller shops. Shopping this way feeds my mind and soul as well as my body. Because of this, and because it is one of our personal goals to support local businesses, we had already greatly reduced our reliance on Market Basket and my initial worry was really unfounded. We probably spent a little more on butter, milk and flour. But other than that I would say there were no great added expenses. 

Now that the crisis is over and the shelves are filling up again, we are taking stock of things and deciding if it makes sense to shop at the chain grocery store or if it makes more sense to continue to spread our patronage among smaller local businesses.  We are also thinking about steps that we can take to become even more self reliant. This was a minor blip. It's summer and we have our garden, our pantry was well stocked and after all, there are many other stores. If we really had to get something, we could. But what if....? What if this crisis was caused by war or disease-quarantine, or some other natural disaster that prevented supplies from getting delivered to our area at all, or kept us from getting out? What if it was winter and a blizzard? There would be no garden then. At that point I would be glad for summer's bounty that we had put away in canning jars and the freezer.  I'm not a paranoid person who thinks that you need to keep your basement stocked with 3 years worth of canned goods. But I do think it makes some sense to consider how we can make our lives a little less dependent upon the vagaries of the markets and the whims of the elite. I believe that having the ability to take care of your own basic needs, particularly food and water, is a wise investment in your time and money. 

People in our area are very fortunate. We don't always stop and think about these things. We have rarely seen shortages of food and other essentials of life that are more common in cities and in poorer nations. Shortages that can lead to deprivation, unrest and even violence. 

So I'm glad this little skirmish has ended, and I'm glad that it has made me think more deeply and in different ways about the issues of food supply, shortage, poverty and many other things that are tied up in taking care, not only of ourselves, but of others. For our part, we are planning to take a trip to our local Market Basket this weekend to purchase some food for the local food pantry. After that we'll see. I think likely we will still go there occasionally to stock up on butter, flour and sugar, but for the most part, it will not be our primary source of groceries. I think we will also double our canning and freezing efforts, taking advantage of all the resources that nature supplies during the summer, from the wild, from our own garden and from the gardens of local farmers who serve our community so well. 

Found Object Art - Bringing Recycling to a Whole New Level

Local artist Bob Farrell takes recycling to a whole new level with his one of a kind found art objects and creations. Bob has been known to make art from discarded wire, old cereal boxes and pieces of old tire, just to name a few things. He rarely let's anything go to waste. The drip paper or drop cloth used to protect his floor or table while making one piece will itself become an integral part of a later piece. Bob's art is imaginative and eclectic and ranges from the absurd to the sublime. I always find something I love when I visit one of Bob's shows and sometimes, when I've got a bit of cash to spare, I like to bring something home. I enjoy supporting Bob's work for two reasons; because he is a local artist and because, for his raw materials, he has elected to use that which other people often overlook or even throw away. Bob is an example of someone who is living his passion and making a difference for the better in our community. We could all learn a lesson from him.

We can localize more than just our food. If you've got to decorate your home why not make your decorating local too? A great way to start is by supporting local artists. Look up your local art association, check out the small independent galleries in your area and.....If you would like to see more of Bob's work, learn about his shows, and how to support local art, please visit Bob's FaceBook Page or check out what Bob and the other BAA artist are doing at the BAA Page. 

Sustainability and Local Agriculture in the News

A beautiful garden in Arundel, Maine

It is refreshing to see the growing interest and focus on sustainability in both print and broadcast media. In a society where so much of our news can be sensationalistic tripe, it's nice to get some good news on occasion. Local public radio stations and college stations across the country and around the world now have regular sustainability features. Sustainability podcasts are growing in both popularity and availability, and print media are regularly featuring articles on local and sustainable aquaculture, agro-forestry and agriculture.

A recent article in The Weekly Sentinel showcases the work of the students and teachers at the School Around Us in Arundel, Maine as they engaged in a three day hands on workshop on sustainability that created a temporary eco-village in a wooded area near the school. I recently graduated my permaculture design course with a mom of one of the school's students, and during the course had the opportunity to tour the school and surrounding community with some of the permaculture pioneers in our area. I was deeply impressed and motivated by the work that is being done there at the school and at nearby Frinklepod Farm, which is run by one of the school's early students and son of the founders of School Around US. 

Interdependence. Abundance. Resilience. Sustainability. These are all phrases that we think about when we engage in practicing the permaculture ethics of earth care, people, care, and fare shares. In backyards all around us, gardens are becoming popular again and chicken coops are popping up. It should perhaps be little surprising then when we see more an more articles dedicated to the glories of sustainable local agriculture. Of note, in this line, an article by Craig Idlebrook in the July/August 2014 issue of Northern New England Journey titled "The Egg and I"  extols the virtues of backyard egg operations in Maine and how a serendipitous stop at one such operation lead him to discover the wonders of farm fresh eggs and made him a life long fan. It is a charming article and ends with a reminder about the rewards of supporting local agriculture. Hats off to you Craig for this nostalgic and heartwarming piece. In recognition of your support of local agriculture, I would be happy to present you with a dozen eggs free of charge should you stop by my farm stand some day. 

Until next time - "Deep peace of the sleeping stones to you"

What I Did for Mother's Day - Hugel Happiness

My son could not believe his ears. He had to ask me again just to be sure. "You really don't want me to buy you anything for Mother's Day? You're sure?" I assured him that agreeing to help me build a hugelkultur bed was going to be more than enough for a Mother's Day gift. I'm not sure he really believed me until he spent 4 hours in the 70 Degree sun this passed Sunday building my beautiful hugelkultur bed. 

First the base of the bed. In the fall we had laid down cardboard and topped that with our corn and sunflower stalks. Then we added our yard clippings and dried leaves. Over the winter we added our kitchen scraps. On top of all this we laid a lot of wood from standing dead trees that we had to take down for safety. Then we began to cover it with a load of loam that we had brought in. 

We haven't been  working our land long enough yet to have developed a large pile of well composted material for making top soil. My guys were handy carting all that soil. And this is when my son realized just what he'd got himself into. We were about 3 hours into the project at this point. I was in there wielding the shovel and hauling logs too, but I did have to pause occasionally to take the photos.

My Guys! They worked so hard!

In this last photo we are about half done with burying the woody debris. It's not quite finished yet, but we made a lot of progress. It still needs some top dressing with additional soil, compost and a good layer of straw mulch. We are going to plant medium bush blueberries on top of this mound. On the south facing side we will have sun loving strawberries, and on the north facing side we will grow shade loving greens. I can't wait to see what kind of yields we get. This and the fledgling orchard that you may notice to the right of the hugelkultur bed in some of these photos are some of our first steps toward our permaculture perennial food forest and garden. 

I will continue to post photos as the food forest progresses. Until next time - Live Light!

Today I'm Thankful For...

I am very thankful that I have a partner who is as excited and interested in permaculture as I am. Not everyone is lucky enough to have someone as supportive as him in their lives. He is always supportive of my efforts to save the planet, stray animals or a dollar. He recently spent a great many hours building bird houses and a bee house to attract the birds and the bees to our garden so that we could grown our own food without having it devoured by insects. He also bought me several geraniums and other herbs and plant seeds 

which I can inter-plant in our garden and under our fruit trees to discourage harmful insects and invite beneficial insects to the garden. 

I am also thankful for the members of my permaculture class who are organizing a plant swap for our final PDC weekend. I now that I will be able to get some lovely perennial plants which will be of great use in the garden.

I am particularly greatful for all the valuable knowledge I am gaining from my permaculture class, which is helping me to turn my once run down, bedraggled lawn into something worth bragging about. I now have a budding orchard of semi-dwarf fruit trees, a ten foot diameter herb garden right outside the door that produces nearly all the herbs we can eat, eight industrious little hens that provide us with more organic eggs than we can consume and a pair of charming ducks that we hope will help to control the slug population in our yard while providing hours of amusement to the other two and four legged inhabitants of the homestead. All in all I think I'm a pretty fortunate human being today. I just wanted to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for all the blessings that I have. I am also grateful for each of you who take the time to read my ramblings. I hope that I am able to provide you with something that is of value to you. Today, I am hopeful that you are able to take a few moments to reflect on what you are grateful for. As spring turns to summer and we begin to spend more time out in nature, I hope you will take some time to reflect on how fortunate ware are to have so many beautiful places that we can enjoy and experience the beauty of. Let's all work to keep them beautiful by remembering to live lightly.

When Will We Learn?

If the spike in fiery train derailments doesn't get us to start seriously rethinking our dependence on fossil fuels, I don' t know what will. Yet another today in Lynchburg, Virginia. So what do we do?

Some steps that we can take (this is only the tip of the iceberg, there are so many more)

• Decreasing our use of fossil fuel generated electricity by: changing to LED lighting, turning down the heat, eating more raw foods, putting lights on timers, using energy efficient appliances, reducing our reliance on electricity by hanging clothes to dry, washing clothes in cold water, and on and on. There are many great websites on reducing electricity consumption. A quick internet search will turn up dozens.
• Converting our electricity production to a non-centralized distributed grid powered by alternative energy sources.
• Converting our home heating systems to non fossil fuel systems. 
• Becoming a one car family
• Car pooling and or using public transportation
• Negotiating work from home arrangements with employers for at least part of the work week or changing employment to something closer to home.
• Reducing our use of products which are derived from petroleum. This takes some effort, research and label reading. As you know most plastics are derived from petroleum, but what some people don't realize is that many chemicals including those in our pharmaceuticals are also derived from petroleum. Other materials that contain petroleum derivatives include clothing, fertilizers, building materials, cosmetics, the list goes on, but one that might surprise you-petroleum by products can even be found in your FOOD! That's right there are petroleum by products in some food preservatives. See a PARTIAL list of products here.

Some of these steps are not easily achieved, but they are worth aiming for and they are worth working toward. Every step we take in the direction of reducing our dependence on fossil fuels is a step in the right direction and buys mankind another minute of breathing freely and living well on planet earth. 

Live light my friends!

PS. I don't care what they tell you Fracked Natural Gas is NOT the solution to oil. It is just a different path down the road to destruction. 

Follow Me - Contest - Big Announcement

Pictured above is the cover of "Cool Cuisine; Taking the Bite Out of Global Warming" by Laura Stec. It is both cookbook and handbook in one. This book teaches about the science behind Global Warming and how our food choices impact our planet's health and well being. There are also a number of fun, fabulous, healthy and planet friendly recipes. A good read and great resource. The companion website http://www.globalwarmingdiet.org/ is also a great resource for information on climate change.

This post is a blatant attempt to increase readership, and why not, it's all for a good cause. I have a big announcement coming up and I want to be sure that the news gets out to as many people as possible. It's going to be brilliant, amazing, fabulous and fun!

So,  here is what I propose. I have 5 copies of this fabulous book to give away. If you would like to have your name in the drawing, please subscribe to this blog and please send me an email at awensdaughter@gmail.com to let me know that you are subcribing and would like to have your name in the drawing. Also, if you share this post with friends and they subscribe and email me letting me know that you shared the post with them I will put them in the drawing and also add your name in again for each time  someone says you recommended them. And if they invite friends who do the same I will do the same for them, and so on. So everyone who subscribes gets their name in and they get their name in again for every person who drops their name as the one who invited them. Winners will be selected by random drawing on the day of the big announcement. Email addresses will be used only for selecting and notifying winners. If you would like to be added to my mailing list for other notifications and announcements please put that into your message. Your information will never by sold or shared with anyone else. 

Please share this with as many people as possible. And, due to the nature of the announcement, please share with your friends oversees as well. Let's aim high. Stay tuned here for contest updates and for the big announcement. 

And remember:

 "Travel light, live light, share the light, be the light."

                                                                                       Yogi Bhajan

UPDATES!! Be sure to check the comments for updates on this post. Thanks!

Years of Living Dangerously

A new ShowTime series examines the causes and impacts of climate change. While I may not agree with every opinion expressed in this show, I have to say that it definitely gets you to thinking about the impacts of human habitation and activity on the planet's ecosystems. It also examines the social impacts of climate change from poverty to, corruption to war.  And it looks into the future and the further impacts of these changes on our environment and climate as we progress through the current century. Please take the time to watch the premier which is available free online at this link http://yearsoflivingdangerously.com/

I find that I can still be shocked by the unbelievable willful destruction of our beautiful wild places for no better reason than greed! Perhaps worse than the greed is the apathy and ignorance of our own individual daily choices.  We need to examine our own choices and start holding the corporations that supply our daily needs to task for the actions that they take. We need to exercise our votes in the voting booth but also in the market place. We need to be informed so that we can understand what impact our lifestyles and daily choices are having on our potential future and the potential future of humanity as a whole.

Return of Surplus - First Fruits

Today I was going to do a post on movements moving together, and I'll come back to that, because I think it is important but this morning, while feeding the compost, I was inspired to share with you an experience I had a few years ago while picking blackberries.

One of the permaculture ethics is "fair share", also referred to as "return of surplus" both terms imply several things. They imply, take only what you need and, when you have more than you need, share it with others in your community. They also imply that we should give or leave a fair share for mother earth and that we should  share the knowledge of this practice with others. If we only take and take from mother earth and never give back or replenish the soil, eventually it will be unable to produce more food to sustain us. Think of industrial agriculture as strip mining of top soil...but again I digress, we are talking about return of surplus and first fruits (and we'll come to those blackberries by and by.)

For a time we had a small bowl on our dining room table. Before a meal each of us would place a small offering from our plates into the bowl. We would also pour a small amount of our water or juice into the bowl and we would mention one thing that we were feeling thankful for that day. After the meal we would be take it out and poured it on the earth as an offering and a thanks. I miss that bowl. I want to bring it back. It is a connection to our earth that we too easily forget and it is a good reminder of thankfulness practice, which is so important in our hectic day-to-day lives. It is also a reminder that we need to think about serving the earth BEFORE we think about serving ourselves. And this brings me back to those blackberries. 

Several years ago I was out picking blackberries. There were some amazing, large, delicious, juicy fruits. I wanted to eat them all. But then I got to thinking, if I eat all of the very best berries then it will be the small, bitter and pour producing plants that reproduce and after some years all that I would have on my land would be nasty little berries that no one would really want to eat unless they had to. Now blackberries being so prolific and birds being what they are, there isn't really a very great danger of that happening too quickly, but the principle still applies and more so with other more tender, less prolific plants. And this is when I had the Aha! moment. I realized that many scriptures and folk wisdom advocate giving back the first fruits. The first fruits would be early ripening, they would also likely be some of the best. It makes complete sense. If we are going to save seed, we choose the best fruits so that we propagate the best of the specimen that we want to preserve. So seed saving is also a way of giving fair share back to the earth. But the idea here is that we need to think of giving FIRST and that we may need to make some sacrifice, but that whatever small sacrifice we make will be more than paid back by the continued fertility and fecundity of the earth. 

Grrrrr.... I'm going to rant, so just be warned.

from http://www.calyouth.org/hey-youth-vote/

Ok, so while this is not strictly what you might think of as a One Earth Revolution post because it is not exactly about the environment or social movements, it IS about our society. It's about this business of campaign finance and the insistence of our Supreme Court to be complete imbeciles when it comes to the interpretation of our Constitution. I've got a BA in political science, so I think I've got some right to rant on this and anyway, any American with at least a rudimentary understanding of the English language has a right to rant on this. And here is my issue; Spending money is not speech. I don't care how creative they get with their definitions, handing over a wad of cash is not speech and is not a protected right under our Constitution. In fact, allowing a bunch of rich fat-cats to hand over a whole lot of money to purchase the right to be the only one that a congressman will listen to is both not speech and has the very detrimental outcome of effectively silencing the free speech of ordinary Americans who don't have the means to buy themselves a congressman! No one however seems to be concerned about the abridgment  of our right to free speech or this squelching of our voices. 

Speech is speech people. It means that you have a right to say what you believe. It doesn't mean that you have a right to pay people not to listen to the opinions of other people, which is basically what this comes down to. We have the right to speak our minds, whether that be on a soapbox in the public square or on national TV. We also have freedom of the press which allows us to put into print what we want to say. That's freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

We have to stop the buying of our Congressman and there is only one way to do it. We need to mobilize the vote. We need to start letting OUR voices be heard over the voices of those with the money. We don't have a lot of money, but we all have one vote. Maybe if we all start using our votes the money wont be quite so important. Do you realize that in off year elections less than 50% of us exercise our most fundamental right as citizens? And in presidential election years it is little better, hovering around 60%. We also have the right of free speech and it is time we stop feeling like we can't do anything about the issues and start using our voices and our pens. Write to your newspaper, email your congressmen, put a sign on your front lawn. If we don't exercise our rights as citizens, we should be little surprised when we find them slowly and then more and more rapidly being stripped away from us. 

Transition- A Reprise

Totnes, Devon, England: a transition town

In a post in December I mentioned the US Transition Movement. I recently came across a couple of great videos done by the founders of the Transition movement, which I will share with you at the end of the post. But first, what is "Transition"? What's all the hype? and why is it important? Transition is a grass roots movement of people taking action toward affecting positive change in our communities and our environment surrounding the most plaguing problems addressing the world and our societies today. Problems such as access to good healthy food and quality healthcare. Issues such as community development and of course climate change, peak oil,  and economic sustainability. These initiatives have been mobilizing and unifying communities around the world for the passed 9 years. Transition groups are taking action where action is needed, at the local level, without waiting for government intervention or government funding. This is exactly the kind of action we need in order to achieve the change necessary to rebuild, reshape and reform our societies and our economies into functioning systems that will be stable and sustainable over the next century or more as we deal with the end of cheap fossil energy. 

I hope that you will enjoy and be inspired by these videos. And after you have seen them a challenge you to answer this question? Transition New England anyone? How about Mid-Coast, South East, Mid-West, South Central, North West, South West; or how about just the town, block or street where you live? Every movement starts somewhere. Why not right there, right now, wherever you are?

This first is Rob Hopkins, the founder of the transition movement, speaking about the Transition experience of his home town of Totnes, at TEDxExeter. If that gets  you excited about the Transition Towns Movement, please what "In Transition 2.0" a more lengthy, but very worthwhile video which goes more deeply into the movement and the "Transition" process.

Cheers.