Made in Oregon

Community Supported Agriculture Links.....Boston, Santa Cruz and Portland

This is a link to Metro Boston community supported agriculture
http://www.farmfresh.org/food/csa.php?zip=02215

This is a link to Santa Cruz community supported agriculture
http://www.ecovian.com/s/santa-cruz-ca/csa-food-delivery

This is a link to Portland Oregon community supported agriculture
http://portlandcsa.org/

Fish Tale Organic Amber Ale.........Olympia WA

Fish Tale Organic Ales

Nestled in the lush bosom of the Republic of Cascadia, the Fish Tale Brewery has been home to celebrated ales since 1993. Hand-crafting here at the famed 40-Barrel Brewhouse, the Mighty Fish Brewers create their proudest achievements: Award-winning Fish Tale Organic Ales.

Brewed in the great Cascadian tradition, Fish Tale Organic Ales spring purely from Certified Organic malted barley and the finest hops available. What results are robustly delightful ales that salute organic farming and all of the benefits it brings to our table.

At Fish Tale we believe that fresh beer, fine food and hearty friendships are what the Cascadian life is all about. It's an honor being part of this happy heritage. We welcome you to share in it with us.

Cypress Grove Chevre is an amazing goat cheese producer with sustainable practices

Cheesemaker Recognized for Support of Local Family Dairies and Land Preservation

ARCATA, CA – April 1, 2008 - Northern California cheesemaker Cypress Grove Chevre (www.cypressgrovechevre.com), America's leading goat cheese producer, has a new reason to celebrate its 25th anniversary: the company recently received recognition for its sustainable business practices with a Green Entrepreneur award from SAFE-BIDCO, a California organization that recognizes companies that champion sustainable business practices and are committed to environmental stewardship. Cypress Grove was nominated for the award by California Assemblywoman Patty Berg, whose nomination letter noted the company's "deep commitment to local environmental sensitivity" and the fact that much of its goat milk "comes from small, local pasture-based family farms, preserving open space, and sustaining the livelihoods of small goat dairies."

Cypress Grove founder and cheesemaker Mary Keehn started making cheese in 1983 after buying a small herd of Alpine goats to provide the healthiest milk for her children. She soon had a surplus of milk and began experimenting with cheese, which quickly led to a winning chevre recipe and demand from Northern California's best chefs and retailers. "We've always believed in being a community-based business and are passionate about preserving the small farms and healthy land that produce top-quality milk," said Keehn. "So I guess you could say from the beginning 25 years ago, we've been a green business." Keehn received the prestigious award, presented by Assemblywoman Berg, at a luncheon ceremony in Sacramento on March 26. The SAFE-BIDCO Green Entrepreneur awards, which are in their sixth year, support its mission to cultivate economic development through programs for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

ABOUT CYPRESS GROVE CHEVRE

Cypress Grove Chevre is the leading producer of fine American goat cheese including the top-selling American artisanal classic, Humboldt Fog. Founded in 1983 by Mary Keehn, Cypress Grove celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2008 and continues a tradition of innovation by introducing original American cheeses to the marketplace. Cypress Grove produces fresh, soft-ripened and aged cheeses and was awarded Outstanding Product Line at the 2007 Fancy Food Show New York City. Based in Arcata, CA, where the Redwoods meet the Pacific, Cypress Grove's award-winning family of products are found at fine retail outlets and dining establishments throughout the United States.

Why Choose Organic

Why Choose Organic

OMSCo, The Organic Milk Suppliers Cooperative which represents nearly 400 organic dairy farmers in the UK, has recently combined all of the recent research in to organic dairy farming in three handy fact sheets. This will give you the most up-to-date information out there on the health, environmental and animal welfare.

It tastes better

Many people buy organic food because they believe it tastes better than non-organic food. No one is quite sure why this should be. It’s thought it might be because organically reared animals and fruit grow more slowly and the fruits have a lower water content than non-organic ones.


It's better for you and your family

Research suggests that organic milk is very beneficial to health and well-being. Organic milk is typically higher in vitamins and beneficial nutrients. It includes more Omega 3, vitamin E and beta carotene (which the body converts to vitamin A) than non-organic milk.

Eating organic food also means you’re reducing your exposure to potentially harmful pesticides, additives and antibiotics.

On non-organic farms, over 440 pesticides can be used. Their residues can often be found in the food they produce. The Soil Association only allows organic farmers to use four pesticides – and these can only be used as a last resort. Instead, organic farms control pests using natural predators. They maintain fertile soil using traditional methods such as crop rotation.

Non-organic animals are routinely fed antibiotics to help speed up their growth. These antibiotics are linked to bacterial resistance to the same and closely related antibiotics in humans – making any antibiotics we may take when we’re ill less effective. Soil Association standards prohibit the routine use of antibiotics.

It’s better for the Environment

Organic farms have 44% more birds and five times as many wild flowers as non-organic ones, helping to preserve biodiversity.

The UK government has admitted that organic farms cause less pollution from sprays and create less dangerous wastes. They also admit they produce less carbon dioxide, the main global warming gas.

It’s better for the animals

No system of farming has higher levels of animal welfare standards than organic farms working to Soil Association standards. All organic farmers aim to keep their animals happy, comfortable and contented.

Unless they are ill, organic animals are never given antibiotics. This means that they grow at a rate that is natural and healthy. As a result they live longer and have a better quality of life. If our dairy cows are treated with antibiotics, they’re removed from the herd and their milk is not used until the antibiotics have cleared their system. Organic dairy cows produce more milk over their lifetimes than non-organic ones.

Keiko Oikawa photography

The Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems @ UC Santa Cruz

UC Santa Cruz

The Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems

is a research, education, and public service program at the

University of California, Santa Cruz, dedicated to increasing

ecological sustainability and social justice in the food and

agriculture system.

On the UCSC campus, the Center operates the 2-acre

Alan Chadwick Garden and the 25-acre Farm. Both sites are

managed using organic production methods and serve

as research, teaching, and training facilities for students,

staff, and faculty.

http://casfs.ucsc.edu/index.html

Organic Milk Is that important

http://www.organicmilk.org/

Organic dairies struggling, too

The demand for organic milk and dairy products has grown by

double digits each year since 2005, until this year. Now the shrinking

economy has pushed consumer demand for pricey organic products

down and that has left some organic farms in trouble.

Home Preserver Wins Nobel for Economics

Home Preserver Wins Nobel for Economics
From DailyFinance, October 12, 2009

On Monday, Elinor Ostrom became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in economics, along with fellow American Oliver Williamson. In addition to being a surprise winner, Ostrom's research had a surprising inspiration: her mother's tomatoes and carrots. "My mother had a victory garden during the war," Ostrom notes in her National Institutes of Health profile, "so I learned all about growing vegetables and preserving them by canning."

Describing how others in her hometown of Los Angeles--as well as other communities in the U.S. and Britain--worked together during World War II to grow food, Ostrom used her research to demonstrate how government bodies, neighborhoods, even schools of fish can act together for the common good when they face a shortage of resources. . . .
Ostrom's work deals with transactions not commonly considered by financially focused researchers. Having studied water management in Los Angeles and irrigation systems in Nepal, Ostrom also has researched fisheries worldwide to discover that the most sustainable way to manage fish stocks is to let the fisheries determine how to share the resources. She found that privatizing public resources--allowing one body to make decisions about the use of resources--is inferior to letting a diverse group of bodies (such as a group of fishermen) make collective decisions. . . .

It's just the kind of enlightenment we need, I think--not just a statement of women's power, but a jolt that, like the Obama award of the Peace prize last Friday, challenges convential wisdom. Regulation and privatization has done nothing but made a mess of our valuable public resources--particularly in the food systems Ostrom studies. Unconventional farmers tend to make the right decisions when they rationally manage their natural resources, she has found, in conserving the soil, finding new ways to manage crops without excessive irrigation, and putting livestock on the land that sustains it most efficiently.

In that sense, the Nobel committee has awarded an economist whose work applauds sustainable agriculture and urges fewer state regulations and incentives (like petroleum subsidies and encouragement of destructive monocultures). The decision bodes well for future policy decisions by agriculture and marine-management bodies around the
world--perhaps it even foretells their disbanding. Best of all, it could ultimately result in better food for all of us.
--Sarah Gilbert

Pacific Northwest wallpaper...........This place is truly amazing

Walnut-Lavender Bread............Jerry Traunfeld

Walnut-Lavender Bread

• SERVINGS: MAKES 2 LOAVES

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 1/2 cups water, at room temperature
2. I package active dry yeast (not rapid rise)
3. 3 cups unbleached bread flour
4. 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
5. 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh lavender buds or 3/4 tablespoon dried
6. 2 teaspoons salt
7. 1 cup walnut halves or pieces (3 ounces)
8. 
   
   
   
   

   DIRECTIONS

   1. I. Pour the water into a food processor and sprinkle the yeast on top. Add the flour, honey, lavender and salt and process for 1 minute. Add the walnuts and pulse just until they're evenly incorporated into the dough. Scrape the side and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. The dough should be very soft and sticky. Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover and let rise in the refrigerator for at least 12 and up to 24 hours.
   2. On a lightly floured work surface, pat the dough into a 10-inch square. Fold it in half, pat it out a little, then fold it in half again so that you end up with a 6inch square. Cut the dough in half.
   3. Stretch out each piece of dough to a 9-by-4-inch oval. It will look like the sole of a very big shoe. Transfer the loaves to a lightly floured baking sheet. Cover with a dish towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
   4. Preheat the oven to 375°. Bake the loaves on the middle shelf for 30 to 35 minutes, or until browned. Cool completely on a rack before slicing.
   
   
   
   
   

keiko Oikawa Photographer

Keiko Oikawa is an amazing photographer and has produced stunning work.  She is one of my favorites and I hope you visit her website to see more of her work.

Parducci Wine Cellars......1st U.S. Carbon Neutral Winery Mendocino, CA

Parducci Wine Cellars, Mendocino, California, U.S.A.: 100% Carbon-Neutral
In April of this year, Parducci announced its switch to 100% solar and wind power, making it America’s first carbon-neutral winery. Nestled in California’s Medocino County, the family-owned winery buys its grapes from local vendors, practices organic farming methods and pest management, and uses biodiesel tractors and eco-friendly packaging. Consider packing their July Wines of the Month—Parducci Sustainable White and Sustainable Red—into your picnic basket. ::Parducci Wine Cellars

Fields Of Plenty.....The search for real food and the people that grow it

"The chronicle of a farmer's journey to the frontiers of American agriculture today, Fields of Plenty is a book of rare beauty and hope. American agriculture is in the process of being reinvented by the farmers Michael Ableman introduces us to here, and to overhear these pioneers in conversation with one of their own is exhilarating."
- Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma 


http://www.fieldsofplenty.com/

Urban foraging redefines local food........sent from Heather

Today Heather sent me a couple of really great videos worth checking out.  I posted one today and the other will be tomorrow.  How amazing natures treats all around us passing by along our hikes and strolls.
Get out your containers, dinner is just a walk away.
http://www.boston.com/video/viral_page/?/services/player/bcpid21962023001&bctid=35781766001

Rooftop Gardens are a University success

From Rooftop to Restaurant - A University Cafe Fed by a Rooftop Garden

Co-written by Aimee Blyth and Leslie Menagh
aimeeblyth@trentu.ca

First published in Canadian Organic Grower Magazine

Visible from either side of the Otonabee River, a mere five-minute stroll across the Trent University campus bridge, a rooftop garden and little café are working toward social and environmental change, specifically a shift in food culture.
For about a decade now, Professor Tom Hutchinson, a local farmer and ecologist, has been supervising an intensive vegetable garden on the roof of the Environmental Sciences building at Trent University. The reasons for the garden are many. Historically, it has provided a site for monitoring the effects of air pollution and smog on agricultural crops. More recently, it has served as learning space for students in the Food and Agriculture Emphasis Program at the school. And in Toms' own words, "it demonstrates our ability to use unused space for productive purposes. Since most people live in cities it behooves us to maximize the ecological aspects of the urban environment. Rooftop gardens clean up pollution and create esthetically pleasing, calming places to be."

Today, the garden grows organic food for local groups interested in food security and sustainable agriculture. Among these is The Seasoned Spoon Café. "The Spoon" as the restaurant is affectionately called, has a mandate to source its ingredients locally thereby reducing the energy it takes to transport healthy food to consumers. It is the only restaurant of its kind at the university as it is a student-run, independent co-operative that stands as a politically driven alternative to Aramark. The American food catering giant which predominantly provides food on campus contracts other corporations such as Tim Hortons and Pizza Pizza. So, like Tom's rooftop, The Spoon also provides unique opportunities for practical learning, from studies in small business operation to bioregionalism.
While most students are away for the summer, the rooftop and the restaurant have hired us: a gardener and a summer cook. With a shared love for all things gastronomic and growing, staff, volunteers, and Spoon customers are increasingly aware of the varied components of local food culture, and their interdependence. Spoon cooks can often be found weeding, sifting compost, or harvesting food, in turn deepening their appreciation for seasonality.
Whereas fast food may have been an attractive novelty some decades ago, we have seen a significant shift in the desires of eaters at the university and beyond, toward food that is ethically produced. It tastes better because the flavours are as fresh and varied as local farmers' produce. Furthermore, the price is as easy to swallow as any other food served at the school, and is often less costly. In fact, what we're seeing is that taste is determined by much more than what generically-produced, hyper-packaged products could ever offer - the ingredients of which have travelled farther than any human is likely to travel in their lifetime, chocked full of unpronounceable preservatives that enable it to do so. People like to feel good about what they're eating. It feels - and therefore tastes - better "to know that the means of production are ecologically and socially sound", says TimWilson, customer and member of The Spoon. And at the rooftop garden, we are committed to doing just that.

New Burger Buns

Tonight we had our great friend Shells Bells over for dinner on her way back to Bend from the coast.  It was good times, love ya Shells.  We all ate burgers and fresh hand cut fries.  I got this ancho molasses bbq sauce by Tom Douglas and it was amazing.  I also had to add Rogue Valley blue cheese and peppered thick cut bacon mmmmm good!  The Beef was local organic running about $6.99 lb but we got 20% off and the cheese was $4.30.  Andrea had told me about these buns to try that were about half the bread, we gave them a shot and were actually really good and manageable especially if you were to add lots of toppings.  They are somewhat like a pita but not really..........?  Give em a try an tell me what you think.

Sustainable Seafood

The Super Green List:

Connecting Human and Ocean Health

Seafood plays an important role in a balanced diet. 

It's often rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help 

boost immunity and reduce the risk of heart disease, 

stroke, cancer and other ailments. Omega-3s are 

especially important for pregnant and 

nursing women, and young children. 

Unfortunately, some fish carry toxins that 

can become harmful when eaten frequently.

Good for You, Good for the Oceans

Combining the work of conservation and public health organizations, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has identified seafood that is "Super Green," meaning that it is good for human health and does not harm the oceans. The Super Green list highlights products that are currently on the Seafood Watch "Best Choices" (green) list, are low in environmental contaminants and are good sources of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.

This effort draws from experts in human health, notably scientists from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). The Monterey Bay Aquarium will continue to work with these organizations to balance the health and environmental attributes of seafood.

The Super Green list includes seafood that meets the following three criteria:

• Low levels of contaminants (below 216 parts per billion [ppb] mercury and 11 ppb PCBs)
• The daily minimum of omega-3s (at least 250 milligrams per day [mg/d])*
• Classified as a Seafood Watch "Best Choice" (green)

Contaminants in Seafood

Seafood contaminants include metals (such as mercury, which affects brain function and development), industrial chemicals (PCBs and dioxins) and pesticides (DDT). These toxins usually originate on land and make their way into the smallest plants and animals at the base of the ocean food web. As smaller species are eaten by larger ones, contaminants are concentrated and accumulated. Large predatory fish—like swordfish and shark—end up with the most toxins. You can minimize risks by choosing seafood carefully. Use our Super Green list and learn more about contaminants in seafood on the EDF website.

*The Best of the Best: October 2009

• Albacore Tuna (troll- or pole-caught, from the U.S. or British Columbia)
• Mussels (farmed)
• Oysters (farmed)
• Pacific Sardines (wild-caught)
• Pink Shrimp (wild-caught, from Oregon)
• Rainbow Trout (farmed)
• Salmon (wild-caught, from Alaska)
• Spot Prawns (wild-caught, from British Columbia)

**Other Healthy "Best Choices"

• Arctic Char (farmed)
• Bay Scallops (farmed)
• Crayfish (farmed, from the U.S.)
• Dungeness Crab (wild-caught, from California, Oregon or Washington)
• Longfin Squid (wild-caught, from the U.S. Atlantic)
• Pacific Cod (longline-caught, from Alaska)

Cacao photography

Melon caviar......molecular gastronomy just for fun

Spherification is a spectacular cooking technique we introduced at elBulli in 2003 which enables us to prepare recipes that no-one had even imagined before. It consists of the controlled gelification of a liquid which, submerged in a bath, forms spheres. There are two kinds: Basic Spherification (which consists of submerging a liquid with Algin in a bath of Calcic) and Reverse Spherification(submerging a liquid with Gluco in a bath of Algin). These techniques can obtain spheres of different sizes: caviar, eggs, gnocchi, ravioli... In both techniques, the spheres produced can be manipulated, since they are slightly flexible. We can introduce solid elements into the spheres, which will remain in suspension in the liquid, which obtains two or more flavours in a single preparation. In Basic Spherification, with some ingredients it is necessary to use Citras to correct the acidity; in Reverse Spherification, Xantana is generally used for thickening. This photo is from El Buli Restaurant in Spain.

MELON CAVIAR

For the Cantaloupe melon juice 

· 1 Cantaloupe melon 500 g 

1 Peel the melon and remove the pips. 

2 Shred the flesh of the melon in a blender. 

3 Pass the juice obtained through a superbag. 

4 Keep in the fridge. 

For the Cantaloupe melon spherical caviar base 

· 250 g Cantaloupe melon juice (preparation above) 

· 2 g Algin 

1 Mix the Algin with 1/3 of the melon juice.

2 Shred in a blender to obtain an even mixture without lumps. 

3 Mix with the remaining 2/3, strain and keep at room

 temperature for 30 min. 

For the Calcic bath 

· 6.5 g Calcic 

· 1000 g water 

1 Dissolve the Calcic in the water with a beater.

2 Put the mixture in a container that allows for a height of

 about 5 cm. 

3 Keep. 

For the melon caviar 

1 Fill 4 syringes with the melon caviar mixture. 

2 Drip into the water and Calcic mix. Leave to cook for 1 min. 

3 Strain and wash the melon caviar obtained in cold water,

 strain off the excess water. 

4 Put 25 g melon caviar in a container (for example, a caviar tin). 

5 Put 8 passion fruit seeds and a sprig of fresh mint on top of

 the caviar.

Quillisascut Farm School of the Domestic Arts WA

Farm School

In 2002 Lora Lea and Rick started the Quillisascut (Quil-li-sas-cut) Farm School of the Domestic Arts, “We want our farm to be a place where people can learn together, to understand where their food is coming from,” says Lora Lea. The Misterlys’ vision for the farm soon encompassed the larger community of farmers, chefs, restaurateurs, and others who have a place in the farm-to-table continuum. Lora Lea and Rick want to show us the intricate web that links producers and consumers with the land.

The School offers participatory education about where food comes from, changing the way people cook and eat for a better food future. Retreat participants will stay in the farm school, with bunkhouse-style lodging, shared bathrooms and a professional kitchen.

Program offerings:

• Farm Culinary 101 - Culinary Professional Development
• Intro to Farming - Introduction to Small Scale Sustainable Farming
• High School Teachers - Food Choices that Make a Difference; Casting a Lighter Food-print
• Sense of Place - Developing a Food Culture and Sense of Place
• Parent and Child - Discovering the Farm and Garden
• Hearth Breads - A bakers dream, wood fired ovens and grain based cookery
• Slow Food Youth - The Slow Food mission of “Good, Clean, Fair”
• School Gardens - Building  the classroom connections from the soil  to the table.
• Living With Intention - Creating Peace with Every Step

http://quillisascut.com/

Kopi luwak

I know they have had this for a long time in Indonesia but it is still interesting where the most expensive coffee in the world is from.  Tell me what you think?

Natural Kopi Luwak

Natural kopi luwak is completely untreated kopi, as it is collected with no additional processing. The beans are hand collected from where they lay on the jungle floor, bagged, and then sent to Animalcoffee where they are eventually turned into the world's most exclusive gourmet beverage.

The individual beans are naturally glued together in the stomach of the Luwak, there is no artificial adhesive involved, yet kopi luwak collected in this fashion appears remarkably clean and is completely odour free.

Depending on where the kopi luwak is collected there may be a predominance of either Arabica or Robusta grown which ensures the Luwak Coffee is of a particular type. Alternatively both Arabica and Robusta may be grown within close proximity of each other, as is the practice in some areas of west Sumatra, in which case both kinds of coffee cherry are eaten by the Luwak and the resulting kopi luwak is a blend of coffee created naturally in the stomach of the Luwak. A bagful of freshly collected kopi luwak in its natural state is brittle and needs to be transported carefully to avoid ending up as individual beans, which are generally unacceptable to Animalcoffee. To obtain beans while still in this state they must be collected almost immediately after they are deposited on the forest floor. Once they have been exposed to the elements for even a very short period, particularly in the rainy season, they break down into individual beans and we can no longer be sure that they are genuine kopi luwak.

Freshies

       This is from interfacelift.....Photo with nikon camera w/macro lens

How was it prepared?

Recently we had some friends that drove from Bend to Santa Monica for a little vacation.  While out at a restaurant that evening one of them decided to have the lamb.  The restaurant itself impeccable and the food was top notch although she was feeling under the weather and decided not to eat the meal with plans of retiring for the evening.  On the way back to the car they were approached by a homeless man inquiring about change.  They decided why not offer him this meal.....She hadn't touched it and maybe it would fill his belly.  When they offered the food the man asked what it was.  She said it was lamb and that it looked amazing.  His response was "where is it from and how was it prepared".

Community Supported Agriculture

Community Supported Agriculture

Early in the year (January – March) is a good time to sign up for a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share. CSA stands for community supported agriculture, where individuals pledge support to a farm in return for high quality food and farm products.  Members, also called shareholders, collectively invest in a local farm by funding the whole season’s budget in advance.  In return they receive a proportion of the harvest throughout the growing season, as well as the satisfaction from participating directly in the production of their food. There are variations to this type of farming, but most CSA farmers have members pay for the whole season in advance and the members receive a weekly basket of produce during the growing season, usually June - October.  Other CSA farms allow weekly or monthly payments and others require members to work a small amount of hours on the farm during the growing season.  CSA farming creates a very strong relationship between the consumer and producer, which benefits all that are involved. By investing in a CSA share, you, the shareholder, assume with the farmer both the risks and rewards of growing the food you eat. If it’s a good year, you get more local food. If it’s a down year, you receive less in your basket each week.

Not only is this a great way to get to know a local farmer, and support their continuing economic viability, but you become intimately attuned to what is in season. Each week at a predetermined pick-up spot, generally from about June to October, you receive a box of produce (and sometimes eggs, meat, and flowers) that were just harvested. For some, this is an adventure in eating.  What’s this crazy looking vegetable called a cardoon, and how the heck do I cook it? For some, the pressure to eat everything in your box can be a bit overwhelming. In that case, sharing with friends, or buying a ½ or ¾ share is a good route.

Why buy a CSA share?  It’s a good value. You get to eat the freshest possible, delicious fruits and vegetables each week, grown nearby. You can’t get food this fresh in the store.  You know who grew your food, and how they grew it. And, the price of a CSA share is often less than comparable vegetables would be at the grocery store. But yours are fresher!

CSA is also good for local farmers.  CSA farmers keep 100 percent of every consumer food dollar, while on average conventional farmers receive only $0.21 of every consumer food dollar. If you want to support local, sustainable agriculture and the protection of farmland, this is a great way to do it. And, how many people can say they have a local farmer?

Smoking Gun Handheld Smoker

Smoking Gun Handheld Smoker

Excellent for finishing products that are cooked Sous Vide or other methods where food is not normally directly exposed to fire or Smoke. Use classic flavors, such as hickory, mesquite, applewood, cherrywood, or let your imagination take over with things like Lapsang Souchong tea, lavender, or clove.

If you are someone that likes to play around with food alot this is a fun gift.  You can cover fresh salad greens and put the hose in the container for just a second depending on how smokey you like the flavor.  You can infuse the flavor of herbs into salad mix.  This item is about $80 at JB Prince but I thought it was fun enough to tell ya about.

food map container

This is a great idea if you have only a small space on a patio or something.  I found these in Dwell magazine and because we have been in alot of cities with little apartments it seemed very promising.

Dinner photo's and golden nugget squash pie

   

Tonight we roasted some parsnips, golden nugget squash and elephant garlic. We are using our squash for a healthier little pie. The parsnips and garlic we tossed with the fresh beans. All the produce we got from the The Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island. We get our cases of apples there from $8-10 and about 8 varieties local. Our fresh corn we get there is about 4 ears for $1 and about 5 varieties including one called Peaches and Cream which is amazing.

Hickory smoked local pork chops slow cooked on the grill in the overcast weather. The hickory smell drifts down the walkway, 30 feet before you get to the door it smells like a southern smoker. The lemon zest went into a fresh whip cream to dip fruit in. Blake loves to peel or grate and loves to know what he can work on next before the first item is prepped. We usually put on some music and within seconds we catch blake dancing himself off his step stool. He's a blast!

Urban Farming

Locals of late have decided to take back overrun lots and empty spaces all over the city as well free space in their own backyards.  Plant a garden and grow your own produce,  backyard to table ensuring the most vitamins possible in everything you eat.  City garden farms in Portland is one group helping to transform unused areas in to city farms.
www.citygardenfarms.com

Check out this hip little trailer style coop.   Although this may be a little much for some of us it's not that far fetched from what's best.  If you go to your local farmers market website to the vendor list you can find sustainable local farms and farmers that are within reasonable distance.  We have researched local farms to us and have picked a few to go through for meat as well as produce.  For us grass fed, free range, no hormone, no antibiotic........FOOD has been night and day.  Enjoy the difference

Food Inc. is a new release Documentary that opens your eyes to government controlled food. ughk!  It's worth watching and is from the author of the Omnivores Dilemma.  Enjoy and let me know what you think.

The meatrix

The Meatrix is a  animation film short and continues with part 2 and 3. Take the red pill.
This cartoon animation won alot of indie film awards

Sustainable foods? Local? I'm sure there's questions.

Local vs. sustainable

Sustainable agriculture involves food production methods that are healthy, do not harm the environment, respect workers, are humane to animals, provide fair wages to farmers, and support farming communities. Sustainability includes buying food as locally as possible. Buying local food does not guarantee that it is sustainably produced. Pesticides, chemical fertilizers,factory farming, hormone use, and non-therapeutic use of antibiotics can all be involved in local food production, so it's important to make sure that the local food you buy is from farmers or gardeners using sustainable methods.

Economics of localwww.sustainabletable.org

The significant difficulties of earning a living wage as a farmer are often masked by headlines about subsidies and record high crop prices. In reality, farmers are earning less producing crops these days than they did in 1969, despite the fact that American farmers have almost doubled productivity over the past four decades. Farmers aren't just earning less, current prices do not even cover the cost of production. Until just recently the difference between farm income nationwide and what it cost to grow and raise American crops could be counted in the billions.⁵To make ends meet, and often to get health insurance, more than half of American farmers work a second off-farm job.⁶

Buying locally or directly from farmers can dramatically increase a farmer's income. The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardener's Association published a study that demonstrates what would happen if consumers shifted 1% of their purchasing power to buy locally grown products: farmers would see a gain of 5% in their income.⁷ Even better, buying direct from a farmer sends 90% of those food dollars back to the farm.⁸ Increasing farm income means more money can be spent locally by the farmer to run their business and home, helping keep the local economy alive.

Annually, Americans consume more than $600 billion⁹ in food. In most communities today food is purchased entirely at a grocery store or market, with only about 7% of local food dollars staying in the community.¹⁰ The other 93% of the modern food dollar travels to pay processors, packagers, distributors, wholesalers, truckers and the rest of the infrastructure that a global food system demands, a stark comparison to 40% in 1910 by contrast, 40% of food dollars spend remained in the local economy.¹¹ When more food dollars stay in the community, through buying local, they are transformed into thriving main streets and local jobs.