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From Edible South Shore When I was young, my Uncle Bob said that Thanksgiving was the holiday that you pulled everything up out of the ground by its roots, boiled them to death, beat them to a pulp and dressed them with salt, pepper and butter, the Holy Trinity of New England sauces. And so it [...] From Mark Bittman at the New York Times: This year, Slow Food USA, which defines “slow food” as good for its eaters, its producers and the environment — a definition anyone can get behind — set out to demonstrate that slow food can also be affordable, not only a better alternative to fast food but a [...] As part of a collaborative effort with Rural Vermont, Post Oil Solutions wants to make sure that area farmers are aware that local volunteers are prepared to help them deal with the damage they suffered from Irene. To that end, we have helped organize a Rapid Farm Response Brigade for our [...] Heating up crop production with this ancient soil amendment. By Dr. Robert M. East, Ph.D. For farmers and gardeners within the Northern Hemisphere, biochar produced from woody plant slash and animal manure can provide a sustainable source of soil amendments which help close the loop in the carbon cycle. http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/20110802_whats-the-big-deal-with-biochar There are so many ways to use pumpkins as teaching tools. Our Ag in the Classroom colleagues around the country have developed some universally useful lessons which can be downloaded for free. See below for the links. Alabama Agriculture in the Classroom has created a thematic unit which integrates pumpkins [...] Heidi Bundy, Tomapo Farm, Lebanon, NH At the top of Storrs Hill from the family farm’s side porch Heidi Bundy looks out over the property that has been in the Storrs – Townsend families since 1769. Below, at the bottom of a grassy lawn, she points out [...] With the Earth’s cropland quickly eroding, a shift to perennials is needed for a sustainable food supply. The foundation of humanity’s food supply is crumbling.The United Nations now estimates that more than 20 per cent of the Earth’s cultivated soils have been significantly degraded, while in the United States, 28 per cent of cropland is [...] ( Steve Legge / Associated Press ) – In this photo taken Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011, Ed Champine watches the cutting blades as he harvests wheat at the Butterworks Farm in Westfield, Vt. Small farmers on the nation’s coasts are growing wheat again as more people clamor for locally grown food. An estimated 30 farmers [...] Last fall, MOTHER EARTH NEWS launched a Organic Pest Control Survey to learn more about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to limiting insect damage in organic vegetable gardens. About 1,300 gardeners from across North America responded, providing new, region-specific insight into organic pest control. Read [...] |
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Back to the Land, Reluctantly
By Susan Gregory Thomas, published in the New York Times:
I’m not interested in being hip or a hippie. Nor does my happiness particularly hinge on artisanal cheese. (Odd, perhaps, given that I grew up a stone fruit’s throw away from Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif.)
As a 42-year-old Brooklyn mother of three, what I care about [...]
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