Books to Inspire

~ Oakland, California & Tennessee ~

I'll be the fisrt to admit I'm a little slow on the uptake. I've been in a foreign land for two years, the after affects of which I fondly and aptly named the African Hangover. This means I know little about the latest pop culture, or CNN news, and get excited when I hear a song that is New to me. So I'll anxiously ask the nearest friend, "Have you heard this yet?!",  and then feel slightly crest fallen when I see their expression and await their reply as this person figures out how to tell me nicely, if not politely that the song has been out for over a year: "Uh, yeah...Must have come out when... er... you were... away."

So that means these two books were published when I was across a large ocean. And due to the game of catch up as a result of my own personal recession, one publication currently carries the hipster/trendy label even while human interest in agriculture precede us by thousands of years.

And Novella Carpenter (her last name prescribes her activities, I think) wrote 'The Education of an Urban Farmer'. A happy, but often sassy exploration of a woman's successful, but also sometimes frustrating efforts to grow her own vegetables, and foster her own animals - for the kill. The title implies the location: all her agrarian activities took place not only in a city setting, but in her backyard. Localvorians be pleased, Vegetarians proceed with caution. :)

     And before I had a chance to get my hands on this urban farming tale, I was lucky to be loaned yet another eye opener. Different prose, slightly different objectives, former New York City resident and policy maker, gone community Tennessee gardener and earth monger Sandor Ellix Katz offers concrete facts and impertinent doses of information with a soft and teaching kind of tone. I liked it. A lot. Especially all the fun antidotes about America's underground food movements, and the eclectic recipes that made me want to begin experimenting with cooking ideas at 2 in the morning - the hours I often found myself reading the pages.

 

This book, a bit more than Carpenter's, gave me a hefty gulp of energizing, and an antsy taste of activism. Make seed saving an act of Patriotism! Break the law by consuming raw milk! Participate in the trade and barter of unpasteurized cheese!

Yes, please. And Read on.

Trying to Remain PatientWhile the World Evolves.

- Senegal/Global -

It's been an interesting two and a half months since returning from the Peace Corps. Not that anything particularly exciting has happend, infact just the opposite, and it's that unexpected inverse of events that has gotten me in a state of...well. Shock.

Returning from an incredibly foreign country, and living in a small village where cans of tomato paste, sardines, pasta, rice and onions were typically the plate du jour, I've since found this growing fascination with food. Plus, I worked in gardens over there in Africa, so I was introduced, and happily welcomed those unbelievable and reassuring moments of pulling carrots from the ground, cutting heads of cabbage from their stubby stalks, and watching my green beans grow plump; always a reminder to myself and the people around, that growing food was one of the most miraculous events we could possibly perform in an otherwise barren area.

SO. Now back in the United States living in the Northeast, it's incredibly frustrating (and yes, also very inspiring!) to read about amazing and wonderful urban farming pursuits, around the country and all over the world - like this women above featured in a UN article concerning the development of urban farming as an initiative to help poor and underdeveloped parts of the globe create food safety and sovereignty - but to also meet dead end job opportunities in a time of Cold winter, little greenhouse access, and ultimately a standstill in the farming realm at this time of year.

I know - What did I expect???

Well, that's why I plan to move to the west coast in the spring - where the greens are a'plenty and the movements and activism are shaking in their rubber work boots.

In the meantime, what is one to do? Met with obstacle after obstacle, and boring day after boring day, it's a wonder more people don't crazy around here!

So reading about the UN's initiatives has certainly revived an otherwise gloomy day, and provided *some* hope that not only is the world interested in making food more available and potentially healthier (no pesticides, please!), but that perhaps one can *pay rent* while taking part.

F A R M S C H O O L

 - NY, NY -

Yes! Take classes - at night and the weekends, if you so please - to learn more about Urban Ag. 

Get certified via a 2 year program, or take individual classes. 

Get schooled for 1 week, or 6. 

Pretty sweet, right?

Do Ya Dig IT ?

- NY, NY -

Photo Via Lizchristygarden.org

Liz Cristy, artist, environmentalist and gardener activist lived in the Lower East Side in the 1960's and 70's, promoting long lasting and healthy community green spaces in New York City. In 73' when she gathered several friends and community participants to clean out a vacant lot on the corner of Bowery and Houston, the Green Gorillas were born, and so continued as the members proliferated other city owned lots initiating the community gardening movement in the City.

Photo Via Nycgovparks.org

A favorite spot can be found at the 6th and B Garden in the East Village:

6th and B Garden Collage Sculpture by Eddie Boro's, 1998. Photo via Flickr Mollynme80's

The 6th & B Garden - Photo via Flickr HugLion

Corner of 6th and B circa 1972 - Photo via 6bgarden.org

Cold Weather Greenhous-ing

- Portland, ME -

Tucked away in a not too obvious location, is a lone 30+ year old greenhouse where students with learning disabilities of PATH High school, have an opportunity for total immersion in alternative learning programs. In the greenhouse, education is all about...plants.
Bob Francis, a former landscape architect of New York City has been teaching at the facility for 20 years, after being lured to Maine by his Mainer wife. ;)

One of the best learning moments of this short but wonderful visit, was the rediscovery of Stevia, an incredibly (shockingly) sweet herb. Take one little nibble of a small leaf, and the juices grow more and more delectable. See here:

I was also gifted some plant clippings to take home and put in soil. Double sweet.

Bringing Life to Empty City Lots

- Dorchester, Mass -

"City law allows for community gardens, but not farming. And the city wants to change its zoning code to permit urban agriculture as a way to increase access to healthy food in under served communities..."

The leaders, City Growers Inc, working to evolve the Dorchester plots have experienced success in previous endvors:

"The team hired Codman Square farmer Tim Cooke to tend the soil. Since the original soil might be contaminated, he laid down cardboard and poured roughly 18 inches of soil on top...he planted lettuce, basil, arugula, beets, and tomatoes. By July, a delivery man was pedaling the food by bicycle to local restaurants, retail niches, and hotels."

foodage enthusiasm

Can The Carrots Beat The Cheeto?

photo via NPR; Crispin Porter; Bogusky via AP

photo via smoothherald

photo via 101recipes

photo via clusterflock

How Much Food Goes to Waste ????

According to a New York Times article on Monday, "A lot, if you are typical. By most estimates, a quarter to half of all food produced in the United States goes uneaten — left in fields, spoiled in transport, thrown out at the grocery store, scraped into the garbage or forgotten until it spoils...."

To Have Visited...

- Long Island City, Queens, NY -

...With Only a Cellphone Camera ...

Brooklyn Grange through the eye of a camera phone

Awwww, to have arrived in nyc and realize one has left the real camera back in New England! But a trip to Brooklyn Grange to visit Ben Flanner, Head Farmer and organizer for a chat, was well worth the visit; just in time to see the plant beds, and roof be laid to rest for the winter.

A SCIENCE BARGE !

- NY, NY -

New York Sun Works

These guys are fantastic.

A Quiant Breath of Fresh Air

- San Fran, CA -
Little City Gardens

"Thoughts"

G L O R Y

- Seattle, WA -

"Urban Farms Sweep Awards at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show"

Photo Credit: Urabn Farm Hub.org

Living on a foreign continent for two years with limited access to internet and current events generated constant day dreaming - day dreams of installing rooftop gardens in big cities. Now, back in the US, a feeling of giddiness arrives upon reading more and more about the Northwest's exploding interest in urban gardening.

 Urbanfarmhub.org

Long Island City, NY

NEW YORK CITY I LOVE YOU

photo Carol Miltimore: KICKSTART : NYTIMES

Pictured here, tucked away and above the New York City skyline, is Brooklyn Grange. Perched on a 40,000 square foot rooftop, the garden is a fantastic representation of the growing influence of urban gardening around the city, and its boroughs.

To Smell a Growing Trend

"Although associated with hipster culture, the birth of urban agriculture came before the revival of 80s fashion and over sized sunglasses. Urban agriculture grew up from concrete foundations in the 1970s. The 70s saw the death of U.S. manufacturing, as well as a mass exodus from urban centers to..."

Read more at Suite101.