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vonZephyr's Three-Legged Ottoman
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| (no subject) |
[May. 12th, 2008|08:41 pm] |
Vegetables I put in the ground today:
lacinato kale, red kale, tatsoi, pink lettucey mustards, pung pop mustards, forellenschluss lettuce, red salad bowl lettuce, pirat lettuce, green salad bowl lettuce, scallions, red cabbage, green cabbage, roodnerf brussels sprouts, groniger brussels sprouts, chard, spinach.. probably some other stuff, too.
There's so much to do.
Potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, beets, rutabagas. Beans, peas, corn. Sheesh.
The melons and cucumbers and summer squashes are sprouting.
Soon many many (100+) tomato plants will be ready. Varieties include, but are not limited to, cherokee purple, chocolate cherokee, break o' day, bicolor cherry, cosmonaut volkov, ananas noire, garden peach, northampton italian, orange banana, and oh gee I forget. That's why I write everything down these days.
I should probably start the winter squashes soon.
Local people: there will be veggies soon. I think. |
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| Jamie Oliver has done something good? |
[Jan. 17th, 2008|06:46 am] |
First, this link.
Is this a stupid stunt? Or, is acknowledging the source of your food a good thing? We've done good work in getting people to see that local food is a great and cool idea, but that generally stops at vegetables. (Unless, of course, you're awesome/crazy, like Mark Gunther, halfway down this page here.)
Part of which the idea of local food hasn't caught up with meat is the lack of USDA-approved slaughter and processing facilities. There is one in Massachusetts, the aptly named Blood's in Boston. Adam's Farm is rebuilding their facility, but it'll be a while before it is ready, and when it is they will be at capacity. Two facilities isn't enough for one state. However, the USDA in its wisdom has made sure that the regulations for such a slaughterhouse are complicated and expensive enough that it precludes a small processor. I wonder whose lobbyists were behind that?
Another part of the problem is people don't have interactions with livestock anymore. We interact with animals as pets, which is to say almost-people. We don't kill and eat people or almost-people. Raising animals for food and not as pets to eat is a pretty different experience.
The Times article mentioned in passing the "domestic contact" that exists between the species. I really like that idea. Michael Pollan touches on this (although his primary example is corn) in the Omnivore's Dilemma.
I also agreed with Oliver's contention that the eater's insistence on the cheapest food possible is the primary cause of the wretched existences of most livestock. The only reason that the land grant system is so focused on cutting costs at every turn (cow-and-calf operations to feedlots to massive slaughterhouses) is to keep the farmer's bottom line low, which keep the price low for you, end purchaser. It's why vertical integration is the norm in chicken processing. The industry thinks, rightfully so, that no one except crazy people are going to pay $7/pound. (The average for chicken in 2005 was $1.65/pound.)
Personally I tend to think that if you are unable to even think about where you meat comes from, that it was once a living, breathing, real animal that had to die so you could eat it, you really have little business eating meat. It is insulting to the animal to think or say "I don't want to know where it came from." It denies that animal's existence, and denies its work and its contribution to your own health and well being. It's rude. Yes, table manners not only extend to your dining companions, but also to your food.
Also, LocalHarvest is a nice place to find local meats (or anything else). |
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| Bacteria again |
[Dec. 7th, 2007|07:06 am] |
Here is another article about how much bacteria we have in our bodies. It's pretty awesome.
I am really enjoying the idea of a person not really being a discrete, self-contained entity, but rather a collection of many man other critters that do so much of the work that we previously ascribed to our bodily systems. I find it amazing--but not surprising--that many of our genes aren't from people at all. Cool. Greg Bear wrote a bunch of books about this sort of thing (Blood music, Darwin's Radio, and some others). They are nice reads. |
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| Ethanol |
[Nov. 20th, 2007|06:21 pm] |
Hi.
If you still think that ethanol is a pretty good idea, you should take two hours and listen to these two radio shows.
One
Two
They are recent episodes of Deconstructing Dinner, which is one of the best things on the radio. |
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| We're a bunch of bugs |
[Oct. 30th, 2007|09:13 am] |
Some interesting articles about bacteria and stuff.
I didn't know that the weight of all the critters in our digestive tracts was around two pounds.
I also didn't know that the part of the tree of life that contains plantae, animialia, and fungi was so small. There's so much stuff in just a handful of dirt.
It makes me think about when people talk about "saving the world," what they really mean is "making sure the world can still have people in it." There's more than enough life around that, barring the removal of the planet, there will probably be some stuff left over that's alive. It just might not be people.
Bacteria is pretty cool. |
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| Water |
[Oct. 21st, 2007|07:59 pm] |
This looks like a pretty sobering and good article about the fresh water consequences of global climate change. In short, it sucks to be you if you rely on the Colorado river for water.
I'm looking at you, Vegas.
Here |
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| Cheap Food |
[Sep. 28th, 2007|11:06 am] |
The end of cheap grain.
I've said it before: our economy is a food economy. There is no other kind of economy. My baker friends are all complaining a blue streak about the price of flour--some are seing $5.00/bag increases! And don't even get me started on corn ethanol. Even The Economist thinks it's a really stupid idea to turn food into automotive fuel.
An interesting little factlet. We currently spend (a little under) 10% of our income on food. In 1970 it was almost 14%. In 1930? Almost 25%. I suppose that's something to consider... Chart. |
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| careers meme |
[Sep. 14th, 2007|11:11 am] |
1. Concrete Mason
2. Roofer
3. Arborist
4. Commercial Diver
5. Ironworker
6. Chimney Sweep
7. Gardener
8. Construction Tradesperson
9. Bricklayer / Stonemason
10. Ecologist
11. Lineworker
12. Insulator
13. Aquaculturist
14. Plasterer
15. Horticulturist
16. Drywaller
17. Landscaper
18. Fruit and Vegetable Grower
19. Zookeeper
20. Veterinarian
21. Sheet Metal Worker
22. Taxidermist
23. Biological Tech
24. Veterinary Technician
25. Optical / Ophthalmic Lab Technician
26. Automotive Painter
27. Glazier
28. Nursery / Greenhouse Grower
29. Pet Groomer
30. Biologist
31. Autobody Repairer
32. Marine Biologist
33. Tailor / Dressmaker
34. Farmer
35. Sign Maker
36. Environmental Consultant
37. Zoologist
Hmn. Well, it made the list (#34). Speaking of which, I believe I am the fall/winter apprentice at Crabapple Farm in Chesterfield, so hurrah to that. |
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| Documentaries |
[Sep. 4th, 2007|11:02 am] |
Many of you know about y habit of watching documentaries online. It's fun. Like crack.
This wobsite* has bunch of kooky and/or interesting ones. Some are just balls-out insane. Some are nice and interesting, if a bit breathless.
*Yeah, wobsite. |
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| food show |
[Jul. 22nd, 2007|01:53 pm] |
Deconstructing Dinner is a great, awesome, interesting, great, and awesome podcast/radio show from Canada. It's about food--history, politics, ethics, taste.
The current show is half about beer and half about a CSA farm down the road from the radio station.
It's really a pretty awesome show. |
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| James Burke |
[Jul. 9th, 2007|11:59 am] |
James Burke is awesome.
Here are some James Burke shows. |
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| When we're all gone |
[Jul. 4th, 2007|12:50 pm] |
What would happen to the world if all the people suddenly went away?
Well, some dude wrote a book about it and got himself all interviewed by SA.
Read this article. |
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| John Mackey Interview |
[Jun. 25th, 2007|10:03 am] |
Here is an interview of Whole Foods Market's CEO John Mackey. It focuses a lot of Mackey's interesting (to me) libertarian--or as the interviewer styles it, "pro-freedom"--philosophies as they apply to WFM, the greater political sphere, and his personal life.
Mackey is an interesting guy. He's pretty anti-union, but treats his employees so well that it's not necessary that they want a union. As a bonus, he pretty much calls Ayn Rand an idiot in the interview. That gets him major bonus points from me.
His ideas on "collectives" versus unions are very interesting. Worth a read. I'll be checking out his book when it comes out at any rate. |
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