from the Root to the Fruit

Food Donations Go Local

2011-11-28T17:18:00.001-08:00

Local food feeding locals who need it most? It's possible.

After a day of feasting on local food--of being thankful for my favorite season at the market here in San Francisco (hello pears, persimmons and pomegranates! It's been too long. And aren't all those greens in rare form this time of year? )--I've been thinking about the food pantries throughout the Bay Area that are feeding people not just Thanksgiving meals, but every single day. With the cost of living skyrocketing, some people must choose between paying the rent or buying that next meal. I've spent some time serving meals in a local food pantry at Glide Memorial, and I'm always humbled by the diversity of people who gather in line to get free meal--yes you'll see those colorful souls of the street SF is known for, but they are sitting next to the office worker coming from downtown.

So often our movement for seasonal organic produce excludes so many, so often this movement is criticized for it's elitism -- but in San Francisco, fresh produce is not only on the shelves of Whole Foods, but it's making it to the food pantries too. Farm to Family is a statewide program that connects growers and food pantries throughout the state. It just makes sense. In good years growers always have a surplus. Or what about those veggies that aren't picture perfect for market but are perfectly good eating? And for anyone who has had a good season in the garden you know you've always got something to share at the peak of the season, or sometimes you have a desperate need to get rid of those squash! But can be incredibly hard to find ways of donating that food, Farm to Family fills the gap.

Another piece of the SF foodie movement that is growing strong is small vendors making everything from pickles to sausage--but they don't have many places to sell them. Enter the New Taste Marketplace-- once a month the site of the food pantry at a local church becomes a place where local vendors sell their wares for donations to the food pantry--foodies pay a donation to get in and then the vendors in turn also donate money to the food bank. The Food Pantry feeds more than 600 families each week at a farmers market style food pantry. The next New Taste Marketplace is coming up this Saturday, December 10th. This is the kind of holiday shopping I can get behind.

Urban Farming in SF: a tour begins

2010-06-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

There's something I love about getting to know a garden, one garden, through the four seasons. You learn how the sun changes its arc in the garden throughout the year. You know how the finished compost feels, how the soil smells on your clothes after a long days work, you know the history of the place and you have a vision of its future.

But lately I've been inspired by farm touring, visiting and working on projects throughout the city. Workdays are where you really discover a place -- you put your hands in the soil, you discover where the weeds are hiding out, you turn the compost, you make a deal with a willow tree and prune it to shed much needed sunshine on the veggie plots. I get inspired by: garden design, new compost systems, problem solving, tool sheds, the people of the garden, the potlucks, and the bounty at every urban garden I visit.

School garden workdays are the best -- parents, kids, and garden teachers coming together to get the garden in shape for a new season. I recently made the trip to my friend Brooke's beautiful garden at the SF Community School. I came late in the day but I took on the big willow pruning project with Brooke's friends, met dedicated parents learning to help water for the summer, and got a tour of the garden.

a dad from the school MacGuyvered organization in the shed!

thanks for sharing your garden Brooke!!

stumbling upon urban farming interweb gems

2010-06-17T20:48:00.000-07:00

I've spent the past few days of work delving into the world of social media. And I've stumbled upon so many good urban ag and food policy pieces along the way...here's a couple worth sharing: check out this video of one of my inspirations: urban homesteader/author/comedian Novella Carpenter.

And Pollan hits the NY Times Book Review with an interesting perspective on the food movement -- yes, the first section is Pollan you've already heard, and yes, it is a survey of food mov't lit, but skim through to the second section and you'll start hitting new territory. (and I must admit, I'm enamored with the design of the NYT Book Review online, worth a visit unto itself...). What does the food movement look like? And where will it go? It's up to us to shape it...

I'm keeping up the calendar...

2010-06-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

Hi all -- Yes, I've been a terrible blogger lately, my hope is to remedy that soon...BUT I am keeping up the calendar of events. Note I'll start to include a lot of biking adventures on the event list since I'm loving my bike right now--and it's such a natural extension of my evolution in living sustainably.

Meals on Wheels -- is more than just a meal

2010-05-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

If you're in the Bay, pick up the latest issue of Commonground and see my article on Meals on Wheels! It was a really fun one to write despite the quick turn-around, I learned a lot and got to talk to the amazingly humble and inspiring Boulevard chef Nancy Oakes.

Good to stretch those writing muscles a little bit more...what's next?

Progress report: May is Biking There

2010-05-05T23:29:00.000-07:00

36 miles logged, 280 minutes biked. And yes, I can feel it and it feels good.

BUT I'm officially stumped by my bag dilemma. Riding with my dying bagpack is just not going to cut it -- it's not comfortable, sweaty back and all. Many considerations follow: To get panniers or to not? New messenger bag or two strapper? A fold-able side basket or front. I want to stay light and airy -- hard for my Virgo tendencies to bring EVERYTHING with me everywhere. I want to be flexible. I'd like to have the same stuff for commuting and for casual rides around to see friends.

The search continues...by bike.

May is also: lots of great things to do!

2010-05-04T22:46:00.000-07:00

Yes, I've been neglecting this little blog a bit -- but I'm back in the groove. LOTS of fun farming and food events hitting the city this month. Check out my 'Get Out' section for more details.

May is You Can Bike There!

2010-05-02T18:17:00.000-07:00

I just started riding my bike about a month ago--it started very slowly, with a ride to the bike shop a mile away, then one or two rides to work and a night out on the town motivated and accompanied by friends (thanks Edna!) and now all of a sudden I've been recruited for the Team Bike Challenge for May?! As a member of the Garden for the Environment team, I've been officially challenged to get on my bike. So far, so good. Two days in and two days of putting about 7 miles on my bike each day. My goal: to be on my bike at least once per day 5 days a week. Go Team!

Inspired by: watching your garden grow

2010-04-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

Love this video project by a fellow-Phoenician, Mathew Moore. This artist/farmer took time-lapse photos of different vegetables from seed to harvest. Watch broccoli, kale and squash seeds burst out of the soil and grow into gorgeous plants--to watch is to know what each broccoli head at the grocery store must go through before hardest. It is breathtaking to watch as the squash plant appears to breathe and move throughout each day following the sun. Bay Area based writer and urban farmer Jason Mark writes about this "ballet of biology" here.

Garden for the Environment CSA gets a shout out!

2010-04-14T22:07:00.000-07:00

The GFE weekly veggie box gets a shout out in SF Foodie and Urban Dirt! And read my gushing ode to this project here. Four months after we passed this project along to the next generation of Awesome Farmers, the garden is looking better than ever and a beautiful box gets donated to the Larkin Street Youth Services Center each week.

As the SF Foodie article points out that one box per week won't save the world, but it is progress. Progress is every person who tastes something memorable out of that box and is moved to eat more fresh vegetables. Progress is every person who helped put the box together contributing to something bigger than themselves--it is the long line of volunteers who planned, planted, tended, harvested, delivered, and prepared the produce that is donated each week.

It is amazing, this started with a just a handful of people, with a whole lot of doubt, and grew into something bigger than we imagined.

Report from a special 18 reasons event: A Diet for A Hot Planet

2010-04-12T21:38:00.000-07:00

Food & climate change -- you don't hear much about how these two issues intersect -- Anna Lappé's new book A Diet for a Hot Planet will change this. Last Friday night, I attended a thoughtfully crafted, cozy meet and greet with Lappé' at 18 Reasons. With walls adorned in food art (in this case a wall painting made of curry inundating the room with smells and invoking food memories in us all) Lappé told great stories of..

why she started this book: despite the fact that agriculture is second only to transportation in generating potent global warming gasses, no major news outlets were reporting on this key issue.
infiltrating corporate food conferences to learn about the greenwashing skills of big food marketers
her public speaking debut at Bioneers in front of thousands of people, side by side with her mom, Francis Lappé Moore

I first came across Anna Lappé when I picked up a great cookbook called Grub. Lappé and her co-author Bryant Terry breathe new life into the cookbook genre creating not just a list of delicious vegetarian recipes but a guide to food activism resources and a party planner too. They embrace both the personal and the political of this new food movement.

Lappe continues this trend with a Hot Planet -- as she states on her website: "I plunge into the heart of this era’s newest food fight with a simple message: if we are serious about addressing climate change, we have to talk about food." I look forward to cracking open this book and seeing what she has to say.

A great event to be sure and I can't suggest going to 18 reasons enough. Yes, I will admit, I have balked at the $10 fee for many of their events, but pick one that features a little free food and it will be better than the six pack of microbrews you would've bought instead. 18 reasons, coordinated by the talented Rachel Cole, is a special place--a model to be shared in every city. Turn a quaint gallery space (big enough for one, long dining table) into a gathering spot around food/art/and community. Have cookbook swaps, author events, food classes, potlucks and feature farmer nights. Do it!

A Don't Miss Author Event 04/13!

2010-04-12T17:04:00.000-07:00

If you're interested in the intersection food and climate change - go to the Commonwealth Club tomorrow night! Hear the mother and daughter Lappé duo talk, with my favorite, Raj Patel, as moderator. It is sure to be a great night, as my recent visit to 18 reasons was last Friday at the meet and greet for Lappé's new book - A Diet for a Hot Planet.

The price of cheap food = modern day slavery

2010-04-10T23:11:00.001-07:00

No, I'm not exaggerating. I just finished watching a documentary called Immokalee
(from a free documentary site worth visiting) about the modern slave conditions of tomato pickers in southeastern Florida.

A couple of years ago, I began to hear the story of Immokalee from places like Grist, the NYT Magazine, and Raj Patel, but I didn't dig deeper to learn the real story: large corporate buyers for restaurant chains like Taco Bell are paying slave wages for their tomatoes.

The domino effect of cheap fast food quickly translates into poor living conditions and poor health of the primarily Latino, Mayan, and Haitian day laborers. Perhaps this story is all too familiar--cheap corporate labor leading to cheap consumer prices-- but what is different is that it's happening right here in the US. What is different about this story is that there is an organization called the Coalition of Immokalee Workers fighting against these conditions - an organization that has been a force for over 10 years.

So what are these slave labor conditions? (Quoted from the CIW website)

"Florida tomato pickers earn an average of 45 cents per 32-lb. bucket of tomatoes, a rate that has not risen significantly since 1978. At today’s piece rate, workers have to pick over 2 ½ tons of tomatoes just to earn the equivalent of Florida minimum wage for a 10-hour workday.

As a result of intentional exclusion from key New Deal labor reform measures, farmworkers do not have the right to overtime pay, nor the right to organize and collectively bargain with their employers.

In the most extreme conditions, farmworkers are held against their will and forced to work for little or no pay, facing conditions that meet the stringent legal standards for prosecution under modern-day slavery statutes."

In honor of the 04/18 Farmworker Freedom March, organized by the Coalition of Immokalee, I will dig up some more information on this story. For now, you can put images to these words here.

Monterey Fish Market's Paul Johnson weighs in on Salmon politics

2010-03-26T12:50:00.000-07:00

The Salmon fishery in California has been closed for two years now & no one has really heard about it. That is about to change on April 1st with a summit on salmon @ Fort Mason.

To find out more read this blog post by Paul Johnson, founder and president of one of the nation's most sustainable local fish markets, Monterey Fish Market.

(disclaimer, on the water front is my 9 to 5 blog, I'm so excited that we got this special blog post I had to share)

Pushing the bounds = home cooked Indian food

2010-03-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

My next food adventure = Indian food. I love it - the flavors, the textures, the naan, the endless vegetarian options. My friends of the delicious homebrew are telling me I can actually cook it. I'm not sure I believe them. But I am excited about shopping for new spices at the bulk section at Rainbow and actually using the coffee grinder that has been especially set aside for the grinding of things like these beautiful coriander seeds.

Erin and Larry's lessons learned from years of experimenting in the kitchen are as follows:

garlic & ginger paste form the foundation for all good sauces - grind garlic and ginger in a food processor with a tiny bit of water to make a paste
whole black peppercorns are profound
must have whole cumin and cardamom at the ready - don't be shy - and don't forget the tumeric
5 spice recipe (toast with oil in a pan and add to any dish for a taste of India): black mustard seed, whole cumin, whole fenugreek, fennel and nigella seeds

I'll keep you posted on my attempts in the kitchen! Please send me your recipes and advice :)

SF embraces urban agriculture...

2010-03-24T09:19:00.000-07:00

There's a good reason to applaud Newsom today -- the Mayor announced new plans to open up city land to urban agriculture! That's right, SF will soon be growing food at our libraries, our parks and even our police departments. Read more here.

Get Inspired: the Greenhorns

2010-03-20T23:59:00.001-07:00

Lately, I've been delving into research on urban agriculture in a lot of ways and searching for inspiration in many others. In my searches, I revisited a project that has grown through it's many tendrils from a documentary featuring young agriculturalists to a young farmer/activist resource for all.

A beautiful film. An celebration of the movement. Get inspired by their blog the irresistible fleet of bicycles and their flickr page. lose yourself cause it's is the first day of Spring!

Spring time is seed time

2010-03-11T23:37:00.001-08:00

Spring is on it's way! It's time to buy those seeds and get a new spring garden going. This is my favorite time--looking at all the different seed packets so full of potential. Going back to the seeds that were tried and true--trying something new. Finding your seeds is the beginning of an adventure, a setting of the stage.

I love to find heirloom varieties and local seed companies. Heirlooms will blow you away with their endless unique tastes and shapes and colors -- and they increase diversity in the garden.

Here are some resources to get you going...

Get your seeds close to home:
Local seeds are popping up everywhere! If you find a seed company nearby they will do better in your climate, not to mention helping your favorite local businesses. There's a new store on my street, Succulence, and they sell these beautiful baker creek heirloom seeds. One of Baker Creek's stoers is in an old bank. I love that. Sloat, Three Bees Nursery, Flowercraft, and even Cole Hardware are great resources for heirloom organic seeds in SF.

Starts - give your garden a jump start: A great way to get some momentum going in the garden is plant some starts. Farmers markets are great spots to look for healthy, unique veggie starts. In SF, try Alemany Farmers' Market and the Ferry Building Farmers' Market on Saturdays.

Other resource to find heirloom and organic seeds:
seed savers exchange
hudson valley seeds
native seed search
local seed swaps - look for your local ecology center or garden gathering spaces

Finally, learn how to save your own seeds for next year! There's a free class this Sunday at the new Hayes Valley Farm (see 'get out')

Dream big this spring--get inspired. If you've never done it before just try and plant one thing, one of your favorite veggies (you're officially warned, tomatoes are really hard in foggy climates like SF!). Because eating something you've grown from seed, something you planted and cared for and killed snails for, will begin to change the way you think about food, it will change the way you think about the afternoon sunlight, it will change the way you relate to your favorite farmer at your local market, it will change the way you look at your neighbors lawn. It will change everything. Here's to breaking ground!

march in the garden...

2010-03-07T17:45:00.000-08:00

Spent my Saturday with my hands in the dirt @ Garden for the Environment. Here's what March is looking like in the garden...

transplanting leeks

a bouquet for the weekly CSA box

a little spring cleaning

The Tacoshed Revolution is Now.

2010-02-27T17:17:00.000-08:00

1 taco. 18 ingredients. 2.6 trips around the globe. This is where your Taco comes from San Francisco. This is your Tacoshed.

(image by the Tacoshed project)

The unveiling of the Tacoshed project took place to a standing room only crowd tucked into the Studio for Urban Projects last Thursday - complete with the exquisite earthy smells of stewing black beans wafting over us as we heard architecture students from CCA present their work. The assignment? Well, it started with a shared meal at a taco truck. As the students were eating tacos and burritos truckside, their teachers (David Fletcher and John Bela among them) tasked each one with tracking down the life story of a taco ingredient from it's origin to it's destiny from foodshed to wasteshed. From the salt that was harvested in the South Bay to the aluminum foil wrapper that began its life as a mineral tens of thousands of miles away.

I love nothing more than this kind of exploration. The looking beyond the surface of what is a very tangible, very simple part of our every day, a door into the complexity of the world we live in. An exploration of the ecology of the everyday as John Bela put it. Through this deconstruction of a taco--you can learn about about everything from the politics of food to international trade, from the seasonality of foods, to hi-tech agriculture (avocados are tested for ripeness with sonic waves. (Wait, can I get that again? Yes. Sonic waves.)), and finally, that corporations will sell the same exact pinto bean or rice in several different packages, each with a culturally appropriate image on it -- from the gringo brand to the one emblazoned with a sombrero.

And that's just scratching the surface of the many layers of this project. The compelling maps, graphics, and stories that these students collected will keep you thinking and questioning and talking about your Tacoshed.

That was just one taco, the economically efficient taco. But there are others to learn from. Like the taco from Gracias Madre, that we also heard about at the event. Gracias Madre is the new vegan taqueria where the tacos are made with love out of locally farmed ingredients. (Check it out--and take me with you--and get something with the cashew nacho cheese please.)

The evening wrapped up with the smells of frying homemade tortillas. We were served black bean tacos from the Spotted Rooster. They were, quite simply, the best tacos I've ever eaten. And you know how much I love me a good taco. I loved them so much I may actually start following something on Twitter. That's bold.

Follow the Tacoshed--it's going somewhere (maybe even into the old Oxford?) & explore your own world from the root to the fruit.

For my New Yorkers...

2010-02-25T16:04:00.000-08:00

Check out this panel talk by FoodPrint NYC this Saturday--it's where it's happening!

From the Civil Eats article I linked to above "The program features four panels, ranging in topic from policy and zoning to culinary history to food futurism....Foodprint Project’s trans-discipline approach melds both appreciation for and arguments against New York’s edible life." Wish I could be there...

Orach--a tasty beautiful cousin of the spinach..

2010-02-25T08:32:00.000-08:00

I grew orach last year (a bit unsuccessfully I must admit, I was still learning how to transplant!) but it really is as easy and tasty as spinach and it adds some serious color to your garden! I'm excited to share that my photo made it into a seed catalog -- check it here.

Well crafted beer coming soon to the Inner Sunset

2010-02-24T10:24:00.000-08:00

Rich was featured in SF Foodie about his new brewery project: Social Kitchen in the Inner Sunset. Can't wait!

Saturdays start with the market

2010-02-20T21:02:00.000-08:00

Alemany Farmers' Market, San Francisco's oldest, is just a 10 minute walk down the hill from my new apartment. It is the best way to wake up on a Saturday...many more photos and musings of that beautiful spot to come. But here's my loot for the day: crinkly kale, the sweetest mandarin and navel oranges on the planet, cilantro, cold-smoked wild alaskan salmon (yes, I'm back on the fish...I just couldn't do only vegetarian. I was waking up in the night dreaming of fish and craving a carton of eggs...I need it.) out-of-this-world colorful chard, rosemary ciabatta, butternut squash, and napa cabbage. & the pinnacle of it all, black bean and chipotle harissa hummus from the Hummus Guy--I'm completely addicted to this stuff.

A new one for the blog roll: Edible Geography

2010-02-16T21:23:00.000-08:00

Does a blog name get any better than that? Check out this exploration of the intersection all things food/art/print/place. What captured my affections was the links to a photo project in GOOD Magazine -- of photos from people's fridges.

Bar Tender | San Antonio, TX | 1-Person Household | Goes to sleep at 8AM and wakes up at 4PM daily. | 2008 From You Are What You Eat by Mark Menjivar, “a series of portraits made by examining the interiors of refrigerators in homes across the United States.” Go here to see the full series--and the captions are almost better than the photos.

This could quite possibly be my favorite thing on the planet. It marries my voyeuristic tendencies with my obsession with talking to people about food (you'll frequently find me in the kitchen at work - at all hours of the day - stalking people at the fridge and peppering them with questions--ooh what is that you're eating? how did you make it? what else did you make for dinner this week? what food is your weakness? what's your favorite breakfast? It's never ending)

And for my New York dwelling friends check out this great project Foodprint NYC
that focuses on bringing events around food and the city.

a dinner emerges out of nothing

2010-02-16T19:40:00.000-08:00

Or really out of the desperation of plummeting blood sugar....

I don't know if you're ready for this--I sure wasn't.

Moroccan ginger carrot salad with cilantro and lime from Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Cooking. Then a sweet potato creation of my own: steam sweet potatoes, throw em in a pan with some olive oil, cashews (of the curried variety if you've got them, or just throw in a good dose of curry powder), add some chopped chard, salt, pepper -- then serve with lime and feta. Out. Of. This. World. Oh how you inspire me little sweet potato!

I ate it so fast I couldn't take a photo. Time for an IPA and some chocolate to make the night complete!

Rosamunde on 24th & Mission doesn't disappoint.

2010-02-09T19:47:00.000-08:00

I tend to over-hype when it comes to food -- I get so excited about going out to eat at a new place it is impossible for it really live up to my expectations. But Rosamunde on 24th didn't disappoint. 3 daily vegan sausages on the menu! (this is in addition to their many, many other meaty versions) 22 beers on tap? WINE on tap?! Baked beans, split pea soup, and fries as one of the many side options! Breakfast sandwiches and four barrel coffee? Beautiful wood communal tables. Just get rid of the tv's and I would move right on in. Go. Now. And if you don't live in SF, recreate this in your own hood. Please.

Oh, and did I mention I got a vegan sausage with grilled onions, sweet peppers & a tasty beer for $10? I can swing that.

PS without a doubt I will continue to frequent the original rosamunde. but it's a totally different experience.

A day digging in the dirt with friends..

2010-01-31T19:33:00.000-08:00

Got back to Garden for the Environment for a workday on Saturday. It was so good! Working side by side with friends -- walking through the garden seeing January turn to February in the new blossoms and thriving greens. I love winter workdays--it's all about clearing away and preparing for the spring, it's the time of year for thinking and dreaming a new, and if you want to, it's about working so hard you have to peel away your bundled layers.

I'm trying to get better at taking photos of people...but for now here's a few shots of Saturday in the garden.

Look at you beautiful pink flowering currant!
Hello, you who show your best color in the midst of winter!

Remnants of the mushroom class...

Inspired by: let's go ride a bike!

2010-01-31T11:13:00.000-08:00

Let's go ride a bike!
I've decided to take the jump, to take my transport on my own terms. I will still walk, I will still ride the cursed Muni, but a bike will now be part of my arsenal too. I can't wait.

I was a bike commuter in Phoenix many years ago because I couldn't afford a car--not a bike friendly place, the 115 summer days and 50 mph streets everywhere don't make it easy. When I moved to the Bay Area 4 years ago I sold my beater Nissan and embraced the beauty of public transit. But as the Governator raids public transit funds and MUNI slowly and surely cuts back service, taking the bus is no longer a trusted way to get around the city. Plus, I need the exercise and I can't commit to a gym...

Thanks for the inspiring blog and the bike loan Nicole! And yes, I will be relying on you my SF cyclist friends for a little mentoring!

A new soul food film...

2010-01-27T15:18:00.000-08:00

Food security+ soul food+culture = a good documentary. Check this trailer out.

Epic. Underground farmer's market is ON.

2010-01-26T20:17:00.000-08:00

Workshops, kraut, chicken coups, music, slow roasted wild boar. And more. Follow your imagination here. You know where to find me on Thursday people.

PS: great poster, no? It's by Philip Clarkphclark@gmail.com

Vote our own City Bees Cutest Beekeeper!

2010-01-26T14:28:00.000-08:00

The Huffington Post is all over hot urban farmers...now it's stingin hot beekeepers. Vote for SF's own Robert MacKimmie as the cutest urban bee keeper! Go Robert! (I gotta say there's some steep east coast competition...mmmm, beekeepers...)

Other recent beekeeping-related adventures include: hives discovered on a beautifully rain soaked Sunday hike through one of Bernal's hidden community gardens and this new Beekeeping Supply store on 20th & Mission.

A gem in the concrete jungle: little city gardens

2010-01-21T22:13:00.000-08:00

I'm in love with Little City Garden's new website! Go here now for inspiration! Two women, one empty backyard ready for some love, endless creativity and passion and you get a beautiful little gem of a garden growing food for SF restaurants and residents. I hope to do an interview of these ladies and get it up on this blog soon!

Here's to dreaming of springs gardens after the rain!

Garden mentoring in Oaktown...

2010-01-13T23:19:00.000-08:00

The thing I love so much about community gardening is that you learn everyday from the gardeners around you. You can get questions answered in no time, like: what the hell is eating my peas? and how do I kill it? or what seeds should I buy for this spring's garden?

As more and more people turn their yards from lawns to veggie gardens we all need a little help from our gardening friends. That's why I love this new mentorship program by City Slickers -- see more info below!
________________________________________________________

Are you an experienced backyard gardener enthusiastic to share what
you know? Please join us for a City Slicker Farms Backyard Garden
Program mentor training on Saturday, January 23rd, 2010 from 1:00 p.m.
– 3:00 p.m. at the West Oakland Woods Farm, 537 Lewis Street (corner
of Peralta and 7th Streets) in West Oakland.

The City Slicker Farms Backyard Garden Program helps low-income
residents of West Oakland build and maintain organic vegetable
gardens, providing ongoing support, seedlings, seeds and compost.
Volunteer Backyard Garden Mentors make follow-up visits to assist and
support participants and bring them supplies (provided by City Slicker
Farms) quarterly.

Garden Mentors can mentor one family or many. We encourage
longstanding mentoring relationships but request at least a one year
committment.

The garden mentor training will provide new mentors with information
on our program and how to be a successful mentor.

If you would like to attend, or if you have any questions, please
contact Julie Pavuk at (510) 763-4241 or BYG@cityslickerfarms.org

Anticipation = SF Beer Week 02/05-14!

2010-01-12T21:26:00.000-08:00

I've been a big slacker on this blog the past few weeks--I'm still settling into my new place in Bernal Heights...and I look forward to gearing up this blog soon!

In the meantime, get psyched about the Bay Area's Beer Week here! There's really too much to choose from--go fancy and hit up one of the Beer + Farm to Table dinners at places ranging from Chez Panisse to Bison Brewery, experience the beauty of beer and cheese tasting (arguably a better pairing than wine and cheese...) at Thirsty Bear, meet countless brewmasters from the Trappist in the East Bay to the Lagunitas celebration at Toronado. Other than my shrinking wallet, I don't know how I'm going to decide what to check out!

A New Year & a new way to commute to work

2010-01-04T15:15:00.000-08:00

Read all about my friend Thomas' Wednesday Walks to Work--a positive story about taking back the streets for people! Go T!

Inspiration for Christmas dinner...

2009-12-23T12:10:00.000-08:00

I braved the cold and took the mysterious #9 to pick up a mystery box of veggies outside of Slow Club last night. You hand over $25 dollars in cash and get over 10 pounds of the best the season has to offer from Mariquita Farm. My favorites are their orange cauliflowers...I've never eaten such goodness. The perfect inspiration for my orphan Christmas feast! See more of what we got here.

Photo from Mariquita Farms

I'm still dreaming up ideas for the vegetarian contribution to dinner--lentils and vegetables in a red wine reduction? Something with arugula pesto? Fried polenta with a mushroom infused tomato sauce (I'll try pulling out some of the sauce Edna, Tanya, and I made and froze this summer)?

More photos of the cooking and feasting to come...it's gonna be good.

Getting past that sushi craving...

2009-12-21T13:48:00.001-08:00

Sushi is a new thing for me. It started the winter of 2006—I had my first taste of amazing sushi at a little spot on College in Berkeley. Before that moment I didn't know that I would ever crave nigiri or that I would have so much fun actually handling raw fish making homemade rolls with friends.

But I work day in and day out with people trying to save our declining fisheries—the more I learn, the more I realize how difficult it is to eat fish smart. I was on the fence, until I read this article.

I'm about two months into my no fish diet (with admittedly one slip up…couldn't pass up that seared ahi noodle dish at Pomelo) my sushi craving is coming back. Luckily this article from the New York Times about the decline in local fish even at Bay Area locavore havens like Chez Panisse, was a good reminder to take stock:

“We can no longer treat the ocean and its fish and wildlife as an all-you-can eat buffet,” said Kaitilin Gaffney, the Pacific ecosystem program director for the Ocean Conservancy. “But the ocean is pretty resilient. If we allow nature to restore herself, she will.”

There's definitely a way to eat fish sustainably—if you ask the right questions—but for now, I've decided I want to leave all the questions at the door and just focus on deliciously seasonal, local veggie meals.

Awesome Farmers comes to a close & the best thank you gifts ever.

2009-12-15T22:49:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, under dark and stormy clouds, the Awesome Farmers crew harvested the last veggie box for 2009 at Garden for the Environment. Loads of greens, from arugula to dino kale, herbs, and snap peas among other goodies made it through last week's unusual frost to become the basis for a weekly family meal for G house, a youth homeless shelter.

Over the past year, the Awesome Farmers came together to see how many veggies we could really grow in our foggy, sandy spot at Garden for the Environment. A garden so close to Ocean Beach you can see it on a clear day from under the cypress tree. Our group was one of changing faces from the random volunteers who showed up on a Saturday looking to get into the dirt, to a core group of a handful of volunteers and the staff of GFE.

Planting calendars and garden maps were made. Seeds were purchased and started in the greenhouse. The soil was amended and tended. Plants were nurtured and loved. We watched diseases and pests descend and we battled them without the use of chemicals. We problem solved and documented. On the side, we planted fruit trees and tackled sprawling aloe plants, felled dying trees, revived worm bins, turned-chopped-and-watered compost, and rebuilt fences. We shared stories over Arizmendi pizza lunches on sun soaked Saturdays. We huddled in the crumbling greenhouse over hot coffee when the storm clouds rolled in. And it was good.

When we were faced with ultimate success--an overflow of harvest (in particular, a hill covered in summer squashes) we needed to find somewhere for all this food to go. We found out that G house could use our bounty. So, each week we lovingly packaged up a CSA box for them and took more photos than the paparazzi we were so proud. Food Runners solved our distribution problem and a new project was born.

Some weeks the box was light--some mornings as I did my initial walk through the garden I had no idea if we would be able to fill the box. But every week we made a beautiful box--a box tended by so many hands and hearts there are too many to count. That's the beauty of a garden tended by volunteers from all over the Bay Area.

Thank you to the hard core crew Dave (for your vision, heart and wicked mapping/ documentation skills), Thomas (for your tool cleaning, harvesting, good talks, and sheer brawn), Paul (for your inspired plantings, worm compost tea, and unparalleled slug sighting abilities), Blair (for your gorgeous photos, love of answering any bug question, and your excitement over every box) Hillary (for endless good advice, passing along latin plant names, and for pushing us one step farther), Nicole (for your inspired squash hill, compost workouts and mad plant propagation skillz), Suzi (for your guidance, support, diligence and sunshine!) and to so many other GCETP grads and volunteers who lent a hand.

Watch out--I'm an urban farmer!

Beginning in 2010, I'll be able to sleep in on Saturday mornings, just a little bit...because new Gardening and Compost Educator graduates are taking over this great project. I look forward to more garden adventures. But, now I'll be armed with my buttery Felco pruners--gotta break in that holster baby! THANK YOU!

A Revelation: Hash brown sandwiches!

2009-12-12T20:19:00.000-08:00

Why did it take me so long to go to Art's Cafe for breakfast? It's just a few short blocks away from my front door. Was it that the Koren BBQ sign frightened my vegetarian sensitivities? Was it that I couldn't fathom that a breakfast for $5 could be any good?

Well, I ducked in from the rain, squeezed into a seat along the counter and came upon a revelation. A veggie hash brown sandwich: mushrooms, spinach, onions, bell peppers cheese and Korean barbecue sauce wrapped in a hash brown pancake with two eggs (over easy) and toast. Plus coffee & a tip = $8. Damn, it was good. Not to mention the conversation with the regulars, the watching them cook it all up on the grill just two feet in front of me and the post cards sent from every part of the globe blanketing the counter top.

I'm going back next week for their specialty Tofu Bi Bim Bop topped with a fried egg!

To become a veggie gardener and holiday gift ideas

2009-12-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine asked what to get an aspiring veggie gardener for the holidays. Here's my short list...

First you need books for knowledge and inspiration:
Rodale's Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. otherwise known as my bible. Then see if there's any gardening books for where the budding gardener lives--the bay area is blessed with the tome Golden Gate Gardening Both This Organic Life and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle are books that will inspire garden and kitchen adventures. And Edible Estates is good for inspiration on radical garden design.

Then you need compost...
websites and classes are good for learning how to make your own black gold, for the uber technical Rodale's book of composting is ridiculously exhaustive but good.

Then you need good seeds:
Get some good heritage, organic seeds here Seed Savers Exchange -- I got to spend a few days at the Seed Savers Heritage Farm and it is the most magical place! But also look for local, organic seed companies in your region--they'll have the best stuff for your particular climate.

And finally, here's the essential gardening equipment--I'm still pining for Felco pruners with these radical little holsters that become this beautiful worn leather over time...sigh.

Vegetarian restaurant love...

2009-12-10T23:53:00.000-08:00

I celebrated a pilgrimage to Oakland today with a stop at one of my favorite vegetarian spots in the Bay - Golden Lotus. I want to try everything on the menu. But since it was freezing cold I had the Veggie Chowfun soup with a surprise of three different kinds of veggie-meat deliciousness in addition to veggies and noodles. Yum.

And I'm looking forward to checking out this brand spankin new vegan taqueria with a bias for all things local in the Mission. I know...vegan taqueria? My interested is peaked.

We waste 40% of our food: An indicator of how we value food?

2009-11-29T18:17:00.000-08:00

A new study was just published in the journal PLoS ONE announcing that Americans throw away 40% of their food. A heartbreaking juxtaposition to the recent alarm that US food security is rapidly declining.

Not enough food is getting to the people who need it, and those who have enough are wasting too much.

Admittedly, I used to be the queen of wasting food--I've always been a finicky eater and my parents never enforced the clean plate rule. Two things changed that: the green compost bin next to my trash can and becoming a gardener.

Compost is the law in San Francisco--places like Britain and Quebec are also taking the steps to ban food waste from landfills. Food waste and other biodegradables can't decompose in the anaerobic environments that are our landfills so instead, they begin to emit methane, a potent contributor to climate change. I don't have to do much in my city to help combat this--merely separate my food and paper scraps from my trash just as I do with recycling. Then the city takes it to a massive composting facility where they breakdown the scraps into amazing soil amendments for local farms. If only it were this easy everywhere.

But becoming a gardener was the way I began to start putting less food into that compost bin in the first place. There's something about nurturing a plant from seed to harvest that invests you in it in a completely different way. After harvesting a bowl full of green and purple beans I had once known as flowers I wanted to use them all. After waiting months for my one surviving beet in my community garden plot, there's no way I would let even the greens wilt, I used them along with the ruby root for my next meal.

To begin to waste less as a country, we need to begin to value more--value the food on our plates and tucked away in our fridges. And, we'll need that compost revolution to take root in every city!

Food Stamps now feed 1 in 8 americans

2009-11-28T20:22:00.000-08:00

Food stamps are on the rise -- check out this interactive map to see what food stamp usage looks like throughout the US.

As under secretary of Agriculture tells it straight:“It’s time for us to face up to the fact that in this country of plenty, there are hungry people.”

But what can you actually buy with money from the supplemental nutrition assistance program? (or SNAP as food stamps are now called) I was happy to see it's a lot of whole foods and your typical veggies and meats--I was ecstatic to see that you can purchase plants and seeds to feed your family too!

I'll have to do some research to see how the complementary farmers market nutrition program is working out these days...

Not to be missed articles on urban greening and beer!

2009-11-22T21:56:00.000-08:00

This week was a powerhouse of articles -- first the new issue of Edible San Francisco was released, featuring our own guest blogger Rich Higgins and his perspective on brewing beer and the art of pairing it with food.

Then there was the incredibly inspiring front page spread in the Bay Guardian about the urban greening collective Rebar. Think Parking Day, Victory Gardens, and Pavement to Parks--taking our unused roadway spaces to make way for human spaces. Many of Rebar's projects are temporary, ephemeral--yet they are making a lasting impression on how San Franciscans think and move and inhabit our city. Read more here to get inspirations about how you can reclaim your streets and make your own hood more livable.

Nourishment

2009-11-20T20:06:00.000-08:00

Why did it take me so long to open up Barbara Kingsolver's gem of a book: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle? There's something in it for everyone, local food warriors and people who have never heard of an heirloom vegetable alike.

On this cold and rainy night Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and its stories of cooking has sparked my interest in the kitchen again after a long, dry spell. Out with the miso that was hiding in the back of the fridge! In goes chopped bok choy (stems and leaves and all), ginger, carrot, baby broccoli, tofu, red chili flakes, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce and some green onions. I don't know where this is going, but hopefully its somewhere good! Oops, almost forgot the soba noodles...

I've botched miso soup before and swooned over a killer walnut-miso dressing for soba noodles Check out a solid miso soup foundation here. I look forward to finding the bottom of this miso container BEFORE it goes bad this time (note, it takes months for miso to go bad..so, I've got no excuses).

Inspired by: Jim Denevan

2009-11-14T16:20:00.000-08:00

I love it when my passions for all things art and food come together. This amazing sand artist Jim Denevan keeps popping up in my life lately--I was inspired to see that he's also the mastermind behind the Outstanding in the Field farm events. Gorgeous outdoor meals with seasonal local foods. Check out photos of these beautiful events here.

These events are ridiculously popular and equally as expensive...I'd love to find a way of doing these sorts of meals in an affordable way. Everyone should have the gift of a eating a beautiful meal outside with friends sitting on the soil that nourished it.

My pride & joy: a huge compost workshop

2009-11-10T20:35:00.000-08:00

Go here to see photos of last weekend's compost workshop! A huge piece of organizing composting at my community garden is going to be education--composting isn't one of those traditions that get handed down any more. So we brought together the amazing educators at Garden for the Environment, just across a pumpkin patch from White Crane Community Garden, and held a workshop all about the basics of composting from worm bins to big piles. The workshop included both members from the garden and interested citizens of SF. And it was huge.

And it is a beginning. It all starts with the soil.

Compost revolution continues...

2009-11-09T23:16:00.000-08:00

The compost revolution continues at my community garden, White Crane -- look at this beautiful new 3-bin system! Dreamed and planned and built and suffered over by a special group of gardeners, I can't wait to see the soil that we get out of this beauty. With over 60 plots in the garden I think we'll be able to transform our garden waste and sandy pacific soils into something amazing!

Special props (and soon heaping bowls of soup) go out to my comrade Susan Kuehn for her valiant compost efforts--she incurred a broken arm during the building of this bin, but she still can't stop laughing about it. Her spirit is truely inspirational.

Also, the photo credits here go to my favorite apiarist Robert MacKimmie.

More posts to follow that show how we actually use this thing--rot on!

bee keeping @ the white house?

2009-11-04T23:20:00.001-08:00

It's happening here: a beautiful piece on bee keeping @ the White House.

A guest post on great beer & good food...

2009-11-03T22:05:00.000-08:00

By Rich Higgins
Americans are finally waking up to the experience of great beer paired with great food. In this country, we have a wealth of amazing agriculture and artistic freedom, and they have combined into a unique artisanry of craft beer and slow food. Other cultures of beer and food may enjoy more celebrated terroir or deeper rootstock, but it is in America where creativity, quality, and openness have crafted a fresh-faced newcomer to the Slow Food and Slow Beer arena. The late British beer writer, Michael Jackson, continually praised America as the best beer country in the world, shocking old world brewers while enlightening them about the passion of American craft brewers’ ability to brew faithful interpretations of classic beer styles and to pioneer new flavors.

Americans’ ability to harness unique terroir and attitude is proving to be infectious, and in a very flattering nod, breweries all over the world are forging new beer traditions as well. A great beer cultures is emerging, and the proof is in the pudding of great chefs and restaurants all over the country. Just in the last week in San Francisco, celebrity chef Chris Cosentino of Incanto has cooked a four-course meal at the Haight’s Magnolia Pub and Brewery, chef Eric Tucker of Millenium Restaurant has served a five-course Chile Dinner with beer pairings (including two of SOMA’s ThirstyBear Brewing Co.’s organic beers). In New York City this month, Thomas Keller’s Per Se restaurant served a seven-course dinner paired with Brooklyn Brewing Co. beers (price tag: $350 before tax and tip).

It has never been a better time to drink and eat local in America. This is a pretty incredible about-face from the bleak beer scene just a quarter-century ago. A great craft brewing revolution has rushed in on the heels of pioneers like Anchor Brewing Co. in San Francisco, New Albion Brewing Co. in Sonoma, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico, CA. These brewers, and their thirsty supporters, made a statement against the status quo of bland American beer.

For much of the twentieth century, American beer was on a depressing decline into characterless oblivion. Breweries emerged from Prohibition in poor financial health, and in the turmoil the the weak began to devour the weaker. Industry consolidation caused breweries to get larger in size and fewer in number, and success became defined by the ability to eke out efficiency. The millennia-old processes of making great beer do not lend themselves to efficiency. Fermentation times shortened. New enzymes were employed to alter protein and sugar types. Beer flavor and body thinned out when government-subsidized corn and rice made their way into the grist. Breweries shifted more and more money from the brewhouse to the marketing department, and by the 1980s, Americans had inherited a beer arms race of tasteless commercials promoting tasteless beer.

Beer is an agricultural product, a celebration of malt and mash, hops and heritage. Allowing brewer’s yeast and natural enzymes free reign in a beer creates the deeply satisfying flavors of real beer. These flavors and processes cannot be forced or substituted, they can only be nurtured. And, fortunately, there are now hundreds of bold, passionate American breweries who care to nurture beer the slow way. Each of these brewers will tell you, too, that they work for the yeast, and not the other way around. With the yeast in charge, and throngs of thirsty fans in support, real beer has gained a permanent foothold in America, both at the bar and on the dinner table.

Rich Higgins is a foodie, brewer, and Cicerone in San Francisco, and he pairs great beer and great food wherever he goes. Contact him at www.richhiggins.com.

A garden homecoming & compost revolution

2009-11-02T07:29:00.000-08:00

After three weeks away from gardening, this Saturday was a welcoming homecoming. It was so fabulous to see my fellow urban farmers both at Garden for the Environment & White Crane Community Garden. As one friend put it, at GFE we're all working in the garden collaboratively--fertilizing, watering, mulching, harvesting, doing what the plants need without words--it's like we're all doing this beautiful dance together.

And the veggies are responding -- there was a big harvest including beautiful chard, herbs, raspberries, lettuce, carrots and more.

The tree dahlia and it's annual Halloween coming out...

And finally, the White Crane compost crew put together the beginnings of a new three-bin compost system at the garden. I hope to do a future post that breaks down how you build one of these beauties step by step--it's a big learning process for crew and I can't wait to see where it goes!

Introducing blogger Rich Higgins - because it's the Year of the Beer.

2009-10-27T21:52:00.000-07:00

Rich Higgins is a SF based local brewer, food lover and a great writer. Since I'm newbie to the world of homebrewing, not to mention pairing food and beer--I'm excited to have Rich contribute to Root to Fruit about all things beer and food. Here's a quick interview to introduce Rich, be on the lookout for a new post by him this week!

How did you get started as a home-brewer?

I started homebrewing because I loved beer and wanted to figure out how to make it myself. My first few batches were horrendous, but after seeking info from different sources, my beer got better and better.

How did you make the jump to brewing as a day job?

After five years of homebrewing, I moved to San Francisco without a job and looking for a dream to chase. I spent my first few months here sitting in brewpubs, loving the fresh beer, and wondering what I was going to do with myself. Then it hit me: someone’s got to brew this stuff!

What is your first food memory?

The sound of the Shawerma Man sharpening his knives at the shawerma stand near where I grew up.

What are you cooking these days?

I’m pickling and jarring a lot of the last vestiges of summer. Basically, a lot of tomato sauce and spiced fruit jams.

You are a certified Cicerone--what is a Cicerone?

A Cicerone is a certified beer sommelier; someone who is an expert in beer history, styles, and brewing technique, who has an expert palate, and who has a passion about pairing great beer with great food. Draft system maintenance is key knowledge, too.

What are you the most excited by in the food/beer world right now?

The real excitement of pairing beer and food is how it can be an “a-ha!” moment for people, allowing the beautiful flavors and textures of beer to be appreciated in a new context. There are too many people who think that beer doesn’t have a place at the table. Beer is such a versatile partner with food, and, unlike how wine has difficult-to-pair foods, there really is a beer for every food and a food for every beer.

When was the last time you had a bud light?

At the Kentucky Derby a couple years ago at a bachelor party. It’s five seconds of my life I’ll never get back.

Last meal?

My last meal will be a ripe Warren pear from Frog Hollow Farm, sliced with a sprinkle of freshly cracked pepper, and a bottle of Old Stock from North Coast Brewing Co. Try it, and you’ll understand.

Heading East....

2009-10-15T23:26:00.000-07:00

Fall colors, friends & family back east--here I come! From Philly to Jersey to NYC and back again.

I'm looking forward to finishing NYT Magazine Food Issue on the plane - so far, I especially love the article on the revolution of fresh produce in food banks.

When I get back I hope to have many photos of good food and I'm excited to be able to expand my guest posts to some on the craft beer + local foods world!

Latest food inspirations

2009-10-11T17:44:00.000-07:00

Had a great weekend with friends visiting from my desert homeland, AZ. Cooking and eating with my old friends brought up lots of good food memories and a reminder of my own eating evolution.

From my fast food fueled high school years to my first attempts at college vegetarianism involving an aversion to vegetables and a dedication to veggie paddies and bean & cheese burritos. To my long, slow move to, well, slow food--it started when I was a CSA coordinator with no clue how to cook the veggie bounty and continues through today as I try and figure out how to learn to love the fennel and cook the pumpkin in my CSA share.

Each step of the way I get inspired by eating and cooking with my friends. So here's just some of the things I'm finding inspiration from lately...

101 cookbooks (as always) with it's beautiful photos & seasonal, whole food recipes--I'm especially excited when she shares those who inspire her, like this new blog focused on Asian cooking.
Spicy noodle Mie Tek Tek soup from my new favorite Borobudur, a great Indonesian restaurant.
Cauliflower is my fall vegetable of the moment.
Vegetarian sushi @ Cha-Ya
Dinners involving a tasting: this weekend=a mushroom tasting inspired by the farmers' market. Lobster, Chantrelle, Fried chicken, and so many others! So delicious.
Finally...whatever comes out of the garden--here's a big old bucket of veggies harvested from Garden for the Environment. Even those radishes look good!

A do not miss farmer-writer event 10/17

2009-10-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

Two of my favorite farmer writers - Andy Griffin & Novella Carpenter - are coming together for Litquake's Litcrawl next Saturday @ 18 reasons. More info here. Andy grows my beautiful CSA veggies and writes inspiring newsletters while Novella is an urban farmer superstar and the author of Farm City.

I'll be on the east coast during the event—so, please go. Brave the crowds. Eat street food. Take profuse notes, let it infuse your soul and inspire. And tell me and my blog all about it.

Local food revolution continues to storm Washington

2009-10-06T21:26:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my friend Katie for pointing out this NPR story about the local food revolution making waves in Washington.

The NPR story talks about two important issues of the local food scene: the cost of local food & public education coming from the top.

Public education campaign from the top: The USDA has created a new program focused on connecting eaters and producers for the first time: Know Your Farmer. Promoting local food AND creating economic sustainability for rural communities. This is a critical first step to ensuring access to fresh, healthy, organic food for all Americans.

When NPR turned to tell the story of the cost of local foods they started with the fact that at the White House Farmers' Market, food stamps and WIC are worth twice as much if used at farmers' markets. An unparralleled improvement in access to local foods for low income communities. But then the conservatives from the Cato Institute chimed into to say that the real solution is to bring WalMart into inner-cities.

Yes, inner-cities suffer from a lack of access to fresh, whole foods--corner stores and fast food chains are your best bet for an affortable meal. But perhaps the best tack is to look at innovative policies that create inscentives for small buisness owners to provide fresh, whole foods---even local foods--to low-income communities. Read more about these efforts in NYC and Philadelphia.

David Byrne Turns Bike Advocate.

2009-10-04T21:52:00.000-07:00

Byrne loves the way the world looks from a bicycle. He's been talking about it lately in SF and on NPR. He's weaves stories about biking with the politics of being a biker in a way that only Byrne could pull off. He turned an author lecture into a bike advocacy panel---just one example of how the Talking Heads front man is beginning to reach audiences that would never consider the realities of getting on your bike in a car dominated world.

Fall: in the soil and on my table

2009-10-01T22:07:00.000-07:00

Fall is my favorite season. Autumn evenings. Crisp air. End of summer tomatoes appearing with winter's squashes. Pears, apples, and pomegranates are just hitting their stride.

In the kitchen I'm experimenting with cauliflower (because Mariquita farms has the most exquisite cauliflower!) and cabbages. Making pestos, roasting beets, and I'm threatening to buy up mounds of melons and boxes of tomatoes before they go out of season.

In the garden: I just put in my first fall SF garden!
I'm trying out onions, peas, greens, lettuces, broccolini and more. Here they are sprouting up!

Apple & berry picking for Garden for the Environment's CSA box!

Trial to improve Market Street goes well...

2009-09-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post SF's main artery, Market Street, isn't working for anyone--walkers, bikers, bus riders, or car divers. Today was the first day of a pilot project to change that reality. Cars headed downtown on Market street were required to turn right on 8th and 6th streets, leaving Market congestion free for faster bike and bus commutes! Initial reports indicate that the world did not come to a halt, nor did traffic on other streets. And in fact, everyone seems to be excited about it. Looking forward to seeing how this trial plays out.

Last Chance: Become Slow Food USA member at any $$

2009-09-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

Join Slow Food USA at any price until Oct. 1! I've always wanted to support SFUSA at the membership level, but it's always been a little too pricey--this is a great opportunity to support a good cause.

Park(ing) Day 2009: a missive from Thomas

2009-09-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

A welcome post by my friend, fellow urban farmer & We Walk to Work organizer, Thomas Vogl:

5 of us ventured out on Park(ing) Day morning to find a nice metered parking spot on Haight Street. Yes, we had in mind to feed the meter, but not to park a car. Park(ing) Day, a worldwide phenomena, is about re-thinking the use of public space, specifically street parking spaces. If you legally lease a space (by feeding the meter), why couldn't you put it to a different, better use?

In our case, we decided to create a little cozy living room and invite friends and whoever would pass by. Right on Haight Street (and Clayton). We decorated everything nicely with plenty of plants, put down some blankets, rugs, and cushions, and sat down to relax, and were curious to see what would happen.

Lots of people seemingly had no idea what to think about us. But almost everyone was curious enough to stop and investigate. One of the most wonderful things about that day - was that some people stopped in their tracks, and started talking. Some people took the time to take their shoes off and sit down with us.

On a physical level, sitting on the street gives you a really different perspective. Cars, and especially trucks, feel even more intimidating and dangerous. And you're even closer to the noise and exhaust fumes they are emitting. Oh, time to get up, and feed the meter again (let's keep it legal :) ). One of the best moments this morning - when a group of hippies stopped, and we told them what we were doing. their immediate reaction: "Sitting on the street? you must be joking? We so do that!" Could that be the first humble beginnings of turning Haight Street into a pedestrian area?

After lunch Adam and I ventured out to check out some other places on Valencia Street. Several 'parks' spread out along 10 blocks. Everything from a simple sitting area, to real grass with deck chairs and trees. The Bicycle Coalition took the opportunity to test bicycle on-street parking (bicycle racks on a parking spot rather than on the side walk). And everywhere the same playful and neighborhoodly atmosphere of chatting and having fun together.

Adam and I at one point got cocky, grabbed our chairs, and sat down right in the center lane of Valencia Street. 2 very interesting observations:

a street occupies a lot of space.
almost immediately cars slowed down! I guess they didn't know what to expect from us. Another way of traffic calming :)

An almost perfect day, and I can't wait for the next Park(ing) Day! But why wait until next year? Everyone of us can 'park' her/himself, on any day! Happy Park(ing)! :)

A White House Farmers' Market?!

2009-09-24T21:14:00.000-07:00

It isn't just a farmers' market. It is healthy food, low carbon farming, local economies and community. Learn more about this historic event and see how a movement gains speed here.

More food preservation in action

2009-09-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

In addition to the buckets of tomatoes--I also tried out preserving my favorite summer herb basil. I had 10 bunches to deal with. Day one I decided to freeze some of the little ones that wouldn't make it through the night. I had no clue what I was doing and chopped them up in a food processor with tons of olive oil. It actually worked! My pesto making adventures the next night didn't go so well...it was the victim of massive freezer burn!

This will be perfect for winter soups!

Food Firsts: Freezing Summer's Harvest

2009-09-18T19:06:00.000-07:00

Every winter as I open can after can of organic tomatoes, I think back to summer's unparalleled fresh tomatoes. Every winter I promise to preserve the summer's bounty. Since I've declared this year as my year of doing not talking, I've been trying it out....

I started with a canning class at the Studio for Urban Projects and followed up with big tomato orders from Mariquita's Ladybug Buying Club. I love the Ladybug Buying Club--you can pick up bulk orders of your favorite things like Padron peppers, basil, and of course, tomatoes!

My friend Edna and I jumped in with a first order of 20 lbs of San Marzano romas. Then upped it to 40 lbs of Early Girls and added another preservation newbie, Tanya.

Instead of investing in canning equipment, we invested in freezer bags and tried both food milling some sauce and roasting up individual tomatoes. While we don't have enough tomatoes to last us through the winter, we learned a lot and had more fun than I imagined. And tomato season isn't over yet...

Here's a step-by-step to get you through. BTW make sure you have a full afternoon ahead of you as this can take a few hours!

Cooked tomatoes: a good base for sauce and substitute for canned tomatoes.

Wash & coarsely chop your tomatoes
Put a tiny bit of water in the bottom of a large stock pot, add the tomatoes and cook for about 30-45 minutes until they begin to breakdown
Process through a food mill--the tinier the setting the less skin and seeds you get, but the more watery your sauce.
Cook processed tomatoes for another 45-1hour Add a bit of basil, salt and pepper--just to give it a good base to make a great sauce later on.
Let it cool completely.
Fill freezer bags with the sauce--make sure to get all the air out or else you'll become a victim of freezer burn! From 20 lbs of tomatoes we ended up with about 4 large freezer bags full of sauce.

Perfect twin tomatoes.

First attempt at roasting didn't go well. We didn't de-seed them.
I'm still experimenting.

The food mill in action!

Sauce in full effect. Just imagine the smells....

Edna's beautiful pizzas that got us through the sauce making. Roasted peppers + carmelized onion. Yum.

Tips:

Food preservation is best done in the company of good friends, with some good wine and delicious snacks along the way.
Before choosing your technique, carefully consider your tomato. This is what I've found to work so far: Roma=roasting or cook into sauce, Early Girl or other deliciously juicy variety=cook into sauce or can whole.
Next time I'm going to try peeling and freezing them whole--I think this may take less time...we'll see.
If you're canning -- just peel and can the whole ones, it's just too much work otherwise.
To save $$ find a local, organic pick-your-own spot. It turns food preservation into
Be prepared to have your dreams overwhelmed by tomatoes. It's true.
Any advice from other tomato preservationists? I'm battling a bit of freezer burn--would love some tips on that front!

Gardening gets political

2009-09-11T08:17:00.000-07:00

With food policy reform hitting the national scene big these past couple of weeks--from the national Time for Lunch campaign about making school food good to Micheal Pollan's wildly popular NYT article connecting the dots between health care reform and food policy--I decided it was a great time to dust off these photos I took in DC in June and post them.

Urban community gardens are becoming part of the landscape at our most important public buildings. There are raised veggie beds on the White House south lawn. And Tom Vilsack has put a community garden front and center at the USDA's headquarters.

I stumbled this special garden when I visited our nation's capital a couple of months ago in the late afternoon sun. While these photos may not be my best, they capture a special moment of excitement for me when I felt that my own passion for urban community gardens is connected to a larger movement.

It is a mistake to place too much value on these new gardens in and of themselves--but they are not merely a green facade either. These gardens will sow new food policy and usher in a new culture of slow food traditions. They are a symbol that a message has reached the highest level of our halls of government--people want to reinvest in our soil, to begin to connect to good, healthy food again.

For a food advocate like me, it offers up a glimmer of hope. I see an opening. If healthy veggie gardens greet our decision makers, it's the first tool in educating them about good food and growing it yourself. I'd love to see these community gardens in front of all of our public buildings. If it can be done at the White House it can be done at your City Hall.

Making good on Transit First: A Market St. Pilot

2009-09-10T16:15:00.000-07:00

Market street isn't working well for anyone--bikes and pedestrians have to dodge cars and buses, while buses get slowed down by traffic. A group of diverse stakeholders are working together to make Market street better--a place to be.

Starting September 29th a series of pilot projects will be aimed at reducing traffic on Market street in the downtown corridor coupled with street improvements like turning sidewalks into plazas and having more music on the street.

I can't wait. Read more about it here.

Pollan connects the dots: Health care & food policy

2009-09-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

Check out Micheal Pollan's latest NYT article on the linkages between food policy and health care reform here. It's all connected...

A notable quote:

"According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, three-quarters of health care spending now goes to treat “preventable chronic diseases.” Not all of these diseases are linked to diet — there’s smoking, for instance — but many, if not most, of them are.

We’re spending $147 billion to treat obesity, $116 billion to treat diabetes, and hundreds of billions more to treat cardiovascular disease and the many types of cancer that have been linked to the so-called Western diet. One recent study estimated that 30 percent of the increase in health care spending over the past 20 years could be attributed to the soaring rate of obesity, a condition that now accounts for nearly a tenth of all spending on health care."

Cook Food: A book I want to buy by the box-load

2009-09-05T20:53:00.000-07:00

I picked up Cook Food, a manualfesto for easy, healthy, local eating the other day and experienced something completely unprecedented: I had the desire to purchase this little gem by the box-load and give it away to all my friends, maybe even to strangers on the street corner.

What inspires such a feeling? This cookbook epitomizes all that is central to my cooking and eating style in a simple, concise way all for the low price of $10. It is about real, local, fresh food. It is not about elitism. It doesn't shy away from politics. It tells you what you need in your kitchen arsenal, everything from the raw materials to the hardware. It's funny. It can practically fit in your back pocket. It has simple suggestions for how to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, (yes sometimes we all need a reminder on how to make these three meals great).

But really, when I saw that the first three recipes are different versions of greens & beans, I was head over heels.

This book makes cooking accessible and approachable for even the most novice of cooks--and has simple recipes to learn from even if you've been cooking for years. Go Cook Food!

Fog city gardening celebrating the end of August

2009-08-31T23:15:00.000-07:00

Saturday's volunteer day at Garden for the Environment: a bountiful CSA harvest in the hot sun highlighted by gorgeous strawberries and beautiful blooms. Followed by building free standing compost piles, a composition of sculptures to decomposition.

Arugula is getting a healthy start!

This week at my community garden plot, that blushing tomato turned full-on red, and two more are on the way to ripening!

Onion blossoms are my new inspiration.

Grand opening: EAT Mondays @ Minna

2009-08-31T13:17:00.000-07:00

I don't do happy hour without food, really, no one should. But this leaves so many great spots, like the art gallery/bar 111 Minna out of my usual range. Starting tonight, EAT on Mondays at 111 Minna there will be a beautiful menu of sustainable seasonal eats at good prices ($4-10), $5 cover starting next week. Art/music/food & libations=a good way to start the week.

Another beautiful GFE harvest

2009-08-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

I spent my Saturday morning in the company of friends new and old harvesting these beautiful veggies for a local housing service for youth!

What's in the GFE box?
Pink pearl apples (they're pink inside!), kale, swiss chard, a bouquet of herbs, carrots (from Thomas the wonder-volunteer's garden), mixed string beans, ornamental squash and loads of eating squash--just look at that patty pan beauty!

Tell all your friends: the time for healthy school food is Now.

2009-08-25T22:29:00.001-07:00

I was inspired by a movement gaining ground at an evening talk last night--a movement to return healthy, good food to our schools.

One of the many tendrils of the local food movement is school food--it's one that never really caught my eye--maybe it was because I'm not a teacher or a parent--but last night, a panel of thoughtful speakers and at the latest installment of Kitchen Table Talks brought the issue home. School food is a community issue.

I realized that school food is suffering from the same problems facing our national food system: the commodification of the food that nourishes us and the conglomeration of those who produce, prepare and distribute our food.

Two points of the talk resonated with me: In San Francisco, the meals that kids receive at school--lunch and for some, breakfast plus an after-school snack, usually served in a black pre-packaged bag--may be the only meals they have all day. And secondly, kids who eat healthy, good food do better academically. When our school systems begin to recognize this fundamental need to nourish students, real transformation can happen.

The speakers, which included Colleen Kavanaugh Executive Director, Campaign for Better Nutrition, Lena Brook, grassroots parent advocate, and Ed Wilkins, Director of Student Nutrition Services for SF Public Schools--reiterated that the time is now to change the way we feed children at school. The Child Nutrition Act is undergoing reauthorization this year. For the first time in decades, a President is actually talking about the need for school food reform. The local food movement is gaining political will and know-how. And communities are beginning to organize around healthy food.

What can you do?

Attend one of the 272 Time for Lunch Eat-In's across the nation on Labor Day (or organize one in your community). It is a national day of action to get real food in schools
Call your representatives and let them know you want more $$ for school food. Call them, don't send a letter or sign a petition. All that counts is a personal call or note. For more info on what to say check out this guide.
Get educated about school food and make it a priority in your community.

Do you know any great examples of good school food? Please share them!

Life in the garden: the miracle of a blushing tomato

2009-08-25T22:18:00.000-07:00

Summer is turning to fall even in fog city. Here's a few photos from my community garden plot at White Crane...

A zucchini plant goes out in style - another victim of powdery mildew.

Tomatoes are looking good--one, hiding in this photo, is even beginning to blush! I was already getting jealous of my Missionista friends with beautiful reds and was looking up pickled green tomato recipes. There may be hope yet...

GFE is full of fall blooms.

SF comes out in support of street food...

2009-08-23T21:57:00.000-07:00

From the huge crowds at this weekend's SF street food fair, you can tell SF is ready for some serious street food. Food that's affordable, well made, unique, fast, and preferably served out of something on wheels. (I just think there's something about that potential transience, the mystery of such creativity and goodness coming out of pocket sized kitchens that speaks to the urban dweller)

But unfortunately, by 3pm the lines crowding Folsom between 25th and 26th were too long for me and my friends to brave...and the spicy eggplant pocket pie that I craved was already sold out. I had expected more street food vendors, but instead found the likes of Pizzeria Delfina, Poleng, and Aziza. To be fair there were a few illegal street vendors that were made legal for the day, but it wasn't quite what I was expecting.

As an event that highlighted the great work of the community kitchen La Cocina I couldn't be happier about the success of the event.

I think the event was equally successful in bringing awareness about the gaps in our local laws to create a thriving street food cart scene like Portland. If you love street food and want to help change our laws check out the petition here.

Good Eats: Il Cane Rosso

2009-08-21T15:13:00.000-07:00

I was craving soup on yesterday's foggy day and decided to explore a new spot in the SF Ferry Building: Il Cane Rosso. It's all about seasonal local fare---I got a sweet corn soup with pickled green tomatoes. Mmmmm. And at $6 this bowl of soul-warming soup only cost .70 more than the lentil soup I almost went for at the SF Soup Company.

Everything is presented with care and beauty at this sliver of a restaurant--from the hand lettered signs letting you know where their produce is grown, to the displays of fresh produce and flowers.

The Straus soft-serve on tap could prove to be my downfall...

Bike-In Movies and a Memorial to the Culture Bus

2009-08-14T12:23:00.001-07:00

I'm nostalgic for Drive-In movie theaters. I'm ecstatic for the new bike-in theater events in SF, complete with street food carts! Check out the article here to read more about creating community out of concrete.

In other things urban and transportation, let's all take a moment of silence for the death of SF's most useless bus line, the Culture Bus. The Culture Bus was a good idea in theory that just never worked in practice--create a bus line, a bright yellow one at that, connecting SF's best tourist spots, but it was so expensive and unknown that no one ever actually rode it. Maximum capacity I witnessed: 4 people.

Urban homestead classes take root

2009-08-13T17:12:00.001-07:00

Canning, pickling, starting a sourdough starter, beer brewing, cheese making, fermenting, meal planning, gardening--as summer hits its' stride and the slow food movement begins to take root people are making these old skills new again.

Classes are popping up everywhere I look. I just participated in a canning and preserving class at the Studio for Urban Projects taught by chef Nicole LoBue. Good takeaways: always can with a posse, it cuts down on the time, creativity blossoms, and it's just more fun that way; follow your recipe (important for a recipe infidel like myself) and the Ball Blue Book of Preserving is a great place to start; and finally, there are never-ending ways of to can -- the hot water bath method is a great way to go (unless you're canning meat, which..... I just can't even begin to think about.)

Other great spots to check out classes in SF are Urban Peasant and Urban Kitchen. SF's community kitchen space La Cocina is also holding Yes We Can events this summer where you are able to buy community canned local produce and if you're interested, learn how to do it in the process.

Are classes like this popping up all over? Let me know if you've found other interesting urban homesteading classes!

A Tomato Scarce Summer for the Northeast

2009-08-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

The Northeastern US is suffering from a huge tomato crop loss this year. This great op-ed by Dan Barber does a good job of outlining the causes and consequences of the tomato blight.

There's a lot of lessons to be learned here but one huge takeaway for me is to be conscientious about where you get those seeds and seedlings you're planting in your backyard garden. Some quick tips:

Try going to your local farmers' market for seedlings sown by local farmers, they'll probably be the ones that work best in your micro climate too!
Next stop should be your local nursery--if they don't have veggie starts ask them to start carrying them, a lot of nurseries are just getting started with this. (for Bay Area gardeners I've found good starts at SF's Sloat, Three Bees, Hortica on Castro may have them too. Berkeley's Spiral Gardens is a superstar.)
Buy seeds from local sources that have organic and heirloom seed varieties. I still need to work on finding more sources in my area but here are a few I've found: Sustainable Seed Company based in CA and Territorial Seed based in OR
If you can't get them there, try places like Seed Saver's Exchange and Native Seed/SEARCH.
Learn how to save your own seed!
Make your garden a diverse one.

A week in Portland (part I)

2009-08-10T21:35:00.001-07:00

Portland is...local food heaven, artisan coffee all day long, local breweries on every corner, patio paradise, street cart dining, user-friendly public transit, corn and zucchini growing where lawns would normally be and good peeps.

Here's a few highlights from my week in Portland...

The discovery of North Portland gems: Por que no: ceviche is not to be missed. the ReBuilding Center, Pistils Nursery your nonstop shop for urban chicken raising and terrariums, the patio and the pitchers at Amnesia brewery, Mississippi Studios the spot for shows and fresh baked bread.

Besaws: is old wicker chairs, breakfast till 3, ball jars filled with homemade pickles and preserves & a menu of local foods at recession prices.

I'm a complete Stumptown convert--so many varieties and
what can I say, I'm a french press junkie.
But Coffeehouse Northwest takes it to another level, their iced coffee is unparalleled.

Pine State Biscuits is unreal: mushroom gravy, quarts of sweet tea, a side of hash browns and collard greens you can barely finish. Pictured above is the star of the show, the Reggie delux, yup that's fried chicken, bacon, egg, cheese and gravy.

Fresh currants!

I could spend an entire summer exploring PDX's street cart food extravaganza. Here's a little spinach cheese wonderland from Ziba's Bosnian food cart.

Hops growing strong at Lucky Lab brewery.

The tea garden.

My first berry picking adventure! Marionberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and peaches were on tap at this spot on Sauvie Island.

Pok pok's killer papaya salad -- went well with the tofu noodle soup.
Otherwise, stay away from the veggie options!

One of the best street food stops was at Lickity Split on NW 10th & Hoyt.
Vegan Meatballs (you can get happy pork too), fire roasted green chili sauce, heirloom tomato polenta, cheese and a little spice. So. Good.

Other Portland recommendations:

Saint Cupcake!
Farm Cafe: get a pasta course, and the veggie burger is required. You won't regret it.
Hopworks brewery: an Eco-brewpub, who knew those existed?!
There's so much that I missed....

Thank you friends for all your recommendations--keep them coming!
Portland Part II = a special visit to Gaining Ground farm...

Portland here I come...

2009-07-31T20:50:00.000-07:00

I'm excited for loads of local foods, big bookstores, lots of coffee, and NO computer time. So I leave you with two exciting things in the world of the culinary...

Greens & beans recipe not to be missed: I was drowning in greens so I cooked up this giant chipotle white beans & greens recipe from 101 cookbooks. So. Good. My recommendations--leave out the breadcrumbs and go for the queso fresco.
In honor of the new movie Julie & Julia, Pollan has an article in the NYT magazine this Sunday.

Growing food : moving from demonstration to sustenance

2009-07-28T07:35:00.000-07:00

A portrait of our first donation box.
It's contents: a bag of purple, green and fuzzy yellow string beans, the first pears, summer squash, two red cabbages, lettuce greens, rosemary, lemons, and finally
red and fingerling potatoes!

Most Saturdays you'll find me and my better half volunteering at Garden for the Environment--learning each week how to grow veggies in fog city. GFE is a demonstration and teaching garden in the Inner Sunset that helps Bay Area residents learn to grow food and perrennial plants without the use of pesticides and other chemicals in our unique climate. As the squash plants around the garden have begun to swell with more zucchinis, round rouge d'hivers, and fat patty pans than the volunteer crew could ever eat, we needed a new plan.

Now, each Saturday, through collaboration with Food Runners & G-House Traditional Housing for Youth—the food we've helped grow with many volunteers will be prepared into delicious meals for youth!

It's reinvigorating to see this project move from mere demonstration to real sustenance for people who will love these fresh veggies. I can't wait to help grow even more food at GFE!

Eat It To Save It.

2009-07-24T13:42:00.000-07:00

Renewing America's Food Traditions is continuing to echo throughout the food world. Check out this blog post in the NYT.

RAFT was my initiation--into the world of food biodiversity, into the cult of food history addicts, and into a lifetime of food storytelling and delectable feasts of local foods. Working side by side with my mentor Gary Nabhan, and other amazing food advocates like Kevin Dahl of Native Seed/SEARCH, Kent Whealy co-founder of Seed Savers Exchange, Erika Lesser and Makale Cullen of Slow Food and Don Bixby of American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, I learned about the world of heirloom breeds and seeds. I learned about the importance of saving the biodiversity of our food--not just for the irresistible, infinitude of tastes, but for sustaining our rich cultural history, our dying farmlands and promoting sustainable agriculture.

I uncovered the stories of exquisite berries too fragile to ship on the brink of extinction (read more here.) I cataloged lists of endangered foods with names themselves filled with stories: lazy housewife bean (the first string less bean), amish paste and hungarian heart tomatoes, moon & stars watermelon. I found communities dedicated to revitalizing their food traditions in the name of cultural preservation and health prevention. A life-changing experience in every way.

But before I go full steam ahead off of the cliff of digression--one last word about the NYT article...it highlights the often ignored heirloom breeds. You may well know the heirloom turkeys that have become a hot item on Thanksgiving tables, but there is a whole world of breeds from Rhode Island chickens to Navajo churro sheep and the precious Ossabaw Island Pig I saw at Mount Vernon just a few months ago. These breeds have cultural and ecological history that when sustained, will not only allow for place-based sustainable food production but tasty meals indeed (and this, coming from a self-ascribed aquatarian).

So go eat some heirlooms to save them.

Mount Vernon's resident Ossabaw Island pig captured my heart.

Farmers talkin sexy figs...

2009-07-23T15:05:00.000-07:00

Fig fantasia on today's Morning Edition. Listen here. It will make you want a fig. Now.

Plants as Medicine

2009-07-22T21:58:00.000-07:00

Herbalism is not something I grew up with. I used to know my way around a suburban drug store blindfolded. Tiny headache? Toss back some aspirin. Sore throat? Pop some pill that not only covers sore throats but body aches, congestion, and a trailing list of symptoms. Follow that with a menthol-laden, syrupy cough drop and you're good to go. I didn't think there was any other way.

Even when I became enamored with whole foods and started looking at the back of my cereal boxes to ensure I knew all the ingredients--I never hesitated taking a pill at the slightest sign of sickness. I was getting a little queasy about supporting big pharma...

Then I began to find myself in the company of people who love plants and love to use plants. I got the chance to interview the amazing ethnobotanist/herbalist Phyllis Hogan...and it was a revelation=Plants as Medicine?!

Alison Budner's amazing herbalism courses at Garden for the Environment have been a beginning for me, a chance to take charge of my own health, my own healing. Totally empowering.

So as you head out on your next summer hike check out Ali's beautifully hand-drawn info sheets on Herbal First Aid (download the full PDF here) -- remember an herb or two that you can rely on to relieve poison ivy or comfort a bug bite.

I'll share more info as I continue to learn more about these healing herbs--send me your suggestions too.

Thank you Ali!

Unbelievable...

2009-07-19T11:31:00.001-07:00

What a beauty! My first cherry tomato in SF!
Now I just have to hope she begins to ripen...

Potlucks get real

2009-07-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

Check out my friend Lesley's article on the NYTs Bitten blog--Potlucks for the Planet!

A sonic picture of today's family farms...

2009-07-15T15:24:00.000-07:00

Five Farms is an incredible new radio documentary follows five family farms through a year of their lives. Through planting, nurturing, stewardship, harvest and succession.

It brought me back to the never-ending mesas that dot the horizon on Hopi land. It made me think about the struggles and challenges of the people growing my food. It made me plant each new seed in my community garden plot with intention. It made me stop and pause for an hour each Wednesday night and think and dream of what it might be like to be a farmer.

A don't miss for everybody who eats.

A Farmer Billboard...

2009-07-13T22:40:00.000-07:00

I love this billboard -- it's just outside Mission Pie, part of a Sky in the Pie public art project.
Whenever I get riled up about all the McDonald's billboards popping up around the city, I'll think of this...there should be more billboard activism!

Rural and Urban: Walkability matters

2009-07-10T16:40:00.001-07:00

From the bustling streets of Bogota to the desert reaches of Central Valley farms people are people. And according to urbanist Enrique Peñalosa people need a few basic things to be happy...

To walk
To be around people
To play
To do these things without being afraid that the you are going to be hit by a car

But the places we live in rarely meet these basic needs....

When I heard Peñalosa speak last week at SPURs new digs, I couldn't help but think of my runs through Golden Gate Park. When I make it out during the week I dodge cars and tense up as I approach cross walks, but during the weekend when I reach JFK street that is completely closed to car traffic I feel this joy and relaxation come over me every time, it doesn't get old. I could walk up and down that stretch of carlessness all day and watch people: kids learning how to ride bikes, roller skaters dancing, people walking slowly back from a morning marathon run, it never gets old.

Peñalosa inspired crowds of fellow urbanists last week—in celebration of the new Great Streets initiative in SF--he talked about the way our streets and cities are built in terms of emotions and values. He spoke of how "a good city creates equality" this was at the root of his controversial turn as the Mayor of Bogota. He was almost impeached for kicking cars off the sidewalks and reclaiming them for pedestrians.

He created one of the most extensive bike network in the world connecting the cities poorest areas with public services like libraries and swimming pools and providing safe places for all of Bogota's residents rich, poor, children, and even the handicapped to get out of their cars and reclaim public spaces.

He created one of the most innovative transit systems in the world a Bus Rapid Transit system (see it in action on a NYT video here) in which buses get a dedicated lane and have improved boarding and payment systems to make BRT a faster, cheaper form of public transit than rail.

Peñalosa challenged all of us to again "think in utopias" to reclaim our streets. Right now, in San Francisco, it's hard to get around whether you're in a car, on a bike or a bus, or walking the streets. We must begin to dream of what our city will look like we begin to value people over cars.

And it's not just our cities--our rural areas are suffering even more from this same lack of safe, pedestrian space. A piece on NPR's Kitchen Sisters this week snapped me out of my urban tunnel vision. The Breadbasket Blues was billed as a piece looking at the effects of drought (both literal and economic) in the Central Valley -- a hot topic at my work these days...but instead, the story turned out to be remarkably parallel to the themes in Peñalosa's talk about cities--there aren't safe places to walk in the Central Valley because there aren't sidewalks, there aren't any public spaces for the community to gather. (aside from public space & walkability this story shines an important spotlight on the food desert and it's health impacts in our nation's breadbasket, a don't miss piece)

Urban or rural, we must begin to reclaim our communities, nurture them and make them livable again. I think Peñalosa pointed out a good first step: think in utopias. On that note, what does your ideal community look like?

What to do with the 5 and unders in the garden?

2009-07-09T22:11:00.000-07:00

Calling all garden educators, community gardeners, parents, and people who love to garden with kids! A friend of mine wants to expose her city kids to veggie gardening...they're both under 5, and I'm at a loss...Help. I've planted flowers and built raised beds with some pretty rad 8 year olds, but my depth in this area is pretty limited.

Know of any cool kid-friendly gardens in the Bay Area? Know of any fun activities for the little ones in a garden? Or at home?

I'm thinking worm bins would definitely be a hit. Any other suggestions?

SF Mayor Announces New Regional Food Policy

2009-07-08T22:28:00.000-07:00

Today, from the heart of a new renaissance in food security City Slicker Farms, Gavin Newsom announced a sweeping regional food policy to be implemented within SF in the next 180 days...

all departments conduct an audit of land under their jurisdiction to create an inventory of land suitable for gardening, (a favorite of mine);
the introduction of new health and sustainability requirements for food sold by vendors under city permits;
"healthy meetings policy" requiring the purchase of healthy, locally produced foods for city meetings;
the introduction of a new law requiring that food purchased by the city has been grown regionally and through sustainable methods.

A great step in the right direction--let's make sure it becomes a reality.

Reading: Farm City

2009-07-07T22:44:00.001-07:00

I first spotted it on the shelves at Kramer books in DC a couple of weeks ago...with it's graffitied wheelbarrow cover ....Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer by Novella Carpenter, a story of Oaktown citysteading. A table of contents that reads as follows: Turkey; Rabbit; Pig. Basically irresistible, right? Except for the fact that it's a hardback, which made it at least as heavy as a Mission burrito and impossible to read with one hand while dangling from whatever I manage to grab a hold of on the Muni sandwiched between my neighbors and random strangers. So I told myself, hold off until this beauty arrives in paperback.

But then it began popping up everywhere I turned, bookstores, blogs, even the NYT Book Review. I read Novella's blog and was hooked. I bought the last copy at Alexander Books just last night and awoke this morning to a feature of the book in a CSA e-newsletter story from one of my favorite writers, who also happens to be a farmer, Andy Griffin.

Now it's time for me to stop blogging and keep reading--Novella's baby birds just arrived by mail...

NYT Magazine 07.05 a must read

2009-07-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

Two great articles: an urban homestead feast in oaktown & an inspiring story of urban agriculturalist/master composter Will Allen. And if you're into the drama of CA politics you'll love the cover story too.

One of my favorite quotes from the article on Will Allen's urban greenhouses, "Street Farmer":

"With seeds planted at quadruple density and nearly every inch of space maximized to generate exceptional bounty, Growing Power is an agricultural Mumbai, a supercity of upward-thrusting tendrils and duct-taped infrastructure. Allen pointed to five tiers of planters brimming with salad greens. “We’re growing in 25,000 pots,” he said. Ducking his 6-foot-7 frame under one of them, he pussyfooted down a leaf-crammed aisle. “We grow a thousand trays of sprouts a week; every square foot brings in $30.”

Happiness is...

2009-07-05T19:06:00.001-07:00

...my new neighborhood farmers' market on a foggy summer Sunday.

...discovering that blueberries are still in season.
And, in fact, the season is just beginning in the mountains of CA.

....splurging on local eggs. aren't they beautiful?!

Love the packaging too--check out that laid on date!

Fifth Crow Farm produce absolutely glows--and they sell flour and wheat berries too.

They're doing it right--it's worth a trip to the inner sunset.

A weekend to reclaim democracy

2009-07-04T16:55:00.000-07:00

During this celebratory weekend of national Independence, it seems like a good time to tell the story of a recent talk by one of my food heroes, Raj Patel. Raj, author of Stuffed and Starved, has brought international policy into the consciousness of today's local food movement.

Don't get me wrong, I look for Fair Trade coffee, stay away from GMOs, curse those Monsanto ads that have become a national model of greenwashing, I consider myself a Vandana Shiva devotee and I've even forsaken my breakfast banana in the name of environmental stewardship and social justice...but until S&S came out in 2007, I wasn't paying enough attention to the connection between the food on my table and the international policies that put it there.
Maybe it's his witty delivery and dashing good looks...but I think it's really Raj Patel's ability to both embrace the complexity of these issues and explain it into digestible parts (without dumbing it down).

Here are some of the highlights/quotes from his talk at ATA:

It is an American illusion that we can buy ourselves OUT of this food crisis
Free markets are great, unfortunately they don't exist
Food crisis as violence against women.
We must Reclaim Democracy for we are its proprietors

Don't miss his speaking events--he's a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley, so he's around town, watch this space to keep up with him.

An intro: It's time to get this blog started!

2009-07-04T16:46:00.001-07:00

I grow veggies in fog city, cook them up and can't stop talking about it. I'm a food politics/urban planning groupie and a farmers' market interloper; a cookbook collector and wannabe canner. I'm an environmental advocate by trade and a writer by nature.

This blog is the pursuit of making the invisible, visible--that is the connections between the stuff of our everyday lives and environmental resiliency. Following something from it's root to it's fruit. It is about a perspective on the world that includes us as humans as part of the planet, part of the ecosystem.

It is also the exploration of a new dialog and collaboration--I hope to include interviews and guest posts and other community based conversations I haven't even thought of yet.