Lusting for Local Food

Green Valentine's Day Dinner hosted by Georgia Organics

On February 14, from 6-10PM at The Gardens at Kennesaw

Join Georgia Organics and Slow Food Atlanta (and me) at the Gardens at Kennesaw this Valentine's Day for a Lusting for Local Food dinner. Singles, couples and groups welcome for a night of great food and great company.

The perfect alternative to the standard V-Day plans, the event will feature music, cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, dancing, and a seated dinner featuring local, fresh and organic dishes prepared by Parsley's Catering.

Featured local foods include Sweetwater Growers microgreens, Johnston Family Farms Dairy, Jake's Chocolates, Riverview Farms and others.

We are taking the red and pink out of Valentine's Day and going green. In addition to the focus on local and organic foods, the evening will feature 100% recycling, composting, water-saving facilities and solar panels.

$50 members of Georgia Organics or Slow Food Atlanta; $65 for nonmembers

Contact Info:

Name:	Jennifer Owens
Tel:	678.702.0400
Email:	jennifer@georgiaorganics.org
Website:	www.georgiaorganics.org

Click to Register

Visions of Spring

Leaving the cozy shelter of my bed this morning, setting out into another bone-chilling day of winter, I can’t help but yearn for spring to appear. The signs that spring is on its way abound, perennials poking their heads out of the ground, buds starting to swell on trees, seed catalogs arriving in the mail. The start of a new year, a new era for America, a new season…the chance to start over.

To us gardeners, seed catalogs are a bit of an obsession. Our gardens have been tucked away for a few months and we ache to place our hands in the soil once again. Then the seed catalogs start to arrive, providing endless possibilities for the year ahead. Pens dance as we struggle to pick just the right cultivar or remember an old favorite. Soon, we still have too much to choose from, for want of more land. The list must be narrowed down, a brutal task. In the end we still order more than we need, in hopes of finding the room.

Every year I struggle to pick just the right mix of plants, the task has been further complicated with my CSA membership. What will I get from the CSA? and when? How can I supplement that selection from my own garden?

Here is what I have come up with:

• Amaranth – Manna De Montana
• Basil – Lettuce Leaf
• Beans – Scarlet Runner, Kentucky Wonder
• Beets – Early Wonder Tall Top
• Carrots – Chantenay Red Core
• Eggplant – Early Black Egg
• Garlic – Chilean Silver
• Kale – Hanover Salad, Premier, Red Ursa
• Melon – Sleeping Beauty
• Nasturtium – Jewel Mixed Colors
• Onion – Riverside
• Orach – Magenta Magic
• Peas – Cascadia, Sugar Snap
• Peppers – Chile Lombak
• Purslane – Golden
• Quinoa – Faro
• Sorrel – Garden
• Spinach – America
• Sunflower – Sunspot
• Swiss Chard – Ruby Red
• Tomatoes – Amish Paste, Cherokee Purple, Matt’s Wild Cherry, Yellow Pear

Organic Healthy Foods on a Budget

Organic Healthy Foods on a Budget | Green and Natural Parenting:



Yes, the conundrum that most families into natural health and wellness will face. On one hand we have the argument that organic, healthier foods cost more and therefore cannot be justified when we have a modest budget. There is some truth to this no doubt. Organic cow’s milk might cost you $4.99 for a half gallon at the grocery store. The non-organic milk sits right next to it at $2.79 per whole gallon. The raw organic almonds I buy at $12.99 a pound to make breakfast bars with seems extravagant when I could buy Pop Tarts for a couple dollars a box right? Why go buy $15 worth of ingredients at the store to make a good dinner when we can shop the $1 menu at McDonalds?

But then the counter argument is that unhealthy foods and non organic foods will cost us more in the long run. Why? Because food is our medicine. An unhealthy diet will eventually lead to health problems, doctor visits, unpaid sick days, hospitalizations, pharma prescriptions, etc. If you need proof, look at me. My bad choices turned around to bite me in the behind BIG time. I chose bad foods…REALLY bad foods for many years and got lovely cancer, $50,000 worth of surgeries, and chemo treatment at $7000 a week for 6 months. Don’t I wish I could go back and buy healthy foods and complain about how expensive it was.

I see both sides of the coin but one only one really stands up to tough scrutiny. If we cut corners on a healthy diet due to expense…we may likely be paying the piper later…with interest. But like everything it seems there is no black and white here. Some things we may to compromise on. How can we cut costs and allow access to better food? Let’s explore some of the ways.

1. Menu Planning
2. Meal planning
3. Buy in Bulk
4. Shop Less
5. Don’t Eat Out
6. Make Your Own
7. Look for Deals
8. CSAs and Farmer’s Markets
9. Eat Less Meat
10. Eat in Season
11. Grow Your Own

Please visit naturemomsBLOG to read this post in its entirety.

There are lots of ways to reduce costs that I can see. How about you? What tips or somments do you have?

Eat the View

This Lawn is Your Lawn from roger doiron on Vimeo.

http://www.eattheview.org/

Alpharetta first to file for green recognition

by Bob Pepalis

The city put down its green roots years ago and plans to become even greener in the future.

Alpharetta Community Development Director Diana Wheeler said it was the first city to submit an application for the Atlanta Regional Commission's Green Communities program.

Alpharetta Mayor Arthur Letchas put making Alpharetta a "greener" city his top goal for his final term as mayor.

"We are doing fine the way we are now, but the future is in question," he said. "I think to protect our environment for the future generations, we need to protect and do all we can for the environment."

Wheeler said she and her staff, who prepared the ARC application, feel Alpharetta is "more than qualified to be a green city."

Some of the criteria used in determining a city's status as a Green Community include energy efficiency, water use and conservation, trees and greenspace efforts.

"We have addressed every one of their items with the programs and the policies that we already either have in place or have adopted as a result of this effort," Wheeler said.

Alpharetta has one of the strongest tree ordinances in the state, Letchas said, and will strive to keep it that way.

This year the Public Safety Department took delivery on its first hybrid cars for administrative-type positions and positions not likely to be involved in high-speed chases. Letchas said the 34-plus miles per gallon make the hybrids obviously greener than other vehicles.

"It's proving out to be a good decision," he said.

Recycling is a goal for the city and something that is pushed for residents.

"It's doing what we can for the environment as far as taking less to the landfill. I encourage people to get the bigger recycling containers so they can recycle more and dump less," Letchas said.

Alpharetta's waste hauler offers a 35-gallon recycling container that can replace the standard 18-gallon container by calling 678-407-6216 to schedule the exchange of bins. The larger bins have lids, wheels and handles to make them easier to use.

The city encourages developers to be part of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design [LEED] program for energy efficiency, encouraging green roof designs that help with heating and cooling, and water runoff. Developers can be rewarded for energy efficiency.

In an idea brought by a code enforcement officer, if a developer agrees to install a timer to shut off a commercial development's sign, Alpharetta will allow that sign to be up to 20 percent larger.

The city is making plans to save energy in its buildings wherever it can.

"And we've got some ordinances that we passed on the first reading that encourage [going] green," Letchas said.

http://www.northfulton.com/Articles-i-2009-01-15-176390.114126_Alpharetta_first_to_file_for_green_recognition.html

Youth Council developing Alpharetta trails plan

Youth Council developing Alpharetta trails plan:

"Academic performance, civic involvement and leadership abilities earned a dozen students from four high schools a place on Alpharetta's 2009 Youth Council.

As part of the program curriculum, Youth Council members are required to complete a group project of community significance that is also of special interest to area youth. This year's Youth Council has selected the development of a paths and trails plan for Alpharetta. The plan will identify a system of bike paths, sidewalks and green trails that link community parks, neighborhoods and schools with the intent to encourage healthy lifestyles and non-automobile transportation. They will work with key city staff to complete the project by the end of April."

Vermicomposters.com: Connecting Worm Lovers Around The Globe

Vermicomposters.com: Connecting Worm Lovers Around The Globe at Ryan Is Hungry:

"Vermicomposters.com, where lovers of worm composting can connect, trade secrets and show off their bins."

my seed-catalog shopping rules :A Way to Garden

my seed-catalog shopping rules :A Way to Garden:

"RESTRAINT IS NOT MY STRONG SUIT, but when faced with a pile of seed catalogs and a DSL line linking me to thousands more, restraint must become my mantra. To insure vegetable seed-ordering success, not excess, I wrote a refresher course whose principles I swear I am trying to follow. Om…restraint…om. (Or not.)

At first, I thought this would be a post for beginners, but realized even experts are over-indulgently inclined. For me, resisting buying everything requires an annual review of the basic mathematics of vegetable gardening. Now (not after 11 boxes of seeds arrive that you forgot you ordered) is the time to crunch your own numbers:"

Robyn O'Brien: Duped: A Nation of Eaters

Robyn O'Brien: Duped: A Nation of Eaters:

"We are a nation of 300 million eaters.

And anyone that eats can attest to the utter confusion that our food supply has become. As headlines swirl about beef recalls large enough to feed every American two hamburgers, baby formula laced with melamine, and controversial additives used to preserve processed foods, eaters can't help but yearn for the days when all we had to worry about was contaminated spinach."

Inhabitots - HOW TO: Make Your Own Eco, Kid-Safe Cleaning Supplies

Inhabitots - HOW TO: Make Your Own Eco, Kid-Safe Cleaning Supplies

Why should you take the time to make homemade cleaners? Well, first of all, plenty of studies show that toxic, conventional cleaning supplies are bad for your health, your child’s health, and the planet’s health. See the following posts for more information…

• Expectant mamas should limit use of toxic household cleaning products
• Poisons Under Your Sink: Hidden Dangers of Cleaning Products
• How many cleaning supplies are under your sink that your child could safely drink?
• The Dangers of Home Cleaning Supplies

The above health issues are reason enough to make green cleaners, but just in case you need more reasons: homemade cleaners smell better, work just as well, cut down on packaging, and save you money. Lastly, this is a very simple green step you can take at home, yet the rewards are huge - cleaner indoor air quality and a healthy, happy family.

WHAT SUPPLIES YOU’LL NEED:

You need very few supplies to make homemade cleaning products. Most of the items you’ll need, you likely have around the house already…

1. A few plain old spray bottles. You can purchase some, or clean out your old ones (the ones that had icky cleaners in them) and reuse them.
2. Box of baking soda.
3. Table salt.
4. Bottle of white distilled vinegar.
5. Good old plain tap H2O.
6. Olive oil.
7. Natural soap.
8. Fresh lemons.
9. Organic essential oil of tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus, lemongrass and rosemary. You don’t need all of them, but having at least a couple on hand is helpful. These are some of the best antiseptic and antibacterial essential oils, plus they smell great. If you’ve never used essential oils before, read Essential Oil Buying Guide and Essential Oil Safety Guide. It’s important that you understand that anyone can have a negative reaction to an essential oil. The posts above explain how to do a skin test - you don’t want to clean with an oil that affects you negatively.
10. Some eco-friendly sponges or cloths. Or simply buy a pack of washcloths, use old cloth diapers, make cloths out of ripped clothes, and so on. If you’re going to clean green, you may as well ditch the paper towels while you’re at it.

EASY, GREEN CLEANING SUPPLY RECIPES:

Window wash: Many people who are die-hard into green cleaning love vinegar and water as a window wash. Simply mix 3 tablespoons vinegar with 2 cups of water (or for a bigger job - 1/2 cup vinegar to 1 gallon water) and spray right on your windows. Vinegar works great on glass, it’s true, however I can’t stand the smell of vinegar, so I hunted down an alternative years ago. You can also use straight fresh lemon juice or club soda to get your windows and other glass items sparkling clean. Spritz your glass with club soda and scrub with recycled newspaper. If you use straight lemon juice use a lint-free cloth to scrub with.

All-purpose disinfectant: Mix 2 cups water, a few drops of natural soap, and 15 drops each of tea tree and lavender organic essential oil. You can spray this on all kinds of home surfaces - changing tables, cutting boards, toilets, sinks, walls, and more. Just don’t use this on glass, as it will streak. This basic cleaner is so safe and gentle you could literally spray it on your kids, and they’d be fine. I do suggest baths over disinfecting the kiddos though

Scrubbing toilets: Drizzle your toilet bowl with vinegar, lemon juice, or spray on some of your all-purpose disinfectant. Sprinkle with baking soda. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Scrub with toilet brush. This mix will also clean sinks perfectly.

Fast non-toxic oven cleaning: You don’t want to use conventional oven cleaners - any product that requires open windows and gloves to use, is not ok to use around your kids (or yourself). The best tip is to not wait to clean your oven when it gets dirty. An old stain is harder to clean. To clean oven stains naturally, sprinkle table salt liberally on the hot spill before your oven cools down. Allow the oven to cool. Grab a damp cloth and rub off the spill.

Mold fighter: Mold is extremely harmful to human lungs. The problem is that once you have mold, you have it, and it can be almost impossible, if not totally impossible to get rid of. Prevention is key. To fight mold from ever occurring, mix two cups of water and three drops of pure organic tea tree essential oil. Once a week, spray your walls with this solution (even behind furniture) and wipe dry. This mixture fights stains and the natural antiseptic qualities of tea tree oil fights mold and mildew.