the virtues of raising beef on the pasture

I came across this terrific video where cattle farmer Will Harris describes simply why he raises cows on the pasture. He started his career like most cattle farmers in this country, growing beef in a confined animal feeding operation (CAFO) where the animals are fed commodity corn and kept in pens – the fast and cheap way. He compares applying chemical fertilizers on grass to cocaine – it feels good at first, but then you become dependent on it. Everything he says makes complete sense to me. It's a bit long, but it's shorter than your average TV program and definitely worth a watch. Check it out and then let me know what you think.

CUD from Joe York on Vimeo.

now read this! a web roundup

Here's a collection of some of the information that's been shaping my world lately. It runs the gamut, so be prepared (and some of the titles have changed to suit my mood - so there!)

1.
"Old" SIGG reusable water bottles contain BPA [AlterNet]
Time to trade in for a Klean Kanteen! Even though SIGG has a trade-in program where you can return your old BPA-containing bottle for a new, improved BPA-free bottle, I'd rather support a company that was "klean" from the beginning (and didn't cover up the truth).

What's so bad about BPA (bisphenol A)?
= YES!

= NO!*

*Unless it was made after 2008. Check the article for a visual reference.


2.
Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food [Time]
If you haven't had a chance to read Omnivore's Dilemma or see Food, Inc., here's a relatively brief, yet in-depth look at the problems plaguing our industrialized food system.

3.
"Organic": Is It Healthier? [by Susun Weed]
Oh man, this article – part of my permaculture reading this week – made me laugh out loud. Susun has a great way of explaining the finer mechanisms of the world around us. She can make anything hysterical or completely logical just by the way she describes them. Here's a taste:

I live on an old quarry. When I went to the extension and said, "I'm looking to buy this piece of property," they pulled out the soil maps and they said, "Ah, there's no soil on your property, did you realize that?" I said, "Yeah, it's an old quarry." They said, "This place is useless. The only thing that you could possibly do there is raise goats or grow weeds. So I went to the people selling it, and I said, "It's a worthless piece of property, it will only grow weeds." I got it for a very good price.

She goes on to tell us that, yes, she grows a lot of weeds. Weeds that feed her rabbits and goats. Those rabbits and goats feed her. There are some other, more 'adult' things that made me laugh in this article, too. But I'll let you read those yourself!

4.
Why are we still using atrazine when 7 European countries have banned it? [Daily Kos]
The health and healthy presence of frogs are a good indicator of the health of an ecosystem, and therefore, the health of us. Well, hate to break it to y'all, but we're up sh*t's creek without a paddle, 'cause frogs are mutating and disappearing at alarming rates. Their permeable skin leaves them vulnerable to chemical contaminants like pesticides and herbicides – chemicals used in agriculture and on lawns like atrazine, methyl bromide, and chloropicrin (a nerve gas!) which end up in our drinking water, and in our bodies.

And just in case that wasn't enough to cheer you up, here's a related article [NY Times] about the legal allowable limits of atrazine in drinking water, and the detrimental effects of atrazine on women and children.

5.
Out of the Earth: Civilization and the Life of the Soil [by Daniel Hillel]
Soil is the skin of the earth. Yet we literally treat it like dirt. Some say it's our nation's biggest export (meaning it erodes away at a disturbingly steady rate). I've been really hot for this topic lately, and there's a chapter out of this book that made me melt. An excerpt:

Soil and water have a physical affinity. Dry soil is "thirsty," sucking up water the way an old-fashioned blotter sucked up ink. When the soil surface is wetted by rain, the suction force of the deeper soil layers, augmented by the force of gravity, draws the water downward. The soil drinks the rain in a process called "infiltration." The maximum rate at which the soil is able to absorb water applied to its surface is called the soil's infiltrability. It is greatest when the soil is dry, and diminishes gradually as the soil is wetted to progressively greater depth. Since the water permeating and seeping in the soil must make its way through the intricate labyrinthine passages between the irregularly shaped and oriented soil grains, it is obvious that a soil's infiltrability depends on the widths and tortuosities of these interstices, called pores...

Wow!



See also: i enjoyed a dirty movie today (my post about the film "Dirt")

now see this! crude, sweet crude

We all know by now that petroleum is poison and that it's time to move on to cleaner & more ethical forms of fuel, right? Well, I guess not everyone is getting the message, including of course the oil companies themselves. Two films expose the dirty, unjust, and plain despicable practices of big oil. Check out the trailers and reviews below:

Crude



Coming to IFC Center Soon (9/9/09)
Check if it's playing near you

The Official Site

Read a review of Crude [AlterNet]


Sweet Crude



The Official Site

Read a review of Sweet Crude [Variety]

skills to pay the bills (or at least save a little dough)

Got a hankerin' to make stuff, but don't know how? In a time when people are pinching pennies out of necessity or just to consume less for the good of the planet, it helps to know there are some free ways to learn a few new tricks.

Check it out...

Thursday, August 27 (that's tomorrow!)

Lori Gibbs and Atom Cianfarani want to teach you how to GreenIt Yourself this Thursday with a green roof and gardening in small spaces Workshop. At the Toyota Children's Garden (one of New York Restoration Project's babies) from 7 pm to 8 pm. And there will be refreshments!

Toyota Children's Garden
603 East 11th Street, New York, NY


Friday, August 28 (in prep for Saturday, October 10)

Okay, this one's a little bit preemptive, and maybe not so free, but it comes pretty darn close. This concert, featuring local bands, will help fund a day of skill sharing on October 10 at the Brooklyn Skillshare.

On Saturday, October 10, you're gonna learn all kinds of crazy stuff: ricotta-making, liquor-infusing, kombucha-brewing, screenprinting, and a whole lot more. The door price is based on a sliding scale ($10 suggested), so pay what you can.

The fundraising show that's this Saturday, on the other hand, is $7 and features local acts like The XYZ Affair and Gunfight!.

Get all the details for the event and the fund-raising-music-show at the trusty e-newsletter of my favorite borough, Brooklyn Based.


Monday, August 31
So you want to use a reusable shopping bag but don't want to shell out the dollars to get one? How's about making one for yourself? Learn how at this free workshop - 3rd Ward's Sweatshop Social. You supply the fabric (an old t-shirt perhaps?), they supply the notions and the (cheap) beer. Bring your own cup and the suds are just a buck.

[via Brooklyn Based]


And for all you green thumb wannabes...
More free events coming soon to Brooklyn Botanic Garden through their GreenBridge Program (these are free, but ya gotta register - so sign up right quick!).

Street Tree Care
Thursday, September 17, 6 to 8 pm
Thursday, November 5, 6 to 8 pm
Street trees do much to improve our environment, but they often receive little care. In this class, learn the benefits of street trees and how to improve the health of a street tree by caring for its bed. Get tips on amending soil, mulching, watering, pruning, and tree-bed gardening. Bring your street-tree care questions and find out more about the city's efforts to increase and protect the urban forest canopy.

Starting a Children's Garden
Thursday, October 15, 6 to 8 pm
Would you like to develop a children's garden at your school, block association, or neighborhood organization? This workshop will provide tips for adult leaders who want to organize a children's gardening program. Learn how to plan your program and what tools and plant materials are needed to get growing. You will receive a free activity booklet and visit our children's education greenhouse for hands-on activities.

Getting to Know Your Soil
Wednesday, October 28, 6 to 8 pm
Interested in knowing more about your soil? Concerned about safely growing food in urban soils? This class will demonstrate several easy diagnostic activities for learning about your soil. How to take a soil sample for testing will be demonstrated as well as interpreting lab results. You'll also receive tips on improving urban soils.

Rainwater Harvesting
Thursday, October 22, 6 to 8 pm
Learn the benefits of reducing your dependence on NYC water and minimizing storm water flows into our sewers by collecting rainwater for use in your garden. It's easy to use roofs from nearby buildings and garden sheds to harvest rainwater. Come learn about the different types of rainwater harvesting systems being used throughout NYC community gardens from simple pickle barrels to large tanks, and get tips on how to build your own.

Introduction to Permaculture
Tuesday, November 10, 6 to 8 pm
Permaculture is a design approach based on interpreting natural patterns for human benefit. Learning how to read the land and planning for long-term development are two objectives of this workshop. Permaculture works on all scales and levels. Discussion will cover topics ranging from choosing and using plants in groupings to observing and utilizing the elemental forces of wind, water, and sun.

blight bites!

This year, tomato growers & lovers on the East Coast were faced with the nasty disease known as "late blight," which rendered many tomato crops useless within a matter of days. (You can read more about late blight in this op-ed from the amazing Dan Barber).

If you're like me, lamenting the lacklusterness of this year's tomatoes, there's now a way to express your frustration. Introducing Blightee, Hudson Valley Seed Library's answer to the terrible blight. It's a t-shirt, it's an act of aggression, it's a way to say, "hey blight, you bite!" Get yours now, while supplies last.

Bite back by spore-ting this tee that says it all: Blight Bites! Each shirt features the "Blight Bites" image front and center with a very small Hudson Valley Seed Library logo on the sleeve. The American Apparel-brand natural-color shirts are made in America and woven from 100% organic cotton; the printing is done by Antilogy Designs in Tillson, New York. The logo is based on a design created by Michael Wilcock.

Shirts cost $16 each, or $14 for members (be sure to log in to receive your discount). To purchase a shirt, click on your desired size, then click "Add to Cart" on the following page. (Please note that the seed catalog remains closed until early November. Only t-shirts can be ordered at this time.)

lettuce eat local!

I mean Let Us Eat Local. It's a gala event for Just Food, advocates for healthful, sustainable food access for all. Check it!



Tickets are now available for our second annual Let Us Eat Local Gala and Award Ceremony, a fundraiser that helps support our programs. More than 30 chefs from NYC's finest restaurants will be serving up 100% local food paired with local craft beers. The McKinley Hightower-Beyah Awards will honor farmers, organizations, journalists, and gardeners who work to bring fresh, locally grown food to those who need it most.
Let Us Eat Local!

DATE: Wednesday, September 16, 2009
TIME: VIP hour begins 6 PM
General Admission begins 7 PM

LOCATION:
Prince George Hotel Ballroom
15 East 27th Street, NYC
Get Your Ticket!
$235 VIP (entrance to event, 6:00 PM)
$150 General Admission (entrance to event, 7:00 PM)
$135 Just Food Members (entrance to event, 7:00PM)
Purchase Tickets Online

Menu
Starters:
VIP Exclusive with an extra hour and special tastings

The Main Course
So much to savor, so little time. 30 Chefs. 40 Local Producers.

Perfectly Paired
Each tasting is paired with a local craft beer.
Orchestrated by NY Craft Beer Week.

A Celebration of Our Region's Finest
Journalist
Organization
Farmer
Gardener

Silent Auction
Featuring gardening and cooking gear, hand-crafted jewelry, cooking classes, and more!

Satisfaction:
100% of proceeds support our efforts to change the world through food.

Plus goody bags with delicious treats and cool items to take home!

do chickens get seasick?

Below the BQE, in a barren industrialized part of Brooklyn, was docked the Waterpod...

Do chickens get seasick? Does sea air help or hinder the tomatoes? If you get a chance to visit the Waterpod – 3,000 square foot living 'art-installation' barge – could you do me a favor and ask these questions? A combination of heat and a weekend's worth of permaculture lessons fried my noodle when I went to visit the operation on the Brooklyn waterfront last Sunday.

Here are some things to look forward to on your visit (they're currently docked in Staten Island):


Bucky, eat your heart out.


Hey, your squash is hanging out!


These ladies are just minding their own business.


Grey water filtration system - awesome!


There shouldn't be a mutiny on this bounty. (Ouch!)


Looks like a healthy tomato crop - no scurvy here


Some worthy shipmates saving amaranth seeds


Inside the living room - it was pretty cozy I'll have to admit


Get the poop on the Waterpod

And some press on NY Times

august abundance

I recently started a habit of popping over to Union Square Farmers Market midweek after witnessing the great abundance on a whim a couple weeks back. I've been missing out on my own little neighborhood market lately because it's held on Saturday's (at Grand Army Plaza), which is the day I learn the wonders of permaculture.

The abundance of food and sunshine at Union Square is often overwhelming. Today I tried to take it slow by scanning the whole shebang to compare goods before making any hard and fast decisions. Here's what I came up with:


Escarole, dandelion, frisee, black & purple peppers, eggs, chanterelles, husk tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, and a loaf of hazelnut sweet rye sourdough bread

Psst, thanks to Alison for inspiring this post, here's the bounty she brought home from the market:


(If you couldn't tell, Alison has a thing for peppers)

Subsequently, my sweetheart sent over these two videos from The Atlantic's new From Farm to Table series (not to be confused with Zach Cohen's Farm to Table blog & show). These really make farming look romantic (& the yield delicious). They also give us a sense of distinction between 'real' food and the stuff you'll find at the supermarket which has been picked many days (or weeks) ago and shipped many miles to get to your plate.





And then to round it all out, an article from, once again, The Atlantic about how 'organic' has grown too big for its britches. Here, I'd like to point out that the author is talking about big organic vs small scale locally distributed organic like you'd find at the farmers market.

Find a farmers market near you!

bk farmyards fundraiser: come & get it!

Howdy pardners! The dinner bell's ringin' and I'm hungry for some change. And by change I mean bringing some country to the city - that new ol' fangled thang called urban farming.

BK Farmyards is itchin' to grow food on your tiny parcel of city land. So mosey on down to this Saturday's fundraiser to support the cause (RSVP here). Then take a gander at my latest post about BK Farmyards on the Brooklyn Food Coalition blog. But before you leave this here page, check out this video on Stacey Murphy, the lady behind BK Farmyards:

NYC's Cool New Backyard Farms: Growing More Than Just Produce from SkeeterNYC on Vimeo.

Here's the info again in case you missed it:

AUGUST 22
BK FARMYARDS FUNDRAISER
3pm-12am
hosted @ COMPOUND brooklyn
1287 Atlantic Ave, near Nostrand
2 blocks Nostrand A stop;
2-3 blocks B44, B65 , B25;
LIRR Nostrand stop steps away

Please RSVP on Facebook

Live bands, original artworks, dance troupe, local food & drinks, growing display, cooking demonstrations, and games: Fun for all ages. Bring along a blanket to picnic on the grass. Suggested donation $5 at the door or pay what you can. All donations go toward creating more farmyards. We are currently working with developers on converting 3 acres to farm next year. Gift certificates for Get Fresh Table and Market, Ici, Franny’s, The Farm on Adderley, Brooklyn Kitchen, Edible Brooklyn, and more will be auctioned off.

Pass the word along! Help us build more farms!

i enjoyed a dirty movie today

Well, actually it was more of a love story. A love story about dirt, probably the most overlooked natural resource, yet one of the most vital elements on the planet. Without healthy soil there would be no food... and we all know where that would lead us.

The film includes an all-star cast of ecological gurus gushing about the 'skin of the earth.' This list of heavyweights in the film just scratches the surface - Vandana Shiva, Nobel-peace-prize-winning Wangari Maathai, John Todd, Majora Carter of Sustainable South Bronx, and Andy Lipkis of TreePeople.

Check out the trailer, then see if it's playing near you!



After watching the film I'm feeling motivated to learn more about soil. Here are some resources I'm going to check out:





(You can also get this one at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Bookstore)

growing & greeting & eating for a cause

Several sustainable food-type events of note are coming up -- from lessons on growing your own food to a peaceful protest against unhealthy school food.

Window Box and Container Gardening 101
Saturday, August 15, 2009
12:30 pm
Pershing Hall, Governors Island, NYC



Come check out featured speaker Bilen Berhanu, from Green Thumb NYC,
in an event sponsored by the CUNY Institute for Sustainable City's
Summer Speaker Series and Art and Science Exhibition on Governors
Island.

"Want to eat from your own garden, but think you don't have enough
space? Learn the design elements for a good container or window box-
the perfect solution when you're short on growing space-as well as
soil mixtures that work well, and tips for planting and maintaining
containers all year."

Transportation to Governors Island is free and easy! For more
information, including ferry schedules, check out govisland.com.

For more information on the CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities and
our other events on Governors Island throughout the summer, check out http://cunysustainablecities.org or email ciscevents@gmail.com.

Check out our Art for Sustainability and Science Research Poster
Contests, exhibited every Saturday in Pershing Hall on Governors
Island from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., all summer long from June 27 to
September 5 (except July 4).

The Welcome Table
Thursday, August 20
6:00 pm
Red Hook Community Farm
Free and open to all



This event is the culmination of Youth Leaders' work at Added Value. Teens have designed the layout, menu, and activities for the night that include an interactive culinary lesson led by teens as an appetizer and a prepared meal in collaboration with chefs and food professionals.

The night will begin with a Community Meal led by our young culinary wizards. You will experience first hand what your meal looks like from soil to salad and break bread with all hands who have helped prepare our food. In addition, we will share a meal of seasonal vegetables, locally raised meat, and other delicious treats prepared by a local chef and food professional. You will take home a full belly, how to make three winning dishes and good conversation with people in our community.

The night is supported by Partnership for Parks and the Added Value Welcome Table dinner series. The mission of the Welcome Table is to bring people from different backgrounds and communities together by gathering around tables of good food to learn and converse about topics and issues important to the work of Added Value. On August 20th, teens will be presenting how they have grown as individuals in the food movement and creating dialogue with guests about sustainability, growing and cooking your own food, and the mission of Added Value.

[via The Word on Columbia Street]

Time for Lunch Eat-In
Get Real Food In Schools
Labor Day, Monday, September 7
12:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Schoolyard of PS 9 Teunis G. Bergen School
80 Underhill Ave on St. Mark’s Ave

What: Potluck lunch, kids’ activities, speakers, conversation
Why: To send a clear message to Congress: It’s time to provide America’s children with real food at school.

We are asking participants to bring a dish to the Eat-In. But to really get the point across to budget-conscious administrators and politicians, we are issuing the following challenge.

Please try to bring a dish to share that:
• Is nutritious and uses whole, plant-based foods (not processed foods)
• Costs less than $20 to make
• Is delicious to kids

If you can, please also bring your own plates, cups, utensils, and non-alcoholic beverages.

Get more info and to RSVP

Other Eat-Ins are happening throughout Brooklyn. Find out where.

digital diet digest

Aaaah, that felt good. Six straight days of no internet and no email. The best diet I've ever been on (well, perhaps the only one).

I get so tangled up in the web these days - emailing, facebooking, tweeting, googling, blogging - it's easy to forget what life is like without these technological time suckers. I recommend everyone take a week or so away from their computers, turn off the mail function on your Crackberry or iPhone and really just live like we used to - sans digital extensions of our bodies.

Here's a little rundown of how I spent my week computer-free.

preparation
To prepare I contacted anyone I had set appointments with for the week and made sure they had my phone number. I set up autoresponse on my email to let everyone know where the heck I was all week. I tweeted and posted to facebook (and this blog) my intentions. I cleared out my inbox so as not to completely overwhelm myself upon my return to the 'puter. I also looked up any addresses I might need for the week so as not to put myself in a spot where I'd have to hop online for any reason.

ditching digital detritus
Apropos to the diet, on Monday I took a friend to an ewaste recycling center in Brooklyn, so that she could recycle her old computers, a VCR, and some other random electronic waste. I had a few batteries, orphaned remote controls, and wires to return as well. Feels good to get that clutter out of the home and into the hands of someone who will use it, rather than just tossing it into the landfill.

reading & writing (not much 'rithmetic)
Like a step back in time, I reached for my low-tech informational recording implements - books, paper, pens. Oh, old friends, how could I have neglected you for so long? I had forgotten how much I enjoyed writing long hand in a journal, letting thoughts flow through ink. It's such a different thought process than typing, where you could easily edit yourself by just deleting what you've typed. There's more time to stop, reflect, look around. And there's also something more personal about seeing my own handwriting for pages on end, recording my thoughts as they come, making little starred notations on things I want to remember, and being able to physically page through to see what I had written the day before. No keyboard, no screen, no clicking, no virtual folders to search through, no software applications to open.

I've got a big ol' pile of books collecting on my coffee table - mainly around the subject of permaculture, as I'm studying for my permaculture design certificate. It was great to not be tempted by email & all of its cohorts so that I could focus on reading.

raspberry picking in the park
On Monday afternoon I headed into the park to check in on some raspberry bushes I came across a few weeks ago. Some of the berries were ripe, some rotten, and still others had a ways to go. There wasn't much of a harvest, but I had fun nonetheless. Listening to bird calls, the trickling of water on the waterfall trail in Prospect Park, observing sunlight filtering through foliage. And observing patterns in nature. I noticed that in many places where the raspberries grow, so does poison ivy. Luckily, so does its antidote, jewelweed (if you know what to look for!)

Leaves of three, let it be!


My meager berry harvest

I was hoping to have enough berries to can, but alas, it wasn't so. But we did stock up on peaches to can and we did this on Tuesday night. A messy affair, but a fun process. My favorite part was peeling. An easy way to peel peaches is to throw them in boiling water for about 60 seconds then put them in a cold lemon bath (to prevent further cooking and browning). The skins come right off.

more natural observations
I think my less used senses were heightened during this week. While in the park, I heard a hawk before seeing it land in a tree. On Houston Street near 6th Ave I was surprised by a bird call not too common in those parts. I looked up and saw a cardinal. On both occasions, I looked around a few times to see if anyone else noticed these creatures. And on both occasions not one head was tilted up in its direction.

In Prospect Park, I closed my eyes and listened. I did an inventory of every sound. Lawnmower grumbling, children shrieking, cicadas chirping, sneakers hitting the path, a beagle baying, picnickers chatting, tires humming and construction equipment slamming on the road outside of the park, the wind blowing against my ear. I felt the damp earth beneath me. The twigs and grass I was sitting on, the tiny insects crawling on my legs, the warm sun on my feet, the gentle breeze on my skin. I smelled only fresh cut grass. I think I could taste it, too.


On Sunday, we stumbled upon this huge green (squishy) caterpillar


Turns out he's a polyphemus moth caterpillar, according to these two park rangers


Prospect Park swan & signets, ducks, and migrating geese

enjoying every bite
Another benefit to staying away from the computer, an often attention-deficit-inducing place, I was able to focus on something as simple as mindful eating. Breathing, chewing slowly, noticing flavors, appreciating where the food came from and how it was benefiting my body. All great things I should do whether or not I've been typing the day away or not.


First heirloom tomato sandwich of the season!

On Saturday, on lunch break from permaculture class, I went with a friend to this great raw food joint, SproutCraft. We had the most amazing squash blossoms stuffed with almond mozzarella cheese. I didn't even know you could make mozzarella with almonds (though I make my own almond milk, and that I only figured out a few months ago). I found this recipe for making almond cheese, but not sure if it'll come out as mozzarella.


Delicious stuffed squash blossoms at SproutCraft

being the sloth
Usually when I'm walking about in the city, it's to get somewhere. In those cases, I tend to walk quickly, passing people in front of me, getting impatient when someone is blocking the way, etc. But this week, I didn't care to go fast. I took my time getting places, not really even thinking about getting anywhere, more enjoying the walk itself. I had heard that sloths have highly developed brains because they move so slowly, carefully calculating each movement - not a bad creature to emulate.


He's real & alive! My friend Amy took this during her class at the Bronx Zoo

up on the roof
On two occasions I found myself up on the roof, overlooking the tetris-like vista that is NYC. The first was at GreenSpaces, a shared office space in downtown Brooklyn. A friend works in the building and told me about the happy hours they have on Fridays. So I tagged along and enjoyed a few glasses up on their roof.

GreenSpaces veggie garden


Living art in background, edible art in foreground

The second time was during class (ssshhh don't tell the building manager!). We went to the silvery, bare roof to imagine what was possible from a permaculture design perspective. Veggie gardens, rainwater gravity fed showers, noise barriers to block the constant hum of air conditioners. We all had a different vision, creating possibilities on a blank slate. With a multitude of underutilized roofs in the city, so many opportunities to create abundant landscapes exist.


The view from our 'classroom' roof


carfree saturday
I rode my bike to class on Saturday and was pleasantly surprised to turn onto Lafayette Street to find no cars (!), only a highway of bicycles and joggers. Imagine if there were streets designated just for pedestrians and bikers? What a healthier, happier, less stressed out city we would have.

Car-free & carefree

now what?
On Sunday, I returned to the technologically driven world to an inbox of over 750 messages. Forcing this deluge of information was partly intentional. I wanted to get a sense of how much information I actually process every week and how I could cut back on it. By having a culmination of a week's worth of emails, I was able to determine which newsletters I could unsubscribe from, and which information I could actively seek instead of passively receive. I took myself off of all non-essential email lists and instead signed up for RSS feeds in Google Reader. This way I can control my exposure to information more easily. Email is a great communication tool, but it generally takes up too much time. My goal is to strictly limit time spent on email, ultimately getting it down to about 30 minutes a day.

I also laid out a basic structure of how I want to spend my days, giving time to activities like reading (offline), creating (crafts & such), and exploring. I think these are vital to keeping oneself sane, happy, and full of creative energy. Of course I'll still be blogging, tweeting, and emailing, but I'll be sure to make time for all of the other great things happening in the world around me.

How do you find balance in this tech-driven world?

forbidden sweetness

As we rebel against the current crappy industrialized food system, and as more & more people migrate to big cities, urban agriculture is going to become more & more prevalent. And where would a successful urbanized & localized agricultural system be without pollinators?

By pollinators in this case, I'm strictly talking bees.

Unlike other cities across the nation, beekeeping is still illegal in NYC. Despite that little obstacle, it's becoming increasingly popular, especially in Brooklyn.

Here's a great little video featuring some Brooklyn restaurateurs who are in the business of bees:

Brooklyn's Urban Beekeepers: Breaking The Law For The Planet (Part I) from SkeeterNYC on Vimeo.

Read more about the work being done to legalize beekeeping.

Sign the petition to legalize the bees.

local food love: the bk farmyards fundraiser

Come one, come all to the BK Farmyards fundraiser event - our own little slice of local food heaven right here in Brooklyn. Guaranteed to be a good time with live bands, original artworks, dance, local food & drinks, cooking demonstrations, and games. Won't you join me?

CELEBRATE LOCAL FOOD



bk farmyards FUNDRAISER
hosted @ COMPOUND brooklyn
AUGUST 22, 2009, 2pm-12am

1287 Atlantic Ave, near Nostrand: 2 blocks Nostrand A stop; 2-3 blocks B44, B65 , B25; LIRR Nostrand stop steps away

RSVP on facebook

Live bands, original artworks, dance troupe, local food & drinks, growing display, cooking demonstrations, and games: Fun for all ages.

Bring along a blanket to picnic on the grass.

Suggested donation $5 at the door or pay what you can. All donations go toward creating more farmyards. We are currently working with developers on converting 3 acres to farm next year.

Gift certificates for Get Fresh Table and Market, Ici, Franny's, The Farm on Adderley, Brooklyn Kitchen, Edible Brooklyn, and more will be auctioned off.

Pass the word along! Help us build more farms!