I discover the USDA Food Atlas and a cool new journal

For those of you who are data junkies, here is a link to a bunch of geographical data from the USDA describing the general "health" of the our food consumption and food availability.  I spent a little time looking at the data, and some of it is very compelling.  I have not really looked into the data sources, but if sound, this could be a quick way for those of us interested in Agricultural Development to present information.

Random Agricultural image

I got the term "Agricultural Development" from Duncan Hilchey of New Leaf Associates, Inc. who posted a call for papers on a listserv I belong to.  You can read about his new venture -- The Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development here.

UPDATE on SEEDLINGS
The coir seems to be a great growing medium - and the hot pad spurred germination of the tomato, peppers, basil, and two flowers that I sowed last weekend.  Whoop!

Why I signed the "Safe Seed Pledge"

This weekend I got the first pepper and tomato seeds started on my new "heat mat" - so in addition to being in a sunny south facing window, they are getting gentle warming from the bottom. This should create that 70 degree temperature that those warm loving seeds need to germinate. This year I will "harden off" these plants in my hand built cold frame when they are about 2 months old. Here are a few pictures.  Note that I'm using a mixture of coir (from renewable coconut hulls) and perlite/vermiculite as a seed starting mix.  We'll see how this goes. 

 

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I wanted to write about the "Safe Seed Pledge" and why it is important to me.  The SSP was started by the folks at High Mowing Seeds, who say "In signing the Safe Seed Pledge we affirm our commitment to non-GMO (genetically modified organism) seed.  We feel that the regulatory framework for the introduction of genetically modified crop varieties is flawed, and that GMO seeds themselves present a threat to plants' genetic diversity through their ability to pollinate non-GMO plants."

I've signed it, I post it on my website to educate folks about why we even NEED to have something like this.  You can sign the pledge too - go to:   Gene-Watch Org :  

"Agriculture and seeds provide the basis upon which our lives depend. We must protect this
foundations as a safe and genetically stable source for future generations. For the benefit of all
farmers, gardeners and consumers who want an alternative, we pledge that we do not knowingly buy
or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants. The mechanical transfer of genetic material outside of
natural reproductive methods and between genera, families or kingdoms, poses great biological risks
as well as economic, political, and cultural threats. We feel that genetically engineered varieties have
been insufficiently tested prior to public release. More research and testing is necessary to further
assess the potential risks of genetically engineered seeds. Further, we wish to support agricultural
progress that leads to healthier soils, genetically diverse agricultural ecosystems and ultimately
people and communities."

I understand  that improving seed viability and productivity is a significant achievement - however, I don't think that this is a safe way to go about it, and frankly, I don't trust the largest companies that control fertilizers and insecticides to use sound judgment in promulgating such "forward progress".  

What do you think?  

Go Green for Valentine's Day

When I was growing up, my mom used to send me a valentine's day card in the mail with the sentiment "from Guess Who"  Thinking back on that - what a sweet thing for her to do.  What a great way for her to let me know she was thinking of me, and would mail me something even though we lived in the same house.

Everyone likes to get mail!

If you want to show someone you care about them this February 14th - send them a card, and include something they can plant and watch grow.  For those of us in the northeastern corner of the United States, March is the month when we start tomato and pepper seeds inside on a sunny windowsill.  I've posted earlier about the simple steps to start seeds, so why not send a Valentine's Card with a few seed packets in it?  Then, your beloved can grow their own fresh, organic, and local food or flowers that they will enjoy the rest of the year. 

If your beloved is an avid gardener, then consider a selection of seeds - like this Garden Seed Collection or a Gift Certificate from a seed company.  Alternatively, you could sign them up to get fresh and local vegetables from a farm through a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).  A great source for CSAs near you is Local Harvest, a national web site that has CSAs, Farms, and seed sellers like Frog Pond Gardens too.  Even if you don't send seeds, send something and have the best day ever!

How are local growers doing?

 Have you been wondering how local growers (farmers, dairies, seed growers, and cooperatives) are doing?  Well those of us close to it wonder about it all the time.  We are constantly told that more and more people are "buying local" and want to raise their families knowing their farmer. There is a great site out there that allows you to search by location (zip code, city or state) to find farmers near you.  

Local Harvest:  www.localharvest.org

For those of you who sell your own agricultural products, this site also has a way for you to list items in a "store".  In all disclosure, Frog Pond Gardens has a store on Local Harvest, but I've found it a useful tool to find other farmers and growers near my home here in eastern Massachusetts.  It lists Farmers Markets and CSAs as well!

Helping others

I live across the street from a large church, which means I get to listen to a lot of great church bell ringing.  It has also changed my perspective on the cycles of life.  Almost every day, especially in the winter, there is a funeral that takes place in the morning.  Most are fairly small and low key, some have 100s of attendees and need police to block off the street as the procession leaves the church.  All of them end with the slow tolling of the bells.  Seeing funerals as a weekly if not daily occurance has given me a better perspective on death and how it affects everyone.  That doesn't make it any easier when we have to face it personally.  

It is hard to write about the importance of gardening when there is so much suffering in Haiti.  So today's post is to ask that you offer funds to a great aid organization, Mercy Corps.  Here is a link.

Deep snow and 31 in 31

Gardening sometimes seems far away this time of year here in Zone 6A. The garden beds are under lots of snow.  I'm reading Eliot Coleman's new book Winter Harvest Handbook:  Year-Round Vegetable Production Using Deep Organic Techniques and Unheated Greenhouses.  It is inspiring, especially as I snuggle under a blanket!

I'm a week into a month-long commitment to doing 31 yoga classes in 31 days - quite a challenge.  My favorite yoga studio Prana Power Yoga   has a challenge for its yogis to complete classes every day of the month in January.  I actually did this last year (to my amazement) and it was awesome.  I was so proud to be able to do it (if you miss a day, you can "double up" another day).  The classes are 60 to 90 minutes long in a room heated to about 100 degrees.  Strenuous - especially for us folks who are not in our 30s anymore.  Last year I realized that committing to do something so time intensive is a great gift for yourself.  It took cooperation from our whole household - and some shifting duties to accommodate getting to classes.  I think the kids, my husband, and even my mom (all are part of our large household) realized that doing yoga every day made me much more mellow! 

On a totally unrelated note, I am realizing how connected we are, or we can be.  After sending some yarn to a marvelous knitter MadForKnit, I found out that she is also a gardener and she posted the Frog Pond Gardens web site on her blog.  Then I went to a New Year's Day party in a city west of Boston with 7 villages and met another knitter who is a fan of Ravelry - a wonderful online knitting community.  We got started talking about knitting because I seem to take my knitting bag with me wherever I go - to get a chance to knit a bit here and a bit there.  My most recent finished project is a fun ski hat: 

Well, I need to sign off and get to the yoga studio! 

2010 - The year to go Organic

So you've made your new year's resolutions (mine is to be more patient, something I've already fallen down on), and you want to exercise more and eat better.  I have the solution!  Start your own garden and grow your own vegetables.  Whether you are in the city and grow in containers or create a 4' by 8' garden bed in your side yard - or something even bigger, you CAN grow seeds.  Here is a picture of some seeds in my planting area - a sunny south facing window.

Urban and suburban gardening is becoming hip, and there are lots of resources out there to help you.  One of my favorites is You Grow Girl.  If you want to buy seeds, there are a lot of great resources, my own little seed shop on Etsy Frog Pond Gardens or any of the EtsyPHAT team members (search etsyPHAT) have good, chemical free seeds that are "hand grown".  My web site is Frog Pond Gardens. 


There are also a ton of amazing commercial seed companies out there, including:

Territorial Seed specializing in seeds for the Pacific Northwest
High Mowing Seeds in Vermont
Johnny's Selected Seeds in Maine
Seed Saver Exchange in Iowa, THE leader in preserving heirloom varieties

To get started here are the simple steps:
1) buy seed, review the instructions for growing (should you start inside, or plant directly outside when soil is warm enough)
2) to start inside -
  a)    plant seeds in a container (can be as simple as a frozen food container, yogurt containers, or other small container);
  b)   cover with plastic wrap or plastic cover (try an empty plastic bottle with the bottom cut off) that will keep the seeds moist
  c)   watch them grow!
  d)   transplant into the garden when warm enough
3) Seeds commonly started inside include:  salad greens, swiss chard, tomatoes, greens, green and hot peppers, and many others.  Generally, plant inside one or two months ahead of planting time.  For example, if you plant in May, start seeds inside in early March.