The Future Of Food – Community Supported Agriculture

A short film about Wairarapa Eco Farm CSA, now with captions. Be sure to check out http://happenfilms.com for more free documentaries

Start Planning Your Fall and Winter Gardens NOW!

Now is the time to start planting seeds for your fall/winter gardens. Let our Garden Guru’s hand select popular heirloom, GMO-FREE varieties for you to start each month, customized to your location and grow zone! (Think frost hardy crops or varieties that can be grown indoors such as sprouts, lettuces, leafy greens and MORE!)

Sign up today at http://ift.tt/1Su1g8E

During sign-up, just let us know whether you prefer to grow indoors, outdoors, in partial shade or in the sun. Do you grow hydroponically? Not a problem, we’ve got that figured out too!

This Wall Project Turned 100 Sq. Feet Into 1700 Sq. Feet of Gardening Space!

This is an introduction to the vertical garden wall project we are building at Headwaters Farm. Headwaters Farm is a community farm and education centre located about an hour from Toronto in the rolling hills of Northumberland Country overlooking Lake Ontario.

An Urban Garden Fights for its Life

“A community garden in Berlin turned an abandoned yard into a green paradise. But the growing pressures of gentrification may pull up the collaborative project’s roots.

They say paradise is a garden. For over six years now, community gardeners in the Berlin neighborhood of Neukölln have been growing a little utopia. They took over a patch of unused ground, planting the half-acre with flowers and vegetables, and sharing the harvest with their neighbors. Anyone can join in, and they do: kids from the local schools, lonely single parents, newly arrived immigrants trying to put down roots.

The garden, known as Prachttomate, which translates roughly as “prize tomato,” has become a local success story, a self-created community resource and a microcosm of one of Berlin’s most multicultural neighborhoods. The success of the garden fits in with a change in urban gardening’s image in the last decade. Once seen as a dowdy hobby for the middle-aged, city gardening now attracts all ages with its improvements for health and quality of life, a hint of civilized living in the urban jungle.”

Read the FULL article at: http://ift.tt/1xVZdNW

NEONICS – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HOW THEY’RE KILLING OUR BEES [INFOGRAPHIC]

Our bees are in trouble. Global bee populations have been falling for quite a while now at an alarming rate. And this is much more serious than just a lack of honey – bees pollinate a huge amount of our plants, fruit and vegetables. If they disappeared completely, it’s safe to say that our everyday lives would be dramatically affected.

Story via  Sun Leisure 

When farm to table is just a few blocks away

Jen Rosenthal walks beside a row of green pea tendrils bearing small, cloverlike leaves and thin stems. She kneels down to cut the top halves. Sugar snap peas would grow from their flowers if left to mature, but Rosenthal has found leaves from this particular type pack a lot of bright flavor. Place them in water after harvesting and they don’t deteriorate quickly like their siblings. It’s one of many lessons Rosenthal has learned in the two years she’s been growing produce at Legends Farm, a training site for urban farmers through the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Windy City Harvest program.

“Some restaurants try growing these on-site, but without the rich soil they get too leggy and spindly,” Rosenthal said of the pea plants while standing in one of the lower drainage rows that run parallel between the more elevated crop rows at Legends. “We’ll let some blossom and harvest peas before they all come out to make more room for peppers and eggplants.”

Read the FULL Article at: “ChicagoBusiness.com“

YOUR GO – TO MODERN GARDEN ROOMS GUIDE (INFOGRAPHIC)

We’re right in the midst of the booming market of garden rooms. Perhaps you’ve taken the plunge and bought your first garden room, or you’re seriously considering one for your home business, study or music room. We here at Modern Garden Rooms are fully aware of a sea of questions that arise upon the consideration of a garden room:

What else is a garden room actually used for?

What are the legal legislation’s surrounding garden rooms?

How do I protect my garden room from damping?

Read the FULL article at: “ModernGardenRooms.com“

Grow Together: The Benefits of Starting a School Garden Program

Click to Enlarge Image

““A garden is a grand teacher,” horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll wrote. School administrators obviously agree because the nation is in the midst of a school gardening boom. The number of school gardens nearly doubled between 2013 and 2015. More than 7,000 American schools now have a garden.

Most teachers start a school garden program in elementary schools, and grow flowers or veggies. Some include unique features, such as chickens, orchards, and aquaponics systems (where students raise fish and use the fishes’ waste to feed plants). Teachers use gardening activities to teach nearly every discipline, including health, nutrition, science, math, environmental studies, language arts, art, and social studies. Students in one California school sow native plants to learn what the state looked like prior to European settlement. In other schools, kids test soil composition, learn about food chains and ecosystems, measure plants as they grow, calculate the perimeter and area of garden beds, and keep gardening journals.

Researchers examining how gardening impacts students have found that school gardens–sometimes called “living classrooms”–cultivate more than just plants. Students who participate in school gardens are on average more engaged in what they’re learning, boast higher science test scores, and eat more fruits and vegetables than their non-gardening peers.”

Read the FULL Article at: “Quill.com“

Rooftop farms in Gaza provide a lifeline to the community

“Meeting even basic needs can be a challenge for the nearly 2 million people that live in Gaza. An Israeli blockade inhibits international trade and prevents vital supplies from reaching the 141 square mile territory, so the Palestinians living there rely on resilience and innovation to survive with the resources they have. Squeezed out of arable land, many Gaza residents are farming upwards, on the rooftops of the dense urban Mediterranean territory.”

View the Original Story at: “Inhabitat.com“

New Orleans golf course transformed into city’s biggest urban farm with an Eco-Campus

“A former golf course in New Orleans’ City Park has been transformed into the city’s biggest urban farm—Grow Dat Youth Farm. The seven-acre sustainable farming nonprofit features a low-energy Eco-Campus built with seven recycled shipping containers and designed by Tulane University architecture students. The urban farming and leadership program teaches local youth how to sustainably grow fruits and veggies that are then sold to CSAs, local restaurants, and markets, as well as donated to neighborhoods lacking access to healthy, fresh food.”

Read the FULL STORY at: “Inhabitat.com“

Top 10 Most Profitable Vegetables and Herbs to Grow at Home [Infographic]

“In the past few years, the prices of conventional produce have increased steadily. As a result, many families have decided to grow their own foods at home, especially vegetables and herbs. Indoor or outdoor, almost everyone are now enjoying setting up their home organic garden so they can save money and keep their family healthy at all times.

Now, if you are new to gardening or have been doing it for a while and is looking for the most practical veggies and herbs to plant, we have compiled 10 of the best based on the recommendations given by garden experts as well as avid home gardeners. They are not only cost-effective or profitable but are also easy to grow in your indoor or outdoor home garden. They can give you abundant harvests in a short amount of time too.”

Read the FULL Story at: “GardenAware.com“

Cut the Crap: Making Your Own Fertilizers is Easier Than You Think!

“Making your own natural fertilizers is a safe and effective way to grow a lush, chemical-free garden.

Since there are multiple options for DIY natural fertilizers, you may want to experiment with different formulations in different areas of the garden. For example, you could try compost tea for acid-loving plants, fireplace ashes for plants that prefer more alkaline soil, and recycled aquarium water for fruits, vegetables, herbs, and even houseplants.

You can switch things up further, using different natural fertilizers at different times of the year. Ashes may be more abundant in the spring after an entire winter of fires, and your compost might not be ready until the end of summer when the heat has worked its magic to transform waste into nutrient-rich soil.

Experiment with different kinds of natural fertilizers to see how DIY recipes provide the best results in your garden.

Depending on the type of natural fertilizer you choose, the “green” approach to gardening can also help you reduce waste and reuse or recycle natural materials, making DIY fertilizers both inexpensive and environmentally friendly.”

Source: eReplacementParts.com blog

For These Urban Farmers, the Harvest Is About More Than Healthy Eating

“Summer is usually the most exciting season for a gardener, but for many of Detroit’s black farmers, the harvest is also about survival.

In its annual look at the city’s food systems, the Detroit Food Policy Council, a food security advisory board, found in 2017 that 47 percent of Detroiters — roughly 300,000 residents — were eligible for food stamps. And nearly half of Detroiters are at the mercy of junk food retail. Fringe food retailers, such as liquor stores and convenience marts, make up 92 percent of the authorized food stamp retailers in the city, whose population is majority black.”

Read the REST OF THE STORY, here: “NextCity.org“

Could Your Thyroid Problem Be An Adrenal Problem?

More light is being shinned onto “adrenal fatigue” or HPA (hypothalamic, pituitary, adrenal) Axis Deregulation.  Many of my clients have at least heard of the condition and are aware that it is often associated with fatigue.  But what I am realizing that many people don’t know yet is how much adrenal dysfunction can effect other areas of the body.  For instance, did you know that your thyroid problem could be an adrenal problem?

It isn’t unheard of for someone with an adrenal issue to have a thyroid issue as well, in fact I believe that it is all too common.  Your adrenal glands are responsible for many functions in our bodies such as dealing with stress, blood sugar regulation, immune response, digestion, and they are part of the endocrine system that impacts major functions such as sex hormones and thyroid.  Many practitioners focus on working on healing the thyroid but end up missing a key factor…the adrenals.  The symptoms of adrenal fatigue and poor thyroid function do have some similarities such as fatigue, weight gain, constipation, depression, sleep disruption, or dry skin.

Key Terms

TSH– thyroid releasing hormone, stimulated the thyroid to make T4 and T3 hormones

TRH– thyrotropin releasing hormone, signals the part of the brain that releases TSH

TBG– thyroid binding globulin, binds hormones in circulation so that it can be transported all over the body

Free T4– inactive form of thyroid hormone, meaning it does not have the ability to bind to cells and create a metabolic response

Free T3– active form of thyroid hormone, responsible for binding to cells and creating metabolic responses

rT3– inactive reverse T3 which can bind to T3 receptor sites and block the conversion of T4 to T3

How the System Works

The hypothalamus in the brain releases TRH which tells the pituitary to release TSH and that signals to the thyroid to make hormones free T4 mostly (80-93%) and a little free T3 (7-20%).

T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone and it comes from the conversion of T4 into T3.  Active T3 is formed when the liver removes one iodine molecule from T4.

The pituitary then senses the serum blood levels of T3 and shuts down the production of TSH so that there are adequate levels of thyroid hormone in the body (not too much).  If the pituitary senses a low level then it kicks into action, releases TSH and triggers the thyroid to produce more free hormone (not too little).  A little bit like overdraft protection in your bank account.  If the bank senses that your account is getting low in money it will transfer over the amount of money you need to maintain a positive balance.

These free hormones are then readily absorbed into any cell in the body.  Generally they are going to choose cells that are in close range (which we don’t want).  In order to be able to deliver the hormones all over the body (like we want) our bodies bind up the hormones with TBG, which is produced in the liver.  If you had too much TBG it would mean too little free T3 is available and if you had too little TBG it would mean too much free T3 is available to the body.  Too little free T3 can cause unpleasant symptoms as well as dysfunction of the system.  Too much free T3 can damage receptor sites, create deficiency, and cause even more serious hormone issues.

Many thyroid conditions are secondary to poor adrenal function as well as other dysfunctions in the body.  Thyroid hypo function often is a result of something going wrong in the body and may be a symptom of something else.  Gut dysfunction, toxic metals, estrogen dominance, blood sugar imbalances, and yes adrenal problems can all alter thyroid function.  The more we can improve adrenal function and the more we can heal the body, the better thyroid function becomes if thyroid is a secondary problem.

The body deals with lots of stress from internal (food sensitivities, gut infections, blood sugar imbalances etc.) or external (busy job, bad relationship, etc.) sources.  Cortisol is our stress hormone.  When under stress, our bodies want to conserve resources so that it can put priority on helping you deal with stress.  This is one reason sex hormones are affected by stress, the body doesn’t want to put its time and energy into making a baby so it shuts down the ability to do so.  But stress can also decrease the thyroid function in order to decrease metabolism to be able to hold on to precious resources.

Cortisol affects the thyroid gland in many ways:

1| Cortisol can inhibit TSH from signaling the thyroid to make thyroid hormones, free T4 and free T3.

2| Cortisol can prevent less active T4 from converting to the more active T3.

3| Cortisol allows each T3 cell receptor to more readily accept T3.

4| Excess high cortisol (stress) can result in high output of rT3 which deactivates thyroid hormone (T3).

Bottom line: Healthy adrenal glands are needed to support thyroid function.  If your HPA (hypothalamus pituitary adrenal) Axis is not properly making adequate cortisol, and you have what is more commonly knows as “adrenal fatigue,” then you can see how that might start to ultimately effect your thyroids ability to function properly.  If you have been told that your thyroid levels are indicating dysfunction then it might be worth taking a look at your adrenals.  Could your thyroid problem be an adrenal problem?  I use DUTCH hormone testing with my clients.  It is the most comprehensive hormone test available and can paint a picture as to what is going on with sex hormones, gut function, AND adrenal health.  A great start for anyone with a thyroid problem.

Are You Ready to Get Tested and Turn Your Health Around?  Click The Button Below to Request a FREE 30 Minute Discovery Call…

Work With Me

As a Registered Dietitian certified in Stress and Hormones by Functional Diagnostic Nutrition, I help clients get proper testing, assist in the process of reading those results using clinical correlation (treating the patient and not just the test results), and give them the proper tools (diet, supplements, and lifestyle) to start the healing process.

The post Could Your Thyroid Problem Be An Adrenal Problem? appeared first on The Organic Dietitian.

CropSwap APP – NOW available in the App Store! (FOR FREE)

Buy, sell and trade homegrown produce from your phone. Cropswap is the groundbreaking local food app that connects urban gardeners, farmers and casual growers who happen to have an extra tree!

 Go download it and start selling, buying and trading produce with folks around you.

Customer Reviews

Genius!!! Love the app   //   by EstefaniaRebellon

I just signed up a friend recommended this app to me because I don’t like shopping at over priced groceries store like Whole Foods or even Ralph’s in LA. Sometimes you can taste the chemicals on the fruit and it’s expensive to eat healthy which is crazy to me but that’s a whole other deal. Anyways CROPSWAP is easy to follow and I love the chat option. I don’t have a garden so I don’t have anything to swap but I am on it as a hungry customer looking for organic produce from people who I don’t mind giving my money too lol. Great app if you’re trying to eat healthy and save!!! Love it!!!!

Revolutionary! //  by farmerjacky

This app is giving power to the people! We don’t have to rely on the industrial farming and grocery system, we can grow our own and share with others. Thank you Cropswap for making this life changing tool! This is sure to reduce waste, packaging, travel distances, chemicals and everything else that gives conventionally grown and purchased food such a large carbon foot print. No more! Drawdown is within our hands. We can live in a way that sequesters carbon, fosters personal growth, and inspires community building. Three cheers for this app!

Love this!  //  by Mathgirl22

I grow a lot of my own food at home but don’t have room to grow everything I want. This app is awesome at connecting you with other local growers so you can trade for other crops! I love this idea, it’s so unique and helpful for people who want to be more self sustaining. Just like the old days of bartering! I just wish more people would join soon so I can get more variety of crops

Compatibility: Requires iOS 10.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Washington Business Offers Rooftop Views, Urban Gardening and Yoga

“For nearly 150 years, many residents in the Washington, D.C., area have turned to W.S. Jenks & Son for their hardware and home improvement needs.

The product selection has shifted from wood-burning stoves, heaters and horseshoes to an array of modern hardware and lawn and garden products, but the business remains a spot for community members to gather.

In 2014, the family-owned and operated business moved to a new location in a unique, older building, says Jerry Siegel, president of W.S. Jenks & Son.”

See MORE Pictures at: “HardwareRetailing.com“

Dream of urban gardens stymied by red tape

“The dream of urban gardens sprouting up across San Diego on small pockets of blighted, empty land has been stymied by legal wrangling over property tax incentives created to spur the creation of the gardens.

More than 18 months after the San Diego City Council approved one of the first urban garden incentives in the state, no gardens have been created because the city and county have been unable to hammer out details of the incentive.”

Read the FULL Article: “SanDiegoUnionTribune.com“

Why my South Philly urban garden made me want to get up in the morning

“I spend a lot (probably too much) of time at home.

As a freelance writer, most of my days used to begin with a casual wake-up initiated by my internal alarm clock and a sluggish relocation from my bed to the kitchen table. Sometimes, I feared I might need to have the “I know it looks like I haven’t moved from this spot since you left, but I promise I have” talk with my roommates.

Basically, I can be a sad excuse for an “adult” who thrives most when there’s tangible proof that I have completed a task.

What I needed was something to foster and take care of, something that would inspire me to log off Twitter for a millisecond, something that would make my surroundings more stimulating, but something that was not as high-maintenance as an animal or a small human because, please, I’m not there yet.”

Read the full story at: “Philly.com“

How a Quebec community is setting the standard for urban gardening

“Victoriaville, Que., has long defended its title as the greenest city in the province.

It was one of the first municipalities in the province to implement door-to-door composting back in 1998 and offers incentives for ecological home construction materials.

”People tell us they move to Victoriaville because they want to adhere to the movement that is happening here,” said city manager Martin Lessard.

Lessard said the city of 45,000, 170 kilometres northeast of Montreal, has invested more than $8 million to refurbish the downtown core and make it a place residents want to spend time in.Victoriaville has set itself a new goal for 2017: to install 100 shared garden boxes throughout town”

Victoriaville has set itself a new goal for 2017: to install 100 shared garden boxes throughout town.”

Read the rest of the article at: “CBC.ca.com“

Chickens embark on mission to feed East Chattanooga

Starting this month, local nonprofit Hope for the Inner City will begin recruiting an army of chickens to aid in the nonprofit’s mission to bring fresh produce to low-income households, but recruiters say they still need community support.

Since early this summer, Hope for the Inner City has been asking community members for donations of $25 to sponsor laying hens whose fresh eggs would be sold to residents in East Chattanooga, which is still reeling from the loss of its last grocery store, Scarbrough’s Produce, in 2015.

Now considered a food desert, the neighborhood’s nearest supermarket is 3 miles away, making it that much more difficult for struggling families to bring healthy options to the table.

“You have to take three buses to get to a grocery store from this neighborhood,” said Joel Tippens, director of Grow Hope Urban Farm, Hope for the Inner City’s homegrown solution to bring food accessibility to the area.

Read the FULL ARTICLE at: “TheTimesFreePress.com“

Body Unburdened’s Nourishing Honey Face Wash

Nontoxic skincare couldn’t be any easier with this Nourishing Honey Face Wash.

One awesome perk to having an online business is all of the amazing people that you get to meet.  Recently I became friends with Nadia, the amazing woman behind Body Unburdened.  I’ve followed her blog for years, but only recently have we connected over the phone.  I hope one day we can meet in person!  I’m in awe of what she has  accomplished and the illuminating information that she has put out into the world to help people unburden their bodies (get it, the name of her blog).  She recently did something that I hope to achieve one day: she wrote and published a book.

I had the honor of receiving a copy of Nadia’s book and I must tell you that it is packed full of easy-to-understand nutrition and wellness tips, as well as recipes all directed at healthier skin (including this Nourishing Honey Face Wash).  Coming from someone that dealt with a lot of acne in her life, I wish I had this resource years ago.  If only I could go back in time and give a copy to my teenage self!  I would have been able to help my skin using natural alternatives instead of trying every lotion and potion I could find (spoiler alert: none of them worked).  I even used birth control pills to help clear up my skin – something I would never recommend to anyone.  Instead, get Glow: The Nutritional Approach to Naturally Gorgeous Skin and find out how to support the health of your biggest organ with nutrition and homemade skincare.

It always amazes me how some of the ingredients that you have in your pantry can also make great food for your skin.  I love raw honey for skin because of its antibacterial properties.  Since you not only have bacteria in your body, but also on your body, it is critical that you keep all the bugs happy, healthy, and in good balance.  In fact, that is one reason I use kombucha in my homemade face mask.

When I saw Nadia’s recipe for Nourishing Honey Face Wash I knew I had to make it and share it with you.  All you need is four simple (and natural) ingredients.

Body Unburdened's Nourishing Honey Face Wash

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

 

Easy homemade skin care from Body Unburdened's new book Glow: The Nutritional Approach to Naturally Gorgeous Skin.

Author: Sara

Serves: 8 ounces

Ingredients

• ¾ cup raw honey
• ¼ cup unscented castile soap
• 20 drops lavender essential oil
• 10 drops tea tree essential oil

Instructions

1. In a bottle, combine all the ingredients and shake vigorously to blend. Gently rub a coin-size amount into wet skin.

Notes

The ingredients may separate over time, so be sure to give the bottle a little shake every once in a while!

3.4.3177

 

The post Body Unburdened’s Nourishing Honey Face Wash appeared first on The Organic Dietitian.

Glass City Goat Gals show how to pave the way for urban farming

Six-year-olds Darren Eaton and Rudi Petruziello climbed to the top of a dirt pile, took a seat, and started digging, but Glass City Goat Gals owner Liz Harris didn’t mind.

“I’m so glad they’re playing in the dirt,” she said. “That’s what it’s there for.”

It’s hard to imagine a cul-de-sac in central Toledo now occupied by goats, gardens, and a butterfly sanctuary was once known for nothing but blight.

Ms. Harris has spent seven years transforming an area that once consisted of 15 abandoned homes — before the Lucas County Land Bank tore them down — into an urban farm on Mentor Drive promoting wellness, healthy eating, and environmental sustainability.

Read the FULL STORY at: “ToledoBlade.com“

Grow a Fall Garden! Join UOG’s Monthly Seed Club NOW!

**IF you wish to receive a shipment for this month, you MUST JOIN before 11:59 pm PST Monday, September 4th!**

Now is the time to start collecting seeds for your fall/winter gardens. Let our Garden Guru’s hand select popular heirloom, GMO-FREE varieties for you to start each month, customized to your location and grow zone! (Think frost hardy crops or varieties that can be grown indoors such as sprouts, lettuces, leafy greens and MORE!)

Sign up today at http://ift.tt/1Su1g8E

During sign-up, just let us know whether you prefer to grow indoors, outdoors, in partial shade or in the sun. Do you grow hydroponically? Not a problem, we’ve got that figured out too!

Each month you’ll receive a 5 varieties, and everything you need to start growing more food! Happy Gardening to you, in 2017!

Former mailman builds geothermal greenhouse in the midwest; gets local citrus all year for $1 a day

Greenhouse in the Snow, built by a former mailman, grows an abundance of local produce high on the Nebraska plains.

“We can grow the best citrus in the world, right here on the high plains,” says Russ Finch, the former mailman (pictured above) who is the creative superstar genius responsible for building the Greenhouse in the Snow. And he can do it spending only $1 a day in energy costs.

For Midwesterners (and many of the rest of us) produce in the winter means things imported form warmer climes or grown in greenhouses, which typically have a prodigious hunger for energy and are fed by burning fossil fuels.

View the FULL ARTICLE at: “EcoNewsMedia.com“