Eco Design + Living

As industrial agriculture is under attack from Michael Pollan and his followers, the debate over how we transition to sustainable agriculture AND feed the world’s population rages on. One ‘agri-intellectual’ addresses the criticisms and misleading arguments of one farmer, who defends the combined use of GM seed and herbicides as a solution to reducing soil erosion. Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma is at the center of this much needed discussion.

Read Tom Phillpot’s essay, An ‘agri-intellectual’ talks back, in response to Blake Hurst’s essay, The Omnivore’s Delusion: Against the Agri-intellectuals. Any thoughts or comments?

Seaside Farmers Market Saturday 8-12pm

KIDS FUN DAY with THE RECYCLED ART COMPANY
Join us every Saturday from 8am-12pm for a fun morning at the juice bar in Seaside.  Find the seasons freshest produce available, purchase delicious local organic eggs, and enjoy the best breakfast on 30-A featuring guest chefs each week!  The farmers market will continue each Saturday from 8am-12pm through September.

Kids fun day at the market with THE RECYCLED ART COMPANY! Learn about recycled materials with Charles & Misti Schneidewind who have been creating eco-friendly art from salvaged materials for over 10 years.  Kids can make their own bracelet from soda pop tops, or make a little sign on reclaimed wood with small license plate letters. www.recycledartco.com

LOVE YOUR MARKET CONTEST!  Seaside Farmers Market has been entered into a contest for $5000.  CARE2 and Local Harvest have created a competition of local farmers markets around the country to win money to support their market vote here now!   www.care2.com/farmersmarket/

We will have a market on the 4th of July along with face painting and music by 30A radio.  Come to the market early, vendors will be set-up by 7am, the parade begins at 8am and the roads are closed by 6:30am.  A GREAT day to ride your bike!

This summer we are focusing on the food aspect of the market, produce, cooking demonstrations, specialty items, artisan cheeses and breads, novice and professional gardeners, seed exchanges, educational aspects of growing and preparing food, and the celebration of eating and sharing great ingredients.  We look forward to developing these concepts and to your participation.
Have something to sell at the market? Call to reserve your place. 850-687-3494

Kids fun day at the market with THE RECYCLED ART COMPANY! Learn about recycled materials and make something fun!  Kids can make their own bracelet from soda pop tops, or make a little sign on reclaimed wood with small license plate letters. www.recycledartco.com
BREAKFAST! Bridgette Lowe Stringfellow will prepare delicious Raw Coconut Breakfast Cakes served with Berry-Licious syrup & Orange Vanilla syrup, walnut sprinkles, fresh blueberries & banana slices… a welcome treat of freshness in this heat! Bridgette is a local yoga and Pilates instructor and is currently studying to be a raw foods/wellness coach.  You can find out more about Bridgette and her may offerings at www.dancingwithlifestudio.com
Moonlight Micro-Farm will have Handcrafted Hoola Hoops and Organic Seeds for sprouting. Moonlight Micro Farm does sprouts, but Chandra also has CFH Design Studio which emphasizes sustainable living, from permaculture and Solar Energy systems, to Architectural Design.  Chandra also maintains the loose and creative web structure of SWELL—South Walton Environmental and Low-impact Living. www.cfhdesignstudio.com
Kinowa’s Cowboy Cookies - Mostly Organic Cookies and other Organic Goodies.  You wont find Anne at a table you’ll have to search out the roaming cookie extraordinaire with her basket in tow!
Twin Oaks Farm - Farm Fresh Organic Eggs from pastured hens. Our hens are fed certified organic grains without soy. The first Blueberry Preserves of the season!!! Made with fresh locally grown blueberries. Strawberry Preserves made with real strawberries, grown in dirt for taste and not fumigated with methyl bromide, a rare find in the area. All natural preserves, just locally grown fruits and organic sugar, NO pectin, NO citric acid, NO ascorbic acid. www.twinoaksfarm.net
Ryan Ivy – Locally grown Blueberries from Bonifay, big and yummy!
Perennials and Natives by a Girl Named Toni – Perennials and Natives specializes in produce grown locally within 100 miles of Santa Rosa Beach.  This week at the market Toni will have Watermelons, Cantaloupes, Butter Beans, Corn, Tomatoes, Green Tomatoes, Onions, Bell Peppers, Potatoes, Blueberries, and Peaches.
Pie in The Sky  - Allergen Free Treats.  Muffins, Cookies, Tarts, Pies gluten free and vegan friendly! Michael Madriaga is a local baker and entrepreneur; supplying vegan and allergen free food and baked items to our community.  Keep an eye out for his website and expanding menu!
Zen Garden Market - Plants, Produce, Super Foods, and Natural Home and Body Products.
The Zen Garden in Panama City has re-opened and expanded into a true cornucopia of health, check them out at their same location on Jackson Blvd. in Panama City.  Zen Garden Market is a Native-Edible-Medicinal and Exotic Plant Nursery that encompasses a Fresh - Local and Organic Produce Market as well as a Health Store 850-234-1651  http://www.zengardenmarket.com
Soap Pedaler - Hand Made Soaps filled with super smelling herbs and essential oils.  Local soap maker Celeste Cobine delivers her soap by bike all over Walton County…she even rides her entire Farmers Market set-up to Seaside!  Watch for monthly deals for those who walk and bike to the market.
John Kratt -  Start your own garden with plants grown without chemicals!  Tomato Plants, Pepper Plants, Herbs, some Flowering Plants, may be some Veggies and Gourds.
Nikki Lyons - Artesano Jewels www.myspace.com/artesanojewelry

1. Plant something: transplanted Old Virginia tomatoes, basil, and peppers, French Marigolds, Scarlet Salvia. Started sunflowers & sprouts. Oh, and planted a Malabar spinach plant that a friend started from seed.

2. Harvest something: My dear friend Kat took me for a walk in the woods behind her home and we picked the very first blackberries of the season. Sun kissed! She also gave me some eggs from her hens. Sprouts, sunflower shoots, and basil.

3. Preserve something: Nothing here

4. Reduce waste: composted cardboard boxes and food scraps from the Hibiscus Coffee and Guesthouse. This happens every week.

5. Preparation & storage: Nothing

6. Build community food systems: Seaside Farmer’s Market was rained out this weekend, but I did sell my sunflower shoots to friend.

7. Eat the food: Blackberries, sprouts, basil, and eggs

For more info. about the Independence Days Challenge visit Sharon Astyk’s blog.

1. Plant something: transplanted Old Virginia tomatoes, French Marigolds, Scarlet Salvia, Sunflowers for shoots, and mini red peppers

2. Harvest something: sprouts, basil, chard

3. Preserve something: Nothing here

4. Reduce waste: composted cardboard boxes and food scraps from the Hibiscus Coffee and Guesthouse. This happens every week. The compost is filled with worms and looking righteous!

5. Preparation & storage: nothing here except cleaned out the fridge and closet in preparation to prepare, heh

6. Build community food systems: I missed the Seaside Farmer’s Market this weekend, but I did participate as a permaculture vendor in the Bay Green Expo. Does that count?

7. Eat the food: sprouts, Marconi red peppers, basil, Susan’s sauerkraut

For more info. about the Independence Days Challenge visit Sharon Astyk’s blog.

 Great advice from a well respected permaculturist and earth activist.

I find the key to success in containers is renewing them with actively
aerated compost tea or at least worm castings and/or worm tea - soemthing to
keep the biological life in the soil, as they tend to be rather dead soils
that dry out fast. I use an organic potting mix that I buy by the
truckload. — Love Starhawk

1. Plant something: transplanted Genovese basil, French Marigolds, and mini red peppers

2. Harvest something: sprouts, Marconi red peppers, Mammoth melting snow peas

3. Preserve something: finally put my dried Marconi red pepper seeds in paper envelopes. For the past 3 months they have sat on the counter - I hope they germinate.

4. Reduce waste: composted cardboard boxes and food scraps from the Hibiscus Coffee and Guesthouse

5. Preparation & storage: decided it was time to put away some of the sprouting seed I sell at the market

6. Build community food systems: I participated in the Seaside Farmer’s Market and traded sprouts for soap, organic eggs, a gardenia, and some malabar spinach seedlings. Also attended a meeting with the Tourist Development Council about the annual Environmental Forum. The focus of the forum this year will be community gardens and I hope to lead a round table discussion on permaculture with fellow permaculturist, Kat M. Provencher and architect Frank Green.

7. Eat the food: sprouts, Marconi red peppers, Mammoth melting snow peas, Susan’s sauerkraut

Over the years I’ve watched from the comfort of my own home, many a challenge mushroom into something quite inspiring. Much like watching reality TV, the viewer can witness the unfolding events of a fellow citizen’s declared challenge and mentally assess their progress toward some goal. It’s self expression and peaceful activism all rolled into one.

One of my favorite bloggers and writers on peak oil, climate change, and sustainability, Sharon Astyk is once again leading the Independence Days Challenge. I haven’t officially participated in any online challenge, because up until this point, I’ve been a quiet doer - continually tweaking my lifestyle to reduce my ecological footprint - except to the other members of my household.

Since I’ve launched the Eco Design + Living website with the goal of inspiring and connecting with others about living sustainably, I thought it would be fun and informative for readers to see how Eco Design + Living manages the challenge. This should be interesting.

This challenge is about independence as the name suggests and revolves around food. Though building design is the predominant theme on Eco Design + Living, we’ll be visiting food topics often. We need both food and shelter, among other things to live well and both of these topics require serious discussion and activism, if we plan on leaving our children and grandchildren with a planet with which to thrive.

Without further ado, I’ll get right to my weekly posting regarding the progress of the challenge. The idea is to strive to do something productive in each category below. To read more about the challenge, visit Independence Days Challenge at Sharon Astyk’s blog. Sharon hinted at another challenge in the works that may be of interest, but no details yet. I’ll keep you posted. Until then…

Live well! 

Chandra

Independence Days Challenge  - 05.05.09

1. Plant something: feverfew, wormwood, evening primrose, plantain, Miriam sunflower, and zinnias
2. Harvest something: sprouts, Marconi red peppers, rosemary, Mammoth melting snow peas
3. Preserve something: letting the arugula go to seed
4. Reduce waste: composted cardboard boxes
5. Preperation & storage: nothing
6. Build community food systems: participate in Seaside Farmer’s Market
7. Eat the food: sprouts, Marconi red peppers, rosemary, Mammoth melting snow peas

There is a quiet shift taking place across the country - a shift to eating locally grown food and less meat. An indicator of expanding wealth, meat consumption in the American diet has risen with the GDP. OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries are also facing rising demand for meat as their GDP’s rise and their ability to purchase meat becomes more attainable. Unfortunately, with an increasing world population, factory farmed meat as a primary source of protein for six billion people is detrimental to the environment and our own well-being.

Eco Design + Living recently came across the “Vegetarian Experiment” by Walton County resident and artist Teresa Cline. Cline is working to reduce her ecological footprint by eating less meat AND she’s hoping to inspire others to do the same. Eco Design + Living wanted to find out more about the experiment and the vegi-istas as Teresa is calling the Vegetarian Experiment FaceBook fans, so we asked Teresa to be subjected to a short interview, to which she obliged. Thanks Teresa! 

[Eco Design + Living] Teresa, according to your FaceBook page, you have recently taken a keen interest in transitioning to a vegetarian diet by starting the “vegetarian experiment.”  I cringe at the word “diet” because it has such restrictive connotations so, I’ll use the word “lifestyle.” Can you please explain what the vegetarian experiment is about?

[Teresa Cline] I am transitioning (back to) into a more meatless meal making mindset. That’s how I’m processing it for myself. Thinking about it this way doesn’t trap me into any kind of prescribed eating format. The Vegetarian Experiment is a social - collaborative - information sharing support system about what-why-how we eat.

It’s creating dialog about how to move our families mindset and the general populations into this EAT LESS MEAT concept because..…fill in the many, many reasons why this is a good idea. One truth is the business of commercial meat production industry is contributing to global ecological devastation. What’s also alarming is most people do not know the full extent of this problem, and they really don’t know where their food comes from.

Only recently am I starting to hear some people question the information about where food supplies are coming from. Surprisingly very few people actually know  how incredibly GROSS AND BARBARIC, I will say it again… barbaric meat processing is. So, it’s a bit of an animal rights consciousness raising thing too.

[Eco] What sparked your own interest in transitioning to a more vegetarian lifestyle?

[TC] I raised my family on a mostly vegetarian lifestyle way back when, but when I moved to the beach I stopped eating like this. The local beach area offers so many different orgasmic foodie adventures its hard to resist. What brought me back to the garden - you might say - is a combination of economics, food quality realities, and genuine concern for the lack of knowledge most people have about the food connection and a healthier earth. Most people know they should eat better, but figuring out how to do it so it taste good is a huge undertaking. Most people have meat as the main part of their meals with the vegetable being a side dish. The information I am hearing about commercial meat production is that its ecologically unsound. In the last few years, I also became painfully aware myself of these barbaric methods used to commercially raise and process our meat supplies and frankly, I can not enjoy the taste of meat without thinking of the horrendous and inhumane things animals are enduring.

[Eco] What caused you to want to include others in your community in this experiment?

[TC] I am hoping for a connection of like minded individuals.

[Eco] What do you hope to accomplish?

[TC] Two things actually, sharing the burden of discovery! Meaning I am hoping a friend brings a delicious vegi meal to one of our gatherings so I can add it to my repertoire without having to do the experimenting myself! Secondly, I am hoping the simple act of creating a movement of dialog about why eating less meat is meaningful, will resonate in others hearts and minds and can in a small way contribute to a change.

[Eco] Can you give the average meat eater a few tips on how to reduce their meat consumption?

[TC] Ha!…let me give you the links to the covert slaughter house videos or the ones inside chicken farms where they show you the unspeakable misery of a chickens life. This alone should sway someone’s resistance to eating less meat.

[Eco] Thanks again Teresa!

On a final note, here is something to consider from one website:

In an effort to conserve water, you might install a water-saver on your kitchen faucet, saving up to 6,000 gallons of water per year. Most of those savings would be lost if you consumed just one pound of beef (which requires 5,200 gallons of water per pound to produce—compared to only 25 gallons for a pound of wheat). Raising animals for food consumes more than half of all water used in the U.S. A totally vegetarian diet requires 300 gallons of water per day, while a meat-eating diet requires more than 4,200 gallons of water per day.

Visit the following links for more information.

The Vegetarian Experiment on Facebook

Union of Concerned Scientists, “What’s in the Meat You Eat”

Recent article in the NYT about meat and health

 

 

Last Thursday, SWELL (South Walton Environmental & Low-impact Living) hosted a discussion on fair trade coffee provided by Amavida’s Dan Bailey. The attendees gathered at the owners lounge at Redfish Village to watch a beautiful slide show of Dan’s recent journey to Chiapas, Mexico. Accompanying Dan at the SWELL gathering was Miguel Mateo Sebastian from the Manos Campesinas in Guatemala.

The photographs captured the beautiful murals of the Zapatista’s culture and their struggles and strength, united as an independent agrarian entity. The Zapatista’s ceded from Mexico in 1994, when the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) came into effect.

The Zapatistas or the EZLN’s ideology is to support the peasant ways of the indigenous peoples of Chiapas by rejecting neo-liberal globalization that is destroying the social fabric and undermining their ability to subsist by traditional agricultural means.

From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zapatista_Army_of_National_Liberation :

Apart from opening the Mexican market to cheap mass-produced US agricultural products, NAFTA spells an end to Mexican crop subsidies, and drastically reduces income and living standards of many southern Mexican farmers who cannot compete with the subsidized, artificially fertilized, mechanically harvested and genetically modified imports from the United States. The signing of NAFTA also resulted in the removal of Article 27 Section VII in the Mexican Constitution which previously had guaranteed land reparations to indigenous groups throughout Mexico.

After a journey through Zapatista coffee lands, Miguel shared with us, the process by which Fair Trade coffee from Guatemala reaches Amavida and Cooperative Coffees. He shared with us the importance of forging relationships with buyers that value social, economic, and environmental justice over bottom dollar corporate profits.

The most important message he shared was how his people respect Mother Earth because they strongly believe they are a part of the Earth, not separate. By planting the coffee with a companion shade tree, using fallen leaves and cherry pulp as fertilizer, creating swales around the trees to capture water and stop erosion, and carefully harvesting the cherries, the balance in nature is preserved. This results in the ability to grow coffee organically and provide a prosperous livelihood for the indigenous people.

To find out more about Fair Trade coffee and Cooperative Coffees visit: http://www.coopcoffees.com/