Eco Design + Living

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.

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