two links

Life has just been too crammed full to post here lately, in between churning out a long list of freelance pieces before the end of the year, and I got back late last night from a 4-day trip to Vancouver, while still catching up from a wedding trip to New Orleans with two of my Lovely Housemates for dear old friend humidcityloki. I came home to a long article to write today, and hundreds and hundreds of emails to wade through, but I have a warm cat on my lap, and I got to sleep in my own bed last night, and I have a cup of good coffee on my desk, and I can get to the Internet again, and I'm not in the middle of 12-hour-long consensus meetings, so all is well. It is indescribably good to be home, driving onto my own land and walking in the door felt like a long drink of cool water after days in the desert. I don't enjoy travelling nearly as much as I used to. One of these days I'll probably just put down roots, I swear...which reminds me of a Dutch song I learned a couple of days ago, about putting down deeply into the earth the roots that grow out of your ass. Great song, funny and lively and all I can think is that's one of those things that would require a family-sized tube of Preparation H...

Some pics of Vancouver and Seattle, including a lovely sunset: http://web.mac.com/chelidon/iWeb/Site/WWC-06.html

And two links, one a potentially interesting one for my gardening friends: The History of Gardening: A Timeline From Ancient Times to the Twentieth Century",

and the other, not nearly so fun: Global warming already killing species, analysis says

Speaking of warming, I was looking at pictures of the main stream here, and I notice that about a week ago two years ago it was already starting to ice up, and the same thing last year, even though last year was one of the warmest on record. This year, not even a bit of ice yet. Yikes.

localvores on the march

From one of our localvore lists, forwarded by my Lovely Housemate Paul. The only addition I would make is, it's not a question of "if" energy becomes really expensive, it's just a matter of when. My guess? Within 10 years, petrochemical-based fertilizer (most of what is used in modern large-scale factory-farming) will at least double in price, along with the costs of transporting foodstuffs from distant areas. At that point, a healthy system of local farms will become an absolute necessity.

Pete's Eats
The Localvore latest: a winter CSA
by Suzanne Podhaizer (10/11/06).

Folks who hate running to the store in the winter will love Pete's Greens' new "Good Eats" CSA share. While
the basic version of the community-supported agriculture arrangement supplies weekly portions of roots,
squash and greens -- with enticing extras such as frozen strawberries and tomatoes -- subscribers can
upgrade with a bread-and-cheese or "localvore" add-on, or both.

The "localvore" combo fills out the pantry with sunflower oil, yogurt and cream, oyster mushrooms, natural
sweeteners, dried beans, sauerkraut and other lacto-fermented veggies, prepared foods and a multitude
of grains.

Pete Johnson believes his Craftsbury farm is the only one in the country to offer such a comprehensive CSA.
Because "Americans are used to having a lot of options," Johnson says, the vegetables he grows for his
basic CSA package include out-of-the-ordinary varieties such as Forona beets, black Spanish radishes and
the fractal-formed Romanesco cauliflower. For the localvore share, he's sending staff to the Vermont Food
Venture Center in Fairfax, where they prepare pesto, salsa and "everything-but-the-kitchen-sink soup."

With only 80 to 100 shares available for the winter, anyone who wants to get in on the goods will have
to act quickly. Johnson says the "diverse crowd" that has already signed up includes "hard-core gardeners
who would never do a summer CSA." Members will be able to snag their weekly shares at his farm, or at
other central Vermont pick-up points.

Johnson says providing the localvore share is "not going to be profitable" -- at least not in the beginning. But he
believes it's an important step in establishing Vermont's sustainable-food infrastructure. Opting for local
ingredients is a current fad, but "if energy becomes really expensive," Johnson suggests, it may be the
only option.

Visit www.petesgreens.com for a list of Pete's pick-up points and other "Good Eats" info.

eep

It's supposed to get down to 8 degrees tonight. Yes, Farenheit.

I shall now cease to complain about global warming. And bring in a bit more wood.