The Green Dog Blog

The Great Sunflower Project

2009-04-29T09:26:00.006-06:00

I met a beekeeper at the nursery last summer. She didn't look like a beekeeper, but I don't really know what a beekeeper should look like. She was looking for Bee Balm (monarda didyma, also referred to as bergamot). Her -"My bees just love it!" Me - "Your bees?" She leaned in close and quietly shared her secret with me. She lives in an average suburban neighborhood yet has a bee hive tucked away in a hidden nook of her property. her neighbors are none the wiser.

The advantages? Well, fresh honey all year sounds pretty good to me, but the comment that stuck with me was, "My yard has never been so beautiful, and my garden has never been so fruitful." With a literal army of little pollinators dwelling amidst her flowers and vegetables, I am quite certain her yard was, in fact, amazing. This brief exchange over flats of perennials sparked my interest. I told my patient male counterpart that I would like to order some bees. He said no. But after a little research and a few weeks of pestering. .he still said no. So I settled for the next best thing and planted a gazillion sunflowers (which have now naturalized) all over the yard.

We put a great deal of time and effort into attracting pollinators to our garden. We planted wildflowers, nasturtiams, zinnias, cosmos, marigolds, bachelor buttons, and of course sunflowers. The flowers added a lot of color to our garden and effectively attracted our own little army of bees.

For more on pollination check this out! http://agricultureguide.org/natures-pollinators-whats-all-the-buzz-about/

I'm not terribly fond of flying insects but I recognize their cruciality to the success of a garden. As you know, bee populations are declining rapidly due to colony collapse disorder. In an effort to track bee populations across the country a team of scientists is enlisting the help of ordinary citizens like us. It's called the Great Sunflower Project! All you have to do is plant sunflowers and count your bees. This project is proof that little things can make a big difference. Click the title of this blog post to sign up.

Buy early! Transplant soon!

2009-04-28T22:41:00.006-06:00

Yikes! It's almost planting time. If you planted your own babies this year, I hope your seeds are germinating well and your baby plants are thriving. If you didn't grow from seed this year, I recommend purchasing your seedlings soon. There are three advantages to doing so. 1) Most nurseries don't use organic growing practices. By purchasing your seedlings well before the planting date, you have a chance to 'rehab' (weening off heavy chemical fertilizers) your seedlings before planting them outside. You also have the advantage of transplanting them into larger pots so they have a more vigorous root system before going in the garden. 2) When you purchase your garden plants early, you have a much better selection. The cool heirloom varieties and popular stand-by's are long gone if you wait til mother's day weekend to purchase them; and the nursery isn't nearly as busy right now. 3) By hardening your seedlings off yourself, you can be sure your seedlings are effectively adapted to your yard's unique climate. When you purchase them the day you plant them you take them out of an artificial environment and plant them in the real world garden - Quite A Shock! We ended up with half nursery plants and half home grown seedlings this year. I had tremendous success germinating peppers and eggplants, but had a low germination rate for tomatoes ( I think I overwatered them.) Needless to say, we purchased a few tomato plants and a few interesting pepper varieties today. The babies went outside for the first time today! We transplanted our home grown seedlings as well as our nursery grown seedlings into four inch pots. They were all nearly root-bound so the timing was fantastic. The soil you choose is extremely important. In the past, we have had trouble with some potting soils being hydrophobic (not absorbing water), or drying out too quickly. Moisture is critical at this stage in the plants life and it's worth spending a little extra on a good potting soil to save yourself a headache (and heartache) later on. We are huge fans of coconut core. Coconut core retains moisture and releases it slowly into the soil - similar to peat moss. But coconut core is a sustainable product whereas peat is not. We have mixed coconut core into a quality potting mix in the past with great success, but this year we found a potting mix with coconut core already mixed in. Black Gold is our brand of choice. Once transplanted, we left the seedlings outside in the shade for about three hours. Today was a sunny breezy spring day. The natural breezes and fluctuating ambient temperatures were a good introduction to the wild outdoors. As temperatures dropped, the seedlings returned to their lights in thier new pots. One last thing. I know this is silly, but I beleive that plants with names have a better chance of survival. So, we officially named every seedling today. These names will stick with them until canning day and beyond. In January, pulling a can out of the pantry labeled, "Sun-Dried Norah" just brings a smile to my face. Happy Transplanting!

Happy Earth Day!!

2009-04-23T00:24:00.002-06:00

Happy Earth Day!!

Just Let a Few Weeds Grow

2009-04-15T22:27:00.007-06:00

[Note the above pic is from the 2008 garden] The garden is already bursting with life. The mild Utah winter didn't force many perennials into dormancy, and a few tenders and annuals actually pulled through. If you read my entry, "January Broccolli" you have a general idea how alive our garden was all through the winter. To get you up to speed, allow me to offer a brief (potentially boring) synopsis of where the 2009 garden stands to date. Officially, Rainbow chard, sorrel, Chinese cabbage, and dandelions (one man's weed - another man's medicinal herb and delicious salad green) survived the winter and are already harvestable. Broccoli and brussel sprouts pulled through the winter and are setting fruit. Fall planted carrots and onions are doing great. the carrots are harvestable but not sweet enough to bother yet. Cilantro, chamomile, bachelor buttons, cosmos, and sunflowers reseeded and are popping up all over the garden. The last week in march, we seeded in new cold weather veggies and salad greens with the exception of peas, beets. turnips, and radishes. Little baby salad is popping up all over. On Sunday I planted turnips, beets, and radishes. Yesterday I planted peas. Today it snowed. Ah, spring in the rockies. Now for the gardening wisdom of the day: I am absolutely fascinated by the life in the garden (although I could do without the volunteer grass). If I did nothing but water the garden from here on out, I am certain it would be beautiful; full of wildflowers and volunteer crops. Last year a petunia volunteered on the edge of a bed. Somehow a little seed survived the winter and the decomposing power of the compost pile, was turned into the soil as compost in the spring and by mid summer was a proud and beautiful flower. Several fruit producing squash and the biggest cosmo I have ever seen sprung forth from compost crumbs around the bin. The year before a tomato volunteered in front of our mailbox and actually produced fruit despite our neglect. My devoted plant-loving counterpart transplanted a mystery weed all over the garden last year in hopes that it would bloom and attract pollinating insects. When plants volunteer I try to let them be. If they are in a really poor location, I try to transplant them to a more favorable spot, but I never assume a weed is a weed is a weed. People always comment on how beautiful our garden is. In truth, if we pulled everything that we didn't plant on purpose our garden would be very dull and very void of color. Our weeds are often wildflowers and wildflowers attract beneficial insects and guests with mojitos. The moral of todays blog post? I challenge you to let a few "weeds" grow. You may be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

I Declare: It is Officially Gardening Season.

2009-04-14T22:18:00.004-06:00

Ahhh. . A warm spring rain to liven things up a bit. Indeed it has been a long strange winter and the spring has tested my patience. But, today, today my friends, it is officially gardening season. Seed sales are up this year as people scramble to save on grocery bills. "recession gardens," are replacing 10x10 blocks of sod all over the U.S. Hooray! Gardening is therapy. It is a welcome respite from your stressful life. In the garden, everything is magical and life outside the garden is suddenly less earth-shattering. So, for those of you just starting out, I would like to first offer my congratulations; quickly followed by my condolences. My first garden flopped hard, but I learned from my mistakes and my second garden kicked ass! So, don't give up. The Green Dog Blog will follow my garden this year every step of the way: from seeds to canning. I will share with you my tips and tricks as well as the lessons learned the hard way. Gardening isn't just a hobby for me. The packaging and food miles involved in 'buying' food turns my stomach; and I am a huge proponent of knowing where my food came from. It doesn't get any closer than your own backyard. To all you new gardeners out there, welcome to a wonderful lifelong obsession. To all you seasoned gardeners out there, please share your knowledge, and GAME ON!

I enjoy a donut on a Sunday

2009-04-07T12:10:00.000-06:00

So, I like to eat a plain cake doughnut on Sunday morning. It is part of my Sunday ritual. For the dogs, Sunday is egg day. For me it's doughnut day. As you know, I have been limiting my consumption of animal products of unknown origin (APUO). This has made the Sunday doughnut nearly impossible, and I have yet to find a suitable alternative. Last Saturday evening, I needed a few items at the store. "delicious Sunday donut," was on my list. I decided to have one this week despite the APUO. It was after midnight and the bakery was closed so there were no pretty pastries lined up in rows in the glass case. I would have to buy a package of doughnuts or no doughnut at all. So, I settled on a purchase of one dozen cake doughnuts. I figured I would freeze the rest and have them for several Sundays hence. The packaging was standard grocery store packaging: a hinged lid, a clear plastic box, a crooked sticker indicating the price. These familiar cues led the happy little child dwelling in the depths of my subconscious to believe those donuts had a wholesome past. I wanted to believe that at the end of the day, the same happy baker who made the donuts from scratch with wholesome ingredients right back there behind the counter; then packaged all the left over donuts into these little hinged boxes, and lovingly placed the stickers on each one. WRONG!! When I read the label in the morning over coffee, I realized I couldn't have been more wrong. My donuts came all the way from Cincinnati, Ohio! I had been deceived. One would think that baked goods purchased in the bakery are relatively fresh and packaged relatively recently. Nope! So, in order to keep my donuts tasting delicious between Cincinnati, Ohio and Ogden, Utah; they had to be made with 'pretend' food. The ingredient list boasted a litany of preservatives, additives, stabilizers, flavorings, colorings, etc. These weren't donuts. They just looked like donuts. So, I am on a quest, a quest not unlike the quest to meet the cheese cows, or the quest to meet the happy chickens. I am on a quest to find a doughnut in my own little town of Ogden, Utah. The perfect doughnut will meet the following specifications: 1) It must be a plain cake doughnut, although a sprinkling of cinnamon is nice. 2) It must be baked in Ogden less than 24 hours before purchase. 3) It must not contain any 'pretend' ingredients. i.e. 'flavor,' 'color,' 'preservative.' 4) The origins of all ingredients must be known. Local is a plus. Organic is a plus. 5) In regards to APUO, the doughnut must either contain no dairy or eggs, OR contain dairy and eggs of known responsible origins. There may be no such doughnut in my town, but I am about to find out.

A welcome back gift from the garden

2009-03-19T22:32:00.000-06:00

It's Mid-march in Utah. It will surely snow again, and again and again. Last year it snowed in June. But, this past week has been as sunny and wonderful as any spring day can be. The soil is workable. The last snow storm has melted nearly completely. The tulips are breaking the surface and my perennials are breaking dormancy. The garden beckons and as tempting as it is to get out there and dive in head long, I know better. I had a failure or two last year, resulting directly from my haste to rush spring along. patience, they say, is a virtue. And what gardener isn't full of virtue? So, I must wait. But we did take advantage of the workable soil. We dug out a new flower bed, divided perennials, transplanted a few plants from last years 'nursery' to this years flower garden, planted cold weather crops: broccoli, brussel sprouts, chinese cabbage, spinach, kale, chard, lettuce etc.; and laid down the compost crop in this year's fallow bed. I started to prune last years dead growth from a few perennials but resisted the temptation to continue further. Last falls cold weather crop bed is bursting with life. I was actually able to make a salad with chinese cabbage and carrots. And that brings me to my point: carrots are an interesting crop. Carrots can be stored under ground through the winter. The colder it gets, the sweeter they are in the spring. So here we are in March, much too early to enjoy mounds of homegrown organic produce on the counter, yet pounds and pounds of enormous sweet carrots are piled on my counter. How delightful! A little gift from the garden, a welcome back gift of sorts.

Larry's Beans

2009-03-09T10:46:00.000-06:00

As you know, coffee is very important to me. I plan vacations accordingly. Okay, I plan my whole life accordingly. I consume an unhealthy amount of coffee. I have been on a quest, seeking a coffee that is affordable, organic, fair trade, shade grown, and delicious. I would also prefer my coffee be produced by a company that only produces coffee that meets these requirements rather than producing several conventional coffee varieties and one that happens to be triple certified. And, it would be nice if I really believed in the company and truly wanted to support them. I am insanely loyal to Organic Valley dairy products, for example, because I really believe in their company. I want to fill my morning cup with coffee and cream I can believe in! Yesterday I discovered Larry's Beans. This morning I experienced Larry's beans. Then I researched Larry's beans. I think I'm in love! I am enjoying the 'Frank Sumatra' variety today. It was 7.99 for a 12oz bag. The beans are organically grown in the shade and purchased at a fair price. Then they are roasted using passive solar energy in a warehouse that is operating at nearly 100% sustainability. The beans are packaged in a biodegradable bag that will become compost for my garden at some point. The company delivers coffee locally(not here unfortunately) in a van fueled by veggie oil. This company is so committed to it's ideologies they created a separate website on sustainability. My favorite aspect of this company? These guys have a sense of humor. Check out Larry's Beans by clicking on 'Larry's Beans' at the top of this post! Now, this is coffee I can believe in!

Sorting items for disposal: a mentally taxing task

2009-03-07T00:36:00.000-07:00

It's a phenomenon as old as my obsession with green living. Friends come over, often unannounced, which is perfectly delightful! They come armed with a case of beer and a bag of chips. We open a bottle of wine and start a fire and sit cozily in the living room (or on the patio) enjoying the ambiance of orange flickers, good music, and fabulous company. When the evening draws to a close, my counter is simply impossible to find. It is camouflaged by beer bottles and cans, chip bags, candy wrappers etc. Why? You ask. Don't you have a garbage can? You ask. I indeed have a garbage can. I have several garbage cans - 4 to be exact. One for paper and plastic, one for glass, one for compostable material, and one for anything that can not be recycled, reused, or utilized in any way - garbage. Apparently, my dear friends and family aren't sure into which can items should be deposited. When I discovered the gravity of the 'garbage on the counter' problem, I labeled each garbage collecting vessel in the greatest detail possible. This method of simplification seemed only to compound the frustration and confusion surrounding the seemingly simple act of throwing something away. So, I recently created signs with no words at all. No reading necessary. Even individuals in altered states of consciousness can identify a picture right? I placed a large full color picture of cigarette boxes and water bottles on the recycling bin, a picture of bottles on the glass bin, a picture of vegetables on the compost bin, and a picture of a recycling can with a big red circle and slash around it on the garbage bin. This did not prove to be an effective strategy. Sigh. So, I finally pulled all 4 cans out from under the kitchen sink and lined them up in front of the kitchen table at a recent gathering. That worked! Earlier this week, three friends who were present at the previous gathering came to visit. I gave no thought to my garbage cans. I thought, surely, they are all now well acquanted with the cans. Alas, I was wrong. Still my counter was littered with garbage upon their departure. I laughed. I suppose I would prefer everything is left on the counter for me to sort if the alternative is improperly sorted garbage. My dear friends and family clearly respect my green living ideologies and the very thought of mis-sorting their 'garbage' items in my home is simply too much bear. I find this all to be a very amusing and interesting study of human nature. I've decided to embrace it, so please, if you're not sure in which bin your item belongs. . .leave it on the counter. I'd be happy to sort your items appropriately. - Thank-you, the management.

A little peak at spring

2009-03-02T14:52:00.000-07:00

Although today is gray and dreary, the beauty of yesterday lives still. Golden sun rays exploded through the sky and whispered a forecast of spring. I went outside in my t-shirt and jeans. The sun penetrated my skin and warmed my soul. My dogs chased and played like dogs do. They rolled in the grass and laid on their backs. The sun warmed their souls too. The tortoise, whose life couldn't be more depressing in the winter, showed visible signs of delight. His eyes opened wide. He stretched his limbs and stood as tall as he could. His neck stretched aaall the way out of his shell, and I can't be sure, but I think he smiled. My task of the day: The great spring poop round-up - a decidedly unpleasant task. But, I didn't mind in the least. My muscles quickly fell into the familiar routine of raking and bending and lifting and squatting and all the movements associated with yard work. It felt wonderful to have my old gardening gloves on - the leather perfectly molded to my hands. Those gloves are well acquainted with the handle of a rake, and immune to the torment of my singing. My next door neighbor is very particular about his yard. Last year, we beat him to the first official yard task of the season. But, he was out there the very next day. I glanced over his fence and noted he hadn't yet started spring clean-up. I wondered if he would see my rake and misinterpret my task as "yard work." Although tempting, the piles of melting snow and an ominous forecast of at least one more good snow storm discouraged me from considering starting any "projects." But, it didn't discourage my neighbor. He was outside first thing this morning with a rake and a snow shovel. Yes, he literally shoveled the snow off his grass to rake it. I chuckled to myself. "well, then. Let the yard wars begin."

My Snowman

2009-02-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

As a child, I looked forward to snow. Snow was magical. Snow meant sledding and snowball fights. Snow meant - maybe- a day home from school. We built forts and snowmen and generally reveled in the beauty of the day. Cold? never. We would have been hypothermic before going indoors on our own. Our parents would summon us and we would run blue lipped and soaking wet to the warm comfort of our homes, which we suddenly appreciated. My mother would make us hot cocoa and milk toast (milk toast is only delicious if you have just been playing in the snow. Otherwise, it is questionable). At the end of a snow day, a warm bath was never so wonderful, and sleep was never so sound. Shoveling snow was not of our concern, nor was driving in the snow. 18 inches of beautiful white snow fell on Tuesday. It would of course have to be shoveled. Even 4 wheel drive can not rival that much snow. But, there was an air of childhood magic about it. There was just soooo much snow, a person couldn't help but stop and admire the beauty of it. Evergreen boughs yielding to the weight drew pictures in the ground snow that had risen up to meet them. All the world was eerily silent and for a moment the driveway really didn't matter. I had an overwhelming urge to build a snowman. I calculated that using the driveway snow for construction material would considerably reduce the shoveling necessary. The sun had grown weary, the gentle humm of innumerable snowblowers sang in the background, and I built a snowman.

Can't it just snow in the mountains?

2009-02-15T22:02:00.000-07:00

So, we need the snow. And, indeed this has been a very strange winter. warm. dry. sunny. My pansies never actually stopped blooming. I still had broccoli in January, and during the drier weeks of winter, I could clearly see that some perennials never quite went dormant. The snow has come in waves. Either several feet for several days or nothing for several weeks. This is not acceptable to me. I expect to shovel a bit of snow at least once a week throughout the winter months. I consider it a grand opportunity for exercise, sunshine, and fresh air. But when the sky opens up and deposits dump truck loads of snow in my driveway all at once, it is frankly more than I can handle. We just had a huge multi-day snowstorm. Day 1) "The sun will come out and melt that snow tomorrow. I'm sure of it." Day 2) "More snow? oh great, I should have shoveled yesterday. I will shovel when it stops snowing all together." Day 3) "Still snowing? You can't be serious." Day 4) "Sure, now the sun comes out. How am I ever going to shovel all of this snow?" After three days of snow, my driveway has two deep icy trenches all the way up the center where I pulled in and out of the driveway. The plow has deposited all the snow from my entire street at the end of my driveway which has made it completely impossible to leave my house by car, and the mailman is on strike until he can reach my mailbox without getting out of his truck. Several times today I walked outside and examined the scene. I sized up the job and then returned to the indoors for another warm cup of coffee. I decided two winters ago that I had no interest in owning a snowblower. "I am young and strong. I don't have a bad back or bad knees or a good excuse." I still subscribe to this train of thought, but Ugh!

Prozac in a vase

2009-02-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

I am rather enjoying the lovely bouquet of yellow daisies and rich green ferns on my kitchen counter. I smile every time I walk into the kitchen. During the fruitful months of summer and early fall, there were always flowers from our garden in that vase. . .and the one in the bathroom. . .and the one in the living room. . .and, well you get the idea. I realize that flowers are the principle difference indoors between summer and winter. I hate to purchase flowers from the grocery store. They are shipped to the cold and frigid state of Utah from places like California, Mexico, and even Brazil (uh, totally not sustainable). They are pumped full of fertilizer and pesticides and preservatives. It really is a purchase, I can't justify. I can justify the occasional apple from California, but the flowers? Well, it just seems selfish. Yet, I longed for those bright yellow daisies on my kitchen counter. So, I broke down. I chose flowers that have a long 'cut flower' life, so I could stretch the joy out as long as possible. And, It is absolutely fascinating how that one little vase of flowers lifts my spirits over and over and over again. Not sustainable, but totally worth it.

Animal Products of Unknown Origin

2009-02-03T00:09:00.000-07:00

I've been a vegetarian my entire life. I have a vague and wonderful memory of eating a cheeseburger with my father at JB's family restaurant. I must have been about six. I remember the smell of that establishment like it was yesterday. . Cigarettes, coffee, and grease. I don't remember what that cheeseburger tasted like. I just remember really enjoying the hell out of it. My family didn't eat a lot of meat. Our meals were not centered around the chicken or the roast in the oven. Occasionally, we had cornish game hens on a Sunday, or turkey on thanksgiving. But, it was rare enough that I can honestly say, I don't know what chicken or turkey taste like. I can't even imagine it. I have lived my entire life not eating meat. I know that sounds crazy. I consume dairy and eggs. Until recently, I consumed seafood of all kinds. I have never desired to eat a steak or a hamburger. I think the bacon smells delicious sizzling in the pan but I don't want to eat it. I don't know what my body would do with it if I did eat it. I am not an animal rights activist, in fact I am repulsed by PETA's behavior. I just don't eat meat. I don't know why really. I just never have. I can cook meat for my friends, and significant other. The smell does not make me gag. when I cook meat in my home, it is meat from reputable sources, i.e. sun-basking, margarita sipping chickens and cows. I once spent 42 dollars on a roast, just for the peace of mind that the cow who's ass I was purchasing had one hell of a good life (no antibiotics. no hormones. no warehouse). I do not preach about the evils of being a carnivore. I shovel no grief to my omnivorous friends and family. I maintain that food choices, like religion, are personal. The other day, I was at a discount grocery store. I try to shop at the health food store as much as possible, but on this particular day, the health food store was closed and my list was short. Most grocery stores have become more savvy - they are rising to the occasion and meeting the needs of their more discriminating shoppers. . .but not this one. This store caters mainly to the low income clientel, and cheap rarely equates with organic. Bacon was on my list. It was not for me, of course, yet I still felt compelled to make the most responsible choice. I wandered to the meat department. I walked slowly past the open refigerated bins. I scanned my options. I scanned ALL the meat. For the first time in my life, it had an effect on me. I read too much. I know too much about how that meat got there. I know too much about that animals life. I know too much about what else is under that plastic wrap. I stood there, a sea of cheap flesh in front of me. . . and for the first time in my life, I almost lost my dinner at the thought of it. I quickly ducked into the first available aisle and began a frantic search for the women's room. Long story-long: the experience launched my mental workings into a careful examination of the foods I eat. How often do I consume animal products of unknown origin? Where does the milk come from that goes into my beloved peanut M&M's? What about the enourmous slab of generic cheese delivered by semi-truck to my neiborhood pizza joint? Ugh! If it weren't for cheese, and coffee begging for cream, I may have become a vegan two decades ago. But, suddenly and unexplainably the prospect of mystery cheese on my fries dipped in a vat of mystery dairy ranch dressing is entirely unappetizing. A cheeseburger was so simple when I was six.

A Word on Fungus Gnats

2009-01-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

House plants are an essential addition to the home. They give a room a finished look. A healthy vibrant plant can be the perfect centerpiece or accent to the kitchen, living room, bedroom, or bathroom. It seems simple enough. Just add water - right? if only. The prudent plant owner must regularly inspect his plants for signs of fungus, bacteria, insects, and soil maladies. He must fertilize them regularly. He must know which plants can be fussed with and which one's can't. In short, being a plant owner requires a great deal of research and dedication. A fungus gnat outbreak, however, requires no careful examination. There will be gnats floating in the coffee cup you walked away from. there will be gnats floating in your bedside water leaving you to wonder how many of them you swallowed in the darkness. You will see them hovering around your plants in swarms. The fungus gnat is a close relative of the fruit fly. They feed on fungus in the soil, and they are not an uncommon insect in the great outdoors. Management of them seems easy in theory, but I have come to the conclusion that a plant owner can only hope to keep their population at manageable numbers. At first sight of a fungus gnat, I recommend the use of sticky traps. Tanglefoot is a great brand. sticky traps are pieces of bright yellow cardboard covered with an impossibly sticky substance that imobilizes the gnats immediately. you can trap hundreds of them this way. Spraying the soil with Neem oil, a Pyrethren based insecticide, or an organic fungicide/insecticide will kill the adults. However, such treatments must be repeated every week or so because the eggs in the soil are unaffected. A fungicide can be helpful since fungal matter is the fungus gnats food source. After a few weeks of treatment, sticky traps can be helpful in alerting you to future hatches. The quicker you get to the adults, the less time they will have to reproduce. I understand there is a variety of BT (Bacillus Therengensis) that will attack fungus gnats as well. However, I have yet to find a supplier. (BT is bacteria used in organic gardening to control certain insects.) Good luck. you will need it.

Why grow boring ol' potatoes when you can grow Oca and Yacon?

2009-01-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year when the ground is brown where it's not covered with snow, the air is bitter cold, and the plants are sleeping. The only solace for a gardener is the arrival of the seed catalog. Although it is still January, my gardeners heart is already in the garden - perhaps it never left. In my seed shopping, I've come across two root crops of interest. We've all grown potatoes, but have you ever heard of Oca? What about Yacon? Oca (oxalis tuberosa), is native to the Andean region of South America. South American peoples have been cultivating this staple crop since the reign of the Inca empire. It's nutritionally similar to the potato but has a tart, nutty flavor. It's tolerant of different soil conditions and drought. However, growing it here in the Rocky Mountain region may be difficult, if not impossible. The tubers begin forming after the fall equinox (September 21st), at which point they need ample water and frost free weather for at least a month or two. But, those of you with a longer growing season - california, the pacific northwest, southern utah - should give it a shot. Yacon (polymnia sonchifolia) has a little more promise in the mountains. The seedlings or crown pieces can be started indoors a couple of months before the last spring frost and then moved outside. They grow in one huge clump in conditions similar to sunflowers, which is anywhere in full sun, poor soil, and average water; and they have the consistency of jicama or water chestnuts. Interesting. Tubers and crowns for Oca and Yacon are available from seeds of change, an organic seed company we have had good luck with in the past. Check it out! http://www.seedsofchange.com

Unfruitful Pursuit of the Runners High

2009-01-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

If you've ever been a distance runner, you are familiar with the term 'runner's high.' For me, the runners high kicked in at about mile 7 when suddenly I felt like I could run forever, my legs felt strong and graceful, my lungs were relaxed, and I had an overwhelming feeling of euphoria that made the previous 6 miles worth it. The runners high is caused by a sudden burst of endorphins; released by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus, they are received by the opiate-receptors in our brains. Simultaneously the pain receptors in our nerves and spinal cord receive information from the brain to "stop hurting," This analgesic effect blocks the pain in a runners lungs and legs. If you've ever experienced it, you know how amazing it is. For those of you who haven't, it can be compared to an orgasm-literally, scientifically speaking the exact same process occurs. I am quite certain there are other ways to achieve this "high," but I have yet to experience it any other way. Perhaps bike racing? After 10 years of running, an injury sentenced me to a life of low-impact exercise. I've paid money to have someone torture me at "boot camp" for 8 weeks-no runners high. I have subjected myself to 90 minutes of yoga in a steamy hot room-nice but no runners high. I've swam laps until I puked-no runners high. body combat, body pump, kick-boxing, weight-lifting, spinning-no runners high. I have recently tested the running waters, one mile, two miles. . that wasn't so bad. 7 years of seeking a replacement has brought me to this impasse. Sigh!

Toilet Paper is still Paper.

2009-01-24T15:40:00.000-07:00

Just an odd thought really - toilet paper. It's not something often discussed or considered, yet nearly as essential as oxygen to our survival as civilized animals. I am constantly trying to get around the use of paper towels, which I could surely live without all together. I am obsessive in my recycling efforts of all other paper products. I carefully rinse and crush every carton and place it in the proper bin with a nod of satisfaction. I purchase recycled paper products when possible. I print on both sides of every piece of paper that comes out of my printer and I curse the U. S. Postal system for ignoring my request to stop receiving junk mail. But, what about toilet paper? toilet paper is a bit of an issue in this household as I'm sure it is in every mixed gender household. Man vs. Woman with a chasm of irrationality swimming between them. Woman use more toilet paper than men. I don't need to go into the details but quite simply we use it EVERY time; and sometimes we need two rations. Men use it only once a day, perhaps twice if they are blessed with prolific bowels. Nonetheless, toilet paper is, in fact, paper which as we all know is made from trees. And there is no way around it's use. period. While we could all use a few less squares each time, we can also feel a little less guilty about it's use; you may now purchase toilet paper made from 80% -90% post consumer product. All that junk mail and newspaper you toss in your recycling bin may some day be toilet paper. I recently discovered "Earth Friendly Products" 100% biodegradable, chlorine free, chemical free, 80% post consumer, nothing tested on animals toilet paper. As an added bonus, it's a small family company. May your bumm cheeks rejoice! Check it out. http://www.ecos.com/pages/tissue.html

Canned, Dried and Frozen (Almost)

2009-01-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

An unadorned jar of cannellini beans has had a habit of staring out of the cabinet at me, asking me, gently but firmly, why on earth I would choose to ignore it in favor of its neighbors, the zesty veggie crackers, the plump apricots, the tamari almonds. Ever so quietly it would whisper, "You don't even know where they came from. But you know me, man. Remember those long vines, swaying in the afternoon breeze under the weight of my ripe contents? Come on, man -ya canned me yourself, for Pete's sake." After casually pointing out that I merely wanted a snack (handful of almonds or handful of, uh, canned white beans?), the can would simply reply that its constituents were disappointed, but understood. Not no more, they aint. Inspired by the May-like temperatures of Colorado's Front Range, the itching to begin the gardening process gained momentum. As rewarding and recreational as the entire gardening process is, I tend to make a mental jump, true to form, to the harvest part of it all, imagining bushels of produce, man. Bushels! Inevitably these thoughts brought me to the preservation of the harvest, followed by the satisfaction of gazing at a freezer and cabinets full of various types of produce, variously preserved. And the tiny minority of all those cans, the cannellini, came right back to mind. Whether it was the spring-tease over the last week (and its resultant thought process), or in fact the whispering of a can of beans, I can't decide. The bottom line is that I was inspired. Further examination of the freezer and cabinets revealed quite a little bit of other homegrown goodies that somehow, magically, presented themselves in a seemingly winning combination. The jar of beans smiled. And hot diggety it was good. One of those rare occasions that I walked out of the kitchen feeling like I really hit the nail on the head. And it was, almost, all from the canned, dried and frozen goods from the garden! I was able to pull it off with minimal grocery store items, namely olive oil, butter, nuts, polenta and some cheese. Oh yeah - and salt and pepper. Eh, now that I think about it, the items purchased at the store would've provided a meal in and of themselves. So perhaps I too quickly pat myself on the back. At any rate, the addition of the garden stuff made it really good, something more than polenta cooked in oil with cheese. Although whooooeeee! that don't sound bad either - I have yet to get over the holiday craving for fat. Fat and brown sugar. Mmm and crisp bacon... I digress, however. The subject that was to be expounded upon has unfortunately taken a back seat to good eatin', and I have no regrets therein. I will throw in a great discovery, though. Several friends with whom I work have become a co-op of Door to Door Organics, a local produce distribution company. On a weekly basis we all put in a request for a certain amount of produce per member, and then they deliver boxes of goodness right to the office on Mondays. The seventy degree weather notwithstanding, Colorado is still not the kind of place where red peppers are in locally-grown abundance in the winter, so it's clear that much of it comes from far, far yonder. However, it has given us all a chance to support a local company and gain access to some organic produce with which our local organic grocery magnate can't compete. Admittedly, purchasing fresh produce has been a bit of a trial for me, given the bounty that our garden offered. And there are A BUNCH of frozen veggies, dried and canned tomatoes, and canned beans still on hand. But the craving for fresh veggies has been almost overwhelming, so there ya have it. I certainly think this small action on our part has some positive impact. Plus it’s tasty, and not once have any of those vegetables vocalized any of their disagreement like that sassy can of cannellini. Check 'em out: http://doortodoororganics.com/ I will now beg forgiveness for the above ramblings, and can only hope that sharing the following recipe shall amend said actions. The truly dedicated will make their own polenta, perhaps from corn grown by your neighbor. The truly adventurous will make their own parmesan. I didn't do either. It was still good. Cheers! Beans and Greens over Polenta 3 Tbsp. + ½ Tbsp. Olive Oil 2 T Butter 1 C. Onions, finely chopped 6 Large Cloves of garlic, minced 2 C. Kale, Well Chopped 2 Roasted Red Peppers, Chopped, seeds and skin removed 2 Cans of Cannelini beans (Italian Navy Beans) 1 Package of cooked polenta, cut into ½ ‘’ slices Parmesan Cheese ¼ C. Sliced Almonds ¼ C. Pine Nuts ¾ C. Sun-dried Tomatoes, Coarsley Chopped ½ tsp. Garlic Powder 1 Sage Leaf, crushed Dash of Garlic Powder 1 tsp. Oregano Leaf 2 tsp. Lemon Zest Salt and Pepper to Taste 1) In a medium Saucepan, heat 2 Tbsp. Olive oil and butter over medium-low heat. Add garlic and onions and cook for 2 minutes, covered. 2) Add Kale to pan, replace cover, and saute until the kale is tender, about 15 minutes. 3) While kale is cooking, heat the remaining ½ tbsp oil in a frying pan. Add nuts and sprinkle with the sage, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until nuts begin to brown. Remove to a separate bowl, and reserve oil in frying pan. 4) When the kale has become tender, add the roasted red peppers and a dash of salt. Continue cooking over medium low heat another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 5) Add beans to pot, sprinkle with a dash or two of salt, and cook until beans are heated through. 6) Reheat the frying pan used to brown nuts, and add slices of polenta. Cook until browned, flipping the slices after a few minutes. 7) Once beans have heated, stir in lemon zest and oregano and season with salt and pepper to taste. 8) Place browned polenta on serving plates. Spoon bean and veggie mixture over polenta. Top with a generous sprinkle of parmesan, followed by the sundried tomatoes, and finished with the browned nuts. Serve immediately.

My new discovery: Agave Nectar

2009-01-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

My weekly trip for coffee essentials is never easy. Sure. The list seems simple enough: Coffee, Cream, Sugar. But once I'm in the coffee aisle, the deliberation begins. Should I buy whole bean or ground? My choices are considerably limited if I choose whole bean-although I prefer it. Should I buy Certified Organic, Fair Trade, or Rain Forest Certified? I have yet to find a coffee brand that can brag all three. Initially I am attracted to the Organic choices. There are usually two or three. But, would I rather support sustainable farming practices, or would I rather support the practice of giving poor farmers a fair price for their product? I ultimately will choose fair trade over organic if there isn't a brand that is both. And finally, do I choose the Organic or Fair Trade product offered by the huge company that also offers 27 other non-organic non-fair trade products? Or, do I choose the company that offers nothing else? I settle on the company that offers nothing but organic or fair trade coffee even though it is always more expensive. Whew. Now, cream. I have settled upon an organic cream produced by a co-op of family farmers. Organic Valley http://www.organicvalley.coop/ is hands down the most delicious, sweet cream on the market. And, bonus, decidedly sustainable. That was easy! On to the baking aisle to consider all of my sweetening options. I have ruled out white baking sugar and artificial sweeteners. I do, however, pause and consider the organic sugar vs. the sugar in the raw. Sugar in the raw is less processed. But, the organic sugar is. . well. . organic. I have two choices: Just like the coffee, a large sugar company that has 10 different products on the market and just happens to have one organic product vs. the much more expensive organic sugar company that makes nothing else. Sigh. But wait! there is another option. Agave nectar, something I just recently discovered, is the perfect choice. http://www.madhavasagave.com Madhavas honey company in Colorado offers an organic, sustainably farmed agave nectar. The agave plant is not harmed in the extraction process, and most of the plants from which the nectar is harvested are growing wild on privately owned lands, so there is no habitat or ecosystem disruption in the farming process. Decidedly sustainable - But a little pricey. Now, to find the perfect coffee. . still searching.

The Seafood Cunundrum

2009-01-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

I sat across from my friend and watched her sink her teeth into an ahi sandwich. It was prepared perfectly. .lightly seared, a beautiful shade of pink, at least 4 cm thick. It was drizzled with plum glaze, accented with spring greens and provolone, and nestled perfectly between two slices of toasted ciabatta. My mouth watered. "How is it?' I asked casually. She couldn't respond with actual words. She merely groaned with pleasure, eyes closed, clearly having her own personal reception for the perfect marriage of flavors. I dropped my gaze to the portobello sandwich on my plate. No comparison. With a sigh I took a bite. Meaty and satisfying. Too much balsamic. I really wanted the ahi sandwich. But once again, my stupid ideologies stood between my taste buds and the pleasure they desired. The issue of seafood, has become almost too convoluted to follow. Do we avoid farm raised fish because aquaculture has an enormous environmental impact? Or do we avoid wild caught fish because commercial fishing has an enormous environmental impact? Until recently I was extremely careful not to support aquaculture. In restaurants, large predatory fish like halibut and tuna were always safe bets. In stores if it didn't say 'wild caught' I kept walking. But I have determined that in choosing the lesser of these two evils, there isn't a lesser candidate. I recently heard an interview with renowned oceanographer, Sylvia Earle. She offered a comparison of the ocean at the beginning of her career and the ocean of today. The reality is. . .there is no comparison. The ocean can't afford to give us any more fish. If we take it anyway (which we humans will -take, take, take) the impacts on the ocean ecosystem will be immense and irreversible. Consequently, the ocean affects the ecosystem of the whole planet. I had never given the ocean a great deal of thought (being an inlander and all), but I know that when one species is removed from any ecosystem, every other part of that ecosystem suffers. In this case everything from sharks to microscopic organisms that filter the ocean water will feel the impact. I'm running out of things to eat. perhaps ignorance is, in fact, bliss. To link to the Sylvia Earle interview click the title "The Seafood Conundrum."

Barack Obama-Steward of the Earth?

2009-01-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of "HOPE." Listening to Barack Obama's inauguration speech this morning, particularly his references to energy policy I couldn't help but shed a tear. An entire nation of people have waited for this day-the day when our nation's leadership would address the issue of global warming rather than deny it's existance. The waste in this nation is mind-boggling. And, the air of entitlement to natural resources is sickening. We can all do our part in our own homes. We all have control over our own energy consumption but without the backing of our elected officials, much of our effort serves only to ease our conscious; allows us to look our children in the eye at the end of the day and say, "I'm doing everything I can to make sure there is a planet for you tomorrow." With the unemployment rate nearing that of the 1930's and the earth's inability to give us much more oil it seems logical to develop clean energy alternatives, the infrastructure of which would create millions of jobs. What a relief to hear the President of the United States of America pledge his support to what was formerly a grass roots citizen cause (at least in this country; every other developed nation, has been addressing the issue of global warming for at least a decade.) Will he follow through and will congress support his policies? Here's "HOPING."

I Love my Plants to Death

2009-01-19T11:22:00.000-07:00

I feel bad for my houseplants. Most of them aren't really houseplants at all but rather tender perennials from the yard-those I could not bear to part with. In fact the only plants that look healthy are those that really are houseplants. There are exactly 6 of them. The other 24 of them look positively pathetic. I don't have an extremely sunny window anywhere on the south side of the house. The two south facing windows are crowded with plants large and small all reaching in unison in a graceful arc towards the sun. They look depressed but I'm not sure if it's the fact that the current death toll is 11 or if they miss the feeling of the sun on their leaves like I do. This morning I added the 11th pot to the growing pile in the garage representative of my failings as a plant parent. My Dracaena finally croaked despite my efforts to keep it alive. Yes. I managed to kill a Dracaena. Shocking isn't it? Even more shocking is the tale of that little plant's life. That 'spike plant' was planted as a centerpiece in a color pot in the summer of 2007. At the end of the season I dumped all of my annual color pots in the compost pile. In the spring the compost pile was turned and the Dracaena tumbled out and landed on the ground, rooted, and tripled in size over the course of the summer. (Note: tropical plant. grows in places like Florida.) It was not watered. It was never properly planted. It just survived there next to the compost pile all summer. At the end of the summer I determined the Dracaena should be properly potted, brought inside, and adored for the entirety of the winter. I feel awful. Perhaps I should have just tossed it back in the compost pile. Apparently my adoration was a harsher sentence than the frigid winter.

January Broccoli

2009-01-18T14:56:00.000-07:00

Winter is the gardeners nemesis. The sky is gray and the ground is. . well, gray. By January I can no longer endure the grayness. My soul longs for the sun on my face and the dirt between my fingers. I dream of sipping mojitos on my patio after a long day of laboring in the garden beds; enjoying the cricket serenade. Just when I was certain I could truly endure it no longer, when I had started looking for real estate in Florida, the earth took pity on me. While on a snow boot clad trek to the compost pile on a rather warm January afternoon, I stopped dead in my tracks. My breath escaped from my chest and my heart began beating wildly! Could it be? Yes, it is! Broccoli! One lone broccoli plant stretched her arms up to the sky and danced under the sun. I knelt in the snow to marvel at this gift from the earth and the broccoli plant handed me a perfect, beautiful sweet floret for my mid-winter enjoyment. I dug around her with my mittens hoping to find a few of her friends. Is my sorrel thriving too? What about the kale? The bok-choy? Nope. I looked up at my broccoli and she looked back. "Shhh. They're sleeping. They will wake soon enough. You must be patient." The broccoli is right. I must be patient, though patience is not one of my strong points. I stood and silently paid tribute to the beautiful garden sleeping beneath the snow before returning to my winter cave to hibernate... for at least a few more weeks.