Local Food Columbus » Uncategorized
Food is in the Air
Hello to people who like to eat. Tis the season to be full. Gardens are turning green all over. And more are being started every day. 4 Seasons City Farm has been harvesting leafy greens for several weeks now. We’ve supplied several local community feeds with some scrumptious salads. Cafe Bella reports having delivered over 700 potted and assorted greens collections to their host pantry. Frijolito farms is getting out their CSA shares for the first time. As well as the dozen or so other CSA farmers in central Ohio. The Slow Food Columbus people just started a registry for anyone and any organization to list with. This is in anticipation of having a Food Summit for active discussion of all … Read entire article »
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USDA-APHIS Holds NAIS Listening Session in Harrisburg
Some of you may have noticed we weren’t at the Westerville Farmers’ Market last Wednesday. Instead, we were in Pennsylvania. I have family there, and it was nice to visit, but the real reason for going was that I attended the NAIS Listening Session in Harrisburg. (There’s another one in Louisville this Friday if anyone with the inclination to go reads this in time.) I had pre-registered online, and got an email telling me that while my pre-registration was confirmed, there was still a limit on the capacity of the room, so even among pre-registered attendees, it would be first-come-first-admitted. They advised I show up early if I wanted to get in. I didn’t show up early, but it didn’t matter. The parking lot was mostly empty other than several fire … Read entire article »
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Farmers Markets Under the Microscope
Today is a gorgeous day, perfect for planting, but I took time to come home and watch my son so my wife, Mayda Sanchez, Secretary of the Farmers’ Market Management Network, Inc., could attend a meeting. The meeting (that she missed due to some scheduling confusion) was about a planned study of farmers’ market food safety. It’s being done through OSU in collaboration with the Columbus and Franklin County health departments. From what I understand, they plan to look for pathogens in samples taken from farmers’ fields both before harvest and either at the time of harvest or immediately afterward (I’m not sure which). They also plan to take samples after the produce has been out on display at a farmers’ market, where it will have been handled by customers. As a … Read entire article »
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What’s the future of food in your Life?
This weeks Ethicurean Chew on This site featured a story about North Market. I hope I lifted the right part for you to get there and read it. Here goes. Nourishing Ohio’s downtowns, through community-food partnerships by Guest @ 12:40 pm on April 25th, 2009. North Market in Columbus, Ohio. Creative Commons/Flickr photo by TheeErin. The Organic Consumers Association also has a number of timely articles this week about the state of food in the country on a daily basis. Read these sites when ever you can. Stay informed. Support the movement. I think it’s wonderful that farmers markets are blossoming all over. I just picked up the list of 20 or so local farmers in the Sarasota, Fl area that have CSA’s, their own farm stands and/or set … Read entire article »
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Suburbia giving way to mini-farms
In Boulder, CO the growing local food movement is nurishing a new breed of farmer that is turning lawns into farms. Will the culture of suburbia evolve with the times? Some neighbors support the growing of food, others are not so happy. I can see different types of neighborhoods “cropping up”. Green Acres II: When Neighbors Become Farmers … Read entire article »
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What’s Local Doc?
I’m way overdue in writing something. I’m in Florida dealing with some personal stuff. Haven’t forgotten local food though. Here we have Worden Farm of Punta Gorda setting up twice a week. The Florida season is practically opposite to that of Ohio. Many migrant workers go from here to Ohio following the harvest seasons. Never forget about these forgotten workers. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is a strong and vibrant organization representing those who harvest the tomatoes on your tacos at Taco Bell and the sauce on your pizzas at Pizza Hut. Tell management they deserve a raise. We still need them in this transitional world. And they need our help in finding equality. For too long have the … Read entire article »
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Hi I finally did it. I wrote up my futurescape article for Columbus. I’ve yet to read Solartopia by Harvey Wasserman. But this is the green farm jobs version of his alternative energy dreamscape. Here’s a new write-up that I would like to do more research on. Please let me know if any of it strikes your fancy. Would you be part of a committee to take it to city council meeting or a funding group. I would dearly appreciate any comments and critique you could give me. sincerely Karen > Green City 2009 The following initiatives are suggested as ways to regain a vibrant and healthy food economy. They would lead to a massive greening of this and any city interested. So … Read entire article »
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Don’t Cuss the Farmer With Your Mouth Full
Spring is officially here. We received our annual visit from the Health Department. No, I don’t mean the inspection for my mobile food vending license. I still need to schedule that. I’m talking about the follow-up on an anonymous complaint about the chickens that’s become something of an annual ritual here, typically about this time of year. … Read entire article »
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Chicken Scratchings from Karen
I was thinking about writing this as follows: State of the Chicken Address by Buruck Buruck Bantama My loyal cluckers. Let me tell you the state of affairs here in Chicken City We’ve got Feed and that’s Lousy. Lousy with a capital L. Yes I’ said Lousy. Right here in Chicken City. Okay I can’t remember the words exactly but here’s the story. Chickens need food whether they’re free range or not. There’s a lot of details that go into the care and feeding of your chicken so that you can eat him or her. A number of people are getting into the business and finding that getting good feed is also a limiting factor. Everyone asks why organic cost more, “They don’t use chemicals, What’s … Read entire article »
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A Somber Tome to Spring
It’s been an eventful week. Spring is here. All my pet projects are starting their transplants. 4 Seasons City Farm has gotten a good start on setting up their gardens, Bella Cafe has their first salad pots ready for distribution to their host food pantry and Food not Bombs had their first seed starting party. Good things to come from all. This weeks research included looking into the urban chicken movement and the lack of local organic chicken feed. I even read a blog on how to raise my own grubs as a necessary protein component of chicken feed. Soy has been incorporated into most mixes but isn’t the most preferred protein, just the cheapest. I even watched a video about slaughtering … Read entire article »
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