Project Locavore

7 Responses to “Project Locavore”

1. Rob on September 12th, 2009 9:35 pm

   Winter Farmer’s Market? Good idea. I have to sadly admit that I have not made an effort to patronize the local farmer’s market where I live, even in the summer? Why not? Inconvenient. Plus I live in a somewhat industrialized area and I know that the fall out from manufacturing can and does end up on the local produce. I don’t want to eat that.

   We have a vegetable garden in the backyard, but I think we need to read more or find out how to better optimize it. We got some radishes (many went to seed), quite a bit of lettuce (but it gets bitter toward the end of the summer, had a lot of spinach (but didn’t eat any of it, really), and had two meals from the beans. The bok choi went to seed and didn’t seem to produce. We get some zucchini and spaghetti squash, but the plants overtake much of the small garden space. Carrots and beets are still in the ground and growing. Tried snow peas and snap peas, only got enough for a couple of meals. Grew some corn, but that’s another space consumed vs. yield problem.

   Also, have you ever looked into the whole seed thing? We’re not allowed to harvest any seed from plants we grow from purchased seed. We’re compelled to buy new seed every year from the seed producers (who own the rights, I guess). It may be necessary to learn how to collect and save seed in the future, I think.

   Good post Kris, as usual.

2. martin on September 13th, 2009 7:51 am

   Great video but hate hate hate the term ‘Locavore’

3. Andrew on September 13th, 2009 9:29 am

   Great video short on an issue that will be coming up sooner than we think. My own experience with local produce (either home grown, or farmer market) is that it is hard work with variable quantity, quality, and selection. Despite this, I continue to practice it, mainly because adapting to local food isn’t something you want to just start learning as the industrial food system collapses.

4. Jerry Lee Miller on September 17th, 2009 10:53 am

   Sweet video! Very tasty and nutritious. Essential message to our long term health…and why don’t we tell everyone we know,huh?

5. jp on October 14th, 2009 6:28 pm

   Well I’m a little late….was avoiding opening the delivery pkg -
   but worth the wait!
   wow.
   JHK dances?
   That alone was worth the price of admission.

   Don’t farmers just sound - healthy?
   Don’tcha just wish they were all politicians too?
   (in their spare time)

   Food is a gawdawful personal thing - to leave up to
   the snarled twists of a sorry fate (otherwise known
   as globaloney)
   We can do without imported kewpie dolls, but unless
   we learn how to hibernate, we’ll always be vulnerable
   to the cultivated calorie.

   hey! That was a waste of good apple peel !

   cheers,
   jp

6. Mark N on January 7th, 2010 9:14 am

   Good interviews. The reliance on petrochemicals by Mr. Apple Grower to grow his crop (fertilizers, chemical sprays, fuel for machinery) is pretty high, by the way. Liked JHK’s garden.

7. Nic on February 15th, 2010 5:44 pm

   Good video. I have to agree completely with your premise that food security and peak oil are intimately related.

   One thing that seems to get a little lost in some of the discussion on localvore diets is how important local food is to community. I heard about a university study (don’t ask me for a source - I can’t remember where I read this) that found people at farmers markets have ten times as many conversations than they do in grocery stores. Not to mention more of your money stays in the community and goes to local farmers and provides local jobs.

   Rob:

   You need to start buying your seeds from a better seed company! There’s lots of small ethical seed companies out there that encourage you to save seeds. I’m working for one the winter: http://www.stellarseeds.com/.

   This is from their catalog: “Stellar Seeds are part of a rich public inheritance. You can save all the seeds we grow. No patents. No Royalties.” They even sell a seed saving manual.

   I’m not sure if its right for me to be talking up a company I work for on here, but there’s actually a lot of small ethical seed companies out there. Here’s a good list of ethical seed companies from one of my favorite websites: http://www.doomers.us/forum2/index.php/topic,61743.0.html

   Even if the company says you can’t save their seeds, I’d personally do it anyway (provided the seeds are open source and not hybrids) - I don’t think its right that companies can own life.

   And a google search should give you plenty of info on saving seeds. You could also find out if you have a local seedy saturday or seed bank - these can be excellent resources.

   I really think we need more people saving seeds at a grassroots level. Seed saving in the hands of many people really helps protect genetic diversity and heirloom varieties - essential insurance against the threats of peak oil and climate change. It also takes power and wealth away from big agribusiness.

What do you think?