Category Archives: Food System

BC Food Systems Network Annual Gathering

11 Friday May 2012

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Reclaiming our Food Systems: Policy and Practice

Mark your calendars…this July 5-8, 2012, the BC Food Systems Network will be hosting their annual gathering at Camp Fircom on Gambier Island (just outside Vancouver, British Columbia). The focus of this annual gathering will be policy and practice. From workshops and presentations, to a wide range of structured and unstructured activities, the gathering aims to bring people together from across British Columbia, and beyond, to share and learn from one another about how to create healthy, more sustainable food systems and teach everyone about kratom, more information about it here kratomcrazy.com if you want to look for yourself.

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Chowing Down in Asheville, NC

28 Sunday Mar 2010

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This post is long overdue. For our 2010 New Year’s celebration, my husband, two friends, and I piled into my friend’s Honda for a little road trip to Asheville, NC to see The Avett Brothers in concert. Armed with a fabulous list of restaurants we headed to Asheville ready to take on the local music, food, and fabulous microbrews.

For those of you thinking about going to Asheville in the near future, these were some of our favorites places:

Bouchon

Early Girl Eatery

Laughing Seed Cafe

Tupelo Honey Cafe

For fabulous local brews and much more, check out these wonderful places:

The Thirsty Monk

For a map of these great restaurants and more, check out: http://tinyurl.com/ashevillefoodsystem.

Urban Farming at Lynchburg Grows

21 Sunday Mar 2010

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On Friday, March 5 and Saturday, March 6, I attended an Urban Agriculture Workshop at Lynchburg Grows in Lynchburg, VA, facilitated and lead by Will Allen‘s team–Growing Power. Professionals, farmers, high school students, food security advocates and homemakers from the Mid-Atlantic region gathered in the warmth of a greenhouse at Lynchburg Grows to learn about aquaponics, compost, vermicompost, and the basics of starting an urban farm. Below are a few images from the 2 day workshop and a brief description of each workshop activity. All the materials and handouts that were used during the workshop are now available for free at Lynchburg Grows. To view all the images from the workshop, click here.

LYNCHBURG GROWS

WORKSHOP | DAY 1

The workshop began with introductions and an inspirational speech by Will Allen. Following a strict urban agriculture time protocol (translation: a very loose agenda with little attention paid to the clock, and all attention focused one of several hands-on activity, relationship building, and the enjoyment of delicious, freshly prepared food that featured local farms and businesses), the workshop commenced with the hands-on building of an aquaponics system.

AQUAPONICS

BUILDING AN AQUAPONICS SYSTEM

FEASTING

After an amazing lunch featuring grass-fed beef burgers and a savory sweet potato salad with fresh herbs, Will Allen provided a hands on compost and vermicompost lesson to eager and energetic participants.

COMPOST & VERMICOMPOST 101

URBAN POULTRY FARMING

WORKSHOP | DAY 2

The evening concluded with another fabulous meal – vegetarian and omnivore lasagna options and apple crisp – and a presentation about Growing Power. The second and final day of the workshop included a presentation by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Ann Carroll and Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality’s Meade Anderson about the importance of testing not only the nutrient quality of the soil before beginning any type of urban agriculture activity, but most importantly the testing for contaminants, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asbestos, heavy metals, solvents, lubricants, acids, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Brownfields, or abandoned or underused sites where redevelopment or reuse is complicated by the presence or perceived presence of contamination, can be found in the commercial, as well as in some residential, areas in most cities, suburbs and towns across the country. Lynchburg Grows discovered early on in the redevelopment process that much of the land within the existing greenhouse structures was contaminated. Through a remediation process with EPA funding, Lynchburg Grows was able to clean up the soil and use the existing structures to create a successful urban farming operation. For more information about brownfields redevelopment and urban agricultures see How Does Your Garden Grow? Brownfields Redevelopment and Local Agriculture and Cornell Waste Management Institute’s Guide to Soil Testing and Interpreting Results.

Following the presentation, Martin Bailkey, Co-Coordinator of Metro Ag: Alliance for Urban Agriculture and Growing Power Consultant, lead the workshop participants in a discussion about the importance of planning (developing a vision, goals, objectives, and implementation strategies) for a successful urban agriculture program.

BROWNFIELDS REDEVELOPMENT

The 2 day workshop concluded with a tour of an adjacent brownfields facility that is scheduled for redevelopment in the next few years.

Ono O’ahu

22 Monday Feb 2010

Posted by in Farmers' Market, Food System, Restaurant

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Aloha from Ono (delicious) O’ahu

My husband and I just got back from a trip to Hawaii. Since we only had 6 days, we decided to stay in O’ahu for the entire length of our trip. We had the opportunity to explore many of the flavors and sights of the island. We stayed on the North Shore of the island in the town of Waialua with my husband’s brother and his fiancee and traveled throughout. As a food systems planner, I was quite interested in the local food system and sustainability policies of the island. Both Slow Food O’ahu and LEAF HAWAII: Solving hunger and poverty one farm at a time provided a nice overview of the local food and sustainability scene and historical context for the social, economic and environmental opportunities and problems Hawaiians face today. Below is a brief overview of our discoveries. For a map of restaurants recommended by Slow Food O’ahu, click here. Also, check out Edible Communities Hawaii Islands for additional information about the food system and a list of farmers’ markets in O’ahu.

NORTH SHORE

On the North Shore of Hawaii, we stopped at the Kahuku Land Farms stand to try some fresh, local pineapple, coconut, tangerines, and small bananas:

WAIMEA VALLEY

In our visit to Waimea Valley, we learned about pre-contact Hawaii’s land division system. The ancient land division system created wedged-shaped, self-sufficient units of land, called ahupua’a, which extended from the mountains to the sea and therefore provided all the basic necessities: food, shelter, cloth and medicine.

As LEAF HAWAII explains, “Each ahupua’a contained the resources the human community needed, from fish and salt, to fertile land for farming taro or sweet potato, to koa and other trees growing in upslope areas. Villagers from the coast traded fish for other foods or for wood to build canoes and houses. In this way, the community maintained a sustainable lifestyle. Through sharing resources and constantly working within the rhythms of their natural environment, Hawaiians enjoyed abundance and a quality lifestyle with leisure time for recreation during the harvest season of the year.”

Unfortunately, this land division system is no longer practiced, and Hawaiians face a range of social, environmental, and economic challenges, such as poverty, health disparities, air and water pollution, and obesity. Organizations, such as LEAF HAWAII, are working to restore more self-sufficient and sustainable ways of life. According to a recent report, Island of Hawaii Whole System Project, “Hawai’i is one of the nation’s most fertile places. Yet only 15 percent of all food sold on the island is grown locally.”

The pictures below are of a community garden plot for children in Waimea Valley:

Sweet potato (‘uala) is one of the primary, local foods of Hawaii. Below is a picture of one of several sweet potato species:

After walking around Waimea Valley, we couldn’t resist getting a snack. Here’s a picture of our Ono (delicious) Acai Berry Sorbet, topped with ginger granola, strawberries and pineapple.

DIAMOND HEAD

This is an interesting take on the ice cream truck:

DOLE FOODS

We had no idea how many varieties of pineapples exist. Smooth Cayenne is the predominant variety in Hawaii. So the next time you buy a Dole Pineapple, that’s a Smooth Cayenne.

WAIKIKI, HONOLULU

Our friends John and Greg insisted we visit Eggs’n Things, a very popular all-day breakfast place in Waikiki, a neighborhood of Honolulu. We ordered an omelet and Hawaiian pancakes. The omelet was good, but nothing special. For anyone thinking about visiting this restaurant, we recommend splitting the Hawaiian pancakes, and forgoing anything else on the menu. The pancakes were light and fluffy and came topped with chopped pineapple, coconut, macadamia nuts, and whipped cream. This is definitely a sweet dish, but delicious. Try it sprinkled with a little coconut syrup. Ono!

LOCAL BREWS

A trip to Hawaii wouldn’t be complete without a sample of some of the local beers. We sampled Kona Fire Island and Longboard, Kaua’i Golden Ale, and Primo Lager. All were quite tasty, but our favorites were Kona Fire Island and Longboard.

CHINATOWN, HONOLULU

Rex and I found the cutest BYOB restaurant in Chinatown, Little Village Noodle House. We would recommend the Mu Shu Roll and Panfried Turnover with parsley and turnip filling. We ordered the Seafood w/ Mixed Vegetable Fried Noodle, but found the dish too salty and had too much cornstarch in it.

Mu Shu Roll

Panfried Turnover with Turnip and Parsely

Seafood w/ Mixed Vegetables Fried Noodle

HALEIWA, NORTH SHORE

Haleiwa is a fabulous little surfer town on the North Shore of the island, and home to the only Patagonia in all of Hawaii. We tried several restaurants in Haleiwa, but our favorites included Haliewa Eats Thai and Banzai Sushi Bar. We recommend the Panang Curry with Tofu and Pineapple Curry with Tofu over brown rice at Haliewa Eats Thai. Both were delicious! We recommend the special Ahi roll with soy paper wrap – yum!

Community Gardens in Washington DC

10 Thursday Dec 2009

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Just came across this article by Liz Whitehurst about a mapping project of community garden sites across Washington, DC.

Growing possibilities: A new census of community gardens

December 7, 2009 | By Liz Whitehurst 

“A squadron of bicyclists armed with satellite mapping instruments swept through the District this summer on a unique mission: locate all of the city’s community gardens and interview garden managers for the first ever census of community gardens here.

There are nearly 40 community gardens in DC, but until now, there has been no readily available estimate of the square footage of public land being cultivated for food in the District of Columbia, nor is there a coordinated land management strategy citywide. These are among the issues this census, undertaken by the Neighborhood Farm Initiative, was intended to address.”

For the full article, click here.

Bon Appetit Montreal!

31 Saturday Oct 2009

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Last weekend my cousin got married in the beautiful, romantic city of Montreal. As a kid, I grew up visiting Montreal every summer, where my Polish grandparents – Babcia and Dziadzio – lived. I can remember walking with my sister and Babcia to the small grocery store at the end of the street to pick up fresh bagels, bread, yogurt, cheese, and other food items to complement the deliciously fresh produce from Babcia’s backyard garden. Every meal was homemade and scrumptious. Breakfast always included some type of fresh fruit, homemade jam, and fresh bread. For lunch I can remember eating raw, sliced radishes, Polish coldcuts, cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, and bagel sandwiches with some sort of Polish soup – potato or cucumber. For dinner Babcia would concoct some type of Polish meal – cabbage rolls; kasha, beets, and meat; stew; pierogies; or some other yummy, hearty food. My sister and I would often be given the chore of picking raspberries, strawberries or some other fruit from the garden for dessert. Of course we would eat everything we picked, and come back inside, empty handed but with bright red lips, tongues, and fingers and try to convince Babcia that there were no more berries on the bushes.

While I have such fond memories of Montreal, it’s been wonderful to explore the city as an adult. My husband and I have had the opportunity to visit the city twice in the last 4 years. The first time we stayed in the English section of town and this past time in the French section. The city is walkable and bikable, has an amazing public transportation and subway system and an amazing arts and culture scene. We definitely ate and drank well, walked everywhere, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Here are some of the places we visited:

Jardin Communautaire L’Eglantier | Parc Maisonneuve, Boulevard Rosemont, Montreal, QC

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While biking around Montreal, we had the opportunity to visit a community garden. Unfortunately everything had already died, but we were impressed by its size and number of composting bins and the view of the Olympic Stadium in the background. For more information about Montreal’s extensive community garden system, click here.

Cafe Santropol | 3990 Rue St-Urbain, Montreal, QC H2W 1T7, Canada, (514) 842-3110

CafeSantropol

A quaint, cozy cafe in a converted corner row house in the Plateau Mont-Royal neighborhood. The sandwiches are huge and delicious and come on fresh bread made down the street at a small bakery. Highly recommend the carrot and apple sandwich – delicious. Save room for dessert and coffee!

La Maison des Cyclistes | 1251, rue Rachel Est, Montréal, QC H2J 2J9, Canada

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This small, cozy cafe shares space with Vélo Québec – a non-profit cycling member-based organization that has been defending the rights of cyclists since 1967. Try the coffee, chai tea, biscotti, and other baked goods. This makes the perfect pre- or post-pit stop for a day of biking on Montreal’s bike sharing program – Bixi.

St Viateur Bagel | 1127 Mont. Royal East, Montreal, QC

StViateurBagels

A great, local bagel chain. If you’ve never had Montreal bagels, you’re in for a treat. This bakery/restaurant serves up tasty bagel sandwiches, salads and soups and offers options to-go, including a dozen bagels.

Corner Stores | Integrated into all neighborhoods throughout Montreal

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There is no shortage of healthy foods in Montreal – or at least in the neighborhoods we ventured to. It seems like there’s a corner produce shop or market on every other corner. Here are some pictures of a few of them.

Denver Dining Guide

30 Friday Oct 2009

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In preparation for the 2009 American Dietetic Association Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo, my friend Kelly teamed up with some Denver locals to put together a list of restaurants in Denver and surrounding towns that feature local, seasonal and sustainably grown food. A map of these restaurants can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/eatsustainabledenver.

For more information about my favorite places, see the Rocky Mountain West Food Scene post.

The Rocky Mountain West Food Scene

30 Friday Oct 2009

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Last week I traveled to Denver, CO for a work related trip. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and was pleasantly impressed by the city. From the network of community & urban gardens, trails, pedestrian bridges, and other bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, to the amazing selection of microbrews and restaurants. Considering how difficult it is to find good, scrumptious food while on the road, I’ve decided to expand the scope of my “seasonal culinary journey” to include my culinary and food system experiences in other parts of North America.

Saturday morning, I woke up early to attend a field trip of Denver Urban Gardens (D.U.G.). Below are a few pictures from 2 different sites: Atlantis Community Inc. (a community center in Denver for people with disabilities) and Fairmont School. Unfortunately, the weekend prior, Denver had its first frost of the winter season, so all the beautiful vegetables, except for a few winter greens, died.

Denver Urban Garden

Atlantis Community Inc.

Denver Urban Garden

Fairmont School, Denver

Winter Greens

Winter Greens, Fairmont School, Denver

After spending some time exploring the local Denver food system, I had the opportunity to try several delicious microbrews. My favorite included: Avery Double IPA, Avery Dougana, Great Divide Brown Ale, and Russian River Damnation. For more information, check out the beer page. I highly recommend grabbing a beer or two at the Falling Rock Tap House. They have over 50 regional microbrew beers on tap.

Sunday, I made it out to Denver just in time to grab lunch at The Kitchen, a fabulous restaurant in Boulder, CO that features locally produced produce and meat. Each day, the staff updates a large blackboard with information about growers and producers in the region that provide the restaurant with ingredients. The Kitchen is quite expensive for dinner, but decently priced for lunch. I recommend the portabello mushroom sandwich – delicious.

Other great restaurants I tried while in Denver include: Lola, Osteria Marco, Sushi Sasa and the Wazee Super Club. Everything I ordered was delicious. Try the roasted vegetable chile rellenos at Lola, the beet salad and mushroom panini at Osteria, the dragon roll at Sushi Sasha, and a pizza with sun dried tomatoes, pesto, and chicken at Wazee Super Club.

For more information about The Kitchen and other great restaurants, check out the restaurant page.