Ted.com - Ideas Worth Spreading

Have you been on Ted.com before? I came across this article the other day from Chef Dan Barber.  The motto of the website is "ideas worth spreading"...it’s so simple yet so profound.  Thought up as a way to combine Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED), the site has spread like a wildfire.  Envisioned as a way to expand influential and important ideas on a global scale, TED allots speakers up to 18 minutes to give their presentations.  Since its original inception, TED now holds multiple conferences, including one solely focusing on how women are reshaping the world, along with independently organized events called TEDx, a Fellows Program, and a $100,000 Ted Prize award each year to one person to see their wish become a reality.

If you haven’t checked out the site yet, you are truly missing out! They have a long list of presentations given over the years, with the list of themes expanding to business, science, culture, arts and global issues.

Here is a great talk from Ann Cooper, a chef, author and educator advocating for local, organic, and sustainable food, especially in what we serve to our youth.  Please take the time to watch it and hopefully you will see it as an idea worth spreading.

Urban Oaks Organic Farm - New Britain, CT

Which picture do you like better?

 

Located at 225 Oak Street in the North Oak Neighborhood in New Britain, CT, the Urban Oaks Organic Farm is a fully-functioning inner-city farm!  Founded in 1999, the farm has been a great example of fixing something broken.  Before the beauty it is now, it was an abandoned lot that was an eyesore to the neighborhood.  The neighborhood has even seen a significant reduction in crime rates, a part of which can be attributed to the farm (think Broken Windows Theory). 

Who said that all farms have to be in the countryside?  With over 3 acres of field and 6 greenhouses, Urban Oaks grows a wide list of produce, including many heirloom tomatoes, various greens like kale, collards, and lettuces, hot and sweet peppers, and many, many more veggies and herbs.  For a full list of what they grow, check out this site.  And the icing on the cake is that it is all organic! 

Because of the greenhouses, they are able to grow year-round and sell to local restaurants, markets, and most importantly, the community!  They have an on-site farm stand which is open Fridays and Saturdays.  The farm was recently awarded “Best Heirloom Veggies” by Yankee Magazine in their Connecticut Best Attractions 2010 article.  Congratulations!

To stay up-to-date, be sure to visit their site -http://www.blog.urbanoaks.org/

2011 Northeast Food and Justice Summit

Organized by The Real Food Challenge, the 2011 Northeast Food and Justice Summit will be, according to their website, “the largest youth food justice convergence in history”—bringing together over 600 high school and college students and other young allies for three days.  It will be held February 25-27, 2011 in the Curry Student Center at Northeastern University in Boston, MA.

It is interesting to note that unlike previous years, the 2011 Summit will focus on high school students, and not just college students.  The cost is relatively low–priced (especially for a 3-day summit).  Students will be able to register for $25, and there are scholarships available.

The event will unite, ignite, and shine: Unite a diverse coalition of young leaders across lines of age, race, class and geography; Ignite food justice organizing and activism throughout the Northeast with new ideas, tactics and opportunities; and Shine a light on this diverse, youth-driven movement.

            The day will be full of speeches and musical performances from food movement leaders, poets and youth activists, workshops with role‐plays, cooking, activism trainings, leadership skill building, spoken word and other interactive activities, an opportunities fair with info on youth jobs, local food companies, organizations, service opportunities and field trips featuring local projects and organizations, and more!

            Please help spread the word for this important event.  Educating our youth is critical if we want to see any change, especially in the area of food justice.  To register or stay informed on the Summit, visit the website for the event - http://realfoodchallenge.org/nefoodjustice2011

The Natural Princess

 Meet Alicia Ghio, also known as the The Natural Princess.  Five years ago, Alicia came to the realization that despite living a healthy lifestyle, she was eating highly processed foods with ingredients she couldn’t even pronounce!  So she decided to do something about it.

She started The Natural Princess as a way to not only follow through with eating local and organic foods, but also as a teaching tool for others just like her.  As she states on her website, “I am not a expert. I am not a chef. I am like most people out there living busy lives, working hard and trying to do what’s best for me, others and the environment”. 

Alicia decided that the best way for her to do this is through a web show.  She now has 25 videos with a variety of topics that focus on local, sustainable and organic foods.   Her website is full of helpful information, from recipes and featured people, places and things, to fast facts and other nutrition resources.  She even has an online store, where you can buy shirts, aprons, mugs, and more!  Be sure to check out her website here.

Below you can find one of her videos on Sport Hill Farm in Easton, CT.

CT NOFA's 2011 Winter Conference

CT NOFA will be holding its 29^th Annual (yes, 29!!) Winter Conference on March 5, 2011.  The all-day conference will be held at Manchester Community College.  We will have a wide variety of classes, ranging from Mead & Non-grape Wine Making, Deer Fencing Options, Beekeeping, Urban Chickens, Managing Wood Lots, Biodiversity Gardening, and Permaculture…and that’s just to name a few!  We will also have exhibits and vendors from local businesses focusing on food, gardening, farming, and sustainable lifestyles. Continue to check out our site (www.ctnofa.org) for more info!!

We are also proud to announce that the Keynote Speaker for the day will be Shannon Hayes, Ph.D. of Sap Bush Hollow Farm.  She is the Host of grassfedcooking.com, author of “The Farmer and The Grill”, “The Grass-fed Gourmet”, “Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture” and a working Three Generation Family Farmer.

 Shannon's essays and articles have appeared in myriad regional and national publications, including The New York Times, The Boston Review, and Northeast Public Radio. Hayes' quirky lifestyle, her attempts to live a life of personal accountability and sustainability, and her current research and writings about homemaking as an ecological movement have landed her and her family in the New York Times, Brain Child Magazine, Lancaster Farming, Small Farm Quarterly, Hobby Farm Home Magazine, The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, American Public Media, National Public Radio, Grit, Yes! Magazine, Elle Magazine, the national newspapers of Germany, Turkey, China and Canada, Arab News and the Pakistan Observer. Shannon currently blogs for Yes! Magazine, and her books are available through most conventional channels, as well as directly from the author at RadicalHomemakers.com and GrassfedCooking.com. Shannon's newest book, Long Way on a Little: An Earth Lovers' Companion for Enjoying Meat, Pinching Pennies and Living Deliciously, is due out from Left to Write Press in 2012. Left to Write Press is distributed by Chelsea Green.

         On a side note...South Dakota recently held a 2-day conference on organic farming – a step in the right direction considering the lack of organic farms in the state (and across the country).  The conference focused on row crops and beef producers, with topics including transitioning to organic, weed management, national organic rules, and production costs.  To see the full schedule, click on this link.  It is really encouraging to see that more and more people are starting to realize that organic farming is the way to go!

Joene's Garden

Joene is a gardener in South-Central Connecticut who has over 30 years of experience.  Through the years, she has been certified as a Master Gardener and an Advanced Master Gardener.  She is now a garden coach through her company, Gardens & Turf, which is a garden consulting, maintenance and lawn mowing business in the lower Connecticut River Valley.

Joene is an excellent writer, which comes through on her website and her blog.  Fittingly, she has also been a freelance writer for over 10 years.  She supplements her writing with some fantastic photos, including the one below.

It is important to note that Joene stresses that through trial and error, she has finally found her niche.  Gardening takes time, hard work, and a little advice along the way.  For some quick advice, find her on Facebook and read her blog -http://www.joenesgarden.com/.  There’s no time like now to get yourself prepared for next year!

Laurel Ridge Farm - Litchfield, CT

    Laurel Ridge Farm opened for business in 2006. In its short existence, it has seen tremendous success selling quality meats to local consumers. Why so? Well as co-founder John Morosani puts it, "Our cows live exactly as they evolved to live: outdoors, roaming free, eating grass." There are no hormones or antibiotics injected into the meat, leaving only quality cuts of beef, poultry and pork.

    The farm, located in Litchfield, CT, covers over 200 acres; giving plenty of room for the grazing cattle. In addition, the farm does not use herbicides or pesticides, which in turn keeps the cattle healthy.

    Many people think that they can only buy fruits and vegetables at CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture's). Well there's a whole list of items that can also be bought, including meat! Laurel Ridge Farm offers a six-month CSA commitment for its grass fed beef. 

    For more information on the farm, the CSA and much, much more, be sure to check out their website - http://www.lrgfb.com/index.php.