a quickie June 13, 2009

so i know.. shocking. i just wrote a blog less than a week ago, and here i go again!  ha. but i just had to share about the wonderful day i had the other day. i went to a farmer’s market in baton rouge, with my sis and bro-in-law. it was most amazing!!! especially after reading animal, vegetable, miracle, which talks mostly about eating locally as to encourage your local economy, local farming, better products, less fuel used, etc

Red Stick Farmer's Market

The book talks about the deception of “organic” produce and other items. Here are a couple of really good quotes. Hopefully it will encourage you to read it!

“A chicken may be sold as “free range” if the house in which it’s confined (with 20,000 others) has a doorway leading out to a  tiny yard, even though that doorway remains shut for so much ofthe chiken’s lives, they never learn to go outside. This is not a theoretical example.  A national brand of ogranic dairy products also uses confined animals- in this case, cows whose mandated “free range” time may find them at home in crowded pens without water, shade, or anything resembling “the range”.  The larger the corporation, the more distant its motives are apt to be from the original spirit of organic farming0 and the farther the products will likely be shipped to buyers who will smile at the happy farm picture on the package, and never be the wiser.- Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, p. 122

“But “locally grown” is a denomination whose meaning is incorruptible.  Sparing the transportation fuel, packaging, and unhealthy additives is a complelling part of the story, but the plot goes well beyong that.  Local food is a hadnshake deal in a community gathering place.  It involved farmers with first names, who show up week after week.  It means an open-door policy on the fields, where neighborhood buyers are welcome to come have a look, and pick their food from the vine.  Local  is farmers growing trust.” Animal, Vegetable, Miracle p. 123

Marketing jingles from every angle lure patrons to turn our backs on our locally owned stores, restaurants, and farms.  And nobody considers that unpatriotic.  This appears to aggravate Tod Murphy. (a farmer) “We have the illusion of consumer freedom, but we’ve sacrificed our community life for the pleasure of purchasing lots of cheap stuff.  Making and moving all that stuff can be so destructive: child labor in foreign lands, acid rain in the Northeast, depleted farmland, communities where the big economic engine is crystal meth.  We often have the form of liberty, but not the substance. “

summer sweetness June 6, 2009

nothing says summer like sunflowers!

pesky pests...

So the summer is well on its way here in sunny, southern LA.  The humidity has yet to become overbearing, which is great.  I finished out this past semester with an A in my art education class and  a B in my special ed class, so that went pretty well.  The break from classes and homework etc has been most wonderful.  Gives me more time to do fun, random things that i’ve been saving up… painting,  crafty projects of hair feather headbands and the like, cooking, pleasure reading, trying to learn the guitar!, tending to my garden, swimming, working out. blah blah blah. ha. probably more than you wanted to know. but.. nonetheless. what i’ve been and hope to be doing, when im not working.  still at cafe des amis as a server, and great harvest bread co.

a few unexpected turn of events had happened in the last few months.  some were pleasant, some not nearly so much.  but.. one of the pleasant surprises was when my fellow GH co-worker/long distance cousin, Dallas Begnaud, told me he had nominated me for the Best Artist in Acadiana in the Times of Acadiana, a local magazine that is produced.  mostly focuses on local arts and culture/music scene etc.  every year they have a best of category for lost of different things. bakery, cajun restaurant, boudin, nursery, dr etc. lots of different categories. well there’s a couple of weeks where names are submitted, then after that the times selects 5 or 6 of the people, then people have to vote on who they think is the best in acadiana for whatever category.. so.. my name made into the finalists actually! i was quite suprised.. we will find out next week who won. the bakery was in for best bakery, and cafe des amis was in for best chef and best bloody mary.. i really dont think  won, but it was great publicity to get my  name out there and now… i get to display some of my artwork at cafe des amis because our owner realized i was an artist. so that’s pretty exciting.

im kinda coasting through the month of june and some of july doing all the above mentioned. ill also be volunteering with bridge ministry, a tutoring/ summer program in lafayette for a really poor area.  im getting the serious travel bug and hopefully will be visiting a friend in idaho/oregon in july and then the family vacation at the beach in august! cant wait for that.

herb drawer: onion tops and basil from seed

green beans! quite lovely how they climb

grape tomatoes!! yum. my fav

the garden is doing pretty well. pepper plants of all sorts, squash, tomatoes, green beans, onions, tomatoes, and hopefully the cukes and okra will pull through! been struggling with those. and of course herbs. i recently made a new flower bed by our house and lined it with wine bottles. it looks pretty cool..:) ha.

tabascos.. love that La!

the wine bottle bed

ive been reading “animal, vegetable, miracle”, a great book about eating and growing local food. amazing read actually. i highly recommend it.