Ah, summer, how quickly you seem to slip away. Oh well, at least it means more treasured gifts from the garden! We’re well into midsummer crops by now, and that means some of my favorite veggies. Love it!

In my last harvest post, I introduced some early wee carrots. Now a month later I’ve dug up my largest carrot tops, only to find . . . MUTANTS below the surface!

Seriously, crazy right? What’s going on with these disfigured carrots? Well whatever it is, they sure were tasty!

*sigh* You know how I write love songs about baking soda? Well, I’m thinking of penning an ode to tomatoes next. Seriously. I’m working on it.

My cherries were first to ripen and I still get a handful every day or two.

The goldens came next in all their sweetness, and still are steadily ripening,

The red slicers just began ripening. I ate the first of them today!!

Look at this little cutie! I rescued a few half-dead pepper plants from the free pile at the nursery, and to my surprise they sprang back to health! I’ve already gotten a couple of these mini hot peppers, with many more budding on the bush.

The last of the brocollini crop. It was a pretty low yield this season, due to some unexpected heat. But I loved what I got, and apparently so did this little green caterpillar. Ha!

And finally, the plums are here! Our tree is simply covered in fruit this year, who knows why? All I know is I’ve got enough pluots for plum pudding, plum chutney, and plenty of prunes. Time to get to preserving!

And that’s that (for now!). I’m still picking parsley, basil, and blueberries, along with a few other patio garden herbs. Coming soon: cucumbers, corn, and cross your fingers for my onions!

And what about you my dears? How do your gardens grow?

Oi there! First things first, I’d like to give a big shout out and a huge thanks to Evelyn, who was kind enough to leave a little something in my tip jar. Thanks for the support! =)

And on to everyone, Happy Weekend!!! It’s time once again for comments, critiques, thoughts, support, and suggestions. So, what’s on your mind? What do you like, and what’s just ‘meh’? What are YOU interested in?

We’re building a real community here, so speak up and take part! Every weekend the Feedback Forum remains at the top of the page, so check back in to say your piece whenever you feel like it. If you’ve got an idea or a question or you just want to introduce yourself and say ‘Oi!’, come back here to do it!

And don’t forget, this Monday is another round of this month’s MMM, so try to plan ahead for your alternate dining style.

And as always, please have the most wonderfullest weekend!

Hello there! What a beautiful summer day for a neighborhood stroll. This morning I grabbed my two boydogs, my little point-n-shoot, and some tupperware. My mission: free food from my very own cityscape. That’s right, Urban Foraging – an underground gathering technique akin to dumpster diving or guerrilla gardening.

But let’s be clear: there’s a big difference between foraging, and theft. And sometimes the line can be difficult to discern. I would never intentionally steal, so here are my three criteria for appropriate Urban Foraging.


1) It’s Clearly Unwanted

This pear tree was dropping it’s fruit all over the sidewalk, so there’s no way the owners wanted them all. A sloppy sidewalk is a great indication of abandoned booty. If it’s rotting on the ground, it’s likely fair game from the tree.

There were plenty of pears just perfect for the picking, but I only took a few. Try not to get too greedy, and you won’t piss anybody off.

2) It’s Not Clearly On Property

This blackberry bramble overhangs an old fence, into a graveled alleyway. I’ve been walking by it for weeks, just watching those berries ripen and multiply. As far as I can tell, nobody’s been collecting them. So I took it upon myself.

Berry-stained finger tips! I took plenty of berries, but not enough to even make a real dent. I would never pick a berry bush dry, even if it was obviously abandoned. That’s just not the way I roll, and it’s not good mojo for a forager. Leave enough for others, and you won’t piss anybody off.

3) If You’re Unsure, Always Ask

This plum tree was planted in the curbside strip, a common location for fruit trees (that’s where my cherry tree lives). There were no plums on the ground and the surrounding plants were well manicured, so I didn’t pick these plums. If you come across a situation like this, try to catch the resident out in the yard, and just give a holler. You could even knock on the door. Just ask if you can pick a few fruits – chances are they’ll be happy to share. But don’t just take, okay? That’s a surefire way to piss somebody off.

Alright guys, them’s the basics! Have fun harvesting, and remember to use your head! Don’t break any laws, don’t do anything that seems like stealing, and don’t piss anybody off, ha!

Image by eyebrizzle

If you’re reading this on a computer screen, you’re part of a new reality; a world where you’re granted greater options – an almost overwhelming array of ‘choices’ – more so than anyone else before you.

So why, then, does the 21st century condition seems to be that of helplessness? Why do we all feel so damn LOCKED on the course we’re already headed, be it academically, professionally, geographically, or in the grander scheme of loving our life?

For decades the ‘youth’ has been pegged as apathetic (you hippies were a lot to live up to, Mom and Dad!) And I’ll admit it, I’ve played that blame game myself – writing off my peers with uncontained frustration.

But that’s a simplistic perspective, the reflected image of our own insecurity. When I really look around me, when I really strive to witness, the picture is very different. I see a vast [and growing!] collection of incredible movers and makers, of fighters and artists, intellectuals and entrepreneurs, all burning with creative fire to DO SOMETHING meaningful.

But for some reason, these dynamic, diverse individuals, are allowing themselves to be pacified. They’re mired in doubt, convinced that what they may do . . . won’t matter. ‘Resistance is futile’.

What’s missing?

Image by Cig Harvey

Last night I shared a long conversation over steaming tea and jaggery, with a girlfriend who’d just had a startling realization. She proclaimed to me, giddy in her liberation, “I could just quit my job. I could . . . I could move to Brazil and teach yoga! I could totally do that!”

YES! Yes Yes Yes! That’s the connection to make.

Maybe you live in Nome, Alaska. But maybe, eating local organic whole foods would mean the world to you, would change your relationship to your body or to the Earth. Well . . . you don’t have to live in Nome Alaska! You *can* uproot your life and LEAVE (I did!)

If your city lacks an inspiring subculture . . .

If your partner scoffs at your wildest ambitions . . .

If your parents won’t accommodate your veg*n intentions . . .

If your job leaves you wilted and unfulfilled . . .

MAKE CHANGES. Take risks, dream big, no bigger, follow through, and don’t ever be passive in your life’s direction. Be an active player – an ACTIVIST – in Every. Thing. You. Do.

Statistically speaking, periods of recession are hotbeds of revolution. Now is the time to be extreme. Now is the time to find your bliss and live your truth.

There is nothing strong enough to stop you.

Conclusion: I would never dream of telling you how to live your life. My point is to remind you to stay EMPOWERED. You are in control, and your decisions set the course. And the course can change, anytime you wish it.

“Early to bed, early to rise”  is how the saying goes. And so it applies on the farm as well: “early to bloom, early to die“.

I planted my snow peas first thing this season, way back at the beginning of February, and they bore their yield before anything else, in June. And as it goes, they’ve already died back, thus freeing up a precious plot for fall crops.

But I’ve saved my pea seeds this year! Saving seed is super easy, economical, and of course, ecological. If your annuals were able to thrive in your soil, you know you’ve got a botanical match. Go ahead and save the seeds of all your successful plants. *But*, if your veggies struggled or your flowers floundered, they may not mesh with the mineral composition of your yard. You might consider skipping out on the seeds of these low-yield or sickly varieties.

This process is pretty standard for all legumes, so feel free to use this method for any pea, bean, or lentil you may have grown. You’ll want to start paying attention when the plant begins to lose it’s color and the pods start to shrink up, like this:

Some people suggest clipping the vines at the base and hanging them out to dry, but I was much more successful just allowing them to die back naturally. The stems will brown before the pods, so just keep an eye on them over the weeks to see that they aren’t molding. Some ‘healthily’ dying pea plants:

It will take a few weeks, but eventually the entire plant, including it’s pods, will be nicely dehydrated. Here you can see the pods I hung to dry inside (left) and the pods I allowed to dry in the ground (right). The hung-dry plant remained strangely green even when it was crunchy crisped, and the pod shriveled up extremely tight. The seeds that came out were small and wrinkled – not nice at all. As I said, I strongly suggest the in-ground approach, as the beauty on the right demonstrates:

To collect seeds, select fully dried cases that ‘rattle’ a bit when you shake them. Gently pry them open at the ‘seam’ – if they are ready this shouldn’t be too difficult at all. Many will have already begun to split.

And it’s easy as that! Collect as many seeds as you want (there should be more than enough) and store them in a cool dry place, like a spice jar in a closet. Remember to label the jar!

Good luck, and happy gardening!

For this month’s Monday Mission, we’re each challenging ourselves to take our dietary habits to the next level. That means on every Monday, omnivores will be going vegetarian, vegetarians will be dining vegan, and vegans like me will be eating within a 100-mile radius – going ‘locavore‘.

To be perfectly honest, this is more difficult an endeavor than I’d originally imagined. My neighborhood market and my co-op are awesome at labeling local options – the co-op even indicates where every item is from – and I swear I see that ‘Oregon’ sticker on a lot of what I buy. At least I thought I did! And living here, I have access to all sorts of amazing produce . . . apparently from California. Oh you, sunny southern neighbor, how you taunt me! So close, and yet just far enough away. I’ll admit it: I thought I was more of a locavore than I really am.

Not that it’s some impossible task. Once I got my bearings, I was able to put together a day of eating that’s essentially identical to any other day. It just cost a bit more (no dollar bags today) and took a little more time and foresight (wandering the co-op scanning for the ‘local’ label).

In the end, it was just like any other day. I ate mainly raw until dinner time, as I’m naturally  inclined to do. Breakfast was a tart green apple and a wild blackberry smoothie. I grazed all afternoon on fresh peaches, Bing cherries, and a lovely local trail mix from the co-op (dried persimmons, cherries, and apples, plus almonds, filberts, and pistachios). It’s been a long time since I’ve had a pistachio, mMmm.

Dinner was delicious, an awesome simple stir fry of organic tofu, red bell pepper, fresh string beans, yellow onion, a hot pepper from my own garden, and a bunch of broccoli from my neighbors’. This was all served over a bed of farro grain, which I’ve never cooked before (it was the only local grain available today!), and smothered in Thai peanut sauce from a small Portland company (they are fantastic and [mostly] vegan, you should order from them!). But were the peanuts grown locally? Who knows . . .

Those are the sorts of questions I wrestled with: exactly how far to take this. For example, my ‘wild blackberry’ smoothie also had apples and pears. It was made in Oregon, and this is definitely blackberry, apple, and pear country. But I’m not sure the fruit was sourced locally, just like I’m not sure the peanut sauce ingredients were grown here. I know that my cooking oil, as well as my soy sauce, are not local items. As well, I used a bit of lime juice to top off my stir fry – a decidedly UN-local lime left over from a weekend away. Does that mean I failed? Where is the balance?

As with anything, there’s danger in extremity. I’ll treat my locavore experience like I treated my month of RAW – with my own intuitive rules. I ate 95+% local today, and I think that’s quite an achievement. I really love this Mission, because it’s reminding me how much growing I’ve still got to do. I can always strive to improve this mark I make on the world, and this is a humbling, helpful little lesson.

So, tell me how it went for you. Was your meatless Monday a success? Did you make your first vegan feast? Or did it slip your mind altogether (no worries! who says you can’t do meatless Tuesdays?!!). Let me know how it’s going, guys!

Oi there lovelies, and Happy Friday! It’s time for the wonderful weekend again, and that means it’s time for comments, critiques, thoughts, support, and suggestions.

What’s been on your brain of late? Which section of the site would you like to see worked on? (the food? the fashion? the farm?) What is it that YOU’RE interested in?

Remember this webspace is here to build a community! So every weekend the Feedback Forum remains at the top of the page, so that you can check back in and have your say whenever you feel like it. If you’ve got an idea or a question or you just want to introduce yourself and say ‘Oi!’, come back here to do it!

And as always, have a fabulous next few days!

I recently reported on dangerous chemicals in cosmetics, and the information I uncovered in writing that article really affected me. If my friends thought I was a little eco-freak before, they need to prepare for a whole new level of glorious, fabulous ever-so-exciting neo-hippieness.

I was appalled, absolutely astounded by the questionable additives found in almost all commercial self-care products. I resolved, then, to purge each product as it ran out (no waste), and to derive my own amazing alternative.

A few days later, my deodorant was running low, and I came up with this solution.

OH MY GOD you guys, this stuff works SO GOOD. I can’t believe it! But I finished my recipe right at the start of a massive heat wave, and both my husband and I wore it through the entire week of 100º+, with nary a stinky or unsightly pit stain. How could something so simple work so well? I LOVE BAKING SODA!  *swoon*

Sayward’s Homemade Deodorant Recipe

1/3 cup Corn Starch

1/3 cup Baking Soda

10 drops of Antibacterial Essential Oil (tea tree, lavender, or eucalyptus)

10 drops of Antifungal Essential Oil (tea tree, peppermint, sandalwood, or eucalyptus)

2 tablespoons Vitamin E Oil

3 tablespoons Coconut Oil

Mix everything up in a bowl until it forms a thick paste. Transfer to your storage container and then allow 24 hours to ‘set up’. I used an old deodorant container ’cause it looks so cute and I thought it was neat, but I don’t recommend it. In the future I’ll be using a shallow, wide-mouthed jar, applying the deo with my fingertips.





In my own concoction, I used 10 drops of Lavender oil, which is an antibacterial, antiviral, antiseptic, natural deodorant, and soother of skin-irritation (like razor burn!). I also used 10 drops of Eucalyptus oil, which is an antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiseptic, and increases circulation. In Damian’s version I just used the Eucalyptus oil, all 20 drops.

I can’t wait to hear how this works out for you guys!

Exactly one year ago, August 1st, I became a veg*n.

What a life-changer. I would not be, could not be, the woman I am today, were I not living true to my ethics every day.

I feel so grateful to have found this path, and I am so empowered in every aspect of my life, as I walk it.

Thank you to everybody, including *you* dear readers, who have helped me along on this epic journey. What a joy it’s been so far!

On the first Monday of every month, we take on a ‘mission’ – a shift or habit or inspiration – to work on together. There’s strength (and support) in numbers! On the last Thursday of the month, we reconvene to see how far we’ve come.

#5

Have you guys heard about Meatless Mondays, the campaign revival that’s sweeping the globe? The movement has its roots back in WWI, with the government reminding people to ‘pitch in’ and ration. It was a massive, US-wide abstention that saved hundreds of tons of meat each week. And after a brief resurgence during WWII, the concept is now on the rise once more, this time under the banner of global impact and public health.

The idea is taking hold in the US, in Britain’s Meat Free Mondays, and in the Belgian city of Ghent’s Veggie Dag. This intercontinental effort promotes the decrease in meat consumption for both collective environmental health as well as individual medical health.

For an excellent discussion of the environmental impact associated with eating meat, please read this Washington Post article.

So if you’re an omnivore, why not give ‘meatless mondays’ a try? Or if you’re already vegetarian, why not up the ante with ‘vegan mondays’? And then if you’re already vegan like me, how about a challenge like ‘local-vore mondays’? I’ll be eating entirely within a 100-mile range, for the rest of the Mondays in August (4 more!).

So, my environmental enthusiasts, what do you think? Do you choose to accept this mission?

BONZAI!