Food, Farming Gardening Links #1

I read a lot on growing food, farming, and ecological gardening. I thought I'd post an occasional link list so that if you are into it, you can find out more about these issues.

It's about more than gardening. The food we choose doesn't just affect our health. Some foods I choose are votes for healthy soils, intact forests, biological diversity, human and ecological health, honeybees, humane farming, and beautiful landscapes. Other foods I choose promote inhumane factory farming, air and water pollution, fossil fuel dependence, topsoil loss, climate change, and other stuff I don't really want to promote. I'm trying to become more conscious of these choices.

It's also about gardening! We have such an opportunity to make positive change with our gardens.

Below are some links you might want to check out when you are hanging out online. If you find other good ones that were helpful to you, please share them with me and I'll add them to a later collection.

Enjoy!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12policy-t.html
This "Letter to the next President" is by Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma. It's a fairly wonkish article, but is a real education of the larger scale food issues we are facing and will face more intensely in the future. Worth pondering.

http://midwestpermaculture.com/TI-Webinars.php
Free "Transition Towns" Webinar coming up on 10/29. This was great! I listened/watched the first one and loved the overview of a truly hopeful response to climate change. Many towns in the UK, and now a few in the US are becoming "Transition Towns," getting ready for a new and hopeful vision of "peak oil." By all means, check this out if you are interested. You will need to email them (instructions at link) to get the info on how to get in on the webinar. Midwest Permaculture is the organization where I plan to get my permaculture training in 2009! Great informative site at www.midwesternpermaculture.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVJtpuOyCo0
VIDEO - 5 minute overview of the urban homestead in CA that produces 6000 pounds of produce off a typical suburban lot! Plus their solar stuff, goats, chickens and fun farm stuff, all in town!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCPEBM5ol0Q
VIDEO- Another video, this one nearly 10 minutes, about the same family urban homestead. I love these folks! (and envy that California year-round growing...but hey, we have plenty of sun here in the Ozarks!)

http://www.sustainabletable.org/
Sustainable Table is a huge site with good info on good eating. Wander around and you'll find good stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7JgenD4fdw
VIDEO: Edible Estates - one CA front yard project by an artist who does these "Edible Estates."

http://www.fritzhaeg.com/garden/initiatives/edibleestates/main.html
Here's the main site for the artist who is doing Edible Estates.

http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food/factoryfarms/dairy-and-meat-factories/climate-change/greenhouse-gas-industrial-agriculture
What's the connection between farming, fossil fuels and climate change? This will explain.

Hope you enjoyed! Please pass this on to anyone you think would be interested.