Wednesday, March 26, 2008

"Frankenveggies?" and other Food Security concerns....



Me, in the heirloom garden at Old Fort William on a very cold damp day in 1996.

I'm going to be working with The Food Security Research Network as the On-Campus Garden Coordinator and I'm so excited about this my head has been abuzz with ideas since it was proposed to me by Connie the other day. What a perfect outlet, and direction for my gardenerding. I have oodles of heirloom garden resources packed away in an OFW box tucked away with other wonder years memorabilia; I'll have to make an extra effort to dig that out asap. The engineer in me is constructing, the writer is bursting, and the gardener is feeling extremely restless.

I've been reading The University Local Food Toolkit (pdf) published by SFU's Local Food Project. Excellent. Just imagine what this can do for the students at Lakehead!

also:
Canadian Association for Food Studies "(CAFS) promotes critical, interdisciplinary scholarship in the broad area of food systems: food policy, production, distribution and consumption. CAFS recognizes the need for coordinated interdisciplinary research efforts in response to societal needs for informing policy makers, assessing the outcomes of community-based work, and demonstrating the environmental and social impacts of changes affecting food systems and food
policies. Members are drawn from an array of disciplines including (but not limited to) adult education, agriculture, anthropology, economics, environmental studies, health studies, home economics, human nutrition, geography, philosophy, policy studies, public health, rural studies, sociology, social work and urban planning. Membership is open to academics, students, professionals and others interested in food studies research. CAFS encourages research that promotes local, regional, national, and global food security, but does not advocate or endorse specific policies or political platforms."

Seeds of Diversity Canada - Canada's Heritage Seed Program

Canadian Organic Growers - The National Information Network for Organic Farmers, Gardeners & Consumers

Seed Savers Exchange - A non-profit seed preservation organization with a very comprehensive seed exchange.

...and for Shelly and Caroline: the Frog Pond Farm - a wine for us to try. They're the only certified organic winery in Ontario. Frogpond Farm does not use insecticides, herbicides, synthetic fungicides or chemical fertilizers. All their wines are organically grown, and hand-picked. Look for the label ;)

...and this morning I read this: Frankenveggies? Eat your greens (purples, blacks, blues and stripes, too) Globe and Mail article, 26 March 2008

and..
Gardenwise.ca's list of heirloom vegetables, and links to more ideas for sustainable gardening.

600 feet, beside the Hangar....wow, what a garden!!!

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