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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Year of Plenty archive for Jan. 1, 2009

TUESDAY, NOV. 10, 2009

First Slow Food, Now "Slow Money"

Here's an interesting article on the idea of "slow money", or a system of investments that stay local in your own community:What if the money you invested stayed within 50 miles of where you currently live and was committed to local merchants and growers who…

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MONDAY, NOV. 9, 2009

SATURDAY, NOV. 7, 2009

FRIDAY, NOV. 6, 2009

THURSDAY, NOV. 5, 2009

Food and Faith Forum

I'll be speaking at the Food and Faith Forum on November 14. Should be a good event. The Spokesman has the scoop. To register, contact Felicia Reilly at (509) 294-3944 or at faithandenvironment(at)gmail.com.

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WEDNESDAY, NOV. 4, 2009

Shopping cart in the Spokane River near Upriver Dam. (Craig Goodwin / The Spokesman-Review)

The 634 Gallon Hamburger

Here is an interesting web site (waterfootprint.org) that helps us understand the relationship between our water usage and the products we consume. Here are some examples of the water used to bring certain items to market.Hamburger = 634 gallons of water2lb of Industrial Beef =…

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TUESDAY, NOV. 3, 2009

MONDAY, NOV. 2, 2009

 (Craig Goodwin / The Spokesman-Review)

Poem for Monday

Whatever is foreseen in JoyMust be lived out from day to dayVision held open in the darkBy our ten thousand days of work.Harvest will fill the barn; for thatThe hand must ache, the face must sweat.And yet no leaf or grain is filledBy work of…

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FRIDAY, OCT. 30, 2009

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 21, 2009

THURSDAY, OCT. 15, 2009

What Are Your "Food Rules?" 

Earlier this year Michael Pollan gave a shout out to his blog readers for their best "food rules." His 20 favorites are listed here. Here are my faves from his list:"You don't get fat from food you pray over." (In other words, gathering around a…

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MONDAY, OCT. 5, 2009

THURSDAY, OCT. 1, 2009

FRIDAY, SEPT. 25, 2009

THURSDAY, SEPT. 24, 2009

Judge Puts Roundup Ready Sugar Beets On Hold 

In genetically altered crops news, a Judge has put a halt to the propagation of sugar beets that have been genetically altered to withstand a dosing of Roundup herbicide. The AP report states:U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White in San Francisco found the U.S. Department of…

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TUESDAY, SEPT. 22, 2009

MONDAY, SEPT. 21, 2009

FRIDAY, SEPT. 18, 2009

Inland Northwest Milk Mystery Revisited 

Last year in our quest for local food we took on the surprisingly challenging task of sourcing milk that comes from Inland Northwest farmers and cows. We visited the Inland Northwest Dairy site on Francis near Division, we talked to grocery stores and finally got…

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WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 16, 2009

MONDAY, SEPT. 14, 2009

TUESDAY, SEPT. 8, 2009

 (Craig Goodwin / The Spokesman-Review)

The Great Purple Coneflower Massacre 

One lesson of creating a huge vegetable garden where we once mowed the lawn, is that while mowing and fertilizing and watering took work, it could essentially be done by one person. It doesn't take a division of household labor to keep a lawn. While…

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MONDAY, SEPT. 7, 2009

SATURDAY, SEPT. 5, 2009

FRIDAY, SEPT. 4, 2009

 (Craig Goodwin / The Spokesman-Review)

Backyard Farming Follies

A few weeks ago a friend emailed and explained that as a teacher she needed to do some field trips to maintain her credential and visits to farms counted toward this requirement. She wondered if it would be OK to visit our house to see…

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Year of Plenty

The Year of Plenty blog was created by Craig Goodwin in the winter of 2008 to chronicle the experiences of his family as they sought to consume everything local, used, homegrown or homemade. That journey was a wonderful introduction to people and movements in the Spokane area who are seeking the welfare of the community through local foods, farmers markets, community gardens, sustainable transportation, and more fulfilling and just patterns of consumption. In 2009 and beyond the blog will continue to report on these relationships and practices, all through the eyes of a family with young children. Craig manages the Millwood Farmers' Market, is a Master Food Preserver and Pastor at Millwood Presbyterian Church. Craig can be reached at goody2230@gmail.com



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