Picture: Large leaf basil inter-planted with tomatoes from last year's garden. I checked out the weather forecast in the Spokane area and it looks like we're going to have temps at night above 40 degrees through May 19th. If that holds true it's pretty much…
GOOD has a great photo spread of an urban garden;Over the last few years, urban gardening has grown increasingly more prominent—as an emblem of demand for healthier, more natural food; as a centerpiece of community-minded interaction; and as a means of cultivating beautifully functional public…
I reported earlier about a community based Whitworth theatre class that has been developing a play on food and food systems. In preparation they read Omnivore's Dilemma, met with local farmers' and I went in to share about our experience of eating locally for a…
Below are pictures sent in by a reader from their central North Carolina garden. I have to say I'm a little jealous seeing that rich red soil and their row crops are already coming in nicely. Folks in southern climates sure do get a head…
Asparagus will start showing up in abundance at area farmers' markets in a few weeks. Below is the recipe for Canning Pickled Asparagus from the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Always use a trusted, scientifically based home canning recipe and never improvise the recipe.…
A recent report on efforts to control harmful "residues" in the US Beef supply has got me even more freaked out about eating a hamburger than I already was. Go here for one of my previous posts on problems with beef.The audit report assesses the…
Here's the full length NPR radio program, Edible Idaho, about church's and community gardens. I chime in about half way through. Go here for the manuscript to the program. 0503GH_GodsGarden
Picture: Dan Hansen helps put in irrigation at the Pumpkin Patch Community Garden.Here's a promo for the NPR "God in the Garden" radio program that I was interviewed for a couple weeks ago. It will play on Boise NPR tomorrow 91.5 and then probably trickle…
Video: Secretary of Agriculture introducing Know You Farmer program. The Agricultural Law blog has a post up about some political wrangling around the "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food" program. Agricultural Law Blog reports;...Senators Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia, Ranking Minority member of the Senate Agriculture Committee),…
May 15 - Saturday Downtown Spokane Farmers' Market (New Location) Saturdays (8 am to 1 pm) May 15 - Liberty Lake Farmers' Market (Like them on Facebook, Follow on Twitter) Saturdays (9 am to 1pm)May 19 - Millwood Farmers' Market (Like them on Facebook, Follow…
I found myself at a local Dollar Tree Store a couple of weeks ago. (In a moment of parental weakness I offered the kids a toy at the dollar store if they would quit whining and cooperate in a particularly tricky moment.) While the kids…
In a previous post I mentioned an effort to oust Ronald McDonald from the McDonald's marketing scheme;The same folks that brought an end to Joe Camel are taking a run at ending the reign of Ronald McDonald, a "deep fried Joe Camel for the 21st…
In conversations about the Pumpkin Patch Community Garden I'm hearing a lot of people say they don't have a green thumb or, based on their experience, they fear they would just kill any plants under their care. Christopher Walken has a novel idea for overcoming…
I realized today that our little blog just passed the 100,000 lifetime page views milestone. That's pretty small potatoes as the internet goes but it does remind me of the joy of our family's journey over the last 2+ years and makes me grateful for…
Walked the kids to school today. On the way home I ventured off the beaten path, onto some mountain bike paths and to the top of the hill where I was greeted by a beautiful meadow of Arrowleaf Balsamroot and an abandoned shed.
I was pleased to see a new Inland Northwest Blog titled Spokane Books Blog. I think the about page info is worth quoting in full for the way it reflects back perceptions about Spokane from someone new in town, and also offers up a vision…
Pictured above is a new Millwood area chicken tractor made from a discarded shipping crate. You can barely see it because of the shadows, but the crate is on wheels so it can be moved around, along with the PVC framed run. The birds can…
I posted awhile back about Landshare, an effort in England to connect farmers and gardeners with unused plots of land. It appears to be off and running there, but I wanted to pass along the word that a similar effort is underway here in the…
Awhile back I sat in as a guest in a class taught by Michael Woods at Gonzaga. In our conversation I learned that he was on the board of the Main Market Co-Op and had written his dissertation on the intersection of Catholic liturgy and…
I had a great time chatting today with Guy Hand, a Boise based writer and reported, who does an NPR radio show called "Edible Idaho." He's prepping for a show on churches involved with community gardens, with the primary focus on Boise Vineyard's Garden O'…
Gardening season is really kicking into high gear in the Spokane area but don't be fooled by 70 degree daytime weather. The key temp to keep an eye on in the forecast is the nighttime temp. The usual last freeze date in the area is…
Here's a bit of creative cultural commentary. If you're familiar with the Twilight series of books and movies you know about the self restrained, blood sucking vampires who choose to suck the blood of animals instead of humans. Emily Colette Wilkinson offers up some commentary…
Morningstar Farm in Newman Lake sent along these pics as part of our View From Your Garden series. If you're looking for fresh healthy poultry that is grown and processed on the farm this is a great option. They describe their approach;Our emphasis is pasture-based,…
The rise of the local food movement has been one of the main topics of this blog. It might be more accurate to say the popularization of the local food movement, in that folks like Alice Waters have been preaching the gospel of local food…
Jill Smith from the Cowgirl Co-op in Greenbluff sent over this picture showing a few of their 500 plantings of garlic emerging from winter slumber. (It's best to plant your garlic in the Fall but you can put the cloves in the ground now and…
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
