Year of Plenty
TUESDAY, JAN. 26, 2010
MONDAY, JAN. 25, 2010
Mon., Jan. 25, 2010
Roast House Coffee Newest Roasters on the Spokane Scene
I had a chance to stop by Roast House Coffee last week and get a tour of their newly opened facility. Dave Rier, formerly the master roaster for Thomas Hammer coffee, is manning the controls of their Deidrich small batch roaster, so you know the…
SATURDAY, JAN. 23, 2010
Sat., Jan. 23, 2010
Hard Times on the Farm: NY Dairy Farmer Kills Himself and His Cows
It's hard to say why a NY farmer killed his 51 milking cows and then turned the gun on himself. Apparently he only killed the cows that needed to be milked twice a day. The only clue at this point seems to be the statement…
FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2010
Fri., Jan. 22, 2010
Al Gore Tweets Story About Year of Plenty and Spokane Churches Going Green
OMG, I just got tweeted by Al Gore. I've never actually typed "OMG" on a text or a blog or a tweet, but I figured this was the occasion to seize the day and give it a shot. Turns out Al Gore, with over 2…
Fri., Jan. 22, 2010
"Fed Up With School Lunch" - Teacher Eats and Chronicles a Year of School Lunches 3
An anonymous Teacher, Mrs. Q, is so fed up with school lunches she is courageously "Eating school lunch just like the kids every day in 2010", taking pictures and describing the experience on a blog.Pictured to the left is the famed Rib-a-cue that I encountered…
THURSDAY, JAN. 21, 2010
Thu., Jan. 21, 2010
The State of the Inland Northwest and Spokane Blogosphere
I was chagrined to find out yesterday that David Blaine is closing his blog, "From the Back Kitchen" where he has kept us all abreast of local restaurant news, especially the running tab of restaurant closures. I would put David among the deans the Spokane…
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20, 2010
Wed., Jan. 20, 2010
Why it's hard for Americans to seek the common good 1
We've learned on our journey that issues of food and consumption are caught up in webs of meaning and relationships. We've recognized in ourselves and others a desire for more connection in community and more intentional shared commitments, but we've also recognized the powerful forces…
TUESDAY, JAN. 19, 2010
Tue., Jan. 19, 2010
Spokane's Ninth Annual Festival of Foodies Coming Jan. 23 3
A friend recommended I attend this weekend's Festival of Foodies. I think I'll try to check it out. Here's the scoop from Spokane 7.A culinary show of food and beverage samples to support the Spokane Restaurant Association. Event will also feature live music and food…
MONDAY, JAN. 18, 2010
Mon., Jan. 18, 2010
American Farm Bureau President Declares War on "self-appointed and self promoting food experts" (UPDATED) 1
Picture: Dry land wheat field and farm road in Eastern Washington.UPDATE: I can see that this post has stirred up quite a reaction from folks at American Farm Bureau and several farmers who were present at the address have chimed in with some very helpful…
SATURDAY, JAN. 16, 2010
Sat., Jan. 16, 2010
Millwood Farmers' Market and Spokane Churches Going Green Featured in New York Times Today
The Millwood Farmers' Market and the church I pastor are included in a New York Times article today, Pastors in the Northwest Find Focus in 'Green.' My favorite part of the article is that it starts, "MILLWOOD, Wash. - " It's great to see the…
FRIDAY, JAN. 15, 2010
Fri., Jan. 15, 2010
Report on Finance Committe Hearing Concerning Churches, Farmers' Markets and Property Taxes
I was glad to join some farmers and folks from the Washington State Farmers' Market Association in Olympia today to speak in favor of a house bill that will allow non-profits, including churches, to host Farmers' Markets without losing their tax-exempt status on the property…
THURSDAY, JAN. 14, 2010
Thu., Jan. 14, 2010
Michael Pollan's WSU Visit Debrief
It worked out for me to attend the Michael Pollan event at Washington State University last night. It was well attended with a couple thousand people in the stands of WSU's basketball arena. He acknowledged the controversy of the visit at the beginning of his…
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13, 2010
Wed., Jan. 13, 2010
California chicken farmers may move to Idaho and other states to continue "cruel confinement" practices
The Wall Street Journal is out with an important article on the repercussions of new laws in California that prohibit "cruel confinement" of farm animals. Here's the key excerpt:The movement comes after California voters in November 2008 passed a ballot initiative called Proposition 2 designed…
TUESDAY, JAN. 12, 2010
Tue., Jan. 12, 2010
Hearing Thursday in Olympia for HB-2402 - Tax Exemption for Non-Profits Hosting Farmers' Markets Bill
It looks like I'll be heading to Olympia on Thursday to testify at the hearing for the Washington State House Bill HB-2402. The bill will exempt non-profit organizations from property taxes if they host farmers' markets. Go here for background and contact info for your…
FRIDAY, JAN. 8, 2010
Fri., Jan. 8, 2010
Lettuce Farmer Quote of the Day: "My new year's resolution is to feed people, not cows." 1
We're doing a food distribution today in Millwood with 2nd Harvest. Stewart, the owner of C&S Hydro Huts, brought over 200 gorgeous heads of lettuce from his hydroponic lettuce growing operation in Spokane Valley to be distributed to people in need. Every week he has…
THURSDAY, JAN. 7, 2010
Thu., Jan. 7, 2010
British Government Unveils Food Policy, Warns Consumers Against Buying Local Food
Great Britain unveiled their 20 year food security plan which includes heavy handed warnings against the rise in popularity of sourcing foods locally. How does making your country more reliant on food imports make you more secure? I'm a bit baffled by the whole thing,…
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 6, 2010
Wed., Jan. 6, 2010
Pope Uses New Year's Address to Say God Wants You to Go Green 6
Picture: Robin amidst the branches of a 100 year old Ponderosa.I don't understand Catholic polity and the structures of church government but I sure do resonate with a lot of Catholic theology. For example, the Pope used his New Year's address to emphasize the importance…
MONDAY, JAN. 4, 2010
Mon., Jan. 4, 2010
10 New Year's Resolutions for the Garden and Gardener in 2010
Picture: Wild sunflower next the railroad tracks in Spokane Valley. After church Sunday a fellow gardening fanatic said, "Hey, we can start thinking about gardening soon." She's exactly right. The late summer harvest and canning hangover is done. Fatigue from the epic battle with creeping…
SATURDAY, JAN. 2, 2010
Sat., Jan. 2, 2010
A Shout Out to Spokane's Creative Class
Picture: Quail feather caught on some brush on a hillside in Spokane Valley.I came across this article in the Ottawa Citizen about the way the "creative class" is leading the charge in the economic growth of more rural areas, as opposed to traditional manufacturing and…
FRIDAY, JAN. 1, 2010
Fri., Jan. 1, 2010
What's worse than the standard practice of soaking hamburger beef in ammonia? 1
What's worse is that it isn't even that effective at killing bacteria.I have not eaten a hamburger since posting about another similar NY Times story from early October.
THURSDAY, DEC. 31, 2009
Thu., Dec. 31, 2009
New U2 Song: "I wish you a brave new year; All anguish, pain, and sadness leave your heart. Let your road be clear."
Worth a listen. At about the 2 minute mark; "I wish you a brave new year; All anguish, pain, and sadness leave your heart. Let your road be clear."
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 30, 2009
Wed., Dec. 30, 2009
Most viewed Year of Plenty posts in 2009
It's a little hard to discern which posts people are most interested in because the majority of visits to the site are to the general page, but I've looked into the Google Analytics Crazy 8 Ball and here are the posts that seems to have…
TUESDAY, DEC. 29, 2009
Tue., Dec. 29, 2009
Michael Pollan's visit to WSU on Jan. 13 not without controversy
On January 13 Michael Pollan, the John the Baptist of food and author of Omnivore's Dilemma, will speak at 7pm in Beasley Auditorium at Washington State University as part of their annual common reading program. Back in May I posted about some controversy around this…
SATURDAY, DEC. 26, 2009
Sat., Dec. 26, 2009
Why does the USDA encourage farmers to dispose of coal waste on their fields?
I came across this Businessweek article and thought it was worth sharing. As someone who until recently had not really paid much attention to agricultural practices, I find things like this fascinating. Excerpt:The federal government is encouraging farmers to spread a chalky waste from coal-fired…
THURSDAY, DEC. 24, 2009
Thu., Dec. 24, 2009
Roundup Ready Alfalfa Under Consideration By USDA
Roundup Ready Alfalfa is next up on the genetically modified crops debate. The USDA has released it's draft Environmental Impact Statement and is open for comment. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service released the draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roundup Ready Alfalfa last…
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