Jen Mayer

April is here. Hooray!

I grew up on an alfalfa sprout and vegetable farm in upstate NY. Every spring signaled for my father and I to spend a few weekends in the basement sowing seeds into plastic “6-pack” trays. We worked on a deteriorating work bench which was stained by oil, grease and silver paint from many generations of use. The basement felt humid in contrast to the dry dehydrated potting soil we mixed with water to nurture tiny seeds. We stacked these plastic flats covered with opaque coverings on top of one another to germinate. Eventually with time and water these trays would house small plant sprouts. We then transported these new plants from the basement across the lawn and driveway to our large greenhouse where they would continue to grow in the warm protected environment. Eventually these plants became large enough to transplant into my garden. I would tend to sunflowers, zinnias and various vegetables through the summer. But every year, it all begins now. In April!

What now?

Today I live in Colorado, and I am fortunate to have lots of space to construct a garden. This is my fourth summer at 101 Pearl (wow, really?). Every year the neighbors and I plant a vegetable garden in our front yard, and every year this garden has grown bigger and bigger. This year we have become very ambitious, as we begin to connect our various gardens together. I recently placed my seed order, which will be it’s own post. Pictures soon… I wonder how much FOOD we can GROW this year.

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Tomorrow I get to pick up my first week of raw milk. One luscious, creamy gallon a week. I’ll probably need some help consuming all that milk. Neighbors- look forward to milk!

photo: rex miller

If you have never tried raw milk, it is incredibly different than pasteurized and/or homogenized milk. The only way I can describe it is, raw milk tastes alive and fresh. You could compare the differences between pasteurized and unpasteurized orange juice. The food loses something in the heating process.

There are many health benefits for drinking raw milk. Link to rawmilk.org and The Campaign for Real Milk.

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• I was recently interviewed by Ryan at the Reluctant Eater.
• We had a brief discussion on real food, reskilling, food sources
• and the overall state of our food system.
• Check it out here

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KOMBUCHA!
It really is a great word. Kom-bu-cha. I just started brewing another batch today. Last fall my neighbor gave me a SCOBY and I was brewing a new batch every other week. Then I took a break over the holidays by ending all the batches I had going. Now I am back, thank you craigslist.org. Within 24 hours of posting a WANTED: kombucha scoby I had two in my hands.

BTW: a SCOBY is a “symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast” and it is what ferments the sweetened tea to make kombucha

How to Make Kombucha- simplified

1. use a glass container 1/2 to 2 gallons large
2. wash hands with hot soap and water, clean workspace
3. clean glass container well
4. boil water to make enough tea to fill your container
5. add sugar, 1 cup per every 3 quarts
6. use only pure green or black tea with caffeine and brew tea
7. allow sweet tea to cool to room temperature (70 °)
8. add SCOBY and cover with a lint-free cloth (dishtowel) and secure with rubber band
9. allow to brew undisturbed
10. check on kombucha brew. it could take 7-14 days to ferment

A good link with more intensive directions and a video can be found here: Wikihow page on making kombucha

I’ll let you know how these new batches turn out!

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Thanks for all the support at Ignite Boulder 3 last night! I had a great time presenting.

For those of you who are interested in making yogurt, detailed instructions are below.

Yogurt

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 qt. whole, lowfat, or nonfat milk
2. 1 1/2 tbsp preservative-free, all-natural yogurt with live cultures. live cultures is the important part

MATERIALS

1. A heavy bottom stainless steel pot
2. Food/candy thermometer
3. Large bath towel
4. Oven
5. Glass quart jar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 200º
2. Bring milk to 180º, just before boiling over medium to low heat
3. Remove milk from heat and let cool to 110º
4. When milk is cooled to 110º add the 1 1/2 tbsp of yogurt
5. Turn off oven
6. Place a lid or plastic wrap over the pot, wrap in the bath towel and set in the warmed oven
7. It will take between 6-14 hrs for the yogurt to set
8. The yogurt is done once it gels, and looks like yogurt!
9. Place in glass quart and refrigerate

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thank you Michael Pollan

What are externalities in regards to food production?

Externalities are external effects, often unforeseen or unintended, that accompany economic transactions. These may be positive or negative. In terms of food production, specifically the production of meat, what we pay for food at the supermarket does not reflect it’s true cost.

For one, the United State’s agricultural subsidy program encourages large farms to overproduce supply. These large farms are able to offer their food at a much lower cost than non subsidized farms. This is why cheap food (usually constructed of corn and high fructose corn syrup) is so cheap on the shelves. In theory, consumers have already paid for part of this food with their tax dollars. So this is the “it appears cheaper than it really is effect.”

Other externalities of industrial food production include:

1. soil pollution- from petroleum based fertilizers
2. water pollution- from excess animal manure
3. air pollution
4. use of fossil fuels
5. food born illness
6. antibiotic resistance in humans- due to high use of antibiotics in meat, egg and dairy production
7. respiratory illness- for workers and animals
8. overweight & obesity (still debated)
9. animal welfare issues
10. loss of wildlife habitat
11. loss of rural communities- due to large farms driving out smaller ones
12. foreign economics- because of our subsidy program

What are some alternatives to big Ag and industrial agriculture? Without being too simplistic and realizing there are few easy answers, some solutions include organic and/or sustainable farming practices and supporting diversified farms in your local economy.

Check out local food purveyors for Boulder, CO on the Slow Food website.

Check out the Low Carbon Diet

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Kimchi

I am trying my hand at producing lacto-fermented vegetables. Commonly known as sauerkraut and kimchi, these foods are known for their various health benefits. From the Weston A. Price Foundation website:

• Many sources say raw fermented foods are beneficial to the digestive system by increasing the healthy flora in the intestinal tract or creating the type of environment for them to flourish. Sauerkraut and its juice are traditional folk remedies for constipation. Fermentation actually increases nutrient values in the cabbage, especially vitamin C. Fermented foods are also said to facilitate the breakdown and assimilation of proteins. They have a soothing effect on the nervous system.

• Before the days of refrigeration, sauerkraut served as the only source of vitamin C during the winter in northern climates. It was used on long ship voyages to prevent scurvy.

• During the Civil War, some enlightened doctors fed sauerkraut to prisoners of war, reducing the death rate from smallpox from 90 percent to 5 percent–something we should take note of with the current concerns about the use of smallpox germs as part of biological warfare.

• Best of all, sauerkraut makes a synergistic combination with heavy, greasy and cooked foods such as sausage and cooked meat, the kinds of foods that nourish us through the winter. And because it aids digestion, you can eat these foods without feeling tired afterwards just by adding sauerkraut to your plate as a condiment.

I did a little research online and basically followed the guidelines Ran Prieur has on his website. Here is a picture of what I have so far… It’s been 2 weeks and the fermenting process takes about 4 weeks to complete. Already it has a pungent odor. My friends are concerned about the “rotting” vegetables in my cabinet. Alas we will just have to wait and see how it turns out.

kimchi

I will be speaking at Ignite Boulder 3 on other food projects and why I think it’s important to learn how to make your own food. Boulder’s KBFR pirate radio will be broadcasting the event. Check it out!

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Below is a link to an article explaining how big Ag business in connected to increasing economic disaster. High production farms rely on petroleum for their fertilizers and oil to transport their products. When oil production continues to decline, and prices increase again this will have major consequences for consumers. The time is now to invest in creating more local organic food sources.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_16777.cfm

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