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Growing Up in the Garden

Growing Up in the Garden

Tag Archives: sustainable agriculture

“This is What Democracy Looks Like”

25 Saturday May 2013

Posted by Jessica Y in Food Politics, Garden, Label GMOs

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

activism, food justice, food politics, garden, gardening, GMOs, Monsanto, sustainable agriculture

MAM Flyer Single

Right now, today, there are people marching all over the world. Marching to change our food system. As I drove to the farmers’ market this morning, I was a little remiss about not being able to attend the march in downtown Los Angeles, but then got realistic about taking both my little ones on the train ride down there, walking many more blocks than my 5-year-old could endure, and then coming home, possibly having to walk back to where we started to pick up the train again, all on my own. These could be seen as excuses, I guess, but in the this long haul of healing our food system, self-preservation is important.

(If you are wondering why people care so much about opposing Monsanto and GMOs, check out this post by Stacey at Slow Foods Mama. She gives a very good and thorough overview of GMOs and the big business behind them).

Marches are important, so important. They grab media attention, inspire people, create momentum, and hopefully make enough noise to get some people, who may have not been listening before, to notice. Continue reading →

When Apples No Longer Taste Like Bubble Gum

27 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by Jessica Y in Food Politics, Garden

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

garden, gardening, sustainable agriculture, sustainable living

Farmers' Market Apples

“Mommy, is it getting too warm for apples?” asked my daughter as we ate lunch a few days ago.

“Well,” I replied. “I think most apples ripen in the fall. Why do you ask?”

“They don’t taste like bubble gum anymore,” she answered.

I agreed, “I know, they are not tasting as good as they did a few months ago.”

Continue reading →

Muir Ranch: A Vibrant School Farm

25 Monday Mar 2013

Posted by Jessica Y in Altadena, Food Politics, Garden

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Altadena, food justice, garden, gardening, Muir Ranch, school gardens, sustainable agriculture, sustainable living

Muir Ranch Chard

I arrived at Muir Ranch, just after 9:00 a.m. on a Monday morning. Their indoor space was already stacked with boxes and crates full of fruit and vegetables waiting to be split up into that day’s CSA shares. Students trickled in and began bagging peas, lettuce, and broccoli. A couple of women were there parsing the 10 half shares they would be taking back to their school. Before 10:00 a teacher from a local elementary charter school arrived with her students to harvest kale and then put together the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares that would be distributed on their campus.

Continue reading →

Action is as Small as a Seed

26 Saturday Jan 2013

Posted by Jessica Y in Food Politics, Garden

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

chersonskaya, food politics, garden, gardening, heirlooms, seed saving, sustainable agriculture, sustainable living, tomatoes

When I began this blog I shared with my readers that I was going to plant everything from seed in 2012. It would be a first. And, with the exception of three pepper plants, everything in my garden was grown from seed last year. Making the promise to grow everything from seed motivated me to expand my seed buying options, and I turned to seed companies that grow and sell heirlooms.

Pink heirloom potatoes picked up at the farmers' market. Delicious and a great color to get one particular child to try them ;).

Pink heirloom potatoes picked up at the farmers’ market. Delicious and a great color to get one particular child to try them.

Heirlooms are far more interesting than the typical varieties you find in the grocery stores. Grocery store veggies are often grown from hybrids that produce fruit and vegetables that can withstand mechanical harvesting, are stronger for transport, don’t blemish as easily, or are resistant to certain pests. Genetically modified crops are designed to resist particular pesticides or herbicides. These varieties are not bred for a particularly rich flavor or color. They are bred for mass production, transport, and a good shelf life at the grocery store.

Continue reading →

On Roses and Excess

06 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by Jessica Y in Off Topic

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

flower, gardening, Rose Parade, sustainable agriculture, sustainable living

Rose Parade 2013

Rose Parade 2013

I had a dream just before I woke up this morning that all the flowers that didn’t make it onto Rose Parade floats ended up at a warehouse for a public give-away. I had some project in mind and went in hopes of scooping up some free flowers. I ended up there on the last day of the three-day event and all that was left were rose stems. No flowers. Just thorns.

Continue reading →

Breaking Down the Deception: No on Prop 37 T.V. Ads

14 Sunday Oct 2012

Posted by Jessica Y in Food Politics, Garden, Label GMOs

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

California's Right to Know, food politics, GMOs, Monsanto, Proposition 37, sustainable agriculture, sustainable living

My spirits around Proposition 37 came crashing down earlier this week when I saw the results of the opposition’s media blitz against labeling GMO’s. The latest poll conducted by Pepperdine University shows that support for the initiative has fallen by almost 20 points. Astounding what a few weeks of television ads can do!

I felt so demoralized. How could we possibly compete with the almost 35 million dollars donated to the No campaign (7 million of which came from Monsanto)? I wallowed in it for about a day, and then decided we would continue to fight the good fight. So, since the television ads seem to be doing an enormous amount of damage to the Yes campaign, I am going to take a moment to expose the deceptiveness of the claims made in the ad I have seen most often. This ad is titled “Arbitrary Exemptions.” Take a look.

Continue reading →

When Big Ag Has Got Me Down

06 Saturday Oct 2012

Posted by Jessica Y in Altadena, Food Politics, Garden, Label GMOs

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Altadena Farmers' Market, food politics, gardening, GMOs, Monsanto, Proposition 37, RIPE Altadena, sustainable agriculture, sustainable living

We don’t watch much live television in our house, so it wasn’t until last night (during the presidential debate or some time after) that I saw my first No on 37 television ad. I only half listened, but was mortified by the twisting of information and the purposeful absence of the whole picture. I hate campaigns. Even the Yes on 37 campaign can be annoying at times. But, seeing that ad reminded me just how powerful large corporations are and how far they will go to prop up our broken food system (and their bottom line).

I got my very first yard sign on Monday, and finally got it in the ground a few days ago. It was this act, poking the steel rods into the soil, that reminded me what is growing, what will continue to grow, whether or not Proposition 37 passes. Continue reading →

Monsanto’s “Hidden Food Tax” Double Standard

03 Monday Sep 2012

Posted by Jessica Y in Food Politics, Label GMOs

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

California's Right to Know, food justice, food politics, garden, gardening, GMOs, Monsanto, Proposition 37, sustainable agriculture, sustainable food, sustainable living

Photo Credit: Peter Blanchard, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Those that know me well know that I am not a person who easily riles. I am contemplative and quiet most of the time. But, when I think an injustice has been committed, my blood boils. Monsanto, the biotech company, produces this effect in me time and time again.

There are so many reasons to despise Monsanto, and the latest campaign against Proposition 37, coupled with an article I encountered in the San Francisco Gate has once again reaffirmed for me that this corporation is willing to lie and bully to increase its bottom line.

Continue reading →

Label GMOs: Everyone’s Right to Know

16 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by Jessica Y in Food Politics, Label GMOs

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

California's Right to Know, food justice, food politics, food systems, garden, gardening, GMOs, Monsanto, Proposition 37, sustainable agriculture, sustainable food, sustainable living

(This post is also posted on the Food Renegade blog’s Fight Back Friday for August 17)

In California we have a process known as ballot initiatives or propositions, by which laws can be created by citizens and passed into law by votes at the polls. This November Californians are voting to require that genetically modified food be labeled as such. I firmly believe that labeling GMOs is a step in the right direction toward a more sustainable food system. This fight is a people vs. mega corporations fight. The “No” campaign is outspending the “Yes” campaign by millions of dollars. Recently the “Yes” campaign asked: What is more powerful – a million dollars or a million people? I am betting on the latter. Out here in the gardening, sustainable food/living blogosphere, I know I may be preaching to the choir, but the time is now to get involved and help California pass Proposition 37. No matter how little or much you know about GMO food, please get informed about the proposition and consider getting involved.

Continue reading →

The View from Here

04 Saturday Aug 2012

Posted by Jessica Y in Food Politics, Garden

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Broadfork Farm, certified naturally grown, food justice, food politics, sustainable agriculture, sustainable food, Virginia agriculture

Every summer my family takes a trip to Virginia. C’s parents, as well as his sister’s family, live outside of Richmond. Once, a very wooded area, much of the woodland has been cleared (and continues to be cleared) for commercial and residential development. The particular development where my in-laws live has strict rules about cutting trees and is still very wooded. The development includes Swift Creek Reservoir, on which my in-laws own their property. The view of the lake from their house is very pretty. While gazing out over the lake, a bald eagle flew up and landed in a tree along the shore in front of the house. I feel like I am staying in a vacation home. But, venture out onto the main thoroughfare and it is a completely different universe, a perfect example of big box store sprawl.

Until last summer, the only places residents of Brandermill and surrounding areas could buy produce were at the large grocery store chains lining the wide boulevards. So, when I learned a new farmers’ market had opened near by, I had to make a visit. Continue reading →

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