Monthly Archives: November 2011

Garlic ‘seed’ saving

Photo_3

Possibly our only successful ‘seed’ saving this year, I’m spending tonight splitting some of our harvested garlic bulbs so that I can plant the cloves tomorrow for next year’s harvest. We had good intentions of saving other seeds, but limited time and prioritization means that it hasn’t happened yet. So many things to do! It’s a juggling and learning act, this whole ‘grow your own while working and socializing and accomplishing everything else you want to in life’. 

Despite not fulfilling most of our good seed saving intentions, it’s satisfying to look back at one of our earliest blog posts from last year, ‘Garlic! (and more fall planting)’ and know that exactly 13 months later, we’re planting garlic again – not from the nursery, but from our own harvest surplus. We’re getting a few things right :)

GROW! (and other awesome looking food films)

[vimeo https://www.vimeo.com/27050341 w=600&h=339]

Ten days from now, Nova Scotia will be hosting the Slow Motion Food Film Festival. Too bad for me that Novia Scotia is at the complete opposite end of the country from where we live, but luckily for me, the films showing at the festival are listed on their website. 

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but since my own personal interest in food and the farming industry began 12 years ago, I’ve loved watching public interest in ‘food and where it comes from’ increase. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m pretty sure that topics like urban farming, organic gardening, growing your own, eating local and permaculture weren’t nearly as widespread (and still spreading!) 12 years ago as they are today. It seems that everywhere I look, there are new films, photo essays, editorials, blogs, academic classes and tourist destinations popping up to discuss, discover, study and explore the topic of food. THANK GOODNESS.

I thought it might be helpful to promote the Slow Motion Film Festival on this blog to give readers a good looking list of food-related films to consider putting on their ‘must watch’ film list. Of course, this festival film list is hardly exhaustive – there are oodles of great foodie films circulating on the internet and in theatres right now, but if you need a starting place, this is a good one.

Some films from the list that are going on my ‘must watch’ list:

GROW! (trailer included at the top of this blog post) A documentary film that captures the energy, passion and independence of a fresh crop of young farmers.

Dive! Dumpster diving to salvage thousands of dollars of good, edible food.

Land Awakening Exploring our relationship with the land.

Voices of Transition (trailer below) On farmers and community-led responses to food insecurity in a scenario of climate change and peak oil. 

PLANEAT A look at how our animal-based diets are the cause of our most challenging health and environmental problems. (trailer here)

[vimeo https://www.vimeo.com/29977725 w=600&h=339]