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Jul. 9, 2008 at 11:21pm

Growing Conversation 7/9/08

Featured: Tacoma Food Co-op celebration slated for July 19

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Jun. 26, 2008 at 10:03pm

Growing Conversation 6/24/2008

[Fantabulous food]

The Key Peninsula Farmers Market is open!
The week is filling up with farmers markets! We have the Broadway Market on Thursdays, the Proctor Farmers Market and Gig Harbor Farmers Market on Saturdays, we'll soon have the 6th Avenue Farmers Market on Tuesday evenings, and now the Key Peninsula Farmers Market is filling our Sundays from Noon to 4 p.m.! Located at Key Peninsula Highway North & Olson Road, O'Callahan's Pub & Grill Parking Lot.

And while you're out on the Key Peninsula, check out Claude & Claudia Gahard's Trillium Creek Winery in Lakebay (call ahead for tour and tasting times). Not only can you test out their very own locally made wines, but you can also enjoy locally produced artisan cheeses from the family owned Estrella Family Creamery of Montesano, producers of grass-based dairymaking and handcrafted cheeses from both cow and goat milk. www.trilliumcreekwinery.com.
Thanks Sarah!

*And I'll vouch for Trillium! I've been tasting there twice, touring once and bought both the wine AND the cheese! Good stuff! (The Rose Pinot Noir is a unique taste, and ask about the Chardonnay -- with and without bubbles!) The Gahards are generous souls with great taste! -- Alicia

The Food Systems Coalition comes to life with a BANG!
Approximately 60 people representing the local farmers, governing agencies, health care providers, farmers, local movers and shakers, their own taste buds and more attended the first Food Systems Coalition gathering earlier this month, an event convened by Sarah Garitone of the Pierce Conservation District. More details later, however, for more information or if your interested in participating in future Coalition efforts, e-mail Sarah at sarahg@piercecountycd.org.
Thanks Sarah!


[Conversation starters]

Direct from farm to you: The push to locally grow, buy and eat more fresh foods gains momentum.
By Joan Obra / The Fresno Bee / 6/17/08
It's a sign of the times in the heart of industrial agriculture: As the central San Joaquin Valley's farms feed people around the world, the city of Fresno is moving in a different direction. It's trying to build a food supply with locally grown products. ... The reasons? Growing and selling fresh fruits and vegetables in low-income neighborhoods can boost healthy eating, thereby reducing the Valley's high rates of obesity and diabetes. ... The Valley's farmers markets economically support the area's small farmers. And eating locally also can cut pollution from transporting food internationally, or even nationally. ... Before, it was environmentalist groups and health-care advocates that touted such views. These weren't issues addressed in visions for a city's growth. But that's changing.
Click here for the full story.
Thanks Sarah

Terra Organics delivers nature's bounty at your door
By Kelly Kearsley / The News Tribune / 6/23/08
As owners of Terra Organics, Kim and Dan Hulse have transformed their passions for supporting local agriculture, organic farming and healthful, good food into a viable, growing business. The couple run an organic produce home delivery service from a small warehouse in East Side Tacoma. They work with local farmers to obtain the fruit and vegetables, then drop off boxes of the fresh produce on their customers' doorsteps. Costs start at $25 per week. ... Terra Organics started with a handful of customers in 2004 and now serves more than 350 families around the region. And the company's owners say they plan to keep growing.
Click here for the full story.
Click here to go to Terra Organics' homepage. (Tip: They have a Pacific Northwest only box you can order! Guess what I just did ...)
Thanks Alicia!

Frances Moore Lappe: Getting a Grip
KUOW.org / 6/19/08
Writer Frances Moore Lappe says there's a huge gap between the world we want and the world we actually live in. For example, it's common sense that children should not die for lack of sanitation and clean water. Yet thousands do, every day. Does this make any sense? Lappe says problems like these continue only because we go on believing there's nothing we can do to fix them. She calls for cooperation and enthusiasm from the ground up -- a 'living democracy' -- to overcome our sense of powerlessness. Frances Moore Lappe is the bestselling author of "Diet for a Small Planet." Her newest book is "Getting  Grip: Clarity, Creativity and Courage in a World Gone Mad."
Click here to hear a podcast from her talk at Elliott Bay Book Company from 10/27/07.
Thanks Sarah!

Mining for Lettuce
by Pat Tanumihardja / EdibleSeattle.net / April 2008
Christened with a most unlikely -- and dare I say un-pretty -- name, miner's lettuce may not sound like the most appetizing of edibles. But if you were a miner during the California Gold Rush, the sigh of these straggly plants emerging from the soft soil would have been as welcome as a plethora of gold nuggets. The plant took its name from these very miners, who consumed it to supplement their daily vitamin C intake and fight scurvy.
Click here to read the entire article.
Thanks Alicia!

Like Your Backyard, Only Better
By Sean Hughes / EdibleSeattle.net / April 2008
Tucked away behind schools, in between houses or down winding alleys, you'll find the many Seattle community gardens -- or P-Patches, as they're called. Within each P-Patch gather urban gardeners of all stripes: apartment dwellers, homeowners with unsuitable yards, and people who just want more space. They garden year-round or seasonally in little 10-by-10 swaths of ground, some growing all of the produce they eat. .. And what a bounty these gardeners coax from the land!
Click here to read the full story.
Thank you Alicia!

Check out the blogs at GrowLocalTacoma.com!
Read along as an array of bloggers try growing their own food (in backyards and community gardens), shop at local farmers markets, learn to cook seasonally, and encounter challenge and discovery, failure and success.
Click here: www.growlocaltacoma.com
Thanks Alicia!


[It's all about the gardens]

GRANT OPPORTUNITY: Time to brainstorm those school gardens!
The National Gardening Association and The Home Depot are offering Youth Garden Grants to schools and community organizations with child-centered garden programs. In evaluating grant applications, priority will be given to programs that emphasize one or more of these elements:

educational focus or curricular/program integrationnutrition or plant-to-food connectionsenvironmental awareness/education entrepreneurshipsocial aspects of gardening, such as leadership development, team building, community support, or service learning

Who should apply: Schools, youth groups, community centers, camps, clubs, treatment facilities, and intergenerational groups throughout the United States are eligible. Applicants must plan to garden with at least 15 children between the ages of 3 and 18 years. Previous Youth Garden Grant winners who wish to reapply may do so, but must wait one year (e.g., if you won in 2008, you can apply again in 2010) and have significantly expanded their garden programs.

Application deadline (postmark date): Nov. 1, 2008
Click here to find a downloadable application.
Thanks Emily!

GRANT OPPORTUNITY: Clean up your block, plant a garden ... so much opportunity!
Lowe's Charitable & Education Foundation is offering a grant opportunities for

Community improvement, which includes:
projects related to public education, community improvement projects and home safety initiatives. The foundation supports projects that align with the following focus areas:

Park and neighborhood beautification and enhancementsBuilding repair/renovation and landscaping enhancements of facilities serving the communityOutdoor learning environments, such as educational gardening projectsCommunity garden, park, or playground projectsCommunity clean-up initiatives

K-12 public school initiative, which includes:

Construction and Trades related education initiativesClean-up, landscaping, and painting projectsPlayground enhancements Minor repair/renovation of public school buildings

Click here for more details.
Thanks Lorna!


[What a deal!]

Tomatoes and herbs among Bellarmine plant sale items
Still planting your veggie starts? Check out the tomatoes and herbs at Bellarmine Prep, 2300 S. Washington, through June 28. Huge variety and all plants (including annual baskets, perennials and native plants) are 30 percent off!
7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday - Friday through June 28.
Thanks Anna!


[Out of town but interesting]

"Strengthening Local Economies, Everywhere" Dinner & Fair
Community Alliance for Global Justice 2nd annual dinner and fair
DATE CHANGE: Sunday, June 29, 2008
Garfield Community Center, 2323 E. Cherry St., Seattle
For ticket information and other details, click here.
Thanks, Cece!

Registration is open for 2008 SW Washington Sustainability Conference (July 10-12)
This year's conference features an impressive lineup of well-recognized speakers, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The conference sessions will focus on the three key components of sustainability -- climate, commerce and community. As many as 400 professionals in the built environment, design, building, commercial business, retail business, industry, transportation, energy, natural resources, environmental services, community services, social equity, diversity, government policy and education areas are expected to attend this year's conference. This year's conference will lead into a new community event, GreenFest, on July 12. This public event will feature free workshops, activities, exhibits, displays, vendors food and lively fun, designed to engage the entire family in healthy and smart, day-to-day sustainable practices.
Click here for details!
Thanks John!


[The Conversation]

It's still growing ...
Please send events, articles, conversation starters, opportunities, etc. to growingconversation@gmail.com.

The Growing Conversation is inspired by a growing number of individuals and community groups who are exploring issues of sustainability in a hands-on fashion.

If you would like to unsubscribe to this list, this is not an automated listserv, so just e-mail growingconversation@gmail.com and you'll be removed from the list.

If you know folks who might be interested in subscribing to this occasional newsletter, e-mail growingconversation@gmail.com and we'll get them added. It's just that easy.

We won't sell your e-mail, we'll try not to nag you too much, and please know that we're just working hard for a sustainable tomorrow.


Live well, grow good food and cultivate your community
www.growlocaltacoma.com

[The Growing Conversation newsletter is produced by Alicia Lawver]

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Jun. 17, 2008 at 10:02pm

Growing Conversation 6/17/2008

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Jun. 4, 2008 at 10:00pm

Growing Conversation 6/4/2008

[Come out and say hi!]

Learn about container gardening, your local farmers and more!
Several of us will be at the Point Defiance Flower & Garden Show June 5, 6 & 7 at Point Defiance in Tacoma. (Find us in the Community Growers section!) It's your chance to learn about local farmers, community supported agriculture, community gardens ... and TAGRO will be sponsoring hands-on container gardening workshops throughout the weekend. The first 10 people at each workshop will be able to make their own container to take home!

Container gardening workshops by TAGRO at the Point Defiance Flower & Garden Show:
Friday: 1 & 3
Saturday: 10, 1 & 3
Sunday, 10, 1 & 3
*Times are subject to change; check the booth for exact schedule.

For more information:
www.growlocaltacoma.com
www.ptdefianceflowershow.com
www.tagro.com


[Eat well, eat local]

It's Farmers Market season once again!
It's that time of year again. Proctor Farmer Market is back on Saturdays, the downtown market on Broadway is the place to be on Thursdays, and we're only weeks away from the big hello to the new Sixth Avenue evening farmers market!
Click here to find a list of local farmers markets.
Thanks Sarah!

Springtime greetings from the Tacoma Food Co-op ...
The Food Co-op folks have been busy. Click here to read their update, and mark your calendar for 4 to 9 p.m. July 19 at People's Park!
Thanks Sarah!


[Conversation starters]

THE CORNUCOPIA INSTITUTE (6/4/08):
Organic Milk from Pasture-Fed Cows Contains Higher Levels of Beneficial Nutrients
CORNUCOPIA, WI -- Cows that graze on fresh pasture produce milk with higher levels of antioxidants and beneficial fatty acids, such as conjugated linoleic acid and omega-3's, as shown by a recently published study from Newcastle University in the UK. ... "Grazing dairy cows on grass or grass and clover swards produces milk with a healthier fatty acid profile and higher levels of fat soluble vitamins and antioxidants," notes Gillian Butler, livestock project manager for the Nafferton Ecological Farming Group at Newcastle University, who led the study.  ... Previous studies have already shown that organic milk has higher levels of favorable nutrients. This study points to the diet of organic cows -- fresh grass and clover -- as the major reason for these nutritional benefits. ... "This study joins a growing body of science indicating strong links between what we feed our farm animals and the nutritional quality of what they feed us. Not only are you what you eat, but you are what what you eat eats too," says Michael Pollan, author of the best sellers "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and "In Defense of Food."
Find out more at www.cornucopia.org
Thanks Sarah!

SUSTAINABLESEATTLE.org
Why Local Linkages Matter: Findings from the Local Food Economy Study
Spending involves a choice about the kind of future we want to have. Why Local Linkages Matter explains why we should care about out spending choices when it comes to sustainability. ... The report describes the dollar flows and economic linkages of food-related businesses in the Central Puget Sound region of Washington State. The analysis shows that locally directed spending by consumers more than doubles the number of dollars circulating among businesses in the community. This means that a shift of 20% of our food dollars into locally directed spending would result in a nearly half-billion dollar annual income increase in King County alone and twice that in the Central Puget Sound region.
Read more at http://sustainableseattle.org/programs/localfoodeconomy
Thanks Cece!

THE GREAT SUNFLOWER PROJECT: Support a good cause ... count bees!
"By finding a way to track and value the goods and services provided by natural ecosystems, we will find a future in which conservation is mainstream, economically attractive and commonplace throughout the world."
Find out more at www.greatsunflower.org
Thanks Cece!


[Don't try to drink it ...]

Are you a biodiesel groupie? Do you want to be?
Diesel/biodiesel or home heating oil prices hitting your pocket book hard? Check out how to stretch your fuel budget and make more sustainable environmental choices at the same time. Questions? E-mail info@tacomabiodiesel.org. Sponsored by Tacoma Biodiesel Co-op.

Biodiesel Homebrewing How-to
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sunday, June 8
Lyle "BioLyle" Rudensey will lead an all-day, hands-on homebrewing course. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn how to make your own fuel from recycled vegetable oil for a fraction of the at-pump cost. Registration is required and space is limited.
Click here for details.

Biodiesel Groupies Happy Hour
Starting at approx. 4 p.m. Sunday, June 8, Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub (815 Pacific Ave., Tacoma)
Meet for drinks/food (no-host) and a chance to talk informally about biodiesel issues, network with other "enthusiasts," and potentially even form some small homebrewing co-ops. Everyone is welcome.
by experienced biodiesel educator and homebrewer Lyle Rudensey, M.Ed. aka "BioLyle."
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 8
$60 per person, or $100 for couples
Location provided upon registration.
Thanks Jamie!


[Out of town but interesting]

"Strengthening Local Economies, Everywhere" Dinner & Fair
Community Alliance for Global Justice 2nd annual dinner and fair
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Garfield Community Center, 2323 E. Cherry St., Seattle
For ticket information and other details, click here.
Thanks, Cece!

Registration is open for 2008 SW Washington Sustainability Conference (July 10-12)
This year's conference features an impressive lineup of well-recognized speakers, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The conference sessions will focus on the three key components of sustainability -- climate, commerce and community. As many as 400 professionals in the built environment, design, building, commercial business, retail business, industry, transportation, energy, natural resources, environmental services, community services, social equity, diversity, government policy and education areas are expected to attend this year's conference. This year's conference will lead into a new community event, GreenFest, on July 12. This public event will feature free workshops, activities, exhibits, displays, vendors food and lively fun, designed to engage the entire family in healthy and smart, day-to-day sustainable practices.
Click here for details!
Thanks John!


[It's not about food, well, at least not directly ...]

Do cloth diapers confound you? Want to know your options? This workshop's for you!
Hillary Ryan, owner of Wai Baby, is offering a free class on cloth diapers at 10 a.m. Sunday, June 7, at the Birthing Inn. These hour-long workshops give an overview of the different styles of cloth diapers on the market today (it's not just pins and fold-it-yourself diapers anymore ...) and give participants an opportunity to get some hands-on experience.
Find out more at www.waibaby.com
Thanks Hillary!


[The Conversation]

It's still growing ...
Please send events, articles, conversation starters, opportunities, etc. to growingconversation@gmail.com.

The Growing Conversation is inspired by a growing number of individuals and community groups who are exploring issues of sustainability in a hands-on fashion.

If you would like to unsubscribe to this list, this is not an automated listserv, so just e-mail growingconversation@gmail.com and you'll be removed from the list.

If you know folks who might be interested in subscribing to this occasional newsletter, e-mail growingconversation@gmail.com and we'll get them added. It's just that easy.

We won't sell your e-mail, we'll try not to nag you too much, and please know that we're just working hard for a sustainable tomorrow.


Live well, grow good food and cultivate your community
www.growlocaltacoma.com

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May. 23, 2008 at 9:59pm

Growing Conversation 5/23/08

[It's all about the FOOD ...]

Learn how to Eat, Buy, Grow & Act LOCAL! (www.growlocaltacoma.com)
New website focuses on local food issues and resources for Pierce County
The way in which food is grown, harvested, transported, processed, accessed, consumed and disposed of have far-reaching impacts on all of our lives. Of course, historically, eating from one's geographical area was the norm. Reconnecting ourselves to where our food comes from, how it was produced and who produced it is a big step in strengthening our livable localized food system.

And check out the blogs!
Alicia 
Clarie
JP 
Kristen 
Sarah

Learn more here: www.growlocaltacoma.com
Thanks Exit133.com & MultiCare!


[Eat well, eat local]

It's Farmers Market season once again!
It's that time of year again. Proctor Farmer Market is back on Saturdays, the downtown market on Broadway is the place to be on Thursdays, and we're only weeks away from the big hello to the new Sixth Avenue evening farmers market! Click here to find a list of local farmers markets.
Thanks Sarah!

Springtime greetings from the Tacoma Food Co-op ...
The Food Co-op folks have been busy. Click here to read their update, and mark your calendar for 4 to 9 p.m. July 19 at People's Park!
Thanks Sarah!


[Resource]

Local Harvest: Real Food. Real Farmers. Read Community.
The best organic food is what's grown closest to you. This is a website that helps find farmers' markets, family farms and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area, where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies.
Click here to check out the website.
Thanks Kim, of Terra Organics!


[Conversation starters]

THE NEW YORK TIMES (4/20/08): The Way We Live Now: Why Bother?
By Michael Pollan
Why bother? That really is the big question facing us as individuals hoping to do something about climate change, and it's not an easy one to answer. I don't know about you, but for me the most upsetting moment in "An Inconvenient Truth" came long after Al Gore scared the hell out of me, constructing an utterly convincing case that the very survival of life on earth as we know it is threatened by climate change. No, the really dark moment came during the closing credits, when we are asked to ... change our light bulbs. That's when it got really depressing. The immense disproportion between the magnitude of the problem Gore had described and the puniness of what he was asking us to do about it was enough to sink your heart.
Click here to read more.
Thanks Kim, of Terra Organics!

ASSOCIATED PRESS (5/20/08): Hard to find affordable farmland near city markets
By Jennifer Langston
SEATTLE -- Siri Erickson-Brown kept 27 chickens this spring in her Capitol Hill apartment, where the closet doubled as a grow operation for hundreds of tomato seedlings. ... Two summers ago, she was one of dozens of interns apprenticing on local farms, learning to snip slugs, handpick lettuce, raise pigs, fertilize soil and chat up customers. ... When she was done, she faced a daunting challenge: finding affordable farmland near Seattle. ... Click here to read more.
Thanks Nathe!

Assessing Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Food System
The goal of this initiative is to study energy intensity and greenhouse gas emissions throughout the food system, from "farm to fork" in order to identify technologies, methods and consumer food choices that can reduce energy and carbon emissions of the food system. For more information, click here.
Thanks Sarah!


[Don't try to drink it ...]

Are you a biodiesel groupie? Do you want to be?
Diesel/biodiesel or home heating oil prices hitting your pocket book hard? Check out how to stretch your fuel budget and make more sustainable environmental choices at the same time. Questions? E-mail info@tacomabiodiesel.org. Sponsored by Tacoma Biodiesel Co-op.

Biodiesel Homebrewing How-to
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sunday, June 8
Lyle "BioLyle" Rudensey will lead an all-day, hands-on homebrewing course. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn how to make your own fuel from recycled vegetable oil for a fraction of the at-pump cost. Registration is required and space is limited.
Click here for details.

Biodiesel Groupies Happy Hour
Starting at approx. 4 p.m. Sunday, June 8, Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub (815 Pacific Ave., Tacoma)
Meet for drinks/food (no-host) and a chance to talk informally about biodiesel issues, network with other "enthusiasts," and potentially even form some small homebrewing co-ops. Everyone is welcome.
by experienced biodiesel educator and homebrewer Lyle Rudensey, M.Ed. aka "BioLyle."
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 8
$60 per person, or $100 for couples
Location provided upon registration
Thanks Jamie!


[Out of town but interesting]

"How to Grow Your Own Food Year Round: The Abundance of the Earth"
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays on May 31, Aug. 16 and Oct. 4
Whidbey Institute
$15/session; $5 per session under 21
To register, call (360) 341-1884 or e-mail whidinst@whidbey.com
Learn how to create and steward an ecosystem that can feed you and your family any time of the year. This class will cover topics of garden planning and design, soil stewardship, crop rotations, companion planting, plant selection for different situations, winter gardening, perennial and annual food plats, food preservation and much more. Gardening studies will include bio-intensive, biodynamic, permaculture, natural farming and forest gardening.
Click here to find out more about the Whidbey Institute on Whidbey Island.

"Strengthening Local Economies, Everywhere" Dinner & Fair
Community Alliance for Global Justice 2nd annual dinner and fair
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Garfield Community Center, 2323 E. Cherry St., Seattle
Fair, 3-6 p.m.: Learn more about supporting local and global alternatives to corporate-led globalization. Meet local organizations, small businesses and food producers dedicated to food justice, fairer trade and farm policies, urban gardening, and immigrants' rights. Also, live music, local farmer meet and greet, community art project and food and beverages from local wineries and breweries.
Dinner, 6-9: Join us for a delicious dinner prepared by local chefs, using Fair Trade products and ingredients produced sustainably by small growers int he Northwest. Local wineries and breweries also represented. Dinner program features keynote by Carlos Marentes, representing Via Campsina and Committee for Immigration Reform and Social Justice, and discussions at each table with local food producers and farm workers.
For ticket information and other details, click here.
Thanks, Cece!

Registration is open for 2008 SW Washington Sustainability Conference (July 10-12)
This year's conference features an impressive lineup of well-recognized speakers, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The conference sessions will focus on the three key components of sustainability -- climate, commerce and community. As many as 400 professionals in the built environment, design, building, commercial business, retail business, industry, transportation, energy, natural resources, environmental services, community services, social equity, diversity, government policy and education areas are expected to attend this year's conference. This year's conference will lead into a new community event, GreenFest, on July 12. This public event will feature free workshops, activities, exhibits, displays, vendors food and lively fun, designed to engage the entire family in healthy and smart, day-to-day sustainable practices. Click here for details!
Thanks John!


[The Conversation]

It's still growing ...
Please send events, articles, conversation starters, opportunities, etc. to growingconversation@gmail.com.

The Growing Conversation is inspired by a growing number of individuals and community groups who are exploring issues of sustainability in a hands-on fashion.

If you would like to unsubscribe to this list, this is not an automated listserv, so just e-mail growingconversation@gmail.com and you'll be removed from the list.

If you know folks who might be interested in subscribing to this occasional newsletter, e-mail growingconversation@gmail.com and we'll get them added. It's just that easy.

We won't sell your e-mail, we'll try not to nag you too much, and please know that we're just working hard for a sustainable tomorrow.



-- Alicia Lawver, newsletter editor, Grow Local Tacoma

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May. 16, 2008 at 9:57pm

Growing Conversation 5/16/08

[It only happens every two years ...]

FREE: Tacoma-Pierce County Livability Fair
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 17
Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall
More than 150 booths with information on building Livable Communities! Give back by donating cans of food at the entrance to the Tacoma Rescue mission and by donating cans of Pet Food to the Dugan Foundation, Booth #183. Free parking, free admission. Lots of giveaways. Click here for details.


[It's all about the gardens ...]

Plant sale! Greenhouse Project's will host a plant sale at Remann Hall
2 to 5 p.m. Friday, May 16
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 17
The greenhouses located behind Remann Hall, 5501 Sixth Ave., Tacoma
Click here for details.

Work party at the Tacoma Friends meeting house!
Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 18
Click here for directions.
The Friends will be reinvigorating the raised beds up the hill from the building to provide space to grow more fresh, organic produce for the neighborhood. Bring tools if you have some and come dressed for the weather -- it could be hot! Tasks include everything from bed preparation to planting, so "come prepared to work, meet your neighbors and have a great time!" Questions? Call Kristen at (206) 491-0369.


[Eat well, eat local]

It's Farmers Market season once again!
It's that time of year again. Proctor Farmer Market is back on Saturdays, the downtown market on Broadway is the place to be on Thursdays, and we're only weeks away from the big hello to the new Sixth Avenue evening farmers market! Click here to find a list of local farmers markets.
Thanks Sarah!

Springtime greetings from the Tacoma Food Co-op ...
The Food Co-op folks have been busy. Click here to read their update, and mark your calendar for 4 to 9 p.m. July 19 at People's Park!
Thanks Sarah!


[Conversation starters]

Even TV-land is in the loop!
Law & Order: Special Victims unit recently featured Robin Williams playing a character who's alibi to a crime was that he wasn't at HappiBurger, the fast-food restaurant that was the scene of the crime -- because he's a locavore. As CHOW.com's food media blog puts it, "It's very odd to hear the Michael Pollan-esque rhetoric being used as dialogue in a cop show."  Click here to learn about the downtown Tacoma Farmers Market.
Thanks Cece!

Learn about wild food with "American's Best-Known Forager"
Growing salad ingredients too labor intensive for you? Learn all about foraging from "Wildman Steve Brill." Click here for the Wildman's website.
Thanks Sol!

Spotlight shines on local food supply
FROM THE SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER (5/12/08)
By Stacey Jones, guest columnist
Suddenly, food prices are news. Each day we read about the global food crisis: the growing price of wheat, rice shortages, riots over food prices. Some of the issues seem far away and beyond our control -- U.S. and European biofuel policy, rising demand in China, speculation on world food markets, droughts in Australia. ... That spotlight on food can remind us to take a close look at our local food system. Click here to read the rest of the article.
Thanks Sarah!

Food costs likely to boost obesity in poor
FROM THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER (5/6/08)
By Alfred Lubrano
Some of the fattest people in America are among the poorest. ... And with food prices rising, the problem is likely to get worse. ... Tianna Gaines, who describes herself as impoverished and obese, knows this. At 5-foot-3 and 242 pounds, she lives on public assistance in Frankford and eats junk food because it's cheap and more readily available in her neighborhood than carrots and apples. Click here to read the rest of the article.
Thanks Sarah!

Black Sheep Creamery, Solar Richard, and Music from Choklate
FROM SOUND FOCUS, 2:50 p.m. (5/15/08)
By Megan Sukys (archive show from 3/21/08)
Tacoma's own Richard "SolaRichard" Thompson shares how he first started working with solar power, and how he now powers his home soley with the sun. Click here to find the podcast.

Greg Atkinson on the Cooking Klatch
FROM SOUND FOCUS, 2:40 p.m. (5/14/08)
By Megan Sukys/Dave Beck (archive show segment from 2/27/08)
Food writer, chef and culinary consultant Greg Atkinson is also a teacher. Listen as he shares a Northwest menu that he's teaching to students at Seattle Central Community College. Click here to find the podcast and a few recipes.


[Don't try to drink it ...]

Biodiesel Homebrewing Class
by experienced biodiesel educator and homebrewer Lyle Rudensey, M.Ed. aka "BioLyle."
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 8
$60 per person, or $100 for couples
Location provided upon registration
Click here to register.

A hands-on workshop to learn all the basics to make your own high-quality fuel for about $1 per gallon. In this workshop, you will do titrations, make small batches of biodiesel with different oils, and learn the tricks to make quality biodiesel every time. The class will also operate a small-scale "Appleseed" reactor during class. The class will cover topics including chemistry of the reaction, quality control, vehicle compatibility, cold weather issues, methanol recovery, disposal of wastes, and how to run a successful co-op.
Thanks Jamie! Click here for additional details on Jamie's blog.

Biodiesel Enthusiasts Afterparty/Mixer (you can drink this stuff)
4 p.m.-ish Sunday, June 8
Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub, 815 Pacific Ave., Tacoma
Even if you can't make the class, feel free to stop by and join in this great conversation!
Thanks Jamie! Click here for additional details on Jamie's blog.


[Out of town but interesting]

Registration is open for 2008 SW Washington Sustainability Conference (July 10-12)
This year's conference features an impressive lineup of well-recognized speakers, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The conference sessions will focus on the three key components of sustainability -- climate, commerce and community. As many as 400 professionals in the built environment, design, building, commercial business, retail business, industry, transportation, energy, natural resources, environmental services, community services, social equity, diversity, government policy and education areas are expected to attend this year's conference. This year's conference will lead into a new community event, GreenFest, on July 12. This public event will feature free workshops, activities, exhibits, displays, vendors food and lively fun, designed to engage the entire family in healthy and smart, day-to-day sustainable practices. Click here for details!
Thanks John!


[The Conversation]

It's still growing ...
Please send events, articles, conversation starters, opportunities, etc. to growingconversation@gmail.com.

The Growing Conversation is inspired by a growing number of individuals and community groups who are exploring issues of sustainability in a hands-on fashion.

If you would like to unsubscribe to this list, this is not an automated listserv, so just e-mail growingconversation@gmail.com and you'll be removed from the list.

If you know folks who might be interested in subscribing to this occasional newsletter, e-mail growingconversation@gmail.com and we'll get them added. It's just that easy.

We won't sell your e-mail, we'll try not to nag you too much, and please know that we're just working hard for a sustainable tomorrow.

Cultivate Your Community: Grow Local Tacoma-Pierce County

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Apr. 29, 2008 at 9:52pm

Growing Conversation 4/29/08

www.tacomagardens.com

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