Local Food News Update

 Image from Wikicommons

Hello and thank you for coming to this page.  I hope that you will visit Local Food and read some of the news.  We've titled this year as the year of Food Heritage - Opportunities and Choices.  Because you are paying attention, you are aware of the importance of seeds, bees, water and other factors that directly impact the quality of our health and the environment.  Yes, there is something every one can do to say YES to what remains of of our local, national and global food resources.  We have the opportunity to support, develop and enrich regenerative and sustainable food systems.  As eaters, it is our job to expect the healthiest food for everyone, because to be a great community or nation recquires healthy minds and bodies at every stage of life.  Healthy food, air, soil  and water systems are necessary because what is in the water, air and soil is in every bite we consume.

Since 2001 LOCAL FOOD BLOOMINGTON has been offering information 

on where we eat; community resources, regenerative gardening and food news

  that directly applies to the how, and the why of what we have available on our

tables and how it connects each of us to our national and global food systems.

The Local Food Directory – http://www.greendove.net/localfood.htm features

 Baking, Coffee Shops, Breweries, Wineries, Restaurants, Food News, Blog,    

 Community Food Resources for those in need, Food Education, Food Words,

 Food Books, Recipes, Farmers Markets, Gardening Resources, Wildcrafting  

 You will find articles or connections to these topics and more!

~The Difference Between Open Pollinated Seeds, Hybrids and GMO's

~What is a Seed Bank?

~Community Seed Libraries

~Bees

~States and Counties Can Ban GMO Crops Despite Federal Laws

~Milwaukee County To Be Home To Largest Urban Organic Fruit Orchard In US

~Franklin Electric Acquires US Groundwater Distribution Companies in Indiana

~Fraking

~Chef Interview with Chris Swartzenruber Upland’s Executive Chef

~Swanton Strawberry Farm

~Cuba's Organic Honey Exports Create Buzzas Bees Die off Elsewhere

~Indian Traders Boycott Coca-Cola for

Straining Water Resources'

~Lemongrass

~Free Food Education



Read the updated Food News at http://www.greendove.net/foodnews.htm

Visit the updated Local Food site at http://www.greendove.net/localfood.htm

Thank you,
LOCAL FOOD Fairy

“The nation’s fiscal health is dependent upon the health of the next generation. When we consider the cost of inaction in a matter of national security, lives are at stake.” Debra Eschmeyer, Co-Founder of Food Corps

Dear Readers,


Thank you for being out there. I hope that 2013 brings you much happiness, joy and great food!


I just posted an update to Local Food News. Following my brief note is an article written by a new local about a great organization, Food NOT BOMBS!


Patricia's Wellness Arts Cafe & Quilter's Comfort Teas is almost ready to announce the winner of the 2nd Annual "Name the Tea Contest". The selection of jellies, herbal, coffee, beer and wine has increased. Currently all are made using Certified Organic or locally sourced herbs from growers using organic and sustainable practices.


Visit Food News at for lots of articles and information concerning food, gardening, and food in the news.


May your gardens be abundant.



FOOD NOT BOMBS!


Bloomington, as most readers would agree, has a notable, functional, people-powered food security infrastructure to address hunger resulting from poverty. The product of decades of continuous hard work, the folks of these community organizations provide the town with a peace of mind that would otherwise not be available, and is (unfortunately) seldom found on this scale in towns throughout the US.


Most of these folks come together with a pretty straightforward goal: provide a consistent source of wholesome nutrition for every member of the community. Food security, like physical and health security, is considered by many a basic human right, and with it comes a collective responsibility. These issues are handled in many ways, from neighbors providing mutual aid, to centralized services provided by local, state and federal government. Some believe that food security can and should be kept without encouraging the exploitation of those providing and receiving these vital services(a constant risk when the solutions to such basic human rights issues are made into commodities). One group of Bloomington residents respond to this concern by not only providing free, nutritious food, but by sourcing it outside any monetary system. Free food, made free.


With the slogan 'Solidarity, not Charity!', B-Town Food Not Bombs has been a fixture in the local community, on and off, for nearly ten years and FNB has been around globally since 1980. As the group's name indicates, they can trace their roots to the Nuclear Disarmament movement of the '80s and are committed against violence and state aggression. The central difference between FNB and other groups/collectives is their penchant for sourcing their delicious (as the author and many residents can attest) vegan or vegetarian meals from no-cost, local sources. These are often vendors such as grocery stores, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) groups, local farmers and backyardeners whose donated food would have gone to waste for one reason or another, but is otherwise perfectly good and ready for our and our neighbor's plate.


The 'feeding frenzies' are free to all and take place in public spaces (here at Peoples Park most Sunday evenings) as a way to combat hunger but to also encourage real, meaningful discussion and action against poverty and homelessness...an issue that, even here, is kept more silent than it can and should be. That said, the folks are genuine, friendly and encourage a sense of community with all who attend. Cliquish-ness is discouraged by a common ground; fixing hunger.


So, as a member's invitation went one Sunday, 'B-Town Food Not Bombs presents a real, tasty meal! Come one, come all at 5:45 p.m. to People's Park. Bring the whole household, even pets! Tell a friend, tell a foe.' I'll see you there, in hunger and solidarity.


Kyle F is a recently transplanted Bloomington resident interested in food security and community-powered projects in general.'

HOT TEA MONTH IN BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA

HAPPY NEW YEARS TO EACH OF YOU! MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE POTABLE WATER AND DELICIOUS .HEALTHY FOOD AND GOOD COMPANY TO SHARE IT WITH!

January is HOT Tea Month and PATRICIA’S WELLNESS ARTS CAFÉ & Quilter’s Comfort Teas is celebrating with a "Name a Tea Contest"! Tea Blender, or more aptly, tisane blender, Patricia C. Coleman of Quilter's Comfort is settling in at 725 West Kirkwood Avenue with the introduction of 14 new certified organic Quilter's Comfort proprietary blends, as soon as possible, there will be an introduction of locally sourced blends!

One of the new teas being released does not have a name! Everyone making a purchase during the month of January can submit a name suggestion for the unnamed tea. Current teas include Patricia's Delicious, Cold Thyme, Orange Earl Green, Chamomile HipHop, Owl and Pussy Cat's Berry Green (now a staple at the Runcible Spoon) All Ears and others. The person submitting the name selected by our panel of judges, Ash Burgess, Noah Dadds and Betty Irvine, will receive one bag of tea each month through 2012!

Stop in and enjoy self-serve sampling of the new nameless tea, another tea; tea syrup and tea jelly. I know, some of you are saying "tea jelly?" I have never heard of such a thing. Patricia creates what she calls a "tea essence" from one of her blends and works that into jelly. Yes, every certified organic artisan tea blend is mirrored in jelly and syrup. One taster described the jelly and syrup as subtle, complex and layered. Another expressed how there is a long pleasant mid range of delicate flavors.

If you are in Bloomington, stop in Patricia's Wellness Arts Cafe and experience what BLOOM Mag calls "A Cafe Life No Other". Not in Bloomington, Indiana and would love to taste these delicious and nutritious teas, you can place an order by calling . Visit the Quilter's Comfort website at http://www.quilterscomfort.com. They hope to have it up to date as soon as possible.

Blessings of delicious food,

Blueberries and Jam

Blueberries June 2011

Walking up the gravel drive on a break away from the computer, out of no where, I thought to see how the blueberries were doing. I wanted to eat at least a bowl of them, maybe even ten. It actually was possible I might be able to eat a gallon or six or more. Maybe make a little jam. I thought that might be wishful thinking, with bird netting still waiting to be hung, and birds, well birds, and deer and raccoons and possibly other neighbor creatures always knew when any of the fruits, wild or cultivated were ripe and ready for picking.



Approaching the oldest of the blueberry bushes, each a good foot taller than I, the birds were on alert calling out in alarm, some daring to fly out toward me as I approached the bushes. It was easy to see why as I approached. There were berries ripe for picking. I turned away from the bushes toward the house where I a donned a hat and long sleeved shirt, choose a quart sized stainless bowl, then returned to the garden. Taking a moment to size up the ripe fruit, I went to one side and began picking. The air was filled with bird talk.

That bowl filled quickly and I returned to the house for a larger one. On the short walk back, blue jays and other winged ones swooped quickly in and out of the plants. As soon as the picking begun, I knew that I would have to pick whatever I could because once I walked away, those birds would be in there snatching for anything ripe for picking.




A few hours later, I‘d harvested enough blueberries to make one batch of jam plus a few pints for the pleasure of fresh eating. Since the birds were on to me, that was it for a while. That day onward, still uncovered, they consumed the berries as fast as they ripened. It is what I expected. Last year, well, last year, I recall enjoying maybe a single pint over the weeks of these plants season. The birds were not as generous with my sweet cherries. That is another story or a poem. There are a few berries coming on now, the bird covering is up, and I can take pleasure in eating a handful of two of warm from the branch berries. Smiling in remembrance as I sit down to blueberry rice waffle, , topped with fresh blueberry jam and a light sprinkling of fresh berries and a generous dollop of yoghurt, I am glad for whatever prompted me to check out the plants that day.

Patricia

© All rights reserved. For permission to reprint, contact Patricia at localfoodbloomington@gmail.com

Patricia C. Coleman (aka Food Fairy) has been exploring organic gardening and fruit cultivation of heirloom varieties since the mid 1970's. Early studies included sustainable agriculture practices of heirloom indigenous agricultural plants and practices that also introduced her to permaculture, edible landscaping and the Findhorn Garden. All work one does with love is a form of play and she enjoys many forms of play and is grateful for every opportunity she has to play in this glorious earth garden.

Thank you Local Food Readers

May this brief end of the year note find you each well in every part of your life. Thank you for supporting Local Food Bloomington!

We hope to have new volunteers in 2011 and will continue to share local food information with you and improve on the Local Food Bloomington website, home to Local Food News, celebrating its 10th Anniversary!

Interested in supporting Local Food? Contact us with your ideas. Together we can share more about local food!

Send your tax deductible donations to:

Local Food Bloomington
P.O. Box 8172
Bloomington, Indiana 47407

Violet Wine Fermentation Picture

I finally went through some of my images and found the picture I took of the beginning stages of fermentation for the Violet Wine I made this spring! I love the colors and all of the bubbles!



It took me so long to get the image here, the fermentation process has stopped and the wine is now waiting to be bottled!

Local Food News Updated!

Greetings,

May this find you well and may all of us who have enough to eat and drink, be thankful!

Last week Local Food News - http://www.greendove.net/foodnews.htm was updated. Idon't know why there are gaps, but you may find somethings of interest there.

As always, please send us your local stories (going local to us extends to all of Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, as well as topics that are of concern to all of us.

Also, our sister, Indiana Holistic Health Network recently published a new Healing CRANE Newsletter at http://www.indianaholistichealth.net/newsletter.htm

A new recipe has also been added, Stovetop Quiche and will be posted here later. I will also be adding a picture to the Violet Wine article.

Thanks for your time.

Good Food and Good Water