Tomatomania!!!
April 20-21 at Flora Gardens
Okay tomato lovers, get ready. Start prepping those garden beds, because the annual heirloom-tomato extravaganza is coming again. Hundreds of plants with historic lineage of generations of seed saving and sharing -- with every size, color and flavor of tomatoes you could possibly imagine. I go crazy. I buy a few standards like Cherokee Purple, Sun Golds or Green Zebra and then start looking for exotic names and colors and mouthwatering descriptions ... like fine wine. I usually come home with about 8 plants and reluctantly leave a few behind. This year will be no different.
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Food Forest Workshop: Raised Beds
We got the fruit trees in. (What an effort, caging to repel gophers.) We've moved soil and saved good topsoil. We are almost ready for the next piece of the garden ... raised beds that are critter-proof. Since we don't want to commit to stone planters yet, we've found a cool "pre-fab" that some friends are using in Oak View. Check out the 72x36x20 GeoPlanters ( http://shop.geopot.com/geoplanter-with-pvc-frame/). We're going to put these up on a raised frame, which everyone can help construct. Hoping to do this by the end of the month and will send a follow up with date and time once we know we'll have all the parts.
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Beyond Monsanto and HR 733
Key Next Steps for U.S. Food Policy
Frederick Ravid
(My note: Many of us have been distraught over Monsanto's recent victories in further protecting themselves from environmental or legal accountability. There was a big push to have Pres. Obama veto a particular part of a recent Congressional initiative. Apprantely the Continuing Resolution is an "all or nothing" deal, with no line-item veto power, though I understand Obama's office checked to see if they could. It is a 6-month deal and can/will be revisited. Here's what I received today to give a broader perspective ...)
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This is the problem we face: The US doesn't really have a National Policy on Food and Agriculture. Corporate interests and regulators have never been governed by a solid Policy framework. We need Policy that comes from a clear and sustained public debate followed by legislation towards sustainable, healthy, and scientifically legitimate Food Policy. While tens of millions of citizens are actively involved in various national debates about topics like abortion, and other hot button issues, Food Policy gets relatively minor attention, though literally everyone eats. Occasionally, some voices involved in Food Policy advocacy compete with each other - leading to potential fragmentation and dilution of our power. We must eliminate that as a factor, and work in concert like a well-tuned orchestra to be effective. A group of important leading Food advocacy organizations including ProOrganic.org is being convened by Center for Food Safety which will address strategy and tactics next week.
Our task over the next six months is to stimulate a vast national hot-button debate that puts tremendous pressure on all elected officials AND which leads to wise food-policy legislation. Some of this is already being drafted now. If that past year has taught us at ProOrganic anything, it's that fighting Monsanto or the FDA is not leadership, it's an understandable, but relatively ineffective reaction. Have to move beyond opposition towards proposition.
Leadership means we grow our movement to 100 million people who demand Food Policy and who use it as a litmus test for supporting elected officials' ambitions. ANY President, Governor, Senator or Congressman would have to support us or face political failure. The outrage over Section 735 and its assault on the Constitution should be used to spark many more people to involvement and action. We absolutely have to use this moment wisely, because we just got "fifteen minutes of fame" and we can exploit this to our advantage.
Now it's time to craft a crystal clear message that everybody can understand and get excited about. We have to get so many people involved in the debate that the message comes loud and clear to the all elected officials. At ProOrganic.org, we see this week's events as an opportunity to stimulate a turning-point in the National conversation.
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"Ground Operations" goes to Washington DC
We have been invited to the G.I. Film Festival, May 6-13, in Arlington, VA & WDC. We have the opportunity to meet with congressional representatives, national non-profits, see some of our veterans in the film and get some traction on our social action campaign.
If you have friends or colleagues in Washington DC, please let us know and/or direct them to the festival to see the film:
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Thanks for your continuing interest in making the Ojai Valley a more delicious place to live. Our food system is a vital part of our resilience and strength.
Growing food, growing community!
Dulanie Ellis, Food News
Ojai Valley Green Coalition
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Upcoming Events
April 7
The Food Commons
Larry Yee, Co-founder of The Food Commons (TFC) will present and discuss TFC at Citizens for Peaceful Resolution's public meeting.
The Food Commons is a nonprofit organization that has developed a model for actualizing the food "revolution" in communities everywhere by creating the physical, financial and organizational infrastructure necessary for thriving regional food systems.
Topping Rm/EP Foster Library, Ventura
3:00-5:00
April 13 $35
Soil Food Web
Workshop
Learn how bring the biology back to your soils and how to make quality compost and compost extracts
David White
Food For Thought
Meiners Oaks Elementary 1:00pm-4:00pm
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EARTH DAY
Just like every day.... but do something special to celebrate the natural world. I'm sure that every city has a happening.
May 11
Day on the Farm
Christel Rogero is gearing up for Year Two with 6 farms and a progressive meal. If you want to help out or can help market:
[email protected]
10:00-3:00
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Grain-Free
Cinnamon Apple
Doughnuts
(Thanks to Joanie)
1/2 c. coconut flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. unrefined sea salt
2 eggs, separated
3 Tbl. honey
2 Tbl. coconut oil,
melted
1/2 c. apple juice
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Grease donut pan
3. Whisk coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda & salt together in large mixing bowl.
4. In separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with honey, coconut oil & apple juice.
5. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, beat until smooth.
6. Beat egg whites until light & fluffy. Fold them into the batter.
7. Pour batter into donut pan.
8. Bake about 20 minutes. Cool.
9. Gently remove from pan, put on cooling rack. Sprinkle with cinnamon & serve.
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