Meet Mr. and Mrs. Dirty Boots

OK, I have to mention one of my favorite blogs, now that it appeared in www.bestgreenblogs.com

“A Self-Sufficient Life” is a blog by a UK couple who moved to a mountain in Spain where they harvest olives and almonds for very little money. They find adventure in self-sufficiency.  Yes, by all accounts they live the hippie dream. I don’t begrudge them any extra money they might make from the ads on their blog.

They call themselves “Mr. and Mrs. Dirty Boots.”

This week, Mrs. Dirty Boots is sharing recipes for cheap nutritious  breakfasts and lunches. Here’s her simple recipe for one of my favorite Indian foods: vegetable chapattis.

Sustainable Agriculture: Ideal Versus Best for Most People?

MotherJones.com will have an expert-led reader forum  April 13-17 around the provocative question that headlines this article: “Is organic and local so 2008?”

Even if you don’t participate, the article is worth reading.

Food Matters, Local and Organic

Columnist Mark Bittman points out in the International Herald Tribune why organic food isn’t always the best choice, especially when considering carbon footprint. And speaking of local food, Doug Hubley wrote a really nice summary of a presentation by  four Maine-based Bates alumni, each an expert in food issues.

White House Getting Vegetable Garden

For the first time since WWII, a vegetable garden is being carved out of the White House lawn. The First Lady says it will provide organic food for family meals, but more importantly, will help educate children  about healthful, locally grown fruit and vegetables at a time when obesity and diabetes have become a national concern.  Here’s the New York Times story.

Noticing Who Gets the Good Food

For 35 years, Bates alumnus and food activist Mark Winne has been working to close the gap between the kinds of food available to rich and poor. What I really appreciate is his constant awareness that the agribusiness model we take for granted as “normal” is a chemically dependent system that only developed since World War II.

Ethical Food Purchases Strong Despite Downturn

I’ve been keeping an eye out for evidence that the global financial crisis is prompting people on tighter budgets  to abandon sustainable agriculture, local food, fair-trade food, organic food.  Finally saw a survey on this out of Britain that suggests a cutback only in organic food purchases.  “Ethical” food sales have not declined. Wonder if this pattern is true in the U.S.?

Common Ground Fair Sept. 19-21

I love Maine county fairs. But none can touch the annual Common Ground Country Fair up in Unity for local, natural and organic food. More than that, the Common Ground Fair speaks to Maine’s future more than its past. Last year, it was heartening to see a large sustainable energy section, with vendors showing off new building materials designed for a state in which energy costs are dramatically rising.

This fair was created 32 years ago by Maine organic farmers and craftspeople, and about 50,000 visitors are expected over the weekend. The organizing group, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), formed in 1971, claims to be the oldest and largest state organic organization in the country.  It also claims that organic farms are on the rise in Maine – a good thing.