Greetings:

For the purpose of this missive I'll stick with gardening rather than Permaculture. Over the last 11 years (prior to that my gardening was indoors) I have heard numerous reasons why people 'simply can not garden'. These phrases were always uttered with gusto, a few added !!!!!'s and a quirky smile or two. Not in any particular order, here are some of the biggest "excuses", not 'reasons' (that would imply some sort of cogitation).

"I don't have time"
Well, not ONE person who has stated this had turned off their tell-lie-visions in 89, like I did. If you have time to sit on yer buttocks and watch a glowing cube...you have time to garden.

"I don't have the space"
This is at least, a 'reasonable excuse' if you live on the north side of an apartment block or hi-rise or some similar dwelling.
If you have ANY lawn, it is an excuse, not a reason. You can not eat grass (though many may soon wish they could!) and should uproot that most nefarious of weeds, pronto. If you live in a hi-rise or similar con-trap-tion, do you have a balcony? You can at least have an herb garden and a few cut-and-come again greens like kale.

"I don't know how"
Again, in my experience (and maybe this is a West Coast phenomena, I don't know?) most decent used book stores are full of good gardening books. I'm working on a book list for a later post. Are there gardening courses offered by someone, anyone near by? Can you bear to pull yourself away from your TeeVee long enough to get to one? Does one of your neighbours garden?
Is there a garden service in your area that does food gardens for you (if not, there is a free business idea!)?

"Food is so cheap"
Ha! And how nutritious is it? How long have those 'fresh, crisp' greens sat on the shelf AFTER being shipped? And how much
is your health worth, gardening not only provides you with fresh wholesome food...it is decent physical activity.

"I'm a renter"
Good, get the okay to put in a garden if need be and leave a healthy bunch of great soil for the next person! I live in a high rental area and I've walked into messes that I've left thickly mulched and ready for the next person to go.

"I'm too old"
Build raised beds up to your waist, or hire a local kid to do that for you!

"I can't grow what I 'like' where I live"
Learn to like what you can grow. Most people can at least have a potato patch and some simple, dark, leafy greens. Learn to like them, I did and it wasn't that hard. Can't grow x, grow y.

I think by now you can probably see that there is absolutely no reason not to put in a garden of some sort. There are exceptions of course. Some 'gated community' type places won't allow them, move. Some strata councils do the same, move. I don't even know if there are such things as strata councils outside of Canada? Then there are the barriers that include living in a really, really crappy neighbourhood. Odds are you can't move from that position. I don't know what to tell you, move in with relatives elsewhere for awhile? Geesh, I can figure out lots of things but I can't solve all the problems of the world.

The point is, grow something! Anything. Grow pumpkins and hand them out to kids to smash at Halloween. Save the seeds once they are spilled everywhere though. It's cheap, it's not that hard (and downright easy once you get the hang of it) and remember to START SMALL. Which leads me to my final 'barrier':

"I'm no good at it"
I hear this from people who tilled up some great chunk of land, planted it all in one weekend and couldn't keep up with the work.
No doubt, a large enough garden to feed yourself year round is not doable the first few seasons. Start small and expand when you are comfortable enough. Remember God won't give you a task you are unable to do, but YOU might give yourself too big of a task!

Anyone, please feel free to email about topics you would like to see covered or as always, any questions you have. I allotted this time in my life to be surrounded by gardens working on projects that take little time. I am blessed with free time in a hectic world. My personal projects at this point are all long ranging with ample time in between for communicating.

In Lak'ech

Thousands Fan the Flames of Freedom at Theaters Nationwide

For Immediate Release

June 29, 2010 - In the early morning of April 19th, 235 years ago, a small band of Militia men numbering nearly 70 and led by Captain John Parker fired the "shot heard round the world". The actions on that day would forever be the turning point for the fledgling colonies who would soon make up the United Sates. In the same fashion on June 26th, 2010, thousands of freedom-loving Americans attended more than 300 screenings of the new William Lewis/Gary Franchi film "Don't Tread On Me: Rise of the Republic". Members of various grassroots organizations, tea parties and concerned citizens joined together to share the message of Sovereignty and freedom for all, and discuss the solutions presented in the film.

As a bonus, just in time for the screenings, Producer Franchi turned the "quiz" that comes with the film into a ten-part video series. The video quiz is currently posted at http://DontTreadOnMeMovie.com/quiz.html , for anyone interested in using it for their groups or screenings at later dates.

The new film presents information for solving the problem of a government that is ever-encroaching on state, local and individual rights. "Don't Tread On Me: Rise of the Republic" shares what some state governments are doing to protect themselves, offers a rather colorful suggestion for the eventual death of the Federal Reserve, and a rather gutsy solution to federally mandated programs that hold states hostage through the doling out of Federal Income Tax monies. Responses to the film have been very positive, so far.

Franchi, in response to the national effort stressed, "this is only the beginning, the momentum and message of this film is powerful, August 7th we're doing it again, we need all hands on deck for the next National Screening date".

Updates for the June 26th screenings are coming in. Be sure to let us know how it went in your area by e-mail your comments about the screening you hosted/attended to debbie@bridgestonemediagroup.com

http://RestoreTheRepublic.com
3149 Dundee Rd #176
Northbrook, Illinois 60062, USA

Farmers Market Committee Meeting
June 21, 2010
DLSMS Office
Minutes

In attendance were: Bob, Vicky, Karin, Jim and Stacy

Entertainment
Stacy reported that Nick Baker contacted her about playing at the Market. He plays the marimba and is willing to play for tips. He will be in the KC area in late June/early July. The Committee agreed it would be an added value to the Market. Stacy will ask him if he can play this Saturday, June 26th.

Ideas for the Market during Downtown Days
There’s a dentist on Douglas Street that may let us use their lot for the Market
See about using the church lot north of the Farmers Market lot
We may be able to use ½ of the Farmers Market lot; only 1 stall per person
Committee would prefer to have the Market close to the same location rather than in the Downtown Days festival area
In addition to having the Market open, consider setting up a booth in the festival to pass out information about the Market; see if vendors would take shifts running the booth

Karin mentioned that 3 people pulled into the lot north of the Farmers Market lot on the Saturday of Downtown Days. They were all new to Lee’s Summit and wanted to check out the Market. She said the advertising we are doing seems to be working.

Peach Issue
Karin suggested that we have a protocol in place for how to deal with issues when they arise. If there is a question or concern about an item being sold, it needs to be brought to a committee member to handle. Jeanine suggested that we have a designated person or people to handle these situations. Karin agreed to accept this position. Vicky added that there is a lack of respect for the rules, the Market, and other vendors. Some people have more integrity than others. Jim commented that in the future we need to make note of who doesn’t come to the pre-season meeting and review the rules with them. Stacy said she could add a few lines to the last page of the rules of operation reiterating the rules we are having concerns about. The vendors would have to check boxes next to each of these sentences saying they will abide by the rule. Stacy noted that they did this with the hold harmless agreement for Downtown Days this year, and it seemed to work very well.

Stacy will send an email out to all the Farmers Market vendors letting them know that they need to talk to Karin if they have a concern about an item being sold at the Market and also reiterating that all produce must be grown within 150 miles.



Other Business:
Absences at the Market: Stacy reported that Gary Cypret and Dan and Sherry Burns both contacted the office and said they are not able to come to the Market yet because they do not have produce ready. Jim added that he doesn’t have anything ready yet either.

Concerns about Pricing: Stacy reported that there have been some concerns from other vendors about Lone Summit Ranch having very low prices. Karin commented that we can’t do anything about it. The customer gets to choose if they want price over quality. Stacy told the Committee that if they hear complaints from any other vendors, please let them know that we cannot do anything about the prices. Each vendor can set their own price.

Committee Interaction at the Market: Stacy reminded everyone to respect all the vendors. The Committee members should be an example for the rest of the vendors. Vicky added that next year we need to have an orientation for the new vendors, or maybe a couple of them as new vendors join the Market. Jim suggested that it be mandatory for new vendors to attend these orientations.

Other Comments, Concerns, Suggestions, etc.: Bob asked why Georgia can sell things that Beth can’t. Stacy explained that according to the Health Department, all baked goods must be labeled with their ingredients and contact information of the person who made them. Beth said she was reselling muffins that were made at Costco. Debbie said bakers cannot repackage things that are not made by them. If she wants to sell those muffins, they need to be sold in the Costco packaging.

Karin said she found a person that sells Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food that is interested in attending the Market (in place of Jaylene’s food booth). Karin will have her talk to the Health Department and find out if this is even an option.

Karin said she will continue taking care of the cones and signs.

Next Meeting: July 12th at 8:00 am

EVALUATING THE DANGEROUS USDA DIETARY GUIDELINES

EVALUATING THE DANGEROUS USDA DIETARY GUIDELINES

Fats, including saturated fats are essential for proper health. Studies have shown that saturated fats do NOT cause heart disease. Please read this extremely important Press Release from the Weston A Price Foundation
PROPOSED 2010 USDA DIETARY GUIDELINES –A RECIPE FOR CHRONIC DISEASE

Weston A. Price Foundation Proposes a Return to Four Basic Groups of Nutrient-Dense Foods


WASHINGTON, DC, June 23, 2010: The proposed 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines are a recipe for infertility, learning problems in children and increased chronic disease in all age groups according to Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation.


”The proposed 2010 Dietary Guidelines perpetuate the mistakes of previous guidelines in demonizing saturated fats and animal foods rich in saturated fatty acids such as egg yolks, butter, whole milk, cheese, fatty meats like bacon and animal fats for cooking. The current obesity epidemic emerged as vegetable oils and refined carbohydrates replaced these healthy, nutrient-dense traditional fats. Animal fats supply many essential nutrients that are difficult to obtain from other sources,” explains Fallon Morell.


“The revised Guidelines recommend even more stringent reductions in animal fats and cholesterol than previous versions,” says Fallon Morell, “and are tantamount to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. While the ship of state sinks under the weight of a crippling health care burden, the Committee members are giving us more of the same disastrous advice. These are unscientific and grossly deficient dietary recommendations.”


The Weston A. Price Foundation is a non-profit nutrition education foundation with no ties to the government or food processing industries. Named for Dr. Weston A. Price, whose pioneering research discovered the vital importance of animal fats in human diets, the Foundation has warned against the dangers of lowfat and plant-based diets.


“Basic biochemistry shows that the human body has a very high requirement for saturated fats in all cell membranes; if we do not eat saturated fats, the body will simply make them from carbohydrates, but excess carbohydrate increases blood levels of triglyceride and small, dense LDL, and compromises blood vessel function,” says Fallon Morell. “Moreover, high-carbohydrate diets do not satisfy the appetite as well as diets rich in traditional fats, leading to higher caloric intakes and often to bingeing and splurging on empty foods, resulting in rapid weight gain and chronic disease.”


The proposed guidelines will perpetuate existing nutrient deficiencies present in all American population groups, including deficiencies in vitamins A and D found in animal fats, vitamins B12 and B6 found in animal foods, as well as minerals like calcium and phosphorus, which require vitamins A and D for assimilation. Moreover, low intakes of vitamin K2, are associated with increased risk of heart disease and cancer. The main sources of vitamin K2 available to Americans are egg yolks and full-fat cheese. Incredibly, the Guidelines single out cheese as an unhealthy food!


Fallon Morell notes that by restricting healthy animal fats in school lunches and diets for pregnant women and growing children, the Guidelines will accelerate the tragic epidemic of learning and behavior disorders. The nutrients found most abundantly in animal fats and organ meats—including choline, cholesterol and arachidonic acid—are critical for the development of the brain and the function of receptors that modulate thinking and behavior. Studies show that choline helps the brain make critical connections and protects against neurotoxins; animal studies suggest that if choline is abundant during developmental years, the individual is protected for life from developmental decline. The National Academy of Sciences recommends 375 mg per day for children nine through thirteen years of age, 450 mg for pregnant women and 550 mg for lactating women and men aged fourteen and older. These amounts are provided by four or five egg yolks per day—but that would entail consuming 800-1000 mg cholesterol, a crime by USDA standards. In their deliberations, the committee referred to this as the “choline problem.” Pregnant women and growing children especially need to eat as many egg yolks as possible—yet the Guidelines demonize this nutrient-dense food.


The Guidelines lump trans fats together with saturated fats—calling them Solid Fats—thereby hiding the difference between unhealthy industrial trans fats and healthy traditional saturated fats. Trans fats contribute to inflammation, depress the immune system, interfere with hormone production, and set up pathological conditions leading to cancer and heart disease, whereas saturated fats fight inflammation, support the immune system, support hormone production and protect against cancer and heart disease.


The vitamins and fatty acids carried uniquely in saturated animal fats are critical to reproduction. The Weston A. Price Foundation warns that the 2010 Guidelines will increase infertility in this country, already at tragically high rates.


“The 2010 proposed Guidelines represent a national scandal, the triumph of industry clout over good science and common sense,” says Fallon Morell. “It must be emphasized that the Guidelines are not based on science but are designed to promote the products of commodity agriculture and—through the back door—encourage the consumption of processed foods. For while the USDA food police pay lip service to reducing our intake of refined sweeteners, trans fats, white flour and salt, this puritanical low-fat prescription ultimately leads to cravings for chips, sweets, sodas, breads, desserts and other empty food-and-beverage-like products just loaded with refined sweeteners, trans fats, white flour and salt.”


The Weston A. Price Foundation proposes alternative Healthy 4 Life Dietary Guidelines, which harkens back to the traditional four basic food groups, but with a renewed emphasis on quality through a return to pasture-based feeding and organic, pesticide-free production methods:


Every day, eat high quality, whole foods to provide an abundance of nutrients, chosen from each of the following four groups:


1. Animal foods: meat and organ meats, poultry, and eggs from pastured animals; fish and shellfish; whole raw cheese, milk and other dairy products from pastured animals; and broth made from animal bones.


2. Grains, legumes and nuts: whole-grain baked goods, breakfast porridges, whole grain rice; beans and lentils; peanuts, cashews and nuts, properly prepared to improve digestibility.


3. Fruits and Vegetables: preferably fresh or frozen, preferably locally grown, either raw, cooked or in soups and stews, and also as lacto-fermented condiments.


4. Fats and Oils: unrefined saturated and monounsaturated fats including butter, lard, tallow and other animal fats; palm oil and coconut oil; olive oil; cod liver oil for vitamins A and D.


Avoid: foods containing refined sweeteners such as candies, sodas, cookies, cakes etc.; white flour products such as pasta and white bread; processed foods; modern soy foods; polyunsaturated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and fried foods.


The Weston A. Price Foundation is a 501C3 nutrition education foundation with the mission of disseminating accurate, science-based information on diet and health. Named after nutrition pioneer Weston A. Price, DDS, author of Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, the Washington, DC-based Foundation publishes a quarterly journal for its 13,000 members, supports 450 local chapters worldwide and hosts a yearly International conference. The Foundation headquarters phone number is (202) 363-4394, www.westonaprice.org, info@westonaprice.org.

THE FOOD FREEDOM REVOLUTION

THE FOOD FREEDOM REVOLUTION

Throughout history, whoever had control of the food supply had the control over the people.It is amazing when one thinks about how little control we have today over how our food is grown and processed. Slowly but surely all of our food is being pasteurized under the guise of protection. This absolute denaturing of our food supply is not for our benefit but is for the purpose of making it cheaper for the corporations to grow and process food. Pasteurization of food destroys the living elements which make the food valuable to our bodies. Without the proper balance of enzymes and good bacteria, we become sickly and wind up seeking help from the very web of control that made us sick in the first place.The government and the corporations have become intimately interconnected...so counting on the government to "save" us..is not going to work. The sicker we are, the more money is made. The medical industrial complex has become the government. So.....I wouldn't listen to Michael Moore if I were you.....because either he is not aware of this fact or he is trying to promote MORE control by corporations.

Look at how we have been conditioned to have beautiful green weedless outside carpets (lawns). If the government really cared about the future of America, the environment and the health of Americans, they would be strongly encouraging us to use all of our available land to grow our own food. This way we could control what types of fertilizer we use, we could avoid pesticides, our food would be infinitely fresher, we could give our surplus to those in need, and transportation costs and pollution would be almost eliminated.We could stop poisoning our property with pesticides, weed killers and chemical feritlzers...which add nothing and actually take away from the health and well being of our living area.

Several books I would recommend are....... The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved: Inside America's Underground Food Movements , The Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice, and Sustainability

Back to Basics: What Organic Really Means


These days, the word “organic” is everywhere. On food, clothing, pet supplies, lawn care products, and many other types of products on the market. But what does “organic” really mean? At its most basic level, organic refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed. It includes a system of production, processing, distribution and sales that assures consumers that the products maintain the organic integrity that begins on the farm. This system, which is governed by strict government standards, requires that products bearing the organic label are made without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, antibiotics, synthetic hormones, genetic engineering or other excluded practices, sewage sludge, or irradiation. Guided by these and other standards, organic is the most heavily regulated and closely monitored production system in the U.S., enabling you to choose organic products with confidence. Learn more about why organic is the gold standard of eco-labels, and why you can trust it.


Organic Certification: A Look Behind the Organic Label
It takes a lot for a product to become certified organic. It has to be grown and processed without the use of toxic and synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, antibiotics, synthetic growth hormones, sewage sludge, and artificial colors and flavors. And the product can’t just claim to made without these substances; it has to prove it. In her featured expert profile, organic certifier Gwendolyn Wyard takes us behind the scenes to better understand exactly what “proving it” means within the organic system, and how it central this proof is to preserving and protecting organic integrity.



Washington, D.C. Schools Lead the Charge Toward Healthier School Food
Thanks to Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative as well as other programs aimed at reducing childhood obesity, many schools around the United States are taking steps to offer students healthier food. As this article points out, schools in Washington, D.C. are among the most progressive on this front. School food will have to fall within strict calorie limits and be sourced, as much as possible, from local and organic growers. Trans fats will be eliminated. Plus, students will be required to exercise regularly. Read on to learn more about what the D.C. schools have in store, and how other groups are beginning to follow suit.







Great on a wish list.
Even better crossed off your to-do list.



Promote your kids’ healthy eating habits all summer long

Prepare the perfect organic pancakes

Let us know how you incorporate organic into your life