WriterByNature.com

March 14, 2010 7:55 am

I am not immune from falling into the trap that humans have some kind of superiority as a species. We’ve spent tens of thousands of years manipulating and cultivating other species. Just when I thought we’d succeeded in driving certain species of plants to extinction, the plants have written their own chapter in this story.

Without any corporate investment, amaranth has become resistant to RoundUp. Take that – Monsanto.

Back to humans, Michael Pollan believes that the Center for Food Safety has the  necessary scientific evidence that will help farmers and the rest of us fight back against Monsanto. Our elected officials will not do it for us, so we’ll have to do it ourselves.

Shakespeare had it right. What fools we mortals be.

March 7, 2010 7:01 am

I’m completing our CSA farm application and finalizing the COMA walk schedule for this season.

While everyone else is focused on the Oscars, I’m watching a documentary that I doubt would be nominated, not because of the production values, but because of the content.

What’s wrong with GMO’s – genetically modified organisms? Decide for yourself. This film is free online: The World According to Monsanto. (more…)

February 16, 2010 8:37 am

I have been a Michael Pollan fan since I read The Omnivore’s Dilemma. In his current book, Food Rules, Rule Number 31 is: Eat Wild Foods When You Can. I want to hug him. He gets it.

This latest book follows In Defense of Food which suggests we: “Eat food. Not too much Mostly plants.” Ironically, Pollan’s complete book titles are longer than the core message. His skillful writing  keeps me reading.

I aspire to Pollan’s mastery of word conservation and his diplomacy. What he calls “edible foodlike substances,” I call “corporate chemical concoctions.” (more…)

November 5, 2009 7:23 am

My mother had a “No Thank-You” rule at the dinner table. Unless you had a food allergy, you were not allowed to refuse to eat what the cook prepared.

This rule has opened my world on more than one occasion. Thanks to Paul Tappenden, I now know how to make dandelion greens palatable.

Here’s the recipe:

1. Boil 2 cups cleaned, chopped dandelion leaves for 10 minutes
2. Drain, discard water and fill pan with fresh water.
3. Boil dandelion leaves an additional 20 minutes
4. Sauté 1 onion and 2 cloves of garlic until golden
5. Stir in cooked dandelion greens, ginger and sesame seeds
6. Cook 1-2 minutes, remove from heat and serve

I started with a “No Thank-You” helping. But I’m a believer now. I just harvested my own batch of dandelion greens and am planning to prepare this to share at my next potluck dinner.

August 13, 2009 6:36 am

Ever since I discovered  Foraging New England by Tom Seymour, I’ve been amazed. There is not a wasted word in this book. Seymour is not only a master forager, he’s an excellent field guide writer.

This is the only field guide – right now the only book – I carry with me.

So there I was, waiting my turn at the DMV, when the photo – and Seymour’s description of Quickweed (Galinsoga ciliata) connected in my brain. I’ve been staring at this plant every Wednesday when I harvest or weed.

(more…)

May 26, 2009 5:18 am

Everyone I know is facing some sort of quality of life crisis and I’m no exception. I find it helpful to sort out my thoughts when I can go for a long hike.

The issues I have to resolve have kept me from spending more time in the woods, but most of the nice weather is still ahead of me. So much of what happens is how you deal with things.

I just made a series of decisions that I would have made differently if I had chosen to spend more time hiking. We all lose perspective from time to time. (more…)

April 11, 2009 8:35 pm

Each year at this time I dig out my Birding By Ear tapes. I often hear more than I see, especially once the trees are in full leaf.

After years of struggling to identify warblers, I discovered that in addition to the many experienced bird watchers who lead tours through New York’s Central Park, a number of passionate Audubon Society members are very willing to share information on where to spot them if you turn up in the right part of the park with binoculars around your neck. It seems that city warblers are nowhere near as shy as their rural cousins. I’ve seen more birds in the last two weeks in NYC than I’ve seen on my own in several years.

New York bird watchers are to the birding world what “Wildman” Steve Brill is to the foraging world and Gary Lincoff is to mycology – passionate urban naturalists who are delighted to share their discoveries.

Here are a few birds I’ve seen for the first time: (more…)

March 26, 2009 7:43 pm

I enjoy taking classes and workshops that ensure my ability to live sustainably.

When I first got the information about this one-day Women in Agriculture workshop, I could not envision how I would learn all these skills. Hats off to Rogowski Farms for putting together an effective and valuable program.

Each presenter used their 45-minute time slot to share basic vocabulary, identify tools and supplies, and demonstrate a simple task. I now have an idea of how splice electric wire, solder copper pipes without making a mess, and replace an air filter on a lawnmower. Am I an expert? No, but I know how to begin and ways I can practice safely until I learn. (more…)

March 18, 2009 7:14 am

I read somewhere that former president Richard Nixon removed the dollar from the gold standard in 1971. I was a freshman in college back then.

I can’t say I understand what’s going on in the economy, but it seems like “fun with numbers” to me.

I know that politicans and CEO’s can’t legislate the law of gravity and haven’t yet prevented the the sun from rising and setting, the moon from waxing and waning, the earth from rotating, and the tide from ebbing and flowing.

My CSA has a new farmer. We’re meeting in just over a week to learn what he needs us to do to help him manage a thriving, sustainable garden.

I don’t have time to be scared about the economy. I’m more concerned about produce that is not labeled. Until recently, I purchased a mixture of conventional and organic fruits. Now, without real labeling, I have no idea which produce might be genetically modified. (more…)

December 11, 2008 8:47 am

Most frozen vegetables need to be blanched or parboiled, before you freeze them.

I couldn’t resist trying an experiment with the kale, which continues to grow long after the first frost. I tore it into bite-sized pieces and froze it uncooked – no parboiling or blanching.

Weeks later, the relentless rain, turned freezing rain, makes being outdoors really unpleasant. I have lots of time to catch up on indoor projects. The raw kale I froze several weeks ago steamed up beautifully.

With the threat of a nor’easter looming in the next 24 hours, there’s no better comfort food than the veggies I helped to nurture, harvest and preserve. It’s like a taste of spring or summer in the dead of winter. (more…)