The vegetables are coming in

Random thoughts on the garden: I am very happy because I have picked 5 red tomatoes and one large cucumber from my organic garden. It's been such an education experience--last year I started a serious compost practice and by this spring I had the most beautiful black compost--made up of not only kitchen scraps but rabbit litter and droppings form my two rabbits. I know, pretty gross, but the compost was fully ready and smelled great--almost lemony! Quite the miracle, this whole life cycle thing. Who knew? My hot red peppers are coming in, as are my squash, sunflowers, red lettuce, carrots, eggplants, and beans. Last year I made a dozen jars of pickles from the cucumbers and home-grown dill and I hope to do the same again this fall. The basil looks good too. 

I hope that Michelle Obama, who put in an organic veg garden at the White House, will work hard to effect changes in our food policy. Like a lot of people I am deeply concerned about food sovereignty, especially in my homeland on the Korean peninsula. 

I went to Cub yesterday to buy some organic apples and a few other things (I don't usually shop there just because it's so big and confusing for my brain) and the only two organic apples were shipped all the way from Chile. I guess apples are not in season (duh...) (our own backyard Honeycrisp apple trees have apples--OK, one does and the other one has dropped about four teeny ones but is otherwise bare, sadly- but they're small--about the size of a baby's fist right now). So I guess I shouldn't have bought them. I bought two because I really wanted apples (and I'm AMERICAN--I should have WHATEVER I WANT...). (Our cherry tree died altogether, but it was root-bound. Curse you, Gerten's! We'll be back for our refund!) 

Yes, I have read The Omnivore's Dilemma and I did just see Food, Inc. last week! (We noted that most of the smart men in the movie were thin, bald white guys--OK, maybe just Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollen...but the movie was basically about them, which is fine...) I've been a vegetarian (for the most part, except for a meat-eating stint during pregnancies) since I was about 16, mostly for environmental and ethical reasons. Once I found out how much rain forest land cattle were taking up in South America, and how much water and grain it took to produce one pound of steak, it seemed like a no brainer. And my cholesterol levels are heavenly! And now that we civilians know about carbon footprints and all that...I guess the next step is to really buy as much locally produced food as possible. We didn't make it to farmer's market at all this summer, sadly. I guess it's not too late for this summer. 

What's possibly more or equally important is to demand policy changes so that organic food is available in all neighborhoods and that an apple doesn't cost more than a pack of hotdogs. Probably the most appalling statistic in Food, Inc. was that 50% of all children born after 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes.  

In September, let me know if you need some squash...

Comments

[Ahmad Hj Abang]

abangxxx said:
Interesting. I'm trying my hand at hydroponic gardening right now. I'd like to read your work one day.
Anyway, I can be reached at:
abangxxx-daroblog.blogspot.com/