Self Fed Bookshelf

Recently read Novella Carpenter's "Farm City" - strangely while on vacation in Oakland CA where the (non-fiction) story takes place. Even did a little drive by of the urban farmstead with her publicist - did not, however meet the author.

I can strongly recommend the book. In fact, this book, along with other organizations promoting "ultra- local" food from your backyard, urban park, windowsill or whatever are making this blogger question the need for this blog itself (hence the recent silence of months). Anyone reading have any suggestions for the future direction/ content of this blog?

http://www.amazon.com/Farm-City-Education-Urban-Farmer/dp/1594202214

DIY Life: Urban

Homesteaders at

Kitchen Table Talks

2009 Year of the Backyard Chicken!

http://www.urbanchickens.net/2009/12/2009-urban-chickens-year-in-review.html

Getting your veggies in the winter:

http://www.ethicurean.com/2009/12/28/eliot-coleman/

White House promotes growing your own...

I'm so excited that the White House is promoting season extension techniques for growing. (Ok the cast of characters is a bit heavy handed, but hooray!)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/12/16/planting-winter-garden

Self Fed getting off the ground

Armed with tremendous new blog energy, I scrambled frantically to find some eating from your environment content for December on the east coast. Strangely, I did find that there was a wild food foraging event in Central Park NYC last Sunday - alas I had to work, and all of my aquaintences in NYC were otherwise engaged that day - so, reporting on foraging in Central Park will need to wait for spring - but in the meantime, you can check out the website for "Wildman Steve Brill" who conducts the tours:

http://wildmanstevebrill.com/

And here is an excerpt about his tours:

Eating Central Park

By Timothy C. Greenleaf

Passers-by frequently hear the rustle of little feet scurrying through the underbrush as they run, jog, or roller blade past the wooded areas in Central Park. When a closer inspection is made, observant individuals are often treated to a strange sight: nearly 30 enthusiastic first graders, each wearing a pair of latex surgical gloves and clutching a plastic ziploc bag, all flock around a man who easily could be the basis for a cartoon caricature of an explorer of the African jungle-pith helmet, full beard, thick glasses, and soiled pants. As they run amuck, they frequently scream, "WILDMAN! What's this?" continues at: http://www.timgreenleaf.com/writing/wildman.php

Next up I'll be looking at ways to grow and produce food during the wintertime at home, including breadmaking and indoor sprouting and growing. One place to start for now is the new book Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces.

http://www.growgreatgrub.com/

This new book is by Gayla Trail, author of the "You Grow Girl" website, who's a Canadian gardener.

I invite readers to suggest other sites and blogs that support the mission of SelfFed- to improve health, nutrition and the environment by focusing on developing food in our immediate environment.

What can each of us do to feed ourselves, family and neighbors? Grow something, make bread, glean fruits from city streets, share with your community? These are the stories that will show how people grow and prepare foods, save money and save the environment.

Food miles? Forget it. We are going for ZERO miles here folks! How can we not get in the car? Eat food that is as fresh and nutritious as it can be? Even just a little bit, even if you live in a city apartment. I'll be posting stories as I find them. I'd love to hear yours too.

Valerie