Category — ART, EDUCATION & ADVOCACY

Look out folks, this APRIL 16th, Joel Salatin is back and we’re going to be shaking things up more than ever!  If you’re unfamiliar, Joel Salatin owns Polyface Farms in Virginia.  Joel and his beautiful style of farming have been featured in such films as Academy Award Nominated Food Inc., Fresh the Movie, and Farmageddon.  He is also the star farmer mentioned in Michael Pollan’s New York Time’s Best Seller Omnivore’s Dilemma.  Joel has emerged over the last decade to be a superstar among gastronomes and food activists alike.  However, Joel has been a long time leader to farmers who want to opt out of conventional chemical based agriculture.  He’s authored many books including You Can Farm, Pastured Poultry Profits, Salad Bar Beef, and Everything I want to Do Is Illegal.

 Joel’s newest book, Folks, This Ain’t Normal speaks to consumers about how far we’ve gotten away from common sense and what really works in the natural world.  It talks about the trade-offs we’ve made for the conveniences of our modern society. 

So while I think Joel will spend a brief amount of time recapping his farm and all the amazing work he does, this year his lecture will be completely different and dive to a whole new level of depth surrounding food, farming, and culture.  I saw part of his new lecture recently and I have to admit it’s funnier than ever.  If you know Joel, than you know you get lots of humor mixed into his sobering message.  I think you’ll leave not only educated but also inspired to create change and support our local community in new ways.

 Here’s an excerpt of Joel in FRESH The Movie

 
Now here’s the real meat of the issue.  Joel is always fantastic, but we’re bringing Joel back for a VERY important reason.  I think the general public would be shocked to realize the level of bureaucracy and the ludicrous number of hoops farmers just selling at a farmers market are made to jump through.  And the number of different agencies that regulate food is growing all the time.  At this point it’s extremely difficult for new producers to enter the marketplace and those that are already established are constantly struggling to make it work.

 We’ve partnered with THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT…ya you read that right, the very same health regulators that up until this point have been seen as the enemy.  Some very influential people in that organization reached out to us to co-host a Local Food Summit with the design of finding common ground with food law enforcers.  We all recognize that obesity, diabetes, and a wide variety of auto immune diseases are plaguing this nation.  Both sides recognize that for the sake of our next generation we have to remove the road blocks from getting healthy, farm fresh local foods into the hands of families of all socio-economic backgrounds.  Failure is not an option!  So Joel is going to be speaking at a private lunch event with public officials from all over the state working towards building bridges and opening doors.

 We’ll have folks from California Dept of Public Health, California Dept of Food and Agriculture, USDA, The University of California, The Grange, county Ag Commissioners from around the north state, state level and local Farm Bureau staff, local county supervisors and city council folks, farmers market managers, and more.  I really believe that this event is going to be something great and have a game-changing impact for a long time to come!

 So by attending the evening event you’ll be helping to financially support that change.  Joel is a very busy guy and is booked to speak to consumer and farmer groups all over the world.  Due to his high demand he’s understandably expensive, and all the other costs that go into hosting an event of this size aren’t cheap either. So the purchase of your ticket will help pay Joel’s way to be here and help fund the opportunity for a regulator to hear the farmer’s point of view in a healthy open discussion.  Even if you can’t make it to our public evening event but you’d like to donate to the cause and help see the Local Food Summit happen it would be so appreciated.  Unfortunately though as we’re not a 501c3 this would be a non-tax deductible donation.

 Last time Joel was here we sold out the 700 seats at the Masonic Hall in about 3 weeks of pre-selling tickets. This year we have rented the Neighborhood Church which seats a lot more people in comfortable tiered seats that will make it easier for everyone to see. It also has ample parking so everyone will be able to easily access the venue without hassle.   We’ll also have an army of ticket takers to eliminate the lines and waiting we experienced with the flood of people last year.

 The best part is the price: Only $12 a ticket, $2 cheaper than last year. I’ve paid $50 many times before to see Joel speak so this is really a steal.  So please help us spread the word and lets continue creating positive change towards a healthy, fair, and just world.   Don’t wait to get your tickets, there’s already a buzz about how important this event is. Doors will open at 5:15 and Joel will start speaking at 6 pm.
Ticket Price: $12 per ticket paid online 

Date: April Monday 16th

Doors Open at 5:15pm

 Location:  Chico Neighborhood Church
2801 Notre Dame Boulevard, Chico, CA 

 For tickets go to http://salatinchico.eventbrite.com/

 Co-Sponsored by the Butte Valley Weston A. Price Foundation Chapter

 
Chris Kerston
Chaffin Family Orchards  
606 Coal Canyon R.
Oroville, Ca 95965

530-533-1676 Ranch Office
530-370-6432 Cell
http://www.ChaffinFamilyOrchards.com
http://www.twitter.com/ChaffinOrchards
http://www.facebook.com/chaffinorchards
Chris_Kerston@ChaffinFamilyOrchards.com

Composting may seem intimidating if we’ve never done it before, but it really isn’t such big a deal; and it is actually quite fun and gratifying.  In a nutshell, this encapsulates the message of two students from A.S. Sustainability :  Ashley Anderson and Marco Poort.  Together, they give clear and factual presentations on the subject at the compost display garden of Chico State some Saturday mornings from 11 to noon from March 10 to May 5, 2012 (check website below for details).

Ashley Anderson & Marco Poort

Right off the bat, Marco starts by reminding the visitors that a third of all domestic waste could be and should be composted.   Domestic organic waste can either become the most fertile earth for our fields and gardens or the filthiest of goop that prevents other refuses from being recycled.  This is even without mentioning that methane that will escape from it at the landfill is 30 times more potent a greenhouse gas than CO2.

Meet "The Worm"

Jumping into the thick of the presentation, Ashley explained that there are two different kinds of composting processes:  worm bins and hot compost.  Worm bins involve, well a plastic bin and worms.  Pros:  worms work quickly and produce very fertile dirt – Cons:  worms are finicky; they don’t do well below 50 and above 80 degree F (inside dirt that is more temperature stable, so there is a bit of a leeway of course).  They also get sick on certain foods if in excess (starch, citrus, onions…);  they won’t do yard trimmings either.

Hot compost pile

“Hot compost” refers to the heat produced by bacteria decomposing organic matters.   A hot compost pile should heat to about 110 degrees F (use a BBQ thermometer to check).   Pros:  no need to go buy worms (typically $ 8 per ¼ pound, good enough for a regular, storage-type plastic crate).  Bacteria show up by themselves wherever there is energy to be had.  They are NOT finicky.  They resist temperature swings and eat up pretty much anything including yard trimmings, lint, hairs, ash, saw dust, coffee grounds, eggshells, vegetarian livestock manure… (avoid weeds that may corrupt the dirt to be used on cultivars, and don’t add any meats or dairy that would undermine the whole process).  Cons: what takes a week to break down with worms takes at least a month here.  And a pile of rubbish does attract other types of unwanted scavengers (dogs, rodents…).

Marco adds water to a worm bin.

In both cases, it is important to start off with a healthy layer of dirt, bury the new refuse and regularly turn layers over in order to let air in.   Worms can be started with strips of newspaper.  In the case of hot compost, because it takes much longer to decompose the refuse, it makes sense to have four areas (corners of a single hip of four smaller hips) so not to always add fresher compostable to a stack already in decomposition.  It is also important to respect layering the refuse in hot compost piles:  one layer of nitrogen-rich food refuse or green leaves, one layer of brown, carbon-rich yard trimmings for instance.  For both worm bins and hot compost, moisture has to be maintained by adding a bit of water regularly, not so much that it would produce bad smell but just enough.

When the material seems degraded enough, meaning that fresh brown earth is already visible, a strainer made of thin chicken-wire-type mesh can be used to shake dirt through the screen and retain unwanted material that goes back onto the pile.  The dirt can then be sprinkled on cultivars or around fruit trees for instance, and then watered down so that the nutrients can be seep to the roots.

Rotating plastic composter

Ashley and Marco recommend starting the process with an easy to use container in the kitchen.   As an option, heavy duty, black plastic drums specifically designed to handle compostable can also be used outside where the sun’s heat will hasten the decomposition process.  Once properly “pre-decompose”, the smelly material can be added into hot compost.  Not dumping fresh refuse directly onto a garden pile will not only accelerate the process (especially when not using worms); it is also a good solution to fend off Rex’ ill-mannered, garbage-picking curiosity.

For more information:
Contact the A.S. Recycling Program at (530) 898-5033 or  asrecycle@csuchico.com/compost 
or visit:   www.aschico.com/compost

- Gerard Ungerman

 Open to the public – To learn about why composting is important and how you can do it, visit the Compost Display Area at CSU Chico.  We also have an organic garden where we use compost to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables.  Come by if you would like to start composting or if you are just curious. 

WHEN: 11 AM – NOON

DATES:  March 10 and 24;  April 7, 14, and 21st;  May 5

WHERE: Compost Display Area (see map)

Directions and more info: www.aschico.com/compost

 Compost is nature’s ultimate way of recycling nutrients back into the soil.  Composting diverts wastes that are currently going to the landfill.  Composting also improves fertility, health of gardens, and gives an opportunity to learn about the processes of decomposition. It is easy, inexpensive and fun.

 Thank you, 

Ashley Anderson & Marco Poort
Compost Education Coordinators
(530) 898-5033
ascompost@csuchico.edu

A group of about thirty “food growing students” of all ages came to attend a presentation by Monica Bell, of Cultivating Community – North Valley at the Jesus Center Community Garden on Mulberry Street and 14^th Street in downtown Chico. 

The topic of the workshop, organized around a lecture and a hands-on practice session, was HOW TO STORE AND PLANT SEEDS.   This workshop was part of an on-going series about how to start one’s own food garden.  The event was free and open to the public.  The series is made possible thanks to a grant by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Monica Bell of Cultivating Community North Valley

 From the get-go, Monica Bell insisted on the importance of properly tagging seeds with name and date of purchase / collection in order to keep track of what needs to be planted when.  Properly kept in plastic jars stored in cool and dry places, seeds can be kept for several years at least.  Adding a piece of paper towel, possibly crumpled together and kept in a rubber band helps keeping moisture away from the seeds.

Then Monica advised to use special seed-potting trays with commercially available potting mix to start the seeds.  There again, tagging is important to keep track of what was potted when.  She advised to make sure to preferably combine seeds that will germinate at the same time.  She made a reference to the book “The Essential Urban Farmer” by Willow Rosenthal, a founder of the City Sleeker Farms project out of Oakland, CA. 

Monica proceeded to demonstrate how to wet – but not drench – the potting mix before filling the tray.  She showed out to use a large plastic crate to prepare the mix.  She rested the crate at 45 degree and then was holding a planting tray in it that she also held at 45 degree, therefore create a 90 degree of inclination between the surface of the wet potting mix and the tray to be filled.  She tossed a large amount of mix on the tray and brush off the excess back into the crate.

Monica explained that seeds don’t need to be buried any deeper than three times their thickness.  She used a pencil to make tiny holes where she would drop each seed.  She insisted on the importance of cleaning dirt off one’s hands before handling seeds in order to prevent undesired germination from the part of left over seeds that will be kept for later use.  She recommended using a seeder (small plastic dispenser, or also a properly folded piece of paper) in order to streamline and accelerate the process of seed planting.  She would then sprinkle extra dirt on top of the planting trays.

Heat and light become then determining factors in how quick the seeds will germinate, hence the value of using a greenhouse in the winter.  Heatless lamps (still hot enough) are another way to go indoors and Monica shared that she was using repurposed reading lamps.  When tiny little plants have already come to the surface, she transplants them to a variety of containers to let them grow bigger (small milk cartons or four-muffin plastic containers that in both cases she pierces at the bottom to let water escape, red-fruit plastic containers, Styrofoam cups…).  With red fruit plastic containers, she transplants four to six young plants, no more.  She keeps the pots constantly wet with a hand-shower head like garden hose end.  When the plants are finally transplanted in the dirt where they will be left to grow, she recommends using so-called “floating row covers”, light, breathable pieces of fabric meant to protect plants and fruit trees from frost, and incidentally, from squirrels.

The remainder of the workshop was used to apply and practice the tips Monica had just given.  A large variety of seeds were made available for free to attendees and they all proceeded to grab the many potting trays put at their disposal and to get their hands dirty.  Everyone left with their dutifully seeded trays and with big smiles on their faces.

Gerard Ungerman