Can City Gardens Feed Us?

I live in Philadelphia. The urban gardening movement is strong here. Just like London.

Right now I am inundated with Roma Plum Tomatoes from one plant grown in my tiny backyard. I am giving them to neighbors.

In other news, City Farmer News has received another award for their coverage of sustainable and urban agriculture and related urban planning. Greenys interested must go there for good information. 

The Christian Science Monitor has an excellent article about urban agriculture helping the working urbanite to fresh food self sufficiency. And the photo below is part of an excellent slide show that helps us understand the vastness of our food chain. Do you know that 60% of the apple juice sold in the US comes from China?

Could city farming be a solution for Bangkok’s urban poor?

A group of nutritional experts say the trend could be harnessed to improve access to food for Thailand’s growing numbers of urban poor. 

By Flora Bagenal, Correspondent / August 10, 2013

The garden was set up in 2003 by a group of janitors who decided to use empty space on the building’s roof to grow food to take home to their families. In the 10 years since, it has blossomed into a fully functioning urban horticulture center, complete with trellises crisscrossed with vines and rows of potted herbs and spices. It covers an area roughly 4,000 sq. meters (about 4,300 sq. feet), that otherwise would be an expanse of unused concrete.

The guerrilla garden is one of several small city farms dotted around Bangkok. And now, a group of nutritional experts say the trend could be harnessed to improve access to food for Thailand’s growing numbers of urban poor. 

Salad on the Roof and Radishes down the Block

Food tastes best freshly picked. Imagine walking a block or two down the street from your office. You pick yourself a salad. 

And not just any salad. You get homegrown organic greens for your salad. 

Detroit is the leader in rooftop gardens and urban agriculture at the moment. 

Mexico City is not far behind. A city that was once one of the most polluted in the world is clearing up thanks to urban agriculture and rooftop gardens.

Gabriela Vargas and Elias Cattan of urban agriculture organization Cultiva Ciudad (Cultivate City), show gardening on the roof of a building in Mexico City, on November 6. A green revolution is sweeping across the car and concrete jungle, the city government has carried out a "green plan" since 2007, but many citizens have also taken it upon themselves to change.

http://phys.org/news/2012-11-revolution-mexico-city-lettuce.html

Delicious Jewelry

I was selling homemade toys at a Fall Festival in Philly. There was live Jazz and all sorts of crafts. Seated right next to me was a jewelry maker. Her name is Zoe.  She makes the most attractive jewelry out of food. I cannot tell you how charming this jewelry is. Judge for yourself.

Here is Zoe's website:

http://www.realfruitjewelry.com/

And a link to her Etsy shop:

http://www.realfruitjewelry.etsy.com/

I think this costume jewelry is modern and fun. A perfect gift for the contemporary Foody in your life or anyone who loves lighthearted modern costume jewelry.  Note. I receive no payment; I just love her stuff.

Mrs. Austine Sutton's Cider Sauce

“Up until Prohibition, an apple grown in America was far less likely to be eaten than to wind up in a barrel of cider. (“Hard” cider is a twentieth-century term, redundant before then since virtually all cider was hard until modern refrigeration allowed people to keep sweet cider sweet.)”
― Michael Pollan, The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World

Mrs. Austine Sutton's Cider Sauce for Ham or Pork Dishes

3 tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 tablspoon Corn Starch
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon ground Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
1 cup Apple Cider
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

Thoroughly mix Sugar, Corn Starch, Salt and Spices together. Stir in the Cider and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring all the time. Remove from heat. Let mixture cool until it is thick and clear. Then stir in Lemon Juice. It is then ready to serve.

This recipe comes from Simpson-Fletcher's Soul Food Recipes.