I made my annual trip to Northwest Seed and Pet today to get my gardening game face on. It's officially time to start rattling around the greenhouse and get some early season crops started. Here in the Spokane area May 15 is the traditional last…
I ran into Jerry Tate from Tate's Honey Farm at the Rocket Bakery this morning. I asked him how his bees are doing and he said they are great, but added that Western Washington Beekeepers are really hurting. I probed for more information and he…
As I reported yesterday I spent some time with the Community Based Theatre class (pictured above) at Whitworth University, sharing about our family's year long experiment of consuming everything local, used, homegrown or homemade. They are in research mode, meeting with local folks like Fred…
In the latest young adult social networking "mob" trend, there is a group in North Carolina participating in monthly Crop Mobbing incidents.The Crop Mob, a monthly word-of-mouth (and -Web) event in which landless farmers and the agricurious descend on a farm for an afternoon, has…
I had the pleasure last week of hanging out with the folks at DOMA Coffee Roasting Company in Coeur d' Alene/Post Falls. Our experiment of eating locally for a year opened up to us the world of Spokane area coffee roasters. Before I go on,…
I've lived most of my life near world class urban centers - Seattle, Los Angeles, and Houston and the one thing I miss living in Spokane is the grittiness and vitality of a big vibrant downtown. Downtown Spokane has its charms though. My wife and…
A veggie garden in front of New York's City Hall?It's not just farmers and consumers who are in a tizzy over Michael Pollan;But there is another cultural divide coming to the fore in our society, this one between farmer and farmer. The best current example…
"Fresh," a new movie about food, is playing at the Magic Lantern in downtown Spokane tonight, Feb 18 at 7pm. The site indicates it will be playing through Feb. 21. Here's the synopsis;FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing…
I have been noticing a lot of back and forth between farmers and non-farmers on Twitter and this statement by @follownathan really caught my attention. He says, "I am growing very tired of hearing the word "consumer" It's a design for a disconnect #ag4all #agchat…
There is a must read article at the Atlantic Monthly describing Walmart's little known "Heritage Agriculture" program;The program, which Walmart calls Heritage Agriculture, will encourage farms within a day’s drive of one of its warehouses to grow crops that now take days to arrive in…
Via Rod Dreher I found this article that reflects on the profound (and humorous) lessons we learn from sharing our backyard with chickens. He shares about the many lessons we learn about human life from observing chickens. The most resonant part of the article to…
Below is a Re-post from two years ago. I can tell from Google searches that people are starting to think about starting seeds. I'll follow up next week. Go here to see the informative comments to the previous posting of this information.This will be my…
I just received an email from Kevin Parker, a Spokane area state Representative. He told me that HB 2402 was just passed by the Washington State House with a unanimous vote. Go here for background info.
OK, it's official. Wendell Berry is the Patron Saint of Year of Plenty. His writings resonate with me and our consumption experiences in the deepest ways. I wouldn't hire him as an economist or an accountant, but when I need a poet and prophet, Mr.…
CSA's are a wonderful innovation in local food but it's likely you have no idea what a CSA is. They are basically subscriptions for a weekly supply of fresh local fruits, veggies and meats. Go here for previous posts that will help bring you up…
It's been awhile since I've checked in about our five hens and the coop. The winter has brought some not so surprising challenges; how to keep the water from freezing, how to keep the chickens from freezing, and how to do that without burning down…
I received word today that Rep. Hunter, chair of the Washington State House Finance Committee, does plan on moving the bill out of committee. Go here for background on HR 2402 that will exempt non-profits and churches that host farmers' markets from property taxes .…
The local food trend has now become mainstream enough, that historians and journalists are seeking to put it in historical and social context. Two major examples of this are a new book on how food has shaped history by Thomas Standage titled the Edible History…
I ventured downtown on Wednesday to the Spokane Ag Expo put on by Greater Spokane Incorporated. A good friend is the president this year so he gave me a grand tour of the impressive display of towering tractors and introduced me to dozens of farmers.…
I received word yesterday that TOFU Phil and his Small Planet Tofu operation will be moving from Pend Oreille County to the Seattle area. I'm sure his tasty tofu dips and flavored organic tofu will still be available in grocery stores in the Spokane area…
We hear a lot these days about the dangers of "Too Big to Fail" banks, but we should probably be hearing more about "Too Big to Fail" agricultural companies who have dominant positions in the marketplace.This article at the Daily Yonder is the best survey…
The Inlander has opened their Best of 2010 contest for voting here. I've never voted in the contest before so I was a little surprised at the format. They give you the whole slate of things to vote on and then out of those you…
The Year of Plenty blog was created by Craig Goodwin in the winter of 2008 to chronicle the experiences of his family as they sought to consume everything local, used, homegrown or homemade. That journey was a wonderful introduction to people and movements in the Spokane area who are seeking the welfare of the community through local foods, farmers markets, community gardens, sustainable transportation, and more fulfilling and just patterns of consumption. In 2009 and beyond the blog will continue to report on these relationships and practices, all through the eyes of a family with young children. Craig manages the Millwood Farmers' Market, is a Master Food Preserver and Pastor at Millwood Presbyterian Church. Craig can be reached at goody2230@gmail.com
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