While in Italy this past summer, I devoured the diary of Iris Origo, a landholder in the Val D’Orcia region of Tuscany. The diary describes the impact of World War II on daily life in the community from 1943-1944. Rich with detail and at times profoundly disturbing, Origo's entries describe her “adoption” of sixty war orphans and the ever-changing political policies and practices that accompanied Italy’s shifts in leadership and alliances. The Val D’Orcia community had little but each other and their gardens during that uncertain time, but the combination helped to keep their spirits high and bellies full in the midst of hunger and destruction.
Victory gardens augmented the public food supply for several countries during both world wars, empowering civilians to contribute their energies to the war effort. Private and public food gardens play a vital role during times of peace as well. First Lady Michelle Obama planted the first ever organic garden at the White House and installed beehives on the South Lawn to supply organic produce and honey to the First Family and for state dinners and other official gatherings.
Community gardens like the ones we enjoy here in Wellesley not only yield fresh produce and flowers, but build a stronger sense of community and connection among our residents and with our local environment. If you’re a local gardener - on public or private land - we would love to hear what prompted you to plant your first seeds. Photos are encouraged.
Not yet growing your own? Please come out to the Main Library on Tuesday, November 1 at 7:00 pm and learn how to join the victory garden party.
Lisa Leslie Henderson
Monday, October 31, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Tick, Tock.
The days grow short.
There’s only two weeks left to attend a Wellesley Reads Together program.
Adults, teens, families, kids—take a look-- there's something for everyone in the list below.
Be a Backyard Farmer:
The Joy of Joining the Sustainable Food Movement
Tuesday, November 1st
7:00 PM Wakelin Room
Join Ursula King and special guests to consider all the wonderful aspects of growing your own food. Gardeners at all experience levels are welcome. Sponsored by Wellesley's Natural Resources Commission.
Book Discussion
Thursday, November 3rd
10:00 AM Arnold Room
All are welcome to join a discussion of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver.
Food for Thought
Thursday, November 3rd
6:30 PM Wakelin Room
The Food Project (TFP) is a Boston-area organization that has built a national model of engaging young people in personal and social change through sustainable agriculture. At this program, youth interns from TFP will discuss issues of food systems and food justice, and the TFP vision of a world where youth are active leaders, diverse communities feel connected to the land and each other, and everyone has access to fresh, local, healthy, affordable food. Free and open to the public; of special interest to teens and their parents.
Thursday, November 3rd
6:30 PM Wakelin Room
The Food Project (TFP) is a Boston-area organization that has built a national model of engaging young people in personal and social change through sustainable agriculture. At this program, youth interns from TFP will discuss issues of food systems and food justice, and the TFP vision of a world where youth are active leaders, diverse communities feel connected to the land and each other, and everyone has access to fresh, local, healthy, affordable food. Free and open to the public; of special interest to teens and their parents.
This program is made possible by a grant awarded to the Wellesley Free Library by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).
Film: What's On Your Plate?
Friday, November 4th
6:00 PM Wakelin Room
What's on Your Plate? (2009) A documentary film directed by Catherine Gund that follows two 11-year-old girls through New York City as they explore their place in the food chain. Appropriate for ages 9 and up.
Pig Out on Reading
Saturday November 5, 2011
1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Wakelin Room
Farmer Minor and Daisy the famous pot bellied pig will visit the library. Stop by and meet them and read a story together. Bring a camera if you want a photo. This program is best for families with children ages 3 and up. Sponsored by the Friends of the Wellesley Free Libraries
Fresh Eggs!
Sunday, November 6th
2:00 PM Wakelin Room
Chickens have become a popular addition to suburban backyards and gardens. Wellesley resident Amie Smith will discuss breeds, equipment, food, raising baby chicks, winter care-taking, coops and more for the beginning chicken owner.
Go and Grow Organic
Tuesday, November 8th
7:00 PM Wakelin Room
Join Dover farmer Chris Yoder for an informal conversation about how to apply the principles of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle to your everyday life.
WRT Finale: Sabor y Memoria
Sunday, November 13th
2:00 PM Wakelin Room
A chat and live performance by Sol y Canto Composer-Guitarist Brian Amador and his wife, Singer-Percussionist Rosi Arnador, and their special guest, photographer Jon Chomitz. Explore the way music and food trigger our memories, express our roots, and tie us to our origins through pathways more profound and direct than conscious thought. Appropriate for ages 10 and up. Sponsored by World of Wellesley and the Friends of the Wellesley Free Libraries.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Eating Locally with Malcolm & Sally
Malcolm (left) and Sally (right) dining together |
We used to drive to Sweet Meadow to buy their organic hay. During one of our visits we noticed delicious looking produce that was just harvested. We fed the bunnies the fresh food and they danced for joy. We wondered if it tasted different to them.
On trips to local supermarkets we began to look for locally grown vegetables to feed our rabbits. After eating the just-from-the-garden fruits and vegetables, Malcolm and Sally would jump and dance around. In time their fur became shinier, they became more energetic and most importantly they were happier and healthier. If eating local fare could do this for our bunnies, then surely my wife and I should give it a go.
Exploring near our home we discovered an abundance of farms selling healthy and delicious foods straight from their fields. What we could find locally inspired the meals we ate. Shizuka apples, summer squash, asparagus,Vidalia onions, milk, and eggs came home with us and appeared on our dinner table. We learned that some farms not only sell what they grow but also what nearby farms grow. Visiting one farm may allow us to get food from all over Natick and Sherborn in one stop.
Every fresh ingredient made our meals tastier and healthier. We could literally taste the difference using organic and/or locally grown food instead of stuff shipped across the globe packed in preservatives. We began to see changes in ourselves like we did with Malcolm and Sally. Both of us lost weight, were more energetic, happier, and healthier. Not only was the food delicious but it was good for us too.
Now whenever we are faced with choosing between something shipped from overseas and something grown nearby we just think of Malcolm and Sally excitedly dancing.
Here are a few of Malcolm and Sally's all time favorite foods. Why not share these with the bunny in your life?
- Ginger Gold and Shizuka apples
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Red leaf lettuce
- Dandelion greens
- Parsley
Monday, October 24, 2011
True Confessions
Despite my newfound interest in supporting local food growers, there are many nights when I simply do not want to cook. Here’s some good news: it is possible to eat locally produced items when dining out.
Here's a quick list of metro-west eating establishments that are being intentional about choosing local and/or sustainable food sources. If you have more recommendations, do tell!
The Cottage
Stone Hearth Pizza
Aka Bistro
Lumiere
51 Lincoln
Sel de la Terre
The Fireplace
Lineage
Tomasso Trattoria
Friday, October 21, 2011
Gastronomic Mindfulness
A meal can last a long time in Italy. Barbara Kingslover would no doubt agree that for Italians, eating falls under the Division of Recreation rather than the Routine Maintenance Department. Businesses close for several hours a day in order to allow for an enjoyable mid-day meal and perhaps a nap before reopening for late afternoon commerce.
It’s a civilized practice, this meal savoring-- and its rewards include multiple health, economic, and relational benefits. Here’s a notable statement: Kingsolver estimates that 75 percent of her “crucial parenting effort” has taken place during or surrounding the time of her family convenes for their evening meal.
Savoring a meal is not limited to life in Italy—although it certainly helps. We can enjoy unhurried appreciation every time we sit down to eat. Wellesley’s own Dr. Lilian Cheung, who recently collaborated with Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh on the book
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life, offers a few suggestions for bringing a more savoring, mindful approach to every day family meals:
1. Reserve a time to share dinner as a family.
2. Work together to prepare the meal and set the table.
3. Choose foods and drinks that are good for your health and good for the planet.
4. When you are at the table, turn off the TV and put away the homework and the day’s mail.
5. As you sit down, practice conscious breathing a few times to bring your bodies and minds together.
6. Refrain from arguing at the table. Let your meals be times of nourishment on many levels.
7. As you serve and eat your meal, notice the sounds, colors, smells, and textures and your mind’s reaction to them.
8. Eat in moderation by using a small dinner plate-- and fill it only once. Chew thoroughly and eat slowly by putting down your utensils between bites.
9. Don’t skip meals -- that makes it harder to make mindful choices. When hunger consumes us, the strong forces of habit may lead us to grab whatever foods are close at hand and often those foods often will not further our healthy-eating goals.
10. Create an environment that supports healthy eating and active living: Don’t stock sugary drinks at home; remove the television from your children’s bedrooms; limit their recreational screen time to no more than 2 hours a day; encourage your children to be active each day for an hour a day.
To more fully explore Dr. Cheung’s ideas, visit savorthebook.com, where you will find mindfulness forums, recipes, nutrition information, meditations, and the insights of Thich Nhat Hahn. You can also follow the Savor movement on Twitter and Facebook.
Lisa Leslie Henderson
It’s a civilized practice, this meal savoring-- and its rewards include multiple health, economic, and relational benefits. Here’s a notable statement: Kingsolver estimates that 75 percent of her “crucial parenting effort” has taken place during or surrounding the time of her family convenes for their evening meal.
Savoring a meal is not limited to life in Italy—although it certainly helps. We can enjoy unhurried appreciation every time we sit down to eat. Wellesley’s own Dr. Lilian Cheung, who recently collaborated with Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh on the book
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life, offers a few suggestions for bringing a more savoring, mindful approach to every day family meals:
1. Reserve a time to share dinner as a family.
2. Work together to prepare the meal and set the table.
3. Choose foods and drinks that are good for your health and good for the planet.
4. When you are at the table, turn off the TV and put away the homework and the day’s mail.
5. As you sit down, practice conscious breathing a few times to bring your bodies and minds together.
6. Refrain from arguing at the table. Let your meals be times of nourishment on many levels.
7. As you serve and eat your meal, notice the sounds, colors, smells, and textures and your mind’s reaction to them.
8. Eat in moderation by using a small dinner plate-- and fill it only once. Chew thoroughly and eat slowly by putting down your utensils between bites.
9. Don’t skip meals -- that makes it harder to make mindful choices. When hunger consumes us, the strong forces of habit may lead us to grab whatever foods are close at hand and often those foods often will not further our healthy-eating goals.
10. Create an environment that supports healthy eating and active living: Don’t stock sugary drinks at home; remove the television from your children’s bedrooms; limit their recreational screen time to no more than 2 hours a day; encourage your children to be active each day for an hour a day.
To more fully explore Dr. Cheung’s ideas, visit savorthebook.com, where you will find mindfulness forums, recipes, nutrition information, meditations, and the insights of Thich Nhat Hahn. You can also follow the Savor movement on Twitter and Facebook.
Lisa Leslie Henderson
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
It’s Time to Eat Real, America
Join the nationwide celebration of all things food on October 24, 2011.
Food Day seeks to bring together all aspects of food from sustainable agriculture, to nutrition and health, to access and affordability.
Sponsored by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, Food Day is backed by some of the most inspirational voices in the movement such as Michael Pollan, Marion Nestle, and Will Allen. More than 50 organizations--including Slow Food USA, the Sierra Club, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and the National Farmers Market Coalition--are gearing up make a difference.
Food Day was founded on six national priorities: reduce diet-related disease by promoting healthy foods, support sustainable farms & cut subsidies to big agribusiness, expand access to food and alleviate hunger, protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms, promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids, and obtain fair wages for all workers in the food system.
When 63 percent of Americans are obese or overweight, 25.8 million of them children, and diet related diseases like diabetes and heart disease are skyrocketing, it’s hard to ignore the problem. Diet related health is the most visible, and talked, about problem but there is a lot more to food than meets the eye.
Food Day draws attention to: food deserts (areas where fresh, healthy, affordable foods are scarce), the wages of workers in the food system, the consequences of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), the importance of sustainable agriculture, and the type of food-messages targeted at our children.
Visit www.FoodDay.org for more information.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Local Produce and Sustainable Farming Websites
The Department of Massachusetts Agriculture has a nice Massgrown website with a map (see above) to local produce. The site has handy quick links for Farmer's Markets, Dairy Farms, Tourism-Farms, Wine and Cheese, and Pick Your Own.
Tufts University has its own New Entry Sustainable Farming Project. This site has information on specialty crops. ethnic foods and a recipe index. It also has guides for selling produce at a farmers market.
TB
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Community Supported Agriculture
Many farms now have community supported agriculture (CSA) programs, a good way to get fresh fruit and vegetables if you do not have your own garden. I recently joined the Chestnut Farms CSA for grass-fed meats and chickens.
There is a CSA for fish (CSF) being offered by Cape Ann Fresh Catch (CAFC). They have lately added a delivery site at Volante Farms in Needham. I signed up for the biweekly fish delivery and have received two deliveries (each delivery equals two pounds of fish).
The first delivery was hake - a mild, white fish that I had heard of but never tasted. CAFC provided recipe suggestions which I used to cook the hake and it was very good. The next delivery haddock. I don't know how much time elapses from catch to delivery, but I must assume that it is very quick - I have never tasted haddock as flavorful as the one I received from CAFC. One charming side note to the fish delivery is that CAFC tells you what fishing boat your delivery came from. Check out http://www.capeannfreshcatch.org/.
I read an interesting article in the Boston Globe about a grain CSA that operates from the western part of the state. A share of this CSA is $375.00 for 2 bushels of unmilled grain. That seemed a bit beyond what I could handle, but I was tempted. If you have information about other CSA programs, please share them!
Janice Coduri, Director
Wellesley Free Library
There is a CSA for fish (CSF) being offered by Cape Ann Fresh Catch (CAFC). They have lately added a delivery site at Volante Farms in Needham. I signed up for the biweekly fish delivery and have received two deliveries (each delivery equals two pounds of fish).
The first delivery was hake - a mild, white fish that I had heard of but never tasted. CAFC provided recipe suggestions which I used to cook the hake and it was very good. The next delivery haddock. I don't know how much time elapses from catch to delivery, but I must assume that it is very quick - I have never tasted haddock as flavorful as the one I received from CAFC. One charming side note to the fish delivery is that CAFC tells you what fishing boat your delivery came from. Check out http://www.capeannfreshcatch.org/.
I read an interesting article in the Boston Globe about a grain CSA that operates from the western part of the state. A share of this CSA is $375.00 for 2 bushels of unmilled grain. That seemed a bit beyond what I could handle, but I was tempted. If you have information about other CSA programs, please share them!
Janice Coduri, Director
Wellesley Free Library
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Local food movement in Vermont becomes model for success
The food crisis is looming large both in this country and around the world affecting our health and our very survival. Ben Hewitt promotes the idea of local sustenance, sustainable agriculture and community in this inspirational book, The Town that Food Saved : How One Community found Vitality in Local Food. His home in Hardwick, Vermont is the setting for his book which has received much national attention.
The following is a review from Publisher's Weekly, February 2010. " Through the last decade the Northern Vermont town of Hardwick, population 3200, gradually evolved into a nationally respected source of 'local food' and began to reap benefits. Hewitt, an area resident and family farmer, previously wrote about the area as a potential example of localized agriculture and economics, especially for a population whose residents' median income was below state average. But curiosity and healthy skepticism, along with his own investment, spurred him to this deeper investigation into the local personalities (and characters) driving the movement, and to observe, participate and reflect upon such odiferous activities as pig slaughtering. The resulting blend of analysis and reflection highlights the possibilities and perils of what Hewitt argues will impact the agricultural and economic future for better of worse."
-DB
The following is a review from Publisher's Weekly, February 2010. " Through the last decade the Northern Vermont town of Hardwick, population 3200, gradually evolved into a nationally respected source of 'local food' and began to reap benefits. Hewitt, an area resident and family farmer, previously wrote about the area as a potential example of localized agriculture and economics, especially for a population whose residents' median income was below state average. But curiosity and healthy skepticism, along with his own investment, spurred him to this deeper investigation into the local personalities (and characters) driving the movement, and to observe, participate and reflect upon such odiferous activities as pig slaughtering. The resulting blend of analysis and reflection highlights the possibilities and perils of what Hewitt argues will impact the agricultural and economic future for better of worse."
-DB
Monday, October 10, 2011
Second Time Around
Four years ago, when I first read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle in the dead of winter when nothing was growing except my longing for spring, I found Kingsolver’s family’s experiment interesting, but not compelling enough to make any major changes in my family’s way of eating. Regardless of the strength of the Kingsolver clan’s arguments, as a busy family of five, we didn’t have the time to grow our own ingredients, much less preserve them. Our backyard garden had provided us with delicious herbs and rather interesting looking tomatoes, but these were nice to haves, not a primary food source for our family—particularly in January. While we did purchase organic foods when the process yielded familiar, enticing, and reasonably priced items, adding locally sourced to our criteria seemed like too much of an undertaking.
I set out to answer that question. With notebook in hand, I tracked down several farms and farmers’ markets located close to Wellesley. In the four years since I had originally read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, many more grocery stores, restaurants, and even food delivery services had begun to offer locally produced items.
Local Farms with Markets:
Knowing that Animal, Vegetable, Miracle was one of this year’s Wellesley Reads Together selections, as we set off for a trip to Tuscany this past summer, I tossed my tattered copy into my suitcase along with a blank notebook—what writer ever travels without some vehicle for recording her observations? In my first journal entry I asked myself: “What will I come to realize from this trip?” Within a few days an answer began to surface.
Surrounded by terraced hills, thoughtfully planted with vineyards heavy with grapes and olive groves, the fruits of which will be harvested in November, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle took on a new relevance. As we savored five course meals prepared with simple and fresh local (nostrale) ingredients that were pared with brilliant local wines, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle began to have a new, personal context for me.
Tuscan chefs are obsessed with freshness and quality. One local chef said: the finished food you prepare can never be better than the quality of the stuff you put in. Fortunately, much of Tuscany has retained its agricultural focus and so it isn’t hard to gather the freshest of ingredients daily.
A typical meal might start with antipasta, perhaps a selection of locally cured meats, sheep’s milk cheeses (peconno), and crostini, followed by pasta made fresh that morning. A meat or fish dish, depending upon how close you are to the coast, would likely comprise the secondo course (which is technically the third course if you’re counting). A seasonal salad or vegetable may then be enjoyed before topping the meal off with dessert—generally fresh fruit or gelato. Bread is always featured, often drizzled with olive oil made from the most recent pressing, or covered with bruschetta, of which vine-ripened tomatoes are a primary ingredient.
It didn’t take us long to realize that Kingsolver was right: once you’ve tasted just-picked fruits and vegetables, it’s hard to go back. Daily trips to Florence’s Mercato Centrale where there were seemingly endless varieties of fresh pasta, meat, poultry, salami, mushrooms, and cheese made eating local seem quite simple and accessible. But how much work would it take to source fresh, local ingredients upon our return?
I set out to answer that question. With notebook in hand, I tracked down several farms and farmers’ markets located close to Wellesley. In the four years since I had originally read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, many more grocery stores, restaurants, and even food delivery services had begun to offer locally produced items.
A sampling of what I uncovered follows. Have any additions? Please do share.
Farmers’ Markets:
Framingham Village Green, Thursdays, 12:30-5:30
Natick Center Farmers Market, Saturdays, 9:00-1:00
Waltham, Main at Moody Street, Saturdays, 9:30-2:30
Local Farms with Markets:
Allendale Farm, Brookline
Blue Heron Organic Farm, Lincoln
Codman Community Farm, Lincoln
Dover Farm, Dover
Dowse Orchards, Sherborn
Hansons Farm, Framingham
Land’s Sake Farm, Weston
Powissett Farm, Dover
Sunshine Farms, Sherbourne
Volante Farms, Needham
Grocery/Specialty Stores with some Local Options:
Roche Brothers, Wellesley
Russo’s, Watertown
Wasik’s The Cheese Shop, Wellesley
Whole Foods, Wellesley
--Lisa Leslie Henderson
Friday, October 7, 2011
Waging Peace in the Garden
This Sunday, October 9, at 2:00 pm in the Main Library's Wakelin Room, Massachusetts Master Gardener Laurel Landers will present a thought-provoking discussion of how we look at our landscape, and how we can look beyond the marketing to find a new way to garden that is more natural-- not merely organic -- but one that embraces the beauty of nature in all its imperfect glory. Free and open to the public. Generously sponsored by the Friends of the Wellesley Free Libraries.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Super Size Me
For a more amusing take on bad eating, try Morgan Spurlock's 2004 movie Super Size Me. Spurlock decides to eat only McDonald's food for 30 days. He agrees to try every item on the McDonald's menu at least once and get the "super-size" portions when suggested by a McDonald's employee. It's quite entertaining. The business and culture of the nation's fast-food industry is examined, and they don't come out looking good. As part of the Wellesley Reads Together Film Series, we'll be screening Super Size Me at the Main Library on Friday, October 14, at 6 pm in the Wakelin Room. Join us!
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maf
Monday, October 3, 2011
The Buzz About Bees
Did you catch Tony Lulek's library program about bees on Sunday? If not, you can still learn more about those amazing, social insects from two fascinating books.
For the younger set, The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe by Loree Griffin Burns, describes the mystery of the vanishing honeybees, which began in the winter of 2006 when beekeeper Dave Hackenberg inspected 400 of his 3000 hives in Florida and discovered that 20 million bees had simply disappeared. We will discuss The Hive Detectives at The Reading Club, a book group for children in 4th and 5th grade on Monday evening, October 17 at 7:00 p.m. Are you the parent of a 4th or 5th grader? Read the book with your child and drop in to join our discussion! Light refreshments will be served.
For adults, The Beekeeper's Lament, by Hannah Nordhaus, describes the ins and outs of beekeeping, disorders of bees and what the life of a beekeeper is really like. It will make you appreciate honey so much more. Honey is is a great sweetener in cooking. You have to be careful when using honey, as the sweetening power is higher than sugar. Approximately two-thirds of a teaspoon of honey equals one heaping teaspoon of sugar. Honey also attracts moisture, so baking with honey will make your baked goods more moist. For more information about all things honey, check out the
American Honey Producers Association.
Janice Coduri, Library Director
For the younger set, The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe by Loree Griffin Burns, describes the mystery of the vanishing honeybees, which began in the winter of 2006 when beekeeper Dave Hackenberg inspected 400 of his 3000 hives in Florida and discovered that 20 million bees had simply disappeared. We will discuss The Hive Detectives at The Reading Club, a book group for children in 4th and 5th grade on Monday evening, October 17 at 7:00 p.m. Are you the parent of a 4th or 5th grader? Read the book with your child and drop in to join our discussion! Light refreshments will be served.
For adults, The Beekeeper's Lament, by Hannah Nordhaus, describes the ins and outs of beekeeping, disorders of bees and what the life of a beekeeper is really like. It will make you appreciate honey so much more. Honey is is a great sweetener in cooking. You have to be careful when using honey, as the sweetening power is higher than sugar. Approximately two-thirds of a teaspoon of honey equals one heaping teaspoon of sugar. Honey also attracts moisture, so baking with honey will make your baked goods more moist. For more information about all things honey, check out the
American Honey Producers Association.
Janice Coduri, Library Director
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Harvest Dinner-- reserve by October 2!
It's a community gathering!! Celebrate the harvest with a special meal at the beautiful Wellesley College Club. Come enjoy a full dinner including hors d'oeuvres, soup and salad, entree, seasonal local vegetables and of course, an apple dessert! The menu will feature ingredients from local sources including Land's Sake Farm, Volante Farms, Allandale Farms, Bully Boy Distillers, Mayflower Beer and more. Space is limited, and preregistration is required. This is an 18+ event. Register Here by October 2, 2011. |
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