V is for Victory

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

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.

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.

Eating Locally with Malcolm & Sally

Malcolm (left) and Sally (right) dining together

Malcolm and Sally are two mini-lop rabbits.  My wife and I got them from Sweet Meadow Farm in Sherborn.  They love organic hay, fresh fruits, and vegetables.  At one time they ate better than we did.  But, all that changed when we moved to Natick.

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

-JR

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.

More and more restaurants are incorporating local ingredients into their menus. Not only is it good for their business, but its good for the local economy as it keeps the money in the neighborhood. The next time you are eating out, inquire as to where the foods offered on the menu are sourced. If it matters to us, it will increasingly matter to our local restaurateurs.

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

by Lisa Leslie Henderson

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 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.

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