catching up

Tuesday, June 22/10

The leg is continuing to get better. I rode my bike for the first time on Sunday.

Sarah Elton, author of the excellent book Locavore, spoke at the London Central Library. Ninety (90! +) people came to hear her. It was a terrific turn out. She spoke for 30 minutes and then turned things over to the audience ... to ask questions and for them to give each other answers and comments as much as for her to do so as 'expert'. I loved this encouragement to the group. After the talk, Sarah came along to Garlic's restaurant with some people involved in local food production. Garlic's itself tries to use as much locally produced food as it can. I know it supports the City Farm project, which has several acres out by Fanshawe Pioneer Village. Two people who joined us are members of the National Farmers' Union, local branches. The NFU is a wonderful advocate for farmers and for local.

On June 17, Transition London Ontario had about 25 people turn out - again at our ever-helpful Central Library - to watch the film Farm for the Future. This is the film Rebecca Hosking made about her explorations on how to make her own family farm more sustainable. If you have a chance to see this anywhere, do. There's enough images of 'conventional' agriculture to get ideas going, but the focus is on how much fossil fuel is used in agriculture and some of the ways this can be reduced from changes to fodder grasses, permaculture, and going small. Rebecca found out for herself what many big institutions are now saying: small is the way of the future. Oh! Just put Farm for the Future in an internet search engine and you'll find excerpts or the entire thing on line. It's worth watching even on a tiny screen. Please, watch it. You'll like this film.

And, I'll add, more people are going to have to become involved in food production. This involvement will be in our backyard and frontyard urban gardens. And there will be more mixed farming happen in what are called 'peri-urban' areas, those green belts around cities that too many places (like London!) seem to value more for their potential as housing developments and mall parking areas than for food production. I absolutely believe we will be using those spaces. Less food will have to be transported long distances. Farming will again become a respected job, instead of something dictated to farm managers by corporate agribusiness.

Hmmm, I can tell by the tone of that last bit I'm getting cranky again. On-line time is over. I have to walk around and do some exercises.

Best regards to all,

Why's Woman