Earth Works graded the land before Dirt Works Tractor Services dug the holes. Local company, Monument Lumber, provided the posts and rails and Lakeside Organic Gardens donated half of the fencing material. Las Animas donated the concrete and Santa Cruz Concrete Pumping did the pour. The land was ready for some hard labor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We love our chickens!

How did we get involved with our community garden? We met Jeff and Adele Talmadge, owners of Talmadge Construction, at our city’s annual Shortest Parade in the World and Pancake Breakfast on the 4th of July this year. We were introduced by our dear friends, Kim and Pete Mansfield. Kim used to watch their son when he was little, and she mentioned that they are a family of black belts. We told them about enrolling our six year old, and how Trent was considering joining the Dojo. They gave us great advice about the  journey of martial arts, and as we continued to get to know one another, they found out about the organic nursery.

Jeff said he was a member of the local CASA, which stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates, and was thinking about donating some of his land to create a community garden for the kids. We went crazy about the idea, and we’ve been friends since. It so happens that Jeff and Adele live around the corner from us.

I have to stop the story for a minute to provide a quick brief about this amazing organization: “CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children, to make sure they don’t get lost in the overburdened legal and social service system or languish in an inappropriate group or foster home.  They stay with each case until it is closed and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home. For many abused children, their CASA volunteer will be the one constant adult presence—the one adult who cares only for them.” If you have the time to sponsor one of these kids in your area, please go to CASA’s website to find a local chapter to volunteer.

We kept in touch with the Talmadges throughout the summer and then were introduced to Melanie Larson, another CASA member, who approached her church about the idea of utilizing unused land in front of it for a community garden. It would be offered to local families who didn’t have the ability to grow their own food or simply couldn’t afford the cost of fresh produce. CASA kids could also help these families and learn about agriculture, life skills that could be utilized in their future.

We were thrilled to be part of it for all of those reasons. But we also knew that we could actually help these kids and families adopt healthier eating habits, become environmental stewards and build a sense of community.

In October 2009, we met with Melanie; the new pastor, Dale Sollom-Brotherton; and fellow church member, Gene Sanden to offer our help. We’re now members of the Aptos Community Garden Board, and are proud to offer these families their vegetable and fruit starts, and our knowledge. But we’re also here to document the progress of the garden so that you will be inspired to start your own.

On that note, here are the first photos of the area that will be known as the Aptos Community Garden. The big takeaways from this post: an area that was not being utilized will now be able to feed over 80 households and all it takes is the inspiration from one person to make it happen.

Food What?! Youth Dig In

A big reason why more of us don’t buy organic food is because of the price. Of course, growing your own sustainable garden is an inexpensive option. The National Gardening Association’s recent study “The Impact of Home and Community Gardening in America” cites that a well-maintained food garden can yield an estimated 1/2 pound of produce per square foot of garden area over the course of the growing season. At in-season market prices, this produce is worth $2.00 a pound. That means the average 600 square-foot garden that costs an average of $70 can produce an estimated 300 pounds of fresh produce worth $600!

This is great news for those of us who have yard space for a garden, but many of us don’t. And while container gardening is an option, patio space — and the amount of sun exposure it gets — might limit the bounty to just a few plants.

Thanks to the resurgence of community gardens,  sustainable food is becoming accessible to those who don’t have the space to grow their own or simply can’t afford it.

We’re excited and proud to announce the ground breaking of one in our town — the Aptos Community Garden. Hosted by Christ Lutheran Church, a bunch of volunteers are donating their time and money to make it a reality. Trent and I will sit on the Board, donate the starts, and document its progress.

But we’re not doing write-ups to toot our horn. By telling the story as it unfolds, we hope it inspires every community in America to roll one out, too — at a school or somewhere in the neighborhood. Why? Other than enabling the satisfying experience of growing and harvesting fresh food, community and school gardens encourages healthier eating habits. It brings our neighborhoods together and reconnects us to the source of our food — nature itself. It also encourages environmental stewardship, self-reliance and confidence in the safety of our food. According to the American Community Garden Association, it can even reduce crime!

We live in Santa Cruz County; if you don’t know, we’re very big on environmental issues and natural foods. I have to point out a few great local programs that are community gardens, but not in the traditional sense. Food What? educates youth and is driven by our friends at Life Lab. The second is the Homeless Garden Project, an amazing nonprofit organization that gives purpose and financial support to those less fortunate. These are a few innovative examples of the power of community gardens; consider these aspects when building yours. How can we get our youth involved? How can we give back?

I did some research on the history of community gardens. The study I found cited their importance during and after both World Wars, providing increased food supplies which required minimal transporting. During the Great Depression, city lands were made available to the unemployed and impoverished by the Work Projects Administration (WPA); nearly 5,000 gardens on 700 acres were cultivated in New York City alone through this program. During WWII, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that national health as well as personal well-being were dependent on the consumption of fresh vegetables, which led to the Victory Gardens Program and the production of approximately 40% of the fresh vegetables consumed in the U.S. from an estimated 20 million gardens.

WHAT?! Did I read this correctly? What happened to us? Now, our food travels an average 1,500 miles. Only 1 out of five fresh fruits and vegetables are grown in the Unites States. And NO U.S. state is meeting national objectives for consumption of two fruits and three vegetables a day.

I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that Americans are battling obesity and Type II diabetes at an alarming rate. Did you know that 1 out of 3 kids in the US are considered overweight or obese? Folks, these health risks are caused by poor dietary patterns and sedentary lifestyles.  In other words, they are reversible.

Ah, yet another benefit of gardening — physical exercise. How many calories can we burn? I just went to Internet Fitness and found out that personally, I can burn 307 calories an hour doing general gardening activities!

Readers, I hope you’re motivated to get a garden going — at home, at your kids’ school, or in your community. Do it for your health and that of your family, community and planet! And if you need help, check out how we did it here in Aptos.

Slow Food USA seeks to create dramatic and lasting change in the food system.  We reconnect Americans with the people, traditions, plants, animals, fertile soils and waters that produce our food.  We inspire a transformation in food policy, production practices and market forces so that they ensure equity, sustainability and pleasure in the food we eat.

Amen!

We read their blog religiously, and a recent post caught our eye. This month, Foodprint USA was launched “to bring together information, resources and communities of food and climate justice advocates around the country working to reduce our climate “foodprints” ~ our food system’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change through the production, processing, packaging, shipping, storage and disposal of food.”

On their site, they state that approximately 12% of the total GHG emissions per U.S. household result from growing, packing, preparing and shipping food nationwide. And that according to the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, approximately 50 years ago in the United States, most foods were generally consumed within close proximity to where they were being produced and or packaged, while today, food typically can travel approximately 2,485 miles from farm to table.

Download, color and learn...for FREE!

We’ve talked about what constitutes “organic” and “local” on our blog. We know the shortest distance between safe, fresh food and your fork is your own backyard. But we also know that adult habits die hard, and that our biggest hope is in educating our children.

So, we have published a FREE e-coloring book, How Organic Gardens Save the Earth, to educate families on the benefits of organic produce – to our health and that of the planet. The story is about Reed, who buys his tomatoes from the supermarket, and Posey, who grows her own in the backyard. The tale tells how each tomato was grown, the journey it took to get to them, and what the Earth thinks about it all. It also talks about how special it is to share a harvest. It is written by us and illustrated by Jeff Petersen.

Download and enjoy this educational story book with children of elementary school age. It’s a perfect way to learn about the difference between conventional and organic produce, and how that choice goes far beyond what we choose to put into our bodies.

We don’t know when we’ll know, but we wanted to share the videos. While Linda is informative and all, Aidan really steals the show. Folks, this is improvisation at its best. Linda had to do a million takes, this is Aidan with no script, no coaching – one take. He’s irresistible. Hopefully, parents will agree and buy a kit for their family, too.

And please, listen to Aidan’s Song…you’ll smile, we promise. Whenever we’re having a bad day, we go watch it.

More on Our YouTube channel, GrowYourOwn101

In the garden with beans and a cat!

Here a few reasons why everyone is talking about Growing Your Own:

• 43 million households will do it this year.
• The Obamas already are.
• Michael Pollan said it’s the “single greenest thing you can do” on Oprah’s Earth Day Special.
• Two summer movies – Food, Inc. and Fresh The Movie — are talking about it. (Get inspired. Watch the trailers, at least!)
• You get up to 17 times return on your investment.
• It’s a fun family activity that saves you money and gets your kids off the couch.

Thankfully, American society is becoming more environmentally conscious every day and is looking for ways to eat better. Plus, the economy is forcing households to cut variable costs. Growing your own is proving to be an inexpensive way for families to spend time together outside, being active in nature and away from the distraction of cell phones, video games, and television. Families that invest a day in the garden a week save hundreds of dollars in groceries, travel and entertainment expenses a month!

In fact, the USDA estimates that every $100 spent on vegetable gardening yields $1,000-$1,700 worth of produce.  Each My First Organics seed starting kit harvests up to $250 worth of produce.

Check out these carrots!

Even the most symbolic home of all – The White House – broke ground on a sustainable organic garden last month, the first since Eleanor Roosevelt’s victory garden during World War II.

COME ON! What other activity can you do with your kids under $20 that is this fun, educational and delicious? (Check out our six year old’s demo on YouTube!) Grow together and eat healthier!

And take advantage of our 20% discount today! Just type in SUMMER as your Discount Code during checkout (good until August 31, 2009).

Afterwards, we enjoyed some BBQ chicken and a whole wheat pasta salad with tomatoes, black olives, cucumbers, parmesan and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Before you say “that’s not too bad,” I also ate a slice of cake from Porto’s, a Cuban bakery based in Southern CA. I know, I know. But you need to understand that my parents were down there and drove an extra 150 miles to go to this place. I’m first generation Cuban-American, so NOT eating a slice (or one of the guava pasteries) would be blasphemy. Oh, and we had it with coffee. Probably the most delicious cup I’ve ever tasted! However, my body responded in the familar ways to the food — bloating, gas, discomfort. And the caffeine affected me in ways it never had before — we were up until 2 am, and it took about 30 minutes to fall asleep.

Let’s get to the results of the cleanse. I weighed myself on Friday morning, and lost 4.6 pounds! After my indulgences, I went up .8 pounds the next morning. Net = 3.8 pound loss. Yes, I’m thrilled about that but it’s what I learned that has made the biggest impact.

I didn’t think I had the willpower. And now that I know that I can do without coffee, alcohol, dairy or meat for an extended period of time, I have shifted the way I look at food.

Yesterday was my first day back on a regular diet, and I had one cup of coffee. We brewed some later in the afternoon, but we only ended up drinking half a cup! Because I’m committed to keeping that hard-earned weight loss off, and shed another 10 pounds, I started up the Weight Watchers routine that I used to think was hard to do. It was no problem! I used to believe that I’d never lose those last ten, now I have the confidence that I will by July 9 when we take a trip to Lake Tahoe for my best friend’s 40th.

What I love about Weight Watchers is that it teaches you how to make healthy choices within the world of convenience food. Although we switched to brown rice, whole wheat pastas and breads years ago because of WW, I realize that we don’t need to consume so much meat or dairy. So we’re going to eat veggie meals most of the time. For example, we’ll substitute tofu in our stir-fry dinner instead of shrimp. Or make our split pea soup without the ham.

Let’s expound a bit on the confidence I’ve gained. On Wednesday, two days into the cleanse, I went for a swim. You can read about that experience in my previous post, but lap-wise, I was only able to complete about eight of them freestyle in between kickboard and pull buoy drills. That’s my usual, as I only learned to swim competitively last year to complete my first triathlon for Team in Training. And since I turned 40 last year, I decided 3 more — to total 4 — would be a good way to say neener, neener, neener to the big birthday. No, I did not complete an Ironman. They were simply Sprint distances, but I can say “I am a triathlete!” You must admit, that’s pretty cool.

Why do I bring this up? Yesterday, I swam 1,000 yards freestyle without stopping. Folks, that’s 40 laps, 3 days later.

It’s obvious that the cleanse did more than restore my body’s natural balance. It eliminated mental obstacles too.

I’m walking around with more confidence, less stress, and a positive attitude. Things that used to freak me out, simply don’t. As a marketing consultant on the side, the check from my client hasn’t arrived. This would typically take me over the edge, but I realized that there is nothing I can do about the US Mail system. I just have to send prepaid overnight postage along with my bill next time. And if it doesn’t arrive on Monday, well, I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. I have a life to enjoy and it’s sunny outside today. The weather has been cloudy and dark for the last few weeks. I’m going for a bike ride and perhaps hit the beach afterwards with my family.

Super Cleanse is a great book because it gives you 9 choices. The Laughing Buddha is great, but it does take a lot of time to prep, prepare and clean up. However, you can prepare a bunch of servings of your favorites and eat them every day. Or, you can choose another cleanse that is predominately juice-based so there’s less to do.

What’s exciting is that the cleanse made good on it’s promise. I quoted the author in my first post about the cleanse: “A good cleanse reboots our whole being. It provides a magnified awareness, a fresh perspective, spiritual renewal and physical rejuvenation. When we get rebalanced, we get clearer about who we are and who we’re committed to being. That’s the miraculous and healing power of a cleanse.”

Bottom line: I feel I can do anything. And I’m not sweating the small stuff. If you want to shift your life, try a cleanse.

Yesterday was tough because Trent had to take off suddenly due to his grandmother’s death. We frantically made a bunch of recipes to send him off properly so that he could say true to his cleanse. I’m happy to report, he’s stuck to it so far! Even among his non-organic, carb-, butter-, cheese-, meat-, sweets-eating family. I’m so proud!

I have to note that I went to my monthly lunch with the girls and ordered a salad with greens, mango, apples and cranberries — no dressing. I brought my own that I made (sounds tacky, I know). And drank water. Now, that was a bit tough sitting next to friends indulging in fresh tex-mex. But now I know it’s possible, and I can live through it.

Although I still get hungry in between meals, I have to say how amazed I am at how I feel. My skin has cleared up substantially, I continue to be much calmer. Not so nervious and frantic, although life is crazier than ever due to the additional stresses of a death in the family and the last week of school.

I even went for a swim yesterday! I figured I had to since I’m doing a sprint triathlon to support a friend in 16 days and I haven’t started training. I went into the sauna and steam rooms for a total of 20 minutes; it’s something Adina recommends, as the sweating pulls out toxins. I thought I’d be dizzy, as I’m trained to believe you have to eat carbs and protein for energy when you workout. Nothing. Nada. Whoa.

The only complaint is the amount of time it takes to prep, cook and clean. Hours I don’t have. But based on the results so far, it’s well worth it.

This morning I woke up refreshed. I’m more focused. My vision seems to be clearer. I went to Starbucks to buy a gift card for Aidan’s teacher — big temptation for me. But  when I walked in, I didn’t even SMELL the coffee. I got Zen Tazo tea in my reusable container and left. Yes, there was an urge. But it subsided. Yes, this is Linda typing. This is VERY weird.

Just 2 days left. I may choose to break the cleanse 12 hours early on Friday night. My best friend is visiting with her daugther, and while she’s on a no red meat, no alcohol diet right now, it would  be wrong to not share a glass of red wine over conversation. Some traditions cannot be broken.

Trent McNair

Trent’s Day 1 Experience:
Although I didn’t start this project, I am starting todays journal post about our first 5-day cleanse.  I think it will be nice for people to see both of our pespectives on the journey.
As a man, what should I expect?  Food for both of us is a central part of our lives and Linda and I are not immune to the bad habits that most of us encounter each and every day.  I come from a family where butter, fat, and grease were considered a food group (maybe our main one).  My tastes for food revolve around it.  Like so many men out there I would pass on the fresh salad for the burger and fries.  Meat is a large part of my diet.  But blindly continuing to eat meat without knowing the process that it took to get to my plate has shaken my kitchen to it’s core.  More and more I have learned that this process is making me sick.  Sapping my energy and even affecting my mental acuity.  Overeating is also a problem of mine.  My appearance is deceptive, but I do carry some extra weight and a cholesterol level that is alarming.  At 40 years old, I am starting to feel the effects of a diet that might have been okay as a teenager, but at my age has made me feel lethargic as my day progresses.  For me, this experiment is as much about feeling better as it is about looking better.
So…day one.  I’m almost through it.  Feeling very tired, but my dinner has me satisfied (the sushi was REALLY good).  I ate slowly and savored every bite.  I think my sense of fullness comes from the fact that my stomach had probably shrunk to the size of a walnut by the time I ate dinner.  Tea, lemon-water, and blanched spinach for lunch.  Breakfast was a hearty, heaping cup of some kind of pureed fuit and veggie combo that Linda set in front of me with the biggest cheshire grin I have ever seen.  It might sound like I am complaining a lot, but the experience hasn’t been so bad, and I am proud to have gotten through the first day with only the mildest discomfort.
I am worried about Wednesday and Thrusday (that will be Day 3 & Day 4) because I will have to leave the support of my wife behind to attend my Grandmothers funeral several hours away with my family…and they WILL be eating.  Oh, yes, they will…

Linda McNair

Linda’s Day 1 Experience:
I felt deprived all day until now. Dinner was great (homemade sushi!) and I feel satisfied. But I have to admit, today was really tough. Sometimes I felt deprived because I was HUNGRY, but most of the time it was the lack of drinking my favorite friend, coffee.

Coffee at any time of the day would bring comfort into my life. It’s a taste that always brings me pleasure, and tea just doesn’t cut it. But I’m happy to report, I made it through the entire day without a cup of coffee, dairy products or meat! I feel VICTORIOUS!

The one thing I have to say is that these cleanses are not for busy people. The shopping and planning took a lot of time, which I expected, but the prep, cooking and clean up is very time consuming. Fine for 5 days, not forever. But it has shed light on how much we rely on convenience food. And now it’s even more clear why we have a national health crisis.

Besides the hunger pangs and the coffee withdrawals, I feel rather good. I was calmer all day. Things seemed to flow easier. I can already see that the next four days will be monumental in how I look at food and drinks. Put it this way: Weight Watchers is a piece of cake.

My diet growing up was nowhere near as artery clogging as Trent’s, but carbs, wine, cheese, coffee and meat are staples. Interestingly, the only thing I’m missing today was my big cup of java — cream and sugar please. I will replace sugar with agave nectar when this is all over, but the coffee will return. Perhaps just two cups a day, though. I swear…

“A good cleanse reboots our whole being. It provides a magnified awareness, a fresh perspective, spiritual renewal and physical rejuvenation. When we get rebalanced, we get clearer about who we are and who we’re committed to being. That’s the miraculous and healing power of a cleanse.”

Who doesn’t want those things? Realizing that I’m depleted in every way, I’m ready for the cleansing miracle!

I’ve consumed the same things my entire life. Being of Cuban descent, I’ve never eaten a full vegetarian diet for 5 days in a row. Gosh, I don’t think I have for even a day!

I’m enjoying Adina’s book very much. She speaks in plain English (not scientific or medical jargon), so I’m learning a lot. She provides nine cleansing choices with great preparation and post-cleanse advice, as well as accompanying recipes.

After much investigation, I’ve decided to take the plunge with the Laughing Buddha. What appealed to me the most was that it’s touted as a ‘soft entry’ when it comes to cleanses, plus it also heightens awareness of what I consume. I’ll see and feel a difference within days, it says. Now this cleanse goes beyond myself. As Trent and I continue our quest to educate families about the benefits of sustainable, organic food systems, we can call on this experience as personal evidence of how whole, organic foods are the natural medicine our bodies require to live a healthy life (not to mention the environmental effects of those choices, but that discussion takes up several blog entries!).

I’m sure you’re saying — where are you going to find the time to do this? Yes, I’m a busy wife, mother and owner of two businesses. I look at my crazy life and wonder the same thing. But that’s why I’m doing it. It’s become more important than keeping the house cleaned up this week.

And guess what? I’m going to document the process here, so please follow my Cleanse Journal over the next week as I prepare and go through the Laughing Buddha. Since this is Cleanse Journal.1, I will tell you that I spent one hour going through every recipe in the Laughing Buddha section and created a shopping list (quinoa, anyone?) This weekend, I’m carving out 3 hours to go to/from Whole Foods and will begin the cleanse on either Sunday or Monday. When I complete the cleanse, I will refine the shopping list based on what I needed more or less of, and post it for your use if you decide to take the journey yourself!

In the meantime, I’ve been in mental preparation mode. I have to say, I’m excited to challenge myself; to take time to take care of myself. By the way, Trent is going to do this too, so he may journal his experience from a male perspective.

Linda McNair

Going veggie isn’t freaking me out, it’s walking away from my lifelong friend, coffee. I drink a lot of it. Not for the caffeine, but the taste. From Adina’s book, I learned how coffee stresses my adrenal glands, causes nutritional deficiencies and increases toxicity the body which opens up the door for disease. So folks, I’m going to break this coffee habit for 5 days! I’m going with her recommendations of yerba mate and herbal drinks with chicory. Pray for me, and stay tuned to find out how it goes…