Incredible Edible: How To Make Your Town Self-sufficient

by Christine Lepisto, Berlin 

Image: Incredible Edible Blog
While citizens of the world turn their eyes to Copenhagen, awaiting leadership with dwindling hope, one town has taken matters into the hands of the people. An idea that started around a kitchen table has grown into a reality demonstrating wisdom not seen since Gandhi. Starting from just a few herb gardens, the "Incredible Edible" project grew organically, out of the energy of local people who sought no public funds because they wanted to do it their way. Now "their way" shows the way. Prepare to be inspired.

In Todmorden in West Yorkshire, Great Britain, a grass-roots effort to put the land to work has grown into a project drawing national media attention, Incredible Edible. The brains and energy behind Incredible Edible is Pam Warhurst, who combines insight gained as a former leader of Calderdale Council with the commitment that comes from being involved in a just cause. The principle is simple: food unites us, all peoples regardless of social rank or means, can communicate in the language of food.
It is not a new idea. The local food movement is growing. Some are driven by dire predictions of global economic disarray in the wake of peak oil, climate change, terrorism, or another dreadful threat. Others want a simpler way of life, food grown for nutrients rather than products of an antibiotic- and pesticide-dependent industrial farming.
But even more people watch from the edges, not daring to step into the ring. Many people own no land on which a few vegetables could be grown. The skills of planting, tending and harvesting have atrophied. And who has the time?
Incredible Edible answers those questions, overcoming bureaucracy and uniting people with the common denominator, food. Following 17(ish) tips for getting things done in spite of red tape, Incredible Edible has spread food farming to public lands, gotten the local housing authority support, and spread the campaign to schools.

You just need land and the will to grow stuff on it.

Incredible Edible has planted two orchards and many veggie gardens. They work with authorities to use public space, like the fire stations and railway lands, for common gardens. Getting the social housing landlords involved reaches out to those who live in apartments without access to their own land.
School children in Todmorden eat locally grown meat and produce at every meal. Children learn from agricultural projects and participate in farms run by the schools. The Todmorden High School is now seeking funding for an aquaponics installation, which will grow fish and recycle the nutrient rich water for growing water-intensive plants, for scientific study of the environmentally-friendly food production options for the future.
It does not stop at growing food. Incredible Edible holds workshops, like how to kill and prep a chicken, how to forage for edible plants, and skills for canning and preserving. Blogs and a Twitter presence tell the ongoing story.
The Incredible Edible project is on track to meet their goal to make the town self-sufficient by 2018. A third more people grow their own vegetables, seventy percent buy locally grown produce at least once a week and 15 times more citizens tend their own chickens, compared with a year and a half ago.

7 Miracle Spices With Huge Health Benefits (and Big Flavor)

by Blythe Copeland

Photo via Flickr
Spice up your life with these herbs, roots, and plants that benefit your health as much as they do your taste buds: From keeping your heart healthy and your arteries clear to reducing pain and warding off cancer, these everyday flavors will add a healthy punch to all your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.

1. Chili Peppers

 Photo via liza31337 @ FlickrAdd some heat to your dish with chili peppers -- and choose versions that are especially spicy to get the maximum amount of capsaicin. Capsacin, the ingredient that provides the plants with their spice, also has medical benefits that include pain relief, heart health, fighting prostate cancer, and stopping ulcers. If you're ready to take on the hottest peppers out there, try habanero or Scotch bonnet; for less of a jolt, try jalapenos, Spanish pimentos, or cherry peppers.

2. Cinnamon

 Photo via FotoosVanRobin @ FlickrYou already love cinnamon in pumpkin pie, cinnamon rolls, raisin bread, and cinnamon sugar topping, but there are healthier ways to reap the benefits of this power spice: Add it to your coffee, sprinkle it on oatmeal, stir it into peanut butter for celery sticks, and dash on sweet potatoes or carrots. While it brings out (and warms up) the flavors in the foods it is paired with, cinnamon will also help keep your arteries healthy, manage blood sugar levels, and lower cholesterol.

3. Tumeric

 Photo via FotoosVanRobin @ FlickrBrightly-colored turmeric comes from the same family of spices as ginger -- which means both plants can reduce inflammation in arthritis patients (and may block the formation of some cancers). Try it in a curry chicken dish from Planet Green's Kelly Rossiter -- and then add black pepper, since that tabletop staple is believed to help the body absorb turmeric for maximum effect.

4. Parsley

 Photo via Joylitas @ FlickrIt's easy to ignore that little piece of parsley that always arrives next to your main dish, especially when it seems little more than a decoration (even if the bright flavor does fight bad breath).
But this early spring green has been connected to health since the days of the Romans, and today its supporters believe the herb helps pass kidney stones, battle deafness, and prevent buildup in the arteries.

5. Oregano Photo via Annie Mueller @ Flickr

When you shake extra oregano onto your slice at the local pizza joint you aren't just adding some classic Italian flavor to your pepperoni-and-mushroom: Oregano is a major source of thymol and carvacol -- two antibacterial agents that fight off infection -- and has quadruple the antioxidants of blueberries. Like thyme, it's easy to grow at home and adds traditional flavor to any dish whether you use it fresh or dried.

6. Garlic

 Photo vía felipe_gabaldon @ Flickr

Love garlic or hate it, you can't deny that it's good for you: As a staple of natural remedies and traditional medicine, garlic has anti-fungal, antibacterial, and antiviral effects, and some studies show that it can stop blood clots from forming in your arteries. It's also an easy spice to add into your diet: Try it in pasta sauce, on pizza, roasted with other vegetables, or finely chopped in homemade spreads.

7. Thyme

 Photo via Erutuon @ Flickr

The strong flavor of thyme pairs well with comfort food -- think wintry soups, stews, and roasts -- and it's easy to grow at home with full sun and well-drained soil, so you can use it fresh or dried all year-round.

But the health benefits go beyond warm soup on a cold night: The herb's oil is antiseptic and antibacterial, and recent studies show thyme can kill MRSA infections, which are resistant to other antibiotics.

What is Sustainable Infrastructure?

I want to start this blog by talking about Sustainable Urban Infrastructure and what that means. The WIkepedia definition is below and I like that quite a bit, however i feel it both too loose as well as not clear enough to actually define what Sustainable infrastructure actually is. First it need not be only urban, sustainable infrastructure is across the transect zones for both ecological purposes as well as urban purposes. The concept is based on places where humans live and how they can live in balance with the environment that they occupy. It is stewardship of the landscape not dominion over the landscape. Sustainable urban infrastructure is not limited to transit/ energy/ building form / green space or water practices... It also must include trash and sewage/ waste water and food production as well as local material production which can be taken out of the waste stream. It must also include soil preservation and that is intregally linked to both sewage, waste water management practices and food production. A village in Turkey or Greece or japan or anywhere in the world that has managed to weather the sands of time, and enable a place for generations to live is essentially the model for sustainable infrastructure. Sustainable infrastructure must also include collective memory of a community as well as language, voice, poetry and gathering.

This is the Wikepidia definition that I actually quite like,

Sustainable urban infrastructure is a term used to describe infrastructure that facilitates a place or regions progress towards the goal of sustainable living. Attention is paid to technological and government policy which enables urban planning for sustainable architecture and initiatives that promote sustainable agriculture.

In theory, a sustainable design can lead to the development of sustainable communities by ensuring that infrastructural knowledge makes improvements that do not deplete natural resources. Consequently the transition and mass adoption of renewable resources features heavily in a sustainable infrastructures.

The design emphasis for a sustainable urban infrastructure is on localization and sustainable living. The aim is to reduce individual's ecological footprint according to the principles of sustainable development in areas with a high population density.

The criteria for what can be included in this kind of urban environment varies from place to place, given differences in existing infrastructure and built form, climate and availability of local resources or talents.

Generally speaking the following could be considered sustainable urban infrastructure:

* public transport networks
* Distributed generation and integrated energy demand management initiatives and programs
* high efficiency buildings and other development constraints such as only permitting the construction of green buildings and sustainable habitats with energy-efficient landscaping.
* connected green spaces and wildlife corridors
* Low impact development practices to protect water resources.

Next I will list my categories for what sustainable infrstructure means and use this blog to define how Colorado and Southern Colorado in particular can began to build and create a New green economy through sustainable infrastucture