Here’s one can’t-miss event for those of you interested in food (and really, who isn’t, right?) Houston’s own Pam Walker will be gracing Brazos Bookstore on August 23rd from 4-6 pm for release of her new book, Growing Good Things to Eat in Texas: Profiles of Organic Farmers and Ranchers across the State.
- Look! This is going to be fun.
As if that wasn’t fun enough, there will be food, glorious food from such renowned Chefs as Randy Evans, Ryan Pera of The Grove and Randy Ruckner of Rainbow Lodge as they give demonstrations. To represent the other end of the food cycle, local farmers will be attending, including two of the eleven featured in Pam’s book. The Houston Farmers’ Market and Slow Food Houston are also participating and St. Arnold is generously providing beer and root beer. Sounds delicious!
Here’s what a few readers are saying about Growing Good Things to Eat in Texas: Profiles of Organic Farmers and Ranchers across the State :
“Pamela Walker shows that good food comes from good people who’re willing to work together to build a viable, grassroots alternative to industrialized, corporatized, globalized ‘food.’”-Jim Hightower, editor, Hightower Lowdown
“. . . an important, timely, and beautiful book. . . tells a new and hopeful story.”-Peter Brown, photographer
“Walker gives ’sustainable’ and ‘organic’ agriculture a regional and personal face. . .”-Cheryl Hazeltine, co-author, The Central Texas Gardener
Come join us at Brazos Bookstore for a must-read for everyone concerned about the quality and production of our food now and in the future!
The Project for Public Spaces is an amazing organization in the field helping local communities rebuild, or initiate the creation of commons spaces. Often this includes crafts and farmers markets. I have excerpted their article on buying local. If you like what you read, or you want more information on how we got into our current situation, follow the link below to the full article.
–> How Public Markets can Rebuild Local Economies
Reviving local food traditions and economies does not mean junking the existing food system, but embracing new goals beyond just cheap prices and a steady supply. This is plain common sense in a time when economic uncertainty and fluctuating energy costs could mean a sudden drop in food shipped from afar or a huge jump in prices.Changes in food distribution are already underway and this is evident in the exponential increase of farmers markets, the rebirth of public markets in many places, and the rapid emergence of the local food movement. Consumers increasingly want to know where their food comes from for reasons of nutrition and taste. They also see the benefits of investing in the local economy, rather than distant suppliers. And there’s growing awareness that the lack of fresh, healthy food in low-income communities heightens many of the problems associated with poverty.
Local economic revival goes farther than food. Through the Project for Public Spaces…
Wow!
I knew that getting married would take my attention away from my everyday work and life, but I had no idea that a month would pass before I could reintegrate any but the most pressing and timely of my workload, let alone habits. I am back now, grounded, and ready to move forward with you my dear readers.
Our wide world, and local community, have both been serving up quite a bit to ponder lately. I promise bi-weekly reflections and ponderings through the end of the holiday season.
Texas Bioneers is coming around again, October 17th-19th. I spoke at this conference several years ago. I found it to be very uplifting and inspiring.
Not only did I get to learn from international researchers and pioneers, via the satelite feeds from CA, but I was about to connect with people in our own community making positive changes, towards more natural, sustainable systems of being.
For more conference information contact: Cath Conlon, cathbkwood@aol.com, 713.768.3422 or ConSandra Jones, creatively.inspired@yahoo.com, 713.334.0200.
More information available at www.texasbioneers.org
An idealist is a person who helps other people to be prosperous.
- Henry Ford
Thanks Mr. Ford. It’s official, I am an idealist.
That statement is probably not a revelation to anyone who has worked with me, or even visited with me long at a dinner party. Idealism is not naivete; no matter what my uncle Ron says. The difference is my idealism has legs. I am succeeding and prospering by helping other community members prosper.
Houston is full of these social entrepreneurial idealists. We can all prosper together. Some of us are getting together tonight, and each Wednesday night through October, at Beaver’s Ice House for Green Drinks.
See you there!
EconGrrl
Phew! I will be glad when this month is over. This last half of August is full of the ghosts of last year and the long good-bye I had with my father.
It’s a strange way to begin a business blog post, I know. My experience, through all the strange turns of grief, reminds me of one of the reasons I am such a huge proponent of small local businesses. In a small business there is room to respond to the reality of a person’s experience.
I have eight business relationships to care for in any given week. Working with a small number of clients gives me room to develop both rapore and flexibility with each client.
We are able to engage in a more authentic give and take based on the needs of both parties.
Hurray for human-scaled business!
This is neat social networking tool my web designer turned me on to. It let’s you share with your network where you are in the real world.
I am excited about using it to stay connected to all my acquaintances in town, and discover/reinforce the local quirky places we go to.