Eat
Here: Reclaiming Homegrown Pleasure in a Global
Supermarket by Brian Halweil (Worldwatch/WW
Norton Co., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10110;
2004; $13.95) is an excellent book that we highly
recommend. The author is thoroughly acquainted with
and acknowledges the power of the globalized food
system. However, the main thrust of his book describes
the multitude of ways in which people are reclaiming
that power and are working to re-establish local
food systems. Halweil's examples are inspiring.
He tells of a fast food restaurant chain in Vancouver,
Washington that uses only food from local farmers
and serves unique milkshakes flavored seasonally
with local fruits and nuts. He interviews the owner
of the Centerville Farmers Market in Lincoln, Nebraska,
a grocery store that carries only locally grown
and locally processed products. It is struggling
to build up stock and compete with the local Wal-Mart,
but in the process has helped local farmers stay
viable. In Kenya the Association for Better Land
Husbandry started off by teaching farmers Biointensive
farming. It now also coordinates farmers' cooperatives
so that the farmers can benefit from the increased
profits of marketing and distribution. The coop
has established its own brand-name labels, which
are successfully competing with global products.
One of the most moving examples is of Halweil's
own home area: East Long Island. He briefly relates
its history of farming and fishing, then tells of
how many former farms are now growing mansions,
including "the largest single-family home in
America.that features 43 bathrooms."(!) But
even there, efforts are being made to hold on to
what still remains and to support and attract interest
to local food.
This book should prove an inspiration to others
who sometimes feel alone and discouraged in their
efforts to increase local food security in the midst
of an entrenched globalized system. Halweil's message
is that it won't be easy but that there are many
people around the world working to make this happen
and that the number involved is growing.
Soil Organic Matter in
Sustainable Agriculture, edited by Fred
Magdoff and Ray R. Weil (CRC Press; 2004; $89.95),
is a collection of scientific articles edited by
two excellent soil specialists, on the role that
different forms of soil organic matter (SOM) play
in the health of soils. Various authors explore
the beneficial effects of SOM and the practices
that enhance it, an area Ecology Action is very
interested in.
Earthworm Ecology,
second edition, edited by Clive A. Edwards (CRC
Press; 2004), is a must read for any serious oligochaetology
enthusiast who wants an overview of earthworms and
their role as a biological blender. Supported by
years of research from a wide range of international
experts, the book explores the many industrial sectors
that have benefited from the rapid growth of vermiculture.
While the earthworm is better known for its role
in increasing soil porosity, aeration, drainage
and water infiltration, the book also documents
the earthworm's less obvious relationship with plants
in facilitating nutrient absorption, increasing
germination rate, rebalancing C:N ratios, adjusting
pH levels, and reducing plant diseases and pest
problems. Although the book's main focus is on the
benefits of vermicomposting, it also tackles the
topics of taxonomy and the earthworm's emerging
role as a possible answer in solving the urban waste
management dilemma plaguing cities worldwide.
-Reviewed by Jean Gautier
It should be noted that Ecology Action is concerned
that the use of too much vermicomposting may be
a challenge; more carbon is lost in the vermiculture
process than in the crop materials composting process
and many of the nutrients become too available-rather
than more stable and slow-releasing as in the crop
compost process.
Raw: The Uncook Book:
New Vegetarian Food for Life by Juliano
Brotman (Harper Collins; 1999; $35) After you try
out some of these recipes, cooking will never be
the same, and your body will thank you for it! This
book doesn't ask you to compromise taste for health.
Instead it offers you a bounty of delicious, superior
gourmet dishes that will enrich your body, mind
and soul. The author is the chef who started the
American raw food craze in San Francisco many years
ago. He describes raw food as "living"
food, since it comes directly from the earth and
is eaten in its edible uncooked form. One of the
first surprises the uninitiated raw cook will experience
is the range of produce and ingredients that can
actually be eaten in their raw form, without having
to sacrifice any of their essential nutrients to
traditional cooking methods. By using a blender,
food processor, juicer or dehydrator, you can produce
gourmet vegan meatloaf, pot pies, pizzas, cheeses,
cookies, breads, cakes and ice cream, to name just
a few recipes. Although the ingredient list in some
recipes may seem a little lengthy for a raw cookbook
and a challenge to gather for some non-vegetarians,
most will eventually become part of the pantry for
anyone who is serious about improving their eating
habits and overall health. Bon appetit!
-Reviewed by Jean Gauthier
Eating to Save the Earth by Linda Riebel and Ken Jacobsen (Celestial Arts;
2002; $ 9.95). This is a great book for those people
who wish to reduce their ecological footprint through
their diet. Guiding the reader through easy and
healthful alternatives, it explains how to reduce
waste, conserve water and use less energy in preparing
meals. Green solutions are offered for the home
in the form of composting, cleaning and recycling,
while suggestions are also given on maintaining
a healthy diet away from home, at work and in restaurants.
By the end, the authors' intention is to help the
reader realize that what is "truly" good
for us is also good for the planet.
-Reviewed by Jean Gauthier
The Raw Truth by Jeremy Safron (Celestial Arts; 2003; $ 18.95).
The author, the founder of Raw Experience restaurants,
provides the reader with a list of wonderful recipes,
suitable for both raw and non-raw foodists, that
are easy to prepare due to the limited number of
required ingredients. For those wishing to retain
the maximum nutritional benefit from their food,
the recipes often include processes such as sprouting
or fermentation. One of the reviewer's favorite
parts of this book is an extensive glossary which
lists and defines anything "healthy" that
you might possibly want to put into a recipe, including
varieties of sea vegetables, mushrooms and edible
flowers. So start eating your pansies.
-Reviewed by Jean Gauthier
The November 2004 issue of Agroforestry
News, a quarterly publication of the Agroforestry
Research Trust in the U.K. (available through The
Permaculture Activist, P.O. Box 1209, Black Mountain
NC 28711), contained articles on the blueberry family,
using nitrogen-fixing shrubs in nut orchards and
a 10-page compendium of all known trees for temperate
or continental climates which have edible fleshy
fruits. Shrubs will be covered in later issues.
September 2004-September
2005 Catalog of Plants, Seeds, Books and Sundries
from the Agroforestry Research Trust (46
Hunters Moon, Dartington, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 6JT,
UK; website www.agroforestry.co.uk)
lists a seed range "of nearly 450 species.from
easy-to grow herb perennials to trees and shrubs
which can be grown with a little care and attention."
Its publications include "new books on fruits,
nuts and unusual vegetables, as well as the best
books on agroforestry and unusual plants to be found."
A Catalog of Books 2004 from Shelter Publications (P.O. Box 279, Bolinas
CA 94924; (800) 307-0131; www.shelterpub.com), a
small company with a small but interesting list
of books they have produced. This includes Shelter,
first published in 1973, "a record of the countercultural
builders of the '60's, but also of buildings all
over the world." The recently published Homework
is a sequel to Shelter. The catalog also includes
fitness books, some of which have been updated,
as well as a small, miscellaneous assortment of
books on other subjects.
The Brick Oven Bakers
Conference was held at the Headlands Center
for the Arts near Sausalito, California, in November
2004. For details, check OvenCrafters at www.ovencrafters.net or (415) 663-9010.
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