Juliet Fay has provided a guest blog post looking at the future of organic food sales.  For all those involved in organic poultry production or thinking of setting up or converting to organic egg or table bird production, healthy demand for your produce is key.

What’s the future for organic food sales?

The Soil Association’s Organic Market Report for 2009 would suggest the future for organic food sales is not as bleak as the media may have led us to believe.  This report looks at the performance of different organic foods over a 12 month period.

Undoubtedly farmers and growers who supply the large multiple retailers have been hit hard, not least by Tesco’s decision to pull many organic lines from their shelves when the recession was only a credit crunch.  They have since admitted that this was the wrong decision and are now once again pledging support for organic farmers in the UK.

Read More

This weekend the brilliant GOOD Jul Market will be at Lilla Torg in Malmo, Sweden 11am-6pm.

Come and buy all your ethical presents!

The eka stand will have everything for 300sek as a special price for 2 days only!

See what eka goodies we have for sale here.

On the http://www.LocalFarmMarkets.org page:

Upson County

• Bluebird Market – Organic, Wide variety of seasonal, fruits and vegetables (some locally grown), Indoor market, Uncovered outdoor market….

Check out your neighborhood Farmers Market Saturdays during the holiday season.  So much fun with Hurrah for the Pumpkin Pie..Cottage Baked Goods Sale,  Breakfast with St. Nick…Handmade Toys,  Sleighbell Arts Market…Just hear those sleighbells jingle-ing,  Christmas Story… Make your own Gingerbread Cottage and so much more.

Click here for Bluebird Holiday Events Calendar.

As a college student, I think Whole Foods is a little pricey. Yes, I think its mission to sell the highest quality natural and organic products is important, but I can’t shell out $6 for a 5-ounce container of hummus.

That’s why I’d never eaten from their pay-by-pound buffet.

It was almost 4 p.m. and I hadn’t eaten yet, so when a friend asked if I wanted to tag along, my stomach overruled my wallet.

The Whole Foods buffet has variety of hot and cold foods, with something for every eater – carnivore, vegetarian, vegan, lacto-ovo vegetarian, pescatarian, frescatarian and anything else.

Some foods can be found everyday while others rotate. You can always get southern barbecue (and other types of barbecue), make your own salad, eat from the taco bar or choose from a variety of soups. International fare changes daily, as do the different items on the hot and cold bars and the dessert bar.

Here’s a sampling of what I ate:

Even at 4 p.m., I was surprised at how fresh the food was. I loved the Indian food. It had great flavor and wasn’t too spicy for me. I even liked the tofu, especially the Asian marinated one (I sampled five kinds).

My pretty large plate ran me $9.45 – a little more than I would normally spend on lunch. But it was natural, organic and better than another Lean Cuisine. Plus, I was hungry.

-Danielle Cushing

Originally uploaded by artneli

Marche duluth- After a trying week, (lost my voice Monday and I make my living teaching -talking- Second language English) and a further trying Friday (bad puppy, how could you eat nutella, hasn’t anyone told you it is bad for you?) I opened my email to the good news that my application to Marche Duluth has been accepted. I have been doing loads of activities and shows and fairs throughout the calendar year. For years my January and February were filled with preparations for the Images de Femmes Group show in March, celebrating Women’s day. In fact once I coordinated it. Sometimes in the mix were little church sales for valentines, street festivals to celebrate Saint Jean (June) or other, Puces pop in October, Art d’Eco (recycled art show) in November… if I could paint or crochet something for it and afford to get in it, there I was. I dont stop making, but even with all those opportunities I am often trying to fit the work to the venue. I am pleased to say that I will happily display my wiggle hats in their natural habitat, an organic market Oct.11th Festival des artisans . On with my rant about all the amazing weekend activities – just to add the theme  ‘this year tops all’  I haven’t had a quiet weekend since mid summer. For Example- 2, will be 3 weeks of felt  to celebrate the first annual international day of felt , the culmination is tomorrow when Fiber alley and I will post photos of the works we have been making (weather permiting). Check her blog for the progress so far

-P

Heard of the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock? Thought so.. pretty awesome spot to chill on Saturday mornings for breakfast or brunch ( i go early to avoid the madness) and to catch the weeks interesting stories( i overheard somebody talking about Life is Savage last Sat..brought a proud tear to my eye..sniff) . The ecofriendly environment, organic choices and interesting foods are what brings people back every week and the success has resulted in a new concept that will be running on Sundays..whats that you say? yes.. you heard me..on Sunday.

Behold the next step in the evolution of the Mill ( yes ..just say the Mill..its much cooler)

I mean..come now..have you ever seen a more awesome poster.. i wanna go there right now…and buy stuff i dont really need. What can you expect from the Vintage Fair? This is what the website has to say: “the hand selected vendors sell products they have themselves sourced, refurbished, preserved or handcrafted”.. but you need to go there yourself to see what the deal is.

Do yourself a favour and go visit the website HERE.. its pretty slick i must say. Well done chaps. All the info is there.. when,where, how and application forms if you wanna apply to be a vendor. See you on Saturday morning and dont forget the grand opening of the Vintage Fair on the 11th October. Good times.

Weekend’s here! So why not:

-Check out the sunday market at Legazpi st.? It’s their 4th anniversary and they’re not only hefting up the foodies, but also giving away prizes!

picture courtesy of Ivan Henares
Legazpi Sunday Market
corners of Rufino (formerly Herrera) and Legazpi Sts,
Legazpi Village, Makati City

-make an Origami Lotus? Check out the DIY friendly tutorial from foldsomething.com.

-check out a movie? The highly anticipated installment of Harry Potter is running in theatres now.

-better yet, check out the slew of indie films at Cinemalaya?

Find the schedule here.

G’day g’day, #7 is where Up Your Jumper is at, and where you are at this very moment.

About to jump right in. In this episode, your up for an interview with Roseanne, Director of City Farm. City Farm, is just that, a centre for environmental education for young people and the community at large. Rejuvenated from a former scrap metal yard into a community hub, City Farm, has evolved from it’s environmental roots to weave in community arts, music and all sorts of tangents of Perth society, within the site. City Farm is also the site for Perth’s first organic/biodynamic market.

Suss it out

because I get less than half the amount of views on days that I don’t post.

Hmm, let’s see…

Yesterday was Lizzy’s birthday party. I got her a crisp Andrew Jackson and a shiny new 2009 penny with a new picture on the back of it.

First, we went to Matsutake, a Japanese sushi and steak place. I’d never been there before, and I really don’t go to restaurants all that often, so the menu was pretty intimidating. I ended up getting chicken fried rice, and they make it right in front of you with fire and everything, which was all at once terrifying and delicious.

After dinner, we went to an organic market while Lizzy’s parents and grandparents finished their dinner. Some of us (us being Lizzy, Rachel, Celesthe, Emily, and I) bought fruit leather and some of us (myself not included) bought a drink, I think.

Then we went back over to Matsutake and Lizzy opened her presents and we ate the cake her parents had brought. It was chocolate cake with buttercream frosting, very tasty indeed.

The thing was, the people who worked there brought out these little tiny plates used for putting dips in for us to eat the cake on, so the pieces were all falling off the sides. It was funny, though, because those of us who used chopsticks to eat the cake spilled less crums than those of us who used regular forks.

Anyway, once we’d finished eating cake we went to the movies right next to the restaurant and saw Star Trek. It was so fantastic! After seeing it, I really want to see the original television series. I wonder if they have it in the Netflix instant? (I just checked– they DO have the first season on there, but the rest I’ll have to rent) My favorite character was Pavel Chekov, played by Anton Yelchin. He had a Russian accent, though after some research I have found that his accent is more common of Polish accents.

Speaking of Netflix instant, right this very moment I am watching Twilight Zone: The Movie. I’m seven minutes and fifty-five seconds in, and it just passed a part where I literally jumped. I love being scared, especially pop-out-at-you scared.

Well, I’m going to get back to the movie now! Goodbye! (and don’t forget to wish your mother a happy day!)

 To further strengthen local sustainability, the garden will open a tailgate farmer’s market in the neighborhood for local growers and artisans to market organically.  The market will open on Saturdays from 8:00 – noon and is located at the old R.C. Cola Building parking lot on 215 Barnesville Street, Thomaston, GA.   The aim of the market is to redirect local buyers by bringing them together with local growers and artisans.  Click here to read more about the market on Local Harvest.

Think Global, Act Local Sustainability Initiative partners include Greensun Recycling, Organic Ag Alliance,  Barnesville Street Community Church , Barnesville Street Montessori Edible Schoolyard , Peachiest…Who’s Who in Middle Georgia, and local sponsors, friends and contributors.

 Email:  bluebirdmarket@live.com

Sheepdrove Organic Farm sold a record number of Organic Turkeys and Organic Meat Hampers at Christmas. Our sales grew and we had a bumper year in 2008, with more happy customers than ever. Our local customer base is growing too, as a result of our free local delivery.

People still want the very best produce, so despite the economic downturn for other retailers, Sheepdrove Organic Farm is going strong. Our customers still want delicious cuts of organic meat, reared to the very highest standards. They care about what they eat and where it comes from.

MarketWatch just released an article which indicated that the organic food market is valued at $5.2 billion in 2008. This does not include sales of private label organic food, which have pushed the category even higher. The organic Market has grown over the past six years. Hopefully this will allow everyone to see the importance of organic products for people. It is projected that the sales will increase through 2013 Which forces are driving the organic food market and the importance of providing products that appeal to the two major user groups: younger adults and higher-income consumers. The opportunities that will grow the market in the future-as well as those that may cause its sales to slow: the effects of higher food prices and the importance of quality.
- The key players in the marketplace, in six broadly defined segments
- What consumers feel is important when they choose organic food; how and where they shop for these products and how they feel about organic products in general

From MarketWatch Press Release :
Article title: Research and Markets: The Organic Food in the United States 2008 Report Projects Sales Will Increase Through to 2013
and Research and Markets see:http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/3c95b6/organic%5ffood%5fin%5fth

Signing off RaisingGreen

They say that Lipstick is a key economic indicator, and that every time the the unemployment rate rises 1%, lipstick sales increase by $25m. Don’t just take my word for it- here’s the source:

 If the unemployment rate rises, one would expect demand for all goods and services to decrease, but in fact, the opposite is true for lipstick,”said Lim.Burrowing into the data shows for instance that for every one percent increase in the unemployment rate, women buy $25m worth more of lipstick, according to Kline.

 So given that unemployment rose to its highest levels in October, lipstick sales should be soaring! But does the same apply to green lipstick? One would think that trend multipliers would kick in and we’d all be rolling in organic lip gloss….

Yet recently the venerable New York Times ran an article hinting that organic was going the way of the trip to the luxury store. Although they did say they felt consumers would still spend on kids, the article concluded that organic was a dispensable luxury in most cases. In other words, green lipstick would dip into the red…. I wonder if this is true. After all, as long as you can choose nice feeling, cheerful and colorful lipsticks that are lead , paraben and toxin -free, why wouldn’t  you? Especially now that there are many value-priced choices- like Logona,  Afterglow, Juice Beauty, Dr. Hauschka and Pangea. 

So go on, do your bit! Shop for green lipstick in the red economy. It’s positively patriotic! And it will cheer you up!!

Köper bananer från kvinnan som skär av en klase med kniven. Strosar. Milda vindar. 20 grader varmt. Längtar. Är här. Pratar med en vänlig öppen röst. Om morötter. Handlar ett knippe. Tomater, how much? Säljaren vill inte ta betalt, “look, so small, here take them”. Ger henne 3 dollar. Håller händerna kupade. Sen färska små gurkor. Friska. Fullkomligt lätta i smaken. Inte tunga som fikon. Inte varma på tungan som mango. Blir bjuden på torkat sjögräs. Hamnar vid havet. I tanken. Promenerar från marknaden. Tar tåget en station. Letar upp den lilla restaurangen. Får ett bord. Beställer ett par rätter. Plockar planlöst med pinnarna. Lugn med aptit. Det droppar från air conditionern. Fullt med familjer överallt. Betalar. Tillbaka till tåget. Till studierummet. Tillagar te i skymningen. Här är min söndag (i bild).

QSR Magazine
September 9, 2008

The natural and organic food and beverage market is reshaping the way America shops. With products available in every retail outlet, increasingly health-savvy consumers can now easily purchase natural alternatives to processed foods and other mainstream offerings.

In the second edition of its report, Natural and Organic Food and Beverage Trends in the U.S., Packaged Facts investigates the trends and demographics fueling this multi-billion dollar industry.

The natural and organic market continues to gain strength in food, drug, and mass outlets riding on the coat tails of the success of stores such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, which brought natural and organic foods and beverages to mainstream America.

Consumers have become a whole lot savvier about what they eat and through increased educational efforts by both manufacturers and retailers they are increasingly buying more organic and natural food and beverage products. Packaged Facts estimates that 2008 sales of natural and organic food and beverages will continue at a double-digit growth rate to reach $32.9 billion. For the period between 2005 to 2008, Packaged Facts estimates a remarkable market growth of 67.6 percent with a compounded annual growth rate of 18.8 percent.

Not even the current economic upheaval due to the rising prices of fuel and grain is enough to impede the market’s steady development, which Packaged Facts projects will experience strong single-digit growth through 2013.

“While natural and organic products are no longer recession proof, Americans are waking up to expect natural and organic food in their stores; food that is pesticide-free, hormone-free, and non-GMO. And suppliers and retailers are quickly acting to provide it to them. We believe this consumer demand will continue to spur the strong growth for these products,” says Tatjana Meerman, Publisher of Packaged Facts.

This Saturday I made my way to the Porter Estate Produce Market in Tokai with my friend Tracey. I have only been once before with my folks, mainly for the farm-style breakfast, which my dad loves, as well as to see what all the fuss was about.

But this Saturday is different. Tracey usually does her weekly produce shopping here so I tag along, with my own shopping bag—any excuse to avoid the supermarket later in the week. 

My instinct is to go directly to the fudge stall, with free tasters it’s difficult to stay away. But I show some restraint as we wander around the stalls taking everything in. First I buy some homemade pies and quiches for lunch and then we head to the Certified Organic stall. Out comes the shopping bag and in goes butternut, gem squash, oranges and apples. My first real batch of organic purchases, I feel proud. It’s expensive being a hippy. Just a couple of fruits and veggies come to over R50.

Next we do some cheese tasting—in goes the Gorgonzola. While hunting for some 100% rye bread Tracey is distracted by a new health product, Cape Aloe Juice. A Totally Wild product it’s 40% aloe ferox, no preservatives, no colourants and apparently has the ability to soothe and heal your digestive tract. The theory is: aloe is good for your skin so drinking it will be good for your insides. The plain aloe juice is more a tonic than a delicious fruit juice drink, but the mango flavoured one was quite yum. If you’re a bit sceptical, clinical trials were done in the USA and Europe, and if that isn’t enough take a look at www.totallywild.co.za.

Before we head down towards the car, I nip back past the fudge stall and try the caramel and mint as well as the ginger. I buy a bag of the ginger.

All done. Next time I’m taking a bigger shopping bag and staying for some Moer Koffie with condensed milk.

Porter Estate Produce Market—Any Fresher and Pigs Might Fly

Like most markets, it’s better to get there as early as possible, to avoid the crowds. Open on Saturdays from 9am until 1pm. It’s outdoors, so don’t expect the stalls to be open during rainy Saturdays. You can shop for fresh, organic produce, cheese, eggs, free-range meats and delicious baked goods. Follow the signs from the Tokai Road circle. www.pepmarket.co.za.

AIR POLLUTION: Aérophile´s balloon turns different colors depending on the air pollution levels, as registered by the air quality organization Airparif.

AMERICAN CONSUMPTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES: Biggest drop in U.S. oil demand in 26 years

ANTARCTIC MELTING: Antarctic ice shelf breaking up in dead of winter: Experts surprised that cold hasn’t frozen trend, now expect quicker demise

BIODEGRADABLE: Green Earth Technologies, creator of organic engine products, has released their new automotive lubricant to its G-Oil line, a 10W-30 that has set a new biodegradability standard

CATTLE GRAZING: Federal rangeland managers said continuing to allow cattle to graze on the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is harming the rare plants, fish and wildlife the monument was created eight years ago to protect

CHINA: Plight of the Little Emperors: Coddled from infancy and raised to be academic machines, China’s only children expect the world. Now they’re buckling under the pressure of their parents’ deferred dreams.

CLIMATE CHANGE: Cattails could be agents of climate change (The good kind)

CRYPTOZOOLOGY: Vampire hound caught on film?, Farmers claim they have seen the “Dracula dogs” sink their teeth into the necks of terrified livestock

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Mitsubishi’s Electric Car Will Be Released in 2009 for $37,500

ENERGY: Honolulu to air condition buildings with seawater, $21 billion Alaska energy plan proposed: RENEWABLE AND ALTERNATIVE: Inclusion of coal in projects leaves some lawmakers less than happy, Utah four day work week environmentally friendly

ENERGY MIX OF THE FUTURE; SOLAR: How a giant solar tower could power the future

EXTINCTION: Wildlife extinction rates ’seriously underestimated’

FISHERIES: Groups deliver 150,000 comments to Bush Administration calling for withdrawal of proposed rule that would undercut environmental review, stifle public input in oceans & fisheries management, Ocean fisheries protections to be weakened: Bush plan would give industry greater power over fishery management decisions, Since the Parties to the Nauru Agreement signed a Third Implementing Arrangement which among other measures include restricting fishing in the high seas and 100% observer coverage of purse seine vessels, there has been a lot of talk in the media about a new wave in regional fisheries management., Three crew members of the trawler Atria: accused of fish dumping, and the master is accused of failing to record catch correctly

FISHERIES OBSERVER: Fisheries program graduates its first two observers

FUEL ECONOMY: Teen drives on one tank of gas for entire summer

GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS AND ORGANISMS: Prince Charles warns GM crops risk causing the biggest-ever environmental disaster

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY: Geothermal energy will help power Anaheim, California

GLOBAL WARMING: Schwarzenegger confirms link between global warming and wildfires, hits Bush for not believing the science

GREEN: The world’s first eco-disco, Surya, opens for business, Using carbon dioxide as an ingredient in plastics could help reduce the use of fossil fuels, and be another market for waste CO2.

GREENWASHING: Nice jugs part 2: Green packaging or greenwashing

NEW SPECIES: 21 new species of livebearing fish named, British scientists have found new species of oral cavity bacteria which contribute to various mouth problems such as tooth decay, Bird species result of climate change?: A group of scientists are scratching their heads this week as they try to figure out how a new species of bird came to be, way up in the mountains of Vermont

OFFSHORE DRILLING: Navy opposes VA offshore drilling. Period. End of debate., Pelosi indicates openness to offshore drilling vote

OPEC: Opec income hits record as oil prices soar

ORGANIC MARKET: A capitalist dream: Company designs and maintains organic garden in your backyard

PLASTIC BAGS; STYROFOAM: Seattle’s ban on plastic and styrofoam

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: Levitating train from L.A. to Las Vegas gets boost: Bush signs law freeing dollars for levitating train from Disneyland to Las Vegas

SALMON: NORWAY: Farmed salmon in hot water

SCIENCE: Science close to unveiling invisible man, A new BBC series makes use of satellite technology to create stunning images of Britain from above, you can also see how everything has become so traceable with the use of GPS technology, Amateur astronomer spies gassy “cosmic ghost”, Bionic bra: Victoria’s circuit: Looking for a better way to charge her iPod on the go, Adrienne So had an idea – could she invent a bionic bra to harness the energy of her bouncing breasts?

SOLAR: New, cost effective solar energy devices from MIT, GM to build world’s biggest rooftop solar station in Spain: US automaker General Motors said Tuesday it will equip the roof of its factory in Zaragoza in northeastern Spain with solar panels to create the world’s largest rooftop source of power from the sun, 90% of Israeli homes solar hot water equipped, Hawaii first state to require solar water heaters, Solar energy creating economic boom for Nevada, U.S. allowing new solar again, Times Square gets solar-powered billboard, India launches climate change plan focusing on solar power, Community solar power, Dyeing to boost solar efficiency by 50%: MIT has perfected a dye technology that could change the solar world as we know it

SUBURBIA: What is the future of suburbia? A freakonomics quorum

UPWARD MIGRATION: Pacific species set to invade warmer Arctic, Atlantic waters

WAVE POWER: Giant rubber snakes to capture wave power?

WHALING: Japan says we are witnessing the death of the International Whaling Commission

WIND POWER: Village of Mackinaw City wind turbine generators: They went on line the day of the ribbon cutting, December 3rd, 2001. In their first 4 days of operation they produced enough energy to power 9 homes for a year. As of the Fall of 2003 they produced over 4,000,000 kWh of energy.

This project has received many positive comments from residents and visitors alike. The residents voice their pride in being part of such a project that brings renewable energy to the region. The visitors are impressed with the way they look. Some go so far as to call them kinetic sculptures., Argentina will produce massive wind power turbines, While U.S. off-shore wind industry struggles, Germany announces 30 new wind farms: European nation sets ambitious renewable energy goals, Debate flares over wind power in Texas

The debate over the effectiveness of organic farming at mitigating climate change is currently being argued. Some argue that conventional or more mechanized methods of agriculture are easier on the planet while others urge that the expansion of organic farming is needed to mitigate impacts of warming. I believe that more organic farming is needed. However, the definition of organic farming whether applied to small or large-scale organic farms needs to be heavy on methods that promote efficiency and sustainability.

Permaculture is a farming methodology (or way of living really) that promotes efficiency by maximizing the use of all available resources in a sustainable manner. The goal is to produce as much as possible without relying on input or very little input into the overall system.

Furthermore, organic farming is a skill. Organic farming methods that were once used centuries before were largely forgotten in mainstream culture once industrial farming took over. Essentially, to be efficient, Americans must relearn farming and not rely on Wal-Mart or Home Depot to purchase bagged soil, chemical fertilizers, or pesticides.

I believe the organic argument (especially how it is presented by the media) parallels the biofuel debate. Many folks believe that biofuels are bad for the planet because of the press. In the beginning the press demonized biofuels in its headlines.

However, not all biofuels are bad for the planet in terms of contributing to climate change or rise in food prices. Essentially biofuels that are made from sugars and starches or the foodstuff can be inefficient. However, cellulosic biofuels utilize the nonfood parts of the plant to produce biofuels so the starches and sugars are not used to produce ethanol. Essentially this is a much more efficient use of the land especially when methods of selective harvesting or applying elements of permaculture. Of course, this excludes cutting down rainforests for palm oil productions. Such land use is reckless because the method does not maximize carbon sequestering, destroys biodiversity and if the land becomes unproductive, it will possibly loose any ability to sequester carbon.

Certainly, large-scale organic farming must be scrutinized. For example, purchasing Michigan apples produced by mechanized agriculture is arguably superior to organic apples purchased in a Michigan supermarket that were grown in New Zealand. However, small-scale organic farming or even large-scale methods that employ elements of permaculture could actually provide more work than conventional agriculture. Furthermore organic farming should not rely on chemical fertilizers that are petroleum based, antibiotics, and hormones (or very limitedly) thereby reducing the impact these substances have on the environment and our own health.

Furthermore, soil associated with organic farming is also healthier and can produce more than conventional agriculture that weakens the soil structure therefore making conventional farming susceptible to droughts and erosion. The press can sometimes lack a holistic analysis of situations involving environmental degradation.

—
Photo source for attribution. The author or licensor of this image does not endorse me or my work and their image is protected under an attribution license.

On the Net: Rodale’s LaSalle urges expansion of organic farming to mitigate impacts of warming
On the Net: Surprise! Conventional Agriculture Can Be Easier on the Planet

Summer is fast approaching and farmer’s markets will soon be in full swing. The organic market is already offering a greater variety of produce such as spinach, arugula, wild garlic, leeks, asparagus, green onions, chives and other locally grown organic greens. This week I was thrilled to find some stinging nettles for my smoothies. I also managed to scoop up the last few jars of this season’s sauerkraut. If you haven’t already been to the organic farmer’s market on Saturdays, make sure to check it out. It is located behind Canadian Tire at Bank & Heron. Hours are from 10-2pm. Aside from saving fossil fuel and energy used to transport, process and package long distance foods, there’s something really special about connecting with local growers and buying directly from them.

I’ve always been drawn to markets. I think it has to do with my Romanian roots. No matter what country, city or village, markets have always been the real deal for me. During my travelling years, the first stop on my list (besides finding a bed to sleep in) was to meander through the colorful bustling markets, not merely to eat but to observe, learn and connect with others. Markets allow us to interact with locals and explore culture in a hands-on way. It’s a great way of meeting new people and old friends alike, to taste new flavors and to catch up on the latest community happenings.

From the urban to the more exotic, markets never disappoint. The vibrant sights, aromas, tastes and lively sounds of vendors selling their produce fill even the quietest area of town. The freshness always entices and it all looks so much more appetizing – making me want to try everything in sight!

today’s food log:

• 4 ozs e3live
• firewater
• 1 apple
• pure synergy tablets
• 1 liter kale-collard-dandelion-jeruselum artichoke-burdock juice
• 1/2 avocado with sauerkraut & dulse
• cauliflower with creamy tahini sauce
• mango pudding
• cabbage rejuvelac

yesterday’s log:

• 4 ozs e3live
• chlorella
• 1 mango
• 1 apple
• 1 liter green smoothie (spinach-sunflower greens-alfalfa-chia)
• avocado w/sauerkraut & dulse
• 1 cucumber, black olives & cherry tomatoes
• key lime pudding (avo, lime, dates)

Though not organic, other farmer’s markets in Ottawa are Landsdowne (Sundays 8-3 & soon on Thursdays), Main Street (9 – 2 pm Saturdays), Parkdale Market, and of course the Byward Market.  There’s also the wonderful organic market in Chelsea.

In case you missed it, Green City Market and Nichols Farm are featured in the May issue of Real Simple magazine. Kurman Communications secured the placement last August. Just goes to show you how long in advance the magazines work! Kurman’s leader Cindy has been on the GCM board for nine years!

Now in its 10th year, Green City Market reopens on Wednesday, May 14th in Lincoln Park, with a lineup of ways to explore spring’s fresh produce. At 9:30 AM, two “Savor the Seasons” events – one with chefs Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris (Prairie Grass Cafe), the other with North Pond’s Bruce Sherman – showcase salad-tastings. And at 10:30 AM, Carrie Nahabedian (Naha) gives a cooking demo. Also opening for the season is Edible Gardens, the market’s farm-at-the-zoo educational project for kids (10 AM–1 PM). Green City Market runs Wednesdays and Saturdays (7 AM–1:30 PM; Lincoln Park between 1750 N. Clark St. and Stockton Dr.).

On Saturday, May 17th, the market will hold a rally for local sustainable farming featuring GCM board members Bill Kurtis is Master of Ceremonies and celeb chef Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill, Topolobampo) will be joined by other board members and Mayor Daley. Other like organizations are invited to participate! Activities include live entertainment, a kids’ parade and the ceremonial cutting of the world’s largest organic carrot cake (9 AM–noon at Green City Market in Lincoln Park just north of North avenue between Clark and Stockton, www.chicagogreencitymarket.org).

If you’re up for joining in the rally, the celebration is geared to all who support the Market’s mission; Chicago organizations are invited to host tables with their information and encourage their members to attend. Don’t miss this great exciting expression of sustainable community to support a cause we so fervently support!