tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79600171315199724672012-01-22T17:34:33.031-08:00Food security, agriculture sustainability, wholesome local and seasonal eating from a faith perspectivePhina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.comBlogger4671100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-87259836494887069792012-01-22T17:19:00.000-08:002012-01-22T17:32:19.688-08:00

Just now reading a spam blast from Episcopal Church world headquarters, I learned that this year's UN meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women, from the end of February into March in NYC, will have the primary theme of empowerment of rural women. There'll be lots about agriculture and food security on the agenda.The papers of the pre-conference can be accessed here:http://www.un.org/

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-47026520319985343912012-01-16T22:51:00.000-08:002012-01-16T23:02:05.916-08:00

For some time I've had on my list of concerns the post harvest waste in the 2/3 world. Seems like our food waste here in the U.S. is concentrated in the retail and consumer sectors, while so much waste in the developing world is because of poor storage and refrigeration of harvested crops. So I was very interested when a Worldwatch video led me to Compatible Technologies International http://

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-67758120578927054202012-01-16T22:41:00.000-08:002012-01-16T22:47:41.864-08:00

I was in Crescent City this weekend - not for the start of the crab season, but coincident with it. Boats are back in the harbor - about 90 of them - and crabbing began on January 15. This is a boost to community morale as well as economy. The season began late because the crabs were small this year. But that allowed a little more of the work of tsunami recovery to be done. Reliable sources

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-30457636385441039682012-01-05T21:06:00.000-08:002012-01-05T21:24:33.561-08:00

especially when getting a congregation engaged with an issue. I've been racing ahead with all I've learned in the last five or six years about food system issues, but my congregation doesn't even fill up the basket of non-perishables for the local FISH pantry each week. Encouraging people to shop the sales and bogo offers wasn't working. So I decided to create a food-of-the-month club. I

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-55788843344494423842011-12-22T09:56:00.000-08:002011-12-22T10:08:25.380-08:00

Yes, there are drives for non-perishable food donations at every food bank in the land at this time of year, and it is important that we give, and encourage giving. Money is good, too. Being mindful that the percentage of food insecure people on the home front is roughly the same as those hungry globally (1 in 7) is a good thing.And there are the feel good charities that move toward

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-57165981691807348122011-12-22T09:41:00.001-08:002011-12-22T09:54:07.809-08:00

Last week we completed the sprucing up of my kitchen. Well, almost. The hood that arrived was the wrong size, and I have a storage piece I bought at IKEA this week which needs to be assembled. Do that or put up the tree? What a choice.The walls are whiter, the lights are brighter, the counter tops are no longer yet another faux wood grain, and the stove is white, clean and more energy

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-64196468738979521902011-12-14T14:35:00.000-08:002011-12-14T14:45:22.719-08:00

This article in the NY Timeshttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/14/dining/store-bought-spoils-the-potluck-spirit.htmlA friend and I were talking about potlucks just a few weeks ago - about the trend toward bringing high-end takeaway, rather than something simple and homemade. I don't see this much in my church circles, but I certainly do at other potlucks. My friend was commenting on the food brought

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-30754100541662070252011-11-25T17:10:00.001-08:002011-11-25T17:12:43.332-08:00

the 2011 Farm Bill is dead. That means it's the 2012 Farm Bill on which we will be working. The challenge, I think, will be to balance necessary budget cuts with the need for innovative programs, and not pit the needs of the poor against agriculture-related conservation programs in a competition for funding.

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-23200485504716928022011-11-25T16:54:00.000-08:002011-11-25T17:09:18.033-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I saw an ad that, instead of prattling on about the holiday season, simply named it what it is, the shopping season.I spent no money today and am proud of it. If I do anything to excess in this time between Thanksgiving and Epiphany let it be good food enjoyed with good friends.Along those lines, I found these pointers for avoiding GMO foods during this season, from the

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-2546815718967321382011-11-17T13:49:00.000-08:002011-11-17T14:04:01.715-08:00

In the 1970s one of the more studly work boys at Camp Galilee used to wear a t-shirt with a cartoon of a bee on it and the caption "Eat Your Local Honey." Turns out the message is still the same. http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/tests-show-most-store-honey-isnt-honey/In order to be considered proper honey, it needs to a) not be ultra-filtered, removing the pollen and b) have no additives.

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-38031602576003049372011-11-04T17:36:00.000-07:002011-11-04T17:55:11.938-07:00

When I got a forwarded message about the Farm Bill a couple of weeks ago I assumed that it was just another trumped up appeal for funds by a non-profit. I mean, the Farm Bill coming up is the 2012 Farm Bill, right?Wrong.Or maybe not wrong...We'll need to see what happens this weekend. Here's the story in brief.Last month the chairs of the agriculture committees, senate and house, agreed to send a

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-84296349193451263362011-11-02T21:16:00.000-07:002011-11-04T17:36:40.442-07:00

Seems a little curious that NPR ran a story on the rice price crisis of 2008 today - three and a half years later and a week late for World Food Day.http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/11/02/141771712/how-fear-drove-world-rice-markets-insaneStill, it's a clear and succinct account of how fear and greed created hunger when there was enough to go around. And how globalization and nationalism work

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-19835426120358244902011-10-24T20:41:00.000-07:002011-10-24T20:45:03.704-07:00

I just love "occupy the pasture". Why not stage your own demo, reflecting your own economic justice values, in the case of the Larson family in Nebraska, growing their own food to take a stand against corporate agriculture. http://www.grist.org/food/2011-10-21-occupy-the-pastureNow, how about Occupy the Vineyard to protest mono-cropping here?

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-37288932757079765532011-10-14T14:38:00.000-07:002011-10-14T15:20:04.157-07:00

and today I am all about food.I attended our local Food Policy Committee meeting this morning, am working on a sermon and some handouts for Sunday, and about to head out to buy some local cheese for coffee hour and a swing by the community garden, bringing in more tomatoes.In my preoccupation I may forget to post something in the next few days. Here's a video from the Institute on the Environment

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-86594809331781790562011-10-09T18:02:00.001-07:002011-10-09T18:07:54.656-07:00

the product of the working group on food and environment of the Episcopal Committee on Science, Technology and Faith is finally up.http://episcopalscience.org/resources/food-systemsA free downloadable booklet, just in time for Food Day.

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-47656636479185681732011-10-04T17:29:00.000-07:002011-10-04T17:39:15.959-07:00

I'm referring in the title for this post to the entry below - about moving.Water supplies have run out in Tuvalu and Tokelau. The drought which precipitated (ouch!)this situation is the result of an El Nina effect in the Pacific. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15163543But the situation is exacerbated by climate change. As sea levels rise, groundwater sources become saline. http://

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-80179765988140570132011-10-04T16:31:00.001-07:002011-10-04T16:42:43.728-07:00

but then I think about the cold, damp winters, and I wonder if that would be such a good idea. Still, this story on Sunday's weekend editionhttp://www.npr.org/2011/10/02/140903516/the-gift-of-detroit-tilling-urban-terrainabout urban farming there warmed my heart. Out of the ashes at the heart of America's notsogreat depression, comes the biggest boom in urban farming. I do wonder what difference

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-35456046096834877702011-09-22T14:32:00.003-07:002011-09-22T15:06:15.076-07:00

but I've been so busy with food and food matters this month that I haven't had time to write anything for this blog. Before Labor Day weekend I did an almost final edit of the copy for the Food Audit for Congregations which I've been coordinating for the Episcopal Committee on Science, Technology and Faith. It still has a few little things to be fixed up, but with some help from my fellow

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-10958389389002173452011-08-29T21:32:00.000-07:002011-08-29T22:07:45.882-07:00

Speaking of NPR, yesterday on the way to church I listened to a story about Food Stamps. How telling is it that this story was reported by a business reporter? While she gave a good summary of the increase in the use of SNAP, as the program is now called, and all that in anticipation of more discouraging figures to be released this week, I found her analysis pretty ignorant. It is not rising

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-1141972861189387062011-08-29T21:12:00.000-07:002011-08-29T21:25:41.798-07:00

It's food week on Fresh Air http://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air and I think I am writing this note as much to remind myself to listen or to download the podcasts as to remind the world that this is a good show with very interesting hours. So far Teri Gros has interviewed a chef with no sense of taste (really). Tomorrow's show is about the movie Ratatouille. Meanwhile I'm having my own food

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-5651278995315991492011-08-26T15:02:00.000-07:002011-08-26T15:12:16.887-07:00

I never have understood the trend among chefs to use chemicals to produce food flavored substances at very high prices, even if they do taste better than the food-flavored substances one can buy cheaply at fast food outlets and supermarkets. So it was pretty refreshing to read about this new movement, which has as its goals "purity, freshness, simplicity and ethics" in cooking. http://

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-46805236145832897932011-08-20T09:46:00.000-07:002011-08-20T10:18:29.253-07:00

Vacation brings its rewards, like lobster rolls, but finding time to think and write when visiting family is a bit difficult. Before I left town, I wanted to post a link to this August 12 Science Friday podcast: http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/201108122 There's some excellent analysis about world food prices, relative costs of food, climate change and world water supplies in

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-45004070006907781602011-08-09T16:16:00.000-07:002011-08-09T16:54:33.315-07:00

I was impressed today by the knowledge some of the members of the Board of Supervisors showed - knowledge of the food forum report, and even the food system assessment. They had done their homework, and several showed that they had been paying attention to opportunities to address issues in their districts. Good for them. Both the food forum report and the report of the survey of county lands to

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-27308542853881557582011-08-09T16:08:00.000-07:002011-08-09T16:43:57.873-07:00

This is it, according to the USDA. A good time to remember to get to your closest market, and see what's in season - if you don't have a garden that lets you know. And before you complain that farmers' market produce is more expensive, consider two things: Much of the food available at the supermarket and in fast food outlets, which is based on commodity crops, may appear cheaper, but that's

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-90802385164156669732011-08-07T14:11:00.000-07:002011-08-07T14:16:50.943-07:00

Here's the press coverage of our Food System Alliance work.http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20110806/ARTICLES/110809608/1033/news?p=1&tc=pgMany of our our Alliance labored long and hard to pull together existing information about the state of the food system here in Sonoma County into this assessment document. This PD article has the right spin, I think, and picked up some of the critical

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-73924649357004709632011-07-26T20:33:00.000-07:002011-07-26T21:11:07.058-07:00

Me too.This weekend I went to Crescent City. The Bishop likes a deacon along when he visits a congregation where there isn't one, so because of my prior work consulting with St. Paul's and my wish to see friends (and buy Rumiano cheese) I made the 300 mile drive.One of my goals was to find out what was happening in the wake of the March tsunami. I met Nancy Suksi, who is working as a special

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-18908729712209130632011-07-21T14:57:00.000-07:002011-07-21T15:02:32.266-07:00

Tired of those emailed photo collections of kittens with the misspelled captions? But embarrassed to admit you do kind of like them, especially on days when you really need cheering up?Check out this collection of photoshttp://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/slow_food/blog_post/farmarazzi_updatecompiled by Slow Food USA as part of their campaign to defeat legislation banning photography on farms

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-53485116932461937652011-07-20T13:46:00.000-07:002011-07-20T13:59:23.423-07:00

In an attempt to raise awareness (and funds) American Jewish World Service has posted an interesting quiz. How much do you know about the impact of our Farm Bill on the hungry of the world? Are you ready for the 2012 Farm Bill campaign? I thought I knew a lot, but only got 12 of 14. There's always something to learn.http://ajws.org/hunger/ghs/quiz.html?autologin=true&utm_source=food_justice&

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-18427458011055706902011-07-20T13:36:00.000-07:002011-07-20T13:46:52.554-07:00

I'm going through all the email blasts from various organizations and campaigns.Lo and behold - on ENS a commentary about blackberry jam:http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80050_129088_ENG_HTM.htmWhat I have in common with Lori Erickson - the diaconate and blackberries.What I don't have is a husband to pick them. I spent quite a bit of time on Saturday hacking my way into the Himalayan blackberry

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-47430908206824837672011-07-13T12:38:00.000-07:002011-07-13T12:52:55.904-07:00

but still it's nice to see someone else say it. Here's an article from the Houston area about "Slow Church" - taking the time for liturgy, prayer, and sharing food and time together. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/religion/7643739.htmlI mean - we have Slow Food (I belong to the Russian River chapter) and Cittaslow - Sonoma is one - though I think it should either be Slow City or Citta

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-21732255535722571342011-07-07T10:45:00.000-07:002011-07-07T10:53:25.111-07:00

or most of it...from Roots of Change

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-65735403608774012912011-07-06T22:29:00.000-07:002011-07-06T22:43:23.983-07:00

Monday I made a meal of the last of the edible podded peas and the first zucchini! This marks the transition from spring to summer in the garden.Actually the peas lasted longer than they do some years, as they kept getting a new lease on life from late rains. The lettuce is bolting wholesale now, and I finished harvesting the garlic today. I found one inch long green bean - and lots of flowers,

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-64943891862159335772011-06-22T11:59:00.000-07:002011-06-22T12:11:22.252-07:00

It's the 20th for Loaves and Fishes, the Wednesday evening community meal at St. Barnabas' Church in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles. The need for the meal has grown a lot since I lived in L.A. and cooked once a month. Some of the folks with whom I worked are still cooking. There are a few pics here:http://www.stbarnabaseaglerock.org/what-we-do.htmlTwelve years ago today I celebrated

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-68284455603959300682011-06-22T11:34:00.000-07:002011-06-22T11:42:15.043-07:00

I am pasting in here our Presiding Bishop's letter to Secretary Vilsack on the eve of the G20 ag ministers' summit. I'm extremely disappointed that there is a lack of specificity about what kind of agricultural research should be funded. Nowhere does she mention that research in sustainable agriculture is a value. This,perhaps is the answer to my question - did the materials I put together for

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-47729900917527506582011-06-21T11:26:00.000-07:002011-06-21T11:28:09.875-07:00

Anglican leaders press G20 ministers over food crisisBy ACNS staff, June 20, 2011 [ACNS] Anglican church leaders have written to G20 agriculture ministers to press for measures to combat high food prices ahead of their meeting next week. Control of the speculation in commodity trading that has pushed up food prices for the poorest people in the world, and more support for women farmers who form

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-1887528576912891002011-06-15T11:58:00.000-07:002011-06-15T12:04:17.880-07:00

I hate to confess it, but I do watch the occasional reality show, including Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. So many tears shed over unhealthful eating! You don't have to wait 'til the end of season two, or even watch it all, to learn that LAUSD will no longer offer flavored milk as of July 1.http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/06/15/137199551/

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-89320800011455999402011-06-11T15:07:00.000-07:002011-06-11T15:17:25.524-07:00

Jewish piety and humor and the food movement come together in this nine minute video.

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-26739618386073313462011-06-06T17:01:00.000-07:002011-06-06T17:12:51.025-07:00

There's a fascinating article in the current Natural History magazine about lactase persistence. It's a story of independent evolution in different human populations, in Europe and in Africa, of the ability of adults to digest milk. It shows how we evolve with our food supply, and how those changes spread through populations. Lactase persistence seems to have developed between 7000 and 9000 years

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-76117291090023651802011-06-06T15:46:00.001-07:002011-06-06T16:43:14.310-07:00

I'm exploring http://choosemyplate.gov/, the web site for the place setting graphic which replaces the food pyramid. Certainly this is an improvement visually, and it's good that "meat" is now "protein" and there's encouragement for drinking water. But the new scheme also has its critics. If you care about the environmental impact of what you eat, you will need to tack on those values to guide

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-91604949191358186262011-05-23T11:54:00.000-07:002011-05-23T12:12:48.481-07:00

Here's a handy resource, the Sonoma Marin Cheese Trail Map.http://www.marineconomicforum.org/images/Map_for_web_crx.pdfSeems like lately whenever people talk about local cheese they use the overworked term "artisan" or "artisanal" - which seems to mean $20-30 per pound.I guess I am happy that producers have found people to pay those prices, so that they can earn a living through cheese, but I

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-55610312509904861972011-05-20T21:47:00.000-07:002011-05-20T21:59:44.292-07:00

when I found the pictures of the Chinese exploding watermelons. Somehow I thought they would be more dramatic - instead of sad - wasteful and sad.Sadder still is the fact that some Chinese farmers will not eat what they or others grow for sale, but grow their own produce for their family's consumption. I'm glad they have a kitchen garden - but what about the fact that they won't eat the food they

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-88165158082205111452011-05-18T15:18:00.000-07:002011-05-18T15:26:37.717-07:00

The Harvard School of Public Health and the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) have joined forces to tackle the excess sodium in our diets and that other epidemic - the one I can relate to - hypertension.Many of the hints herehttp://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/salt/tasting-success-with-cutting-salt/index.htmlare ones you and I already know about it, but these 25 ideas are convincingly

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-36977713198869457272011-05-16T16:08:00.000-07:002011-05-16T16:26:21.911-07:00

about the neglect of the hungry and the workers by our food system alliance here, a few interesting reports have appeared.On Cesar Chavez Day the Inventory of Farmworker Issues and Protections in the United States was published. http://www.ufw.org/pdf/farmworkerinventory_0401_2011.pdfA joint effort of a corporate catering company's foundation, the UFW and Oxfam America, this report tells us two

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-63023304932940755982011-05-03T10:27:00.000-07:002011-05-03T10:35:58.019-07:00

Today I will be taking one more look at the Sonoma County Food Forum report, on which the copy editing team has been working while I did Holy Week, Easter Day, and the annual meeting of the Ecumenical Roundtable on Science, Technology and the Church.My work on food systems for the Episcopal Committee on ST&Faith was well received. In the works is a booklet for congregations, a food audit.The

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-81982249507817589702011-05-03T10:16:00.000-07:002011-05-03T10:27:20.175-07:00

Here's a recent update on these issues from CNBChttp://www.cnbc.com/id/42572375/Most interesting, I think, is the reminder that the greatest energy efficiency is to be found in regional food systems. Way local is better than global shipping, but regional is best.Also, using elbow grease rather than an array of electric appliances as well as getting rid of the second fridge at home can make a real

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-32091318505949838122011-04-23T15:28:00.000-07:002011-04-23T15:29:32.676-07:00

Back in Santa Cruz at "Friends of St Francis" (home of the cooks of the Free Dinners) we had a friend from L.A. Catholic Worker who began dumpster diving - until grocers gave him what he wanted out the back door instead. Now, out of Britain...http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/a7517354-6a2a-11e0-86e4-00144feab49a.html#axzz1KO6oXAfS'I serve waste food to strangers at dinner parties'

John Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01361984171208020181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-13610500769816694212011-04-21T16:12:00.000-07:002011-04-21T16:13:43.702-07:00

http://godspace.wordpress.com/2011/02/21/gleanings-for-the-hungry-leftovers-or-best-fruits/from Christine Sine's blog ... she has really got us thinking here at dear old St Albanswe are having a gradual awakening of the gardening impulseas the weather gradually awakens to spring!

John Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01361984171208020181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-83965809588251397792011-03-25T20:24:00.000-07:002011-03-25T20:40:27.840-07:00

I was a little stunned when I opened the April/May issue of Organic Gardening and saw the community garden contest described on the inside front cover and first page.Why? because the sponsor of the contest is a winery in my neighborhood, but not one garden in this county is among those for whom people are invited to vote.What were the people of DeLoach thinking? Where have they been? (France,

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-2858067158986092932011-03-25T20:00:00.001-07:002011-03-25T20:18:11.193-07:00

Well, the food in New Orleans is tasty - but it's so far from my normal fare that I am just now, four days later, getting back close to normal. Meat-centric, high salt, low fiber - not my thing at all.Meanwhile, the Sonoma County Food Forum report and more research on GMOs for the Episcopal ad hoc group (members of the Committee on Science, Technology and Faith; the Standing Commission on Health;

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-11459818570543724052011-03-10T21:25:00.000-08:002011-03-10T21:34:04.239-08:00

I preached about fasting yesterday, which is pretty funny given my lack of ability to do it well.Mostly I drew on both choices of lessons from Hebrew scripture - Joel and Isaiah.My three points were:Fasting is a community endeavor, not a solo act.The opposite of fasting is not feasting, it's mindless eating.The point of fasting is not the practice itself.Here's the development of the middle point

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-47704638735098958422011-02-25T14:25:00.000-08:002011-02-25T15:06:01.353-08:00

I'm going to write an off the top, eyewitness account here - before I have to engage all the official data for the report which I'll be working on over the next few weeks.It was a good day yesterday, with about 300 people over all involved and representing many sectors of our community: agriculture, health, food justice, eco-justice, government, and just foodies. I still find it difficult to

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-13725304078491359052011-02-16T15:14:00.000-08:002011-02-16T15:32:44.627-08:00

Sunday's reading from Hebrew scripture will be from the 19th chapter of Leviticus, including these verses:19:9 When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the LORD

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-8811602941154898802011-02-16T14:49:00.000-08:002011-02-16T15:02:11.181-08:00

here in Sonoma County. Yesterday things began to move ahead in using county-owned land to grow food.http://www.petaluma360.com/article/20110216/community/110219619The land is out there -in parks, the open space district, water agency land, and General Services controlled land. County officials are working to identify land that could be used for community gardens, small farms of 10 acres or so

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-893428237886948622011-02-07T16:24:00.000-08:002011-02-07T16:40:05.870-08:00

before I knew who won the Super Bowl. The luxury of having no TV and no interest in violent sports - or even in all American advertising.So I didn't see the ad against taxing sugary drinks.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQMJJAaY-3g&NR=130 seconds for the freedom to consume corn syrup.As the commentary on Grist http://www.grist.org/article/2011-02-07-

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-70386030898794936502011-02-07T16:00:00.001-08:002011-02-07T16:13:05.363-08:00

Here are some interesting ones, on the Food and Faith blog related to the Presbyterian (PCUSA) Hunger Program. I particularly liked the one on dandelions and mustard, since it's mustard season here in the wine country.http://presbyterian.typepad.com/foodandfaith/2011/02/grounded-scriptures-the-dandelion-tree.htmlThis has me thinking - why I am not doing more scripture reflections here? I very

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-15939036882164511402011-01-28T09:46:00.001-08:002011-01-28T09:57:26.759-08:00

It's been a very busy month, leaving me wondered if retired means tired all over again.This morning, while thinking about the days ahead when I have less teaching to do, and no commutes to Berkeley for a while, I sat down here and decided to catch up on news feeds and the spam blasts about food issues which I really do like to read when I have the time.So I learned that the weekly Minimalist

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-71575648401345449112011-01-06T11:27:00.000-08:002011-01-06T11:33:40.356-08:00

and lunch and dinner?I got an email today from Donnalee asking about corporate takeovers of organic food brands.With a little surfing I found these maps again:https://www.msu.edu/~howardp/organicindustry.htmlScroll down to the fourth diagram to see the hold outs. I am happy to say that I eat a lot of meals with Bob, Nancy and the Lundberg family.

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-44629560571190022922011-01-03T14:54:00.001-08:002011-01-03T15:48:47.640-08:00

Why have I been away for a while? Well, I'm not exactly sure, but I do know that the emotional effort involved in taking retirement was much more than I bargained for.Here's a photo summary of my life with food in 2010. No, I didn't move the sign - the squash just grew. The highlight of harvest time was participatingin a Slow Food gleaning day.My tree collard just keeps on chugging. Right now, at

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-62690079808149083352010-11-20T14:45:00.000-08:002010-11-20T14:49:14.279-08:00

More photo awareness.The Value of a Dollar project was Jonathan Blaustein's attempt to show just how much of various foods a dollar can by. So what'll it be? a double cheeseburger at McDonald's, a week's supply of lunchtime ramen, or 10 organic blueberries? If you were hungry and counting your pennies, which would you choose?http://www.jonathanblaustein.com/Portfolio.cfm?nK=8375

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-69257115508929425852010-11-20T14:13:00.000-08:002010-11-20T14:21:57.658-08:00

Seems like news features at this time of year focus on two themes: indigenous peoples of the Americas, and FOOD. Yesterday's California Report on public radio included a nice little story on seed saving, promoting it among backyard gardeners, descrying its decline in commercial agriculture. I was mightily impressed by Richmond Grows seed catalog.http://www.richmondgrows.org/and it gave me an

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-17242913726795630652010-10-28T15:17:00.001-07:002010-10-28T15:27:19.019-07:00

Mark Bittman has been touring, promoting his new book, the Food Matters recipe collection. Interesting to learn that he was, before becoming a food writer, a community organizer, and has a sense of returning to a role as advocate - this time for food choices that are better for personal and planetary health.There's a good conversation between Mark and Michael Krasny of KQED herehttp://

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-34045599752801014462010-10-25T20:54:00.000-07:002010-10-25T21:17:20.025-07:00

Some weeks ago I read the book Waste by Tristram Stuart, and went around appalled at what I'd learned, wanting to ask questions everywhere and of everybody about food waste.It influenced the handout I prepared for 10.10.10 on climate change and the food system. In my thinking it was no longer about whether you overfilled the teakettle when you set it on the burner to heat, but about the impact of

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-5363922024986536362010-10-25T20:35:00.000-07:002010-10-25T20:54:07.631-07:00

I always thought that shortening days caused hens to slow their laying, but the girls around here have been busy this month. My neighbor sold me a dozen eggs from her girls because they were laying much faster than she and her tenants could eat them. And a woman at my gym is selling eggs, too. Today there were pictures of her girls which I admired while doing my stretching.It's something of

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-17550738553482967002010-10-20T01:30:00.000-07:002010-10-20T01:33:04.878-07:00

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/22/1836044/let-haitians-lead-the-effort.htmlLet Haitians lead the effort BY DIANA AUBOURG MILLNERwww.bread.orgHaiti is attracting renewed international attention as it prepares to elect its next leader, thanks in part to the potential candidacy (ultimately ruled invalid) of Haitian-born musician and producer Wyclef Jean.Also at the heart of the scrutiny are two

John Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01361984171208020181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-55225761136341771522010-10-08T11:49:00.001-07:002010-10-08T12:07:46.764-07:00

If I were a fundamentalist this could be an illustration for a lesson on original sin, but there is nothing original about confusing charitable activity with justice.I've been struggling for two weeks with how to say that without sounding harsh, and maybe there is no way to do so.It was a wonderful day of gleaning, though a bit hot by late morning. As part of a Slow Food Russian River initiative

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-67707376651187687282010-10-08T11:38:00.000-07:002010-10-08T11:48:54.921-07:00

Doesn't everyone have a lot of excuses this fall? and not just excuses, but reasons. It seems way busier than the usual fall press of things to do.I've been working on the on-line class through CALL at CDSP on Food and Faith, so some of my writing and thinking energy has gone in that direction.Meetings about aspects of our local food system seem to be multiplying, too. The Sonoma County

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-24463268143420344072010-09-23T08:23:00.000-07:002010-09-23T08:29:31.872-07:00

Illegal immigrants are critical to harvesting the country’s fruit and vegetables, working in meat-processing plants, and supporting the dairy industry. But that doesn’t prevent them from suffering some of the nation’s highest hunger and poverty rates.Although national statistics are scarce, regional studies show that ffood insecurity surpasses 50 percent in some rural immigrant communities (

John Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01361984171208020181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-76813632917650396582010-09-07T11:46:00.000-07:002010-09-07T13:18:13.282-07:00

for learning about the impact of our food choices on our planet.I just discovered this site on water footprints.Turns out tea is a better choice than coffee and beer a better choice than wine if you are concerned about the water used. But hey, wine is better than apple juice.http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/productgallery

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-52864877356248880462010-09-02T19:30:00.000-07:002010-09-02T19:36:24.306-07:00

It seems strange to be surfing the last-rose-of-summer recipes on the web, when it feels like summer has just arrived here. We're just having our second real heat wave, having had none until the last part of August. This brings home the fact that seasons really do vary from one part of the country to another, and the media fix on East Coast temperate seasons just doesn't work for West Coast

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-23064515924951944892010-08-31T09:26:00.001-07:002010-08-31T09:39:50.495-07:00

Sometimes it isn't helpful to be a critical thinker when listening to the news.This story on NPR ruined my breakfast:http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129456485Of course it is news that Russian fires and droughts are driving up wheat prices, but the story left me with far too many questions. Here are some of them.Why, if we have record wheat crops in the U.S. this year, are

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-63678855274598036442010-08-30T20:53:00.000-07:002010-08-30T21:31:21.664-07:00

Saturday when I took Darrin Nordahl's book back to the library, I requested the Sonoma County Library to get a copy. The copy of Public Produce I'd been reading came from Napa County, and I wondered why, with all the interest in urban farming, community gardens, gleaning and so on here - well, why don't we have a copy in our system?Nordahl's primary expertise is not in agriculture, so he is able

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-53904382732736508782010-08-24T16:22:00.000-07:002010-08-24T16:26:40.888-07:00

Vindana Shiva interviewed in Cowbell Magazine - her radical vision of a green future, Earth Democracy...'This inconsistency of the globalization project with democracy is something that needs to be addressed, that [globalization] is a project that can only be kept in place through lying about what’s really happening. And when people wake up, because people’s lives tell them this is not really

John Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01361984171208020181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-68624689049379305502010-08-22T12:08:00.000-07:002010-08-22T12:40:12.077-07:00

Yesterday I was asked what I thought about the current egg recall because of salmonella outbreaks. Especially since some of those Iowa battery hen eggs made it to California.Well, what I think is that our food system is convoluted. And food producers are often driven by profit at the complete expense of other values. And government inspection and labeling standards are woefully inadequate.Here

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-88395040950071134512010-08-22T10:18:00.001-07:002010-08-22T10:37:01.439-07:00

Is anyone else as tired of the constructionX is the new Yas I am?Having said that, I keep running into ones that stimulate thought.A few weeks ago I read or heard that "Meat is the new tobacco." This must refer to attitudes to users in certain social circles. I frankly thought meat was making a come back in the politically correct wars. And I think meat, unlike tobacco/nicotine, is neither

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-7613007059737319062010-08-10T21:17:00.000-07:002010-08-10T21:41:22.214-07:00

and you can see a list of its members here:http://www.dftassociation.org/membershipLooks like this group came together less than two years ago. There's a detailed vision on the web site, too.The Food Alliance includes the social justice dimensions of sustainability in its North American certification program.http://foodalliance.org/But it's got to be a challenge. The Local Fair Trade Network

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-50267181053212781432010-08-07T20:17:00.000-07:002010-08-07T20:48:16.814-07:00

Several things have intersected to leave me thinking about the relative poverty of farm workers and many farmers. I've been working some on my thoughts about domestic poverty for the initiative of the North American Association for the Diaconate. I realized that we think about hunger as the place the poverty agenda relates to the food system, and not as much as we should about the lot of farm

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-45456892820933546432010-08-01T10:57:00.000-07:002010-08-01T11:32:08.000-07:00

Actually, I don't have strong feelings about raw milk, but the news of armed raids on stores selling the stuff was - well, a little raw.A good place to begin reading about pasteurized v raw is with Marion Nestle. http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/07/the-dangers-of-dairy-raw-vs-pasteurized/60512/Nestle tends to sensible opinions and good links to more information. Her own blog:http://

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-24483284956747418952010-07-31T20:25:00.000-07:002010-07-31T20:38:49.918-07:00

Since I received the Ipod, I've been noting podcasts here, but I thought it might be good to add the links in one box there on the right. These four are also all available free from ITunes. Earth Eats is the shortest one - from the Midwest and with a seasonal recipe every week as well as a bit of news on food issues. It's a quick and inspiring listen, though the seasonality of Indiana doesn't

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-43842423805780849602010-07-26T21:23:00.000-07:002010-07-26T21:39:14.432-07:00

Recently conversing with my doctor about the book I was reading while waiting (Tomorrow's Table), she mentioned she is a vegan. For some presumptuous reason, I said, "Well, if you are a vegan you really must eat dark leafy greens every day."She then gave me a recipe - place in the blender a cup of raw spinach, a small cucumber, the juice of a lemon - and I'm afraid I forgot the other two

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-46014280809327959282010-07-25T20:51:00.001-07:002010-07-25T21:06:42.720-07:00

For almost two weeks now I have been puzzling about a conversation at this month's Food System Alliance meeting. We go over and over and our goals, potential projects and markers. Someone asked if we wanted to beef up (sorry about that - it had nothing to do with meat or not) our language on food access. Don't people have a right to food.Our facilitator leaped in and noted that we should avoid

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-39695049392106138682010-07-24T21:11:00.000-07:002010-07-24T21:25:34.016-07:00

I've felt negligent in not doing more baking on these cool evenings. There usually are plenty of summer days when being in my west facing kitchen late in the day is not pleasant, and turning on the oven is the last thing I want to do. Not so this year.Just now when I got out the ingredients for some zucchini bread, I thought about a story I had missed and became aware of when I bought the new

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-49521972677430855342010-07-24T19:14:00.000-07:002010-07-24T19:27:47.151-07:00

Right here in Santa Rosa.Well, not exactly. but almost. We've only had two ninety degree days (F) so far - when we usually have had a couple of two-four day spells with highs over ninety by this time in the season. Night and morning fog has been persistent, with daytime highs running 4 degrees F below normal and lows 2 degrees F. My favorite factoid so far is that last week at this time it

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-18059970678483810562010-07-17T18:49:00.001-07:002010-07-17T18:51:22.900-07:00

Just learning about this resource for straw bale construction. In California you have the availability of rice straw which does not sprout the way wheat straw does.http://www.caneloproject.com/Along with growing food right, the re-use of otherwise-waste products is part of responsible agriculture and husbandry.%^)

John Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01361984171208020181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-66092194897502379402010-07-14T13:38:00.000-07:002010-07-14T13:52:35.306-07:00

Last week I spent several days learning more about effective on-line teaching using the Moodle platform though the Graduate Theological Union (GTU). Just in time, as this fall I am offering a course through the Church Divinity School of the Pacific's (CDSP) Center for Anglican Leadership and Learning (CALL). Food and Faith: the Spirituality of SustainabilityScroll down here to check it out:

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-29110515579679049532010-07-14T13:23:00.000-07:002010-07-14T13:32:23.631-07:00

Just a quick review of "Dirt: the Movie" which I watched the other night. Perhaps I have been watching too many documentaries and am just on overload, but there was something about the style of this one which got to me. It seemed to be quips from notables strung together to make the writer/producer's point, rather like a term paper with too many quotations. I long for some points of view on

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-73202068216378277892010-06-28T14:51:00.000-07:002010-06-28T15:43:22.384-07:00

Today I have been reading Anna Lappe's Diet for a Hot Planet - yes, it's a kind of sequel to her mother's 40 year old seminal book - and thinking especially about her chapter on greenwashing by food and agrochemical companies.This reminded me that I wanted to write a bit about this June's Supreme Court decision regarding GMO's. It's been spun every which way.The good news would seem to be that

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-47707978453498416182010-06-22T22:42:00.000-07:002010-06-22T22:46:26.894-07:00

Justice at the Table – A New MSA ResourceChristine Sine has announced that a new Mustard Seed Associates resource Justice at the Table by Ricci Kilmer has become available. This resource is a collection of personal reflections and practical ideas to help us redeem “food” in all its dimensions from its mundane place as an annoying chore to a spiritual practice essential to a life of faith. This

John Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01361984171208020181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-5785495127375913842010-06-22T15:27:00.001-07:002010-06-22T15:43:28.448-07:00

I picked up David Mas Masumoto's latest book, Wisdom of the Last Farmer and want to share this quotation.He's speaking of his father's "annual haircut" of the raisin grape vines."Good pruning is really the art of taking away, like a sculptor chiseling at a rock, working to uncover life inside. Dad paced around the grapevine, paused and clipped, leaning in and cutting; eyes darting back and

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-61516484688181685392010-06-22T15:14:00.000-07:002010-06-22T15:26:27.958-07:00

I continue to try to connect the dots among church based community gardens and food distributions on this side of town.We have a food drop by the Redwood Empire Food Bank at Thanksgiving Lutheran now, on Wednesday, as well as the Thursday food pantry at Knox Presbyterian, staffed by their volunteers as well as folks from Resurrection RC parish. Last Friday I picked up some unneeded - but needy

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-81438989490200460342010-06-12T17:57:00.000-07:002010-06-12T18:14:15.722-07:00

I'm listening right now to a relatively new (this spring) podcast, "The Queens of Green". Deborah Koons Garcia and Temra Costa interview leaders of change in food, farming and related issue arenas. Sometimes they interview one another, as in the one I'm listening to now, where Temra talks about her book "Farmer Jane" - about how her undergraduate studies in international agriculture and women's

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-90490113421943676062010-06-09T14:02:00.001-07:002010-06-09T14:12:50.445-07:00

I just finished taking notes on Deeply Rooted: unconventional farmers in an age of agribusiness by Lisa M. Hamilton so I can return it to the library tomorrow.In doing so I realized how much theology is contained in the stories and quotations of these three farmers - theology of creation, theology of land, theology of work. Each - in Texas, New Mexico and North Dakota - has his own way of

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-70218099098183173062010-06-01T21:42:00.000-07:002010-06-01T21:48:47.591-07:00

Coming this fall to a computer near you:A Center for Anglican Learning and Leadership on-line course(Church Divinity School of the Pacific http://www.cdsp.edu/)Here's bit from the syllabus -Food and Faith: the Spirituality of SustainabilitySeptember 6 - October 22, 2010The current "food movement" is really a cluster of movements and networks, such as organic food, slow food, food security, food

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-2134690441308878562010-05-31T11:46:00.000-07:002010-05-31T11:56:17.490-07:00

If we are planting our tomatoes, can apple season be far away?Here in Sonoma County the gravensteins appear in early August, around the same time that the tomatoes are going full out. Slow Food Russian River has a project to protect the grav, a traditional variety, the best for sauce many of us think. And Slow Food USA, through it's Recovering America's Food Traditions (RAFT) initiative has

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-70459100615238659722010-05-30T16:14:00.001-07:002010-05-30T16:17:08.317-07:00

Faith and Global Hunger SeriesA 65th Anniversary media initiative of Day1 in partnership with the United Nations Millennium Campaign and others. In this series of Day1 broadcasts, airing June 13, 20, 27 and July 4, 2010, prominent leaders link faith to the challenge of global hunger, and advocate action via support of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). A special capstone broadcast on Sept.

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-40242869853791424432010-05-30T16:03:00.001-07:002010-05-30T16:09:43.653-07:00

In researching more articles for my fall CALL course on food, faith and sustainability,I ran across this article on Civil Eatshttp://civileats.com/2010/05/17/five-questions/#more-8095raising five questions about Monsanto's seed donations to Haiti.Clearly, now more than ever, energy and resources must go into rebuilding Haitian agriculture for sustainability in the long term. Emergency food aid

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-9435093988879260672010-05-24T21:14:00.000-07:002010-05-24T21:17:45.312-07:00

There isn't much new here, especially for those who have been gardening with an eye toward environmental impacts and sustainability, but it's a great summary of the things one can do to lessen a garden's contribution to climate change.From the Union of Concerned Scientistshttp://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/food_and_agriculture/climate-friendly-gardener.pdf

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-39947044666726994782010-05-24T15:58:00.000-07:002010-05-24T16:03:28.053-07:00

Maybe it's because Darwin was so fascinated by that orangutan in the London Zoo - but I could get obsessive about the excesses of deforestation for the sake of palm oil and what it's doing for our cousin the redheaded ape. So here's some good news from Nestle, which is taking the pledge to stop supporting deforestation. Because of their size and scope, when Nestle does the right thing, or even

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-90340534055920190182010-05-24T15:19:00.000-07:002010-05-24T15:25:23.008-07:00

What a good idea - a way to contribute to long term development in Haiti, and a positive way to counter the actions of Monsanto, which by some reports is using the current crisis to create a market for its GM seeds in Haiti.http://seedsforhaiti.org/programs/seedbank/What, exactly, do they think Haitians are going to use to pay Monsanto's prices?But by contributing to get locally appropriate open

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-71983593763132311772010-05-20T20:33:00.000-07:002010-05-20T21:13:26.920-07:00

I'm in danger of forgetting what I did, observed and learned last weekend if I don't write a note about it soon!The 350 garden challenge - planting 350 water wise food gardens in Sonoma County last weekend - was a great success by all measures. I haven't been to IGrow site this week to see how many registered, but last time I checked it was pushing 600, and I know from my own experience that

Phina Borgesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10464110117366833117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960017131519972467.post-12641352300510121252010-05-08T21:13:00.001-07:002010-05-08T21:18:11.746-07:00

Tucson Botanical Gardens - Michelle Conklin, Juliet Niehaus, and other folks - helped us make the connection last week between community gardens and horticultural therapy - may be there is some thing there for us as a congregation - a ministry involving plants and people who can no longer get easily to church, or other community activities... hmmm... http://www.tucsonbotanical.org/Meanwhile

John Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01361984171208020181noreply@blogger.com1