Living like a Locavore

Living Like a Locavore >>>Linna ‘The Locavore’

vafoodscaper@gmail.comTwitter: @LinnaFerguson

Living Sustainably can take many forms …

We are going to talk about (3) ways to bring sustainable food practices into your life:

1. Living like a Locavore2. Turning Trash into Treasure

3. Growing your Own

Food is my Focus.

Food drives our bodies, and food drives my passion.

Food is a constant in all of our lives.

Since food is such a part of every person’s life, it plays a major role in living a more sustainable

life. This is a view of my main garden area.

FACT ABOUT OUR FOOD

If every US citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised

meat and produce, we would reduce our country’s oil consumption by over 1.1 million

barrels of oil EVERY WEEK. That’s not gallons, but barrels.

Small changes in buying habits can make a big difference.

http://www.etftrends.com

Now that I have your attention ...

Focus on making small changes in your life. It all begins by being more aware about your food.

Step 1:Living Like a

Locavore

People who value local as their primary food criterion are sometimes referred to as

locavores. The term "locavore" was coined by Jessica Prentice from the San Francisco Bay

Area for World Environment Day 2005 to describe and promote the practice of eating

a diet consisting of food harvested from within an area most commonly bound by a

100 mile radius.

Local eating does mean change and adjustment.

Adjust by learning and eating what is in season …. And reading labels so you know where you

food is really coming from.

This change has benefits too ...

Local food may be initially harder to find, but once you find it, you will fall in love with the

flavor, the varieties, and the superior nutrition.

Speechless.

A picture of one of my harvests. Gorgeous.

Look at the colors.

Pictured here are many types of tomatoes, Delicata squash, and Boston Marrow.

Makes my mouth water.

Growing your own food impacts all of your senses.

Pure goodness.

One hour of picking from my tart cherry tree. This will provide me cherry jam and pie all

winter long.

Find a farmer.

Find someone you trust to raise your food. Make a connection. As of 8/10 the National

Farmers Market Directory recorded 6,132 Farmers Markets.

Fresh food in the office.

Bring change. I helped pilot a CSA at my company. Look at those smiles!

Find a farmer.

There are so many tools out there to find local food. I really like www.localharvest.com

The change and awareness is happening!

Did you know …

A typical carrot has to travel 1,838 miles to reach your dinner table.

Farmer’s markets enable farmers to keep 89-90 cents of each dollar spent by the consumer.

One study shows that each dollar spent with a local grower is worth $2.50 for our community.

The first step is ...

Thinking about food, realizing what is around you, realizing the role food plays.

Next start with your plate.

Try adjusting your cooking style. Instead of planning a meal around a recipe, plan around the vegetables that are in-season or in your

garden.

DO IT YOURSELF preserving

Preserving food doesn’t just have to be canned….all types of ways to use local food all year round. Here are some fruit roll-ups being

dehydrated.

There is an easier way ….

One of my favorite books.

Make it a family ‘thing’

Get the kids involved! Look what fun she is having!

Putting thoughts into ACTION.

• Look

• Ask

• Support

• Connect

• ConsiderWays to get local food into your diet.

Favorite Books.

Step 2:Food Cycle=Recycle=Compost

Many people think compost is smelly and gross….they don’t know what compost is. It is black gold and smells sweet and is ‘magic’ to

your plants.

Do you recognize this?

Black gold. The result of composting your organic scraps.

Be part of the food cycle

We know it is a good thing, and it isn’t hard, what is stopping you from composting?

Compost Types.

Sheet Composting

Comforter Compost

Grow HeapsSPOT Compost

Did you know there are so many types of composting?

Beauty in my eyes.

Another type of composting, worm composting!

Five Uses for Compost

1. Mulching new plantings

2. Enriching potting mix

3. Fertilizing summer vegetables

4. Creating a seedbed

5. Giving transplants a good start

Where do I start?

• Find a Bin

• Collect scraps

• Pay ‘a little’ attention

• Let time pass

Step 3: Grow your

Own

First decide what your goal is. Make it achievable. Grow a few herbs, grow some

tomatoes. Point is to be successful so you will DO IT AGAIN.

In my (2) Square Foot Boxes:

•Cucumbers

•Tomatoes

•Onions

•Cantaloupe

•Parsley

•Dill

•Broccoli

•Marigolds

•Bush Beans

•Lettuce

•Spinach

•Pole Beans

•ScallionsMy garden when I lived in the suburbs. So much food!

Grow up not out

Think about creative ways to grow your food. Vertical gardening produces amazing results.

Even if you have no yard or porch at all.

You can grow you own food even if you have no yard at all!

Topsy What??!!

Topsy What??!!

I grew all types of vegetables in Topsy Turvey’s.

Veggies can grow ANYWHERE!

Look how beautiful it is. I mixed kale and lettuce for autumn hanging baskets.

SQUARE FOOT GARDENING

One of my favorite techniques to talk about.

whowhatwhenwhy how&

WHAT is SFG, and WHY does it work?

Mel Bartholomew, founder of this concept.

A backyard transformed- before

To get you inspired!

A backyard transformed- after

Versatility- patio boxes

Create your own style

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordancooper/2854553375/http://www.flickr.com/photos/-po/302360126Booz | Allen | Hamilton

As big or as little as you want it to be

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordancooper/2854553375/http://www.flickr.com/photos/-po/302360126Booz | Allen | Hamilton

They come in all shapes and sizes

Garden even on the rooftop!

Garden in some of the most unlikely places- Iraq

http://www.etftrends.com

Now I have your attention...

SFG Top Ten

STEP 0: Location

• Access to water

• 6-8 hours of

sunlight• Well drained

Make sure your garden is close to home, has 6-8 hours of sunlight, and you have access to

water.

STEP 1: Layout

• Think in squares,

not rows

• Have several

garden areas

Be creative with your layout….make it your own.

STEP 2: Boxes

• Use a variety of

material

• No wider than 4

ft.• Only need 6 inch

depth

Boxes are neat and tidy, holds special soil mix, and you can add all types of protection to the

box.

The basic SFG

Six inches of soil is all you need.

Six inches … really!

Protect against critters

Build these cages to stop squirrels and bunnies.

Garden all year round

Turn your SFG into a coldframe!

STEP 3: Aisles

• Use a variety of

material

• No wider than 4

ft.• Only need 6 inch

depth

Grass aisles

One option is to mow and weed whack.

Be creative

STEP 4: Soil

• Use a variety of

material

• No wider than 4

ft.• Only need 6 inch

depth

Don’t use your own soil, make a near perfect soil-less mix. Mel’s Mix.

Building soil

Mel’s mix is equal parts of vermiculite, peat moss, and compost.

Tools:

Pencil Trowelscissors

Essential tools

Essential tools are trowel, pencil, and scissors.

STEP 5: Grid

• Must be permanent

• Must be permanent

• Must be permanent

Without a grid, it is not a SFG.

Harvest from one 4x4 box

• 1 head of cabbage

• 1 head of broccoli• 1 head of

cauliflower• 4 heads of

romaine• 4 heads of red

lettuce• 4 heads of salad

lettuce• 5 pounds sugar

snap peas

• 8 bunches of Swiss chard

• 9 bunches of spinach

• 16 small ball carrots

• 16 beets• 4 bunches beet

greens• 16 long carrots• 32 radishes

STEP 6: Care &

Weeding

• Use weed barrier

• Easy to find

weeds• Care is a snap

STEP 7: Grow

Vertically

• Maximize space

• Helps keep

healthy plants

Vertical gardening saves space, looks cool, and grow better crops

Grow up not out

Looks so cool!

STEP 8: Plant/Spacing

• Conserve seeds

• Using transplants

• Don’t forget the

pollinators!

STEP 9: Water

• Water by hand

• Be efficient

• Water only what

you need to

Best to water at base of plant, keep away from leaves and get the roots soaked.

STEP 10: Harvest

• Garden all year

long• With each crop,

add compost

Plant a variety and you will enjoy a mix of veggies all season long.

As we conclude…. Isn’t this beautiful?!

Check out my garden portfolio: www.foodscaper.com ; on twitter

@locavore_linna

Simplify! Create positive first impression

Relate to target segments Provide top tasks up front

Resources - planning

Loudoun Locavoreshttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/Loudoun_locavores/ Kitchen Garden Planner

http://www.gardeners.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-Gardeners-Site/default/Link-Page?id=kgp_home

Planner Toolhttp://www.motherearthnews.com/garden-planner/vegetable-garden-planner.aspx

Examiner.comhttp://www.examiner.com/food-gardening-in-washington-dc/linna-ferguson

Simplify! Create positive first impression

Relate to target segments Provide top tasks up front

Resources - seeds

www.superseeds.comwww.southernexposure.com

www.fedcoseeds.com/www.cooksgarden.com

This is who I am, this is what I do.