Earthblog

Photo by Kris Hite

Gailmarie Kimmel of BeLocalNC spoke to the successes of the Fort Collins local food movement, in particular the ever-growing popularity the Winter Farmer’s Markets, held twice a month November through March at the Opera Galleria in Old Town, where “twenty-two thousand dollars exchange hands on any given Saturday.” Other speakers focused on their desire to transfer the momentum from the movement to those who need it most. Bailey Stenson from Happy Heart Farm explained that her 27-year-old CSA (“the first CSA in Colorado”) was trying to raise funds to donate a fourth of their shares to low-income families. Megan Phillips from The Growing Project echoed the non-profit’s mission to “close some of the gaps in the food system.”

"Eating locally in winter is easy. But the time to think about that would be August," wrote Barbara Kingsolver in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, the memoir about the year her family spent growing their own food and eating locally. Now that August is a distant memory and I've picked up the last box of hearty root vegetables from my CSA's winter share, I'm not looking forward to the lack luster months that lie ahead, February, March, and April, when local seasonal food is lean.

Historically, the months ahead were considered the "hungry time" when people had to rely on their stock of dried, salted, and preserved food. Now that we can buy a multitude of fresh, frozen, or processed food from any corner of the globe, I know I'm in no danger of starving, but I will miss the pleasures of nourishing myself with fresh food that connects me to my immediate community. So, while my cupboards are by no means bare, these are not months of abundance either.

"We are entering what the German's call saure gurken zeit which means, 'the sour pickle time,'" Ursula Holmes told the five of us last February. We were seated around her kitchen table to learn the art of making fermented vegetables, an ancient food preservation technique. Essentially, we were there to learn how to make pickled vegetables. Instead of preserving them in a liquid with high acidity, like vinegar, we would let the natural bacteria, lactobacillus—an organism that lives naturally on organic vegetables—create a fermentation process. The bacteria would raise the ph of the liquid in the jar, which would preserve the vegetables, keep any unsavory microbes at bay, and infuse them with a tangy fresh flavor.

In case you didn't already know, your stomach is the key to an honest revolution. Join us at The Bean Cycle/Matter Bookstore for the 2nd annual FOOD/GROWING/GARDENING Townhall Meeting on Tuesday, February 16th at 7pm. Part of our YEAR OF THE FORT programming, local food nonprofits, farmers, CSAs, and community organizers will share their diverse projects and opportunities for 2010. Come learn how to get involved in the fight against food injustice, how to sign up for a CSA share, and meet the wide variety of people who like to get their hands dirty.

7-8pm: Introductions and Brief Profiles of Local Groups, CSAs, Food/Gardening Opportunities

8-9pm: Q&A with Local Food Panel (Represented by Kent Nixon and Addy Elliott of Grow Forth!, Chad Chriestenson of the Fort Collins Food Co-op, Gailmarie Kimmel of Be Local, Nic Koontz of Native Hill Farm, and Bailey Stenson of Happy Heart Farm)

For more information please email Todd Simmons at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call Matter Bookstore at (970) 472.4284.