‘The# FarmersMarket Guide’ a handy book for shoppers

The #Mountainair Farm & Garden Market is in its second year, surviving and thriving. In additions to Mountainair Community Garden,, local home gardeners and permaculturists and, recently noted, a small community garden at St Vincent de Paul's. Farmers markets supported by local producers, artisans and shoppers are central to local sustainability, central to iCreate's mission.

Farmers markets can carry an amazing abundance of products. At this time of year shoppers might find fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs, salad greens, cut flowers, baked goods, eggs, meats, honey, jams, preserves and soaps. 

Time to get growing...

#Mountainair Community Garden manager Joan Embree writes,

Gardeners and friends,
     

With May 15 passed, those who have adopted plots at the community garden can (probably) safely plant veggies, flowers, whatever... starting now.  A few brave souls have already put in some starts.
     

We work every Saturday from 10 am to about noon, and whenever else the mood strikes us. The keys to the work sheds -- tools, seeds, etc.-- are hidden out back of the sheds for access. (Just ask if you need to know where. Send my your email address too ~ it's always a pleasure to add new gardeners to our list)

Community Garden, the next Storify

Yeah for Gardening!

British town grows all of its own vegetables, witnesses improved civic life and reduced crime as a result

 

Todmorden Harvest Festival 

Ethan A. Huff
Natural News

When the small British mill town of Todmorden, tucked in between Yorkshire and Lancashire, first began installing fruit and vegetable gardens all around the area as part of the Incredible Edible program, it likely had no idea that the novel, yet simple, concept would make the town a foremost inspirational and self-sustaining model of the future.

Fresh herbs, succulent greens, and tasty fruits can be found growing near civic buildings, college campuses, supermarket parking lots, and various other places. Small garden plots, raised planting beds, and even small soil strips in these areas can be found brimming with fresh produce, all of which are free to anyone who want it, and at any time.

November Peak Moment Newsletter

I've been posting occasional Peak Moment videos relevant to the iCreate mission, mostly sustainability. Who couldn't relate to "locally reliant living for challenging times"? Here's the November Newsletter. 

Watch for: Community Garden Report from Joan Embree, iCreate updates including but not limited to music outreach update (mostly pictures from Tomas Wolff); Christmas Land performances by Kay, Pegeen and Lenora, meeting rescheduling, overdue report from last meeting.

click to view complete newsletter online

November 2011 news

We're exercising our self-reliance muscles to build infrastructure in the winter encampment site for Little House, our RV home. We're dragging water pipes through the forested hillsides and building solar panel racks. Our work is accompanied by thrilling calls of circling red-shouldered hawks and curious cackling ravens.

This peaceful place and slower pace feels in stark contrast to the quickly moving events swirling around the Occupy Movement, as it draws attention to the egregious wrongdoings on Wall Street at the expense of the many. We valued Bill Moyers' look back to How Wall Street Occupied America, and Richard Heinberg's big picture Memo to the #Occupy Movement, in which he reminds: "Given the finite nature of our planet and its resources, the recent trend of global economic expansion was destined to end."

Legalize Local Investing. Sign a petition supporting HR 2930, which will legalize investment in small local businesses. It's advocated by Michael Shuman author of Local Dollars, Local Sense: How to Shift Your Money from Wall Street to Main Street and Achieve Real Prosperity, and Peak Moment episode 44: The Slow-Mart Revolution.