Waste Not, Want Not

by Jas Faulkner

Waste not, want not.  Few would argue with the wisdom of such a principle, but even fewer fully understand the extent to which it can be carried out in household, much less kitchen management. The idea of low to no household commodities waste is sometimes dismissed as a quaint, antiquated holdover from grandparents and great-grandparents who survived the economic depression that hit the US between World Wars.  To many, it has been rebranded.  Gramma's frugality now bears the shiny new title, "sustainable living."

Is this a bad thing?  Absolutely not. In fact, to cadge a phrase from Martha Stewart, it is a very good thing.

Like organic food production, upcycling/recycling/using every bit of everything from snout to tail is a shiny new concept surrounding older ways that have been kept alive by choice and circumstance.  Those who live in less developed parts of the United States, citizens of aboriginal North American reservations, urban dwellers who understand the need for commodities to be used up of because of the lack of space and resources for disposal, and yes, many college students.

Think you're already using everything in every way possible?  Here's a quick way to tell if that is the case:  What does your curb look like on the days the garbage truck rolls through?  If you're doing everything you should be doing, your average household waste for that week should fit into one, maybe two t-shirt bags.

No? Are you still screaming (on the inside, where it counts) "Hefty! Hefty! Hefty!" as you trudge to the sidewalk?   It's okay.  We all do it sometimes. If you're doing it every week, you need to know that it is possible to wean your wastebaskets and trash cans from a steady diet of stuff that could be recycled into rugs, clothing, planters and even fashionable vegan shoes. Keep in mind this kind of change does not have to be a zero sum proposition.  You can start small.  Just start!

Let me help you out with this.  Do you eat Annie's Mac 'n Cheese?  The next time you're in the mood for comfort food and you tear open a package, ad you're waiting for the water to boil, take a look at the box. Yes, the bunny is cute and the bumper sticker offer that has been open since I was an undergraduate is still on the side. What you'll also find are tips on how to reuse that box before it finally ends up in your recycling bin.

Low to no waste isn't limited to paper and plastic.  Take a look at that pretty yellow oval in your CSA box.  For those of you who have never tried spaghetti squash, you're missing out.  It has the texture and taste of a good veggie pasta prepared al dente the way the school cafeteria ladies never intended. Don't let this tasty, healthy treat go to waste.

I consulted with my friends and fellow veggie fans, Sylvia and Bill  Red Eagle, on the best ways to use every bit of a spaghetti squash.  Starting from the inside out:

Seeds: The tangle of seeds and mushy, fibrous stuff needs to be removed before the rest of it can be cooked.   Once you've scooped it out, begin to knead it and you'll find the seeds will start to fall out.  Rinse them off, buff them barely dry with a clean dishtowel and then spread them out on a cookie sheet.

They're great plain or you can season them with any of the following: cayenne, chili powder, garlic salt, grated parm or asiago, or cinnamon and a little sugar or (a tiny, tiny amount of) stevia if prefer a sweet snack.  Once you've seasoned them or not, pop the tray in an oven set at 275 degrees for five to ten minutes or until the seeds are dry, crisp, and slide around.

This recipe works with any squash or pumpkin seed and those seeds, called pepitas by my father's people (who also refer to corn as maiz, go figure...) are a great source of protein and fiber.  One cautionary note:  they are very rich in Omega-6, which do weird things to Omega-3s, which you and I and everyone we know  needs.  So, as Cookie Monster might say, they're probably best eaten as a sometimes snack when you happen to be cooking a winter squash.

Flesh:  Some people boil it, some steam it, the Red Eagles like to cut it in half and bake it flesh side down until the fibers pull away into "noodles".  They like it as a side with butter, salt and a little sauteed garlic or garlic scapes when they're in season or as a "chili mac" when the weather in Ft. Worth gets a little colder.  I like it topped with a good "tom 'n three plus" marinara ( tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers plus herbs and wine).

The Skin, Stem and Seed Muck:  All of it composts beautifully.  If you have established a place for birds and other neighbor critters to visit and grab a bite, you'll find that they see the seed muck is like, the best snack ever to squirrels, titmice and black capped chickadees.

So, let's review.  You started with this ornery hard thing that you wondered if you could use as part of a centerpiece or a decoration for the guest book table at church and now you have a tasty snack, a great meal that is light on the carbs, and some good karma from feeding your fellow earthlings.  Best of all, none of that ended up in the trash.

Hungry for more?  Talk to your local farmer about their favorite ways to use winter squash.  You might want to check out these recipes by two of my favorite chefs/foodways preservation advocates:

Emeril Lagasse's herbed spaghetti squash is an easy dish after a rushed day.

Rick Bayless' "Worlds Greatest Chili" includes winter squash as part of his refit of a home kitchen classic.

Bon appetit and keep green!

Good Guys Wear Blue Corduroy

by Jas Faulkner 

Theirs was the kind of cool that defied the usual taxonomic constraints of senior high school hierarchies.  Laconic and for the most part unworried by the usual sturm and dang that plagued teens determined to make those three years the BEST years of their lives by being the BEST class EVER, they moved through life at their own pace.  Small, close-knit groups of clean-shaven, baby-faced boys and smartly turned out young women walked the hallways, self possessed, impervious to the handfull of students who sometimes catcalled them without fully understanding their own concomitant loathing and envy. They followed an agenda that addressed few of the concerns of the so-called lives that flittered inside the snow-globe insularity of high school's social order.  The timetable and values they followed were those of the real world, the world beyond classrooms.

 What set them apart visually from other self-contained groups, the kids who would grow up to work for Cessna and Boeing and IBM and NASA, were the jackets. Those zippered, cobalt blue, wide wale corduroy jackets with the oddly old-fashioned embroidered logos on the crest and back identified members of FFA, the Future Farmers of America.  They were worn with pride by students who were either continuing a family tradition of farming and ranching or contemplating a move beyond the suburban nine to five careers of their parents.

Actually, there are still kids getting, no, earning those jackets every year.  According to the latest figures, over half a million young people ages twelve and up have answered the call to learn agricultural science.  Many of them will be in FFA until graduation and then move on to other things.  Aside from the artifacts and memories, they'll have a deeper understanding of how important it is to have a vital, thriving agricultural sector within the economic makeup of our country.  They will respect how important it is to not take for granted the labor, the availability of resources, and the significance of knowledge and commitment to farming that keeps everyone fed and secure.

Food security is not just organizational lip service.  It is a very real value that is at least three shifts each to helping assemble meals for distribution to areas where hunger is a problem.  Their goal this year is to assemble one million meals as part of their Rally To Fight Hunger.  This initiative not only employs young hands, it engages hearts and minds as attendees learn more about the root causes and possible solutions to food scarcity on both local and global levels.

Those who choose to follow the creed* into adulthood by stepping into the family business or pursuing agriculture as a major in college find that FFA continues to offer support.   The organisation provides scholarships and opportunities for mentoring and leadership either in the capacity of apprenticeship or as an educator for the next generation of Future Farmers.

To the many children who come together from diverse backgrounds to be a part of FFA, those blue jackets are not just a quaint fashion statement to be discarded when other inclinations hold a greater attraction.  They represent a serious commitment to the kind of stewardship that goes beyond youthful promises for short term involvement.  When it's done right, FFA is life-changing.  It is their chance to be part of something good, something bigger than themselves that has fostered personal growth since that first gathering of teachers and students at Kansas City in 1928. It is, in the truest sense of the expression, a way for  young people to be empowered by knowledge and to gain confidence in their abilities as agents of positive change for the future.

Want to know more?  Visit the FFA's homepage at: https://www.ffa.org.

*The FFA Creed:

I believe in the future of agriculture, with a faith born not of words but of deeds - achievements won by the present and past generations of agriculturists; in the promise of better days through better ways, even as the better things we now enjoy have come to us from the struggles of former years.

I believe that to live and work on a good farm or to be engaged in other agricultural pursuits, is pleasant as well as challenging; for I know the joys and discomforts of agricultural life and hold an inborn fondness for those associations which, even in hours of discouragement I cannot deny.

I believe in leadership from ourselves and respect from others. I believe in my own ability to work efficiently and think clearly, with such knowledge and skill as I can secure, and in the ability of progressive agriculturalists to serve our own and the public interest in producing and marketing the product of our toil.

I believe in less dependence on begging and more power in bargaining; in the life abundant and enough honest wealth to help make it so-for others as well as myself; in less need for charity and more of it when needed; in being happy myself and playing square with those whose happiness depends upon me.

I believe that American agriculture can and will hold true to the best traditions of our national life and that I can exert an influence in my home and community which will stand solid for my part in that inspiring task.

Nashville Foodscapes: A Gentle Approach to Revolutionary Change

 by Jas Faulkner


"I am most proud that more hands are getting dirty, and that more mouths are eating local."
                    -Jeremy Lekich, Nashville Foodscapes

Like many Green visionaries, Jeremy Lekich has a lot of faith in the people he hopes to reach.  Souls on such a mission are often presumed to be impatient, wanting to see big changes sooner rather than later.  Lekitch has taken the time to understand his chosen audience. To him, the pace that Middle Tennesseans take when it comes to change seems about right.  


"Nashville people take their time with it. The Southeast is behind most other areas of the U.S. in terms of moving towards "green" living. I do not believe this is bad or good. It just means we are taking the time to do it well."


Lekich is one of the minds behind Nashville Foodscapes.  He wants to see more people filling  their souls, tables, and pantries by gardening.  Many prospective farmers find anything beyond a planter full of patio tomatoes daunting. Lekich recognizes this.  In fact, he maintains that the perception that you have to know everything from the beginning is one of the more common objections Nashvillians raise when the subject of permaculture gardening comes up. 

"I believe the biggest challenge for people is to not become overwhelmed by all there is to learn. The knowledge base for living a life of good stewardship is wonderfully huge and can be intimidating. But you start with what you are interested in and move from there. Overall, this type of living creates a life with no boring or dull moments...there is always more to learn." said Lekich.


What is permaculture gardening and how does it differ from the Victory Gardens of the previous century and the sustainable household gardens that are touted as the next big thing in the slow food movement?  Permaculture gardening is a far more interdisciplinary approach.  Instead of clear demarcations that separate the form and function of space, the landscaping flows between plants that are designed to maintain the health of the soil, plants that are meant to beautify where we live and plants that are intended to produce food for the household.  Some plants might meet one of those needs while others do double and triple duty.  The goal is to create a synergistic environment that feeds the body, mind, and soul.  


For Lekich, this means thinking beyond the basics of sustainability:  "To be honest, I am not a proponent of the "sustainability movement". We need to move beyond sustainability. Sustainability asks that resources are not depleted and that we put in as much as we take out. Our resources are depleted... and polluted. We need to detoxify our resources and put in more then we take out. That is regeneration. Lets become the regeneration movement."

The spark, or rather the seed for Lekich's ideas began to germinate while he was still in school: "The main inspiration for Nashville Foodscapes comes from a Permaculture garden I worked on at Warren Wilson College. Beauty and food weave together so gracefully in that garden and the abundance and variety of foods is awesome.  It was a long dance with that Permaculture garden that eventually manifested into Nashville Foodscapes. 


It was the best preparation I had. I came into contact with a myriad collection of fruit trees and shrubs, fruiting vines and canes, vegetable, herbs, and more. I learned how to grow these plants, give care for the plants, propagate these plants, and eat these plants. From there, I have expanded my knowledge by reading, talking with others, and exploring the areas around me. "


To learn more about permaculture gardening, visit Nashville Foodscapes at East Nashville Farmers Market.  You can also contact Jeremy and his team by visiting his website: http://nashvillefoodscapes.com/

Thomas Jefferson, Green American

by Jas Faulkner

It may come as a surprise to many Americans that one of the most vocal proponents for the conservation of our farmlands and preservation of agrarianism as a way of life was also a founding father of this country. Thomas Jefferson may be remembered first and foremost as the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, but he considered himself to be a farmer by profession.  According to Jefferson, farming was the only truly pure and honest profession.  He reasoned that farmers had to maintain a relationship with the land that did not allow for the byzantine devices put in place that alienated people from what sustained them.  A false promise to the earth accomplished nothing, but hard work and devotion to stewardship of the land could keep a nation fed.  

In Jefferson's own words:

“Those who labour in the earth are the chosen people of God, if ever he had a chosen people, whose breasts he has made his peculiar deposit for substantial and genuine virtue. It is the focus in which he keeps alive that sacred fire, which otherwise might escape from the face of the earth.” 

                       - from "Notes on the State of Virginia 1781

 Today's organic farmers are looking to the wisdom of older techniques of farming, many of which were borrowed from indigenous people who had cultivated the land long generations before the arrival of the Europeans. Just like those contemporary farmers, Jefferson was very aware of the techniques that had been created by his predecessors.  Their watchful, mindful use of the earth was not lost on the statesman from Virginia, who observed and recorded the effects of everything he tried.


Thomas Jefferson's respect for his profession extended beyond merely practicing within the bounds of accepted vocational wisdom.  He experimented with the combinations of plants within the same plot, crop rotation, seed saving, soil amendment and fertilization, and even inventive ideas for tools.  Most important of all was Jefferson's endorsement of the concept that the land itself was as alive as the plants that grew on it and required just as much care.
 
On the eve of the 236th anniversary of the US declaration of independence, take a moment to remember the founding fathers, many of whom were farmers themselves.  They're the reason we can celebrate what we enjoy today.  Their lives should also serve as examples of how we should view the land we have been given.


Happy Independence Day! 
(and see y'all next week!)   


Jas Faulkner and everyone at The East Nashville Farmers Market