Hog Killing Time

by Jas Faulkner 

Reminder: Next week the ENFM will feature their annual Fall Festival!  Check here on Monday, October 7th for more information.

Readers outside of the Nashville area probably picture my hometown as a more of an overgrown small town than the cosmopolitan metropolis that it really is.  Like many entertainment industry hubs, the best way to describe the population of Nashville is: "nearly everybody here is from someplace else."  

This demographic shift has contributed to some big changes in Music City's culinary diversity.  Are you a displaced New Yorker looking for a taste of home? There's a restaurant near Vanderbilt called Noshville that offers deli food Big Apple Style. Nolensville Road is a culinary UN, with establishments representing the foodways of nearly every continent. No matter where a Nashvillian may hail from, there is something here that will give them a touch of "back home."   My home city's culinary profile is not just about bringing everything from there to here. Nashville Originals is an organization devoted to promoting local restaurants whose chefs work at the edge of the continually evolving definition of Nashville cuisine.

Another aspect of this change can be found in our recognition of the holiday calendar in terms of the accepted wisdom of when and to a much lesser degree what is eaten at certain times of the year. The ways in which Middle Tennesseans eat, especially during the winter holidays, is getting less distinguishable from the rest of the country. What many transplants don't realize is that divergent regional traditions in the holiday bill of fare were still the norm less than a century ago.

Thanksgiving is a classic example of the way regional differences can affect what's on the menu.  The Thanksgiving pictured by Norman Rockwell is a version that has its roots in the Northeast.  While the custom of having roast turkey, dressing and cranberries is pretty common across the US now, in the first half of the Twentieth Century, Thanksgiving was considerably different for many Tennesseans, especially those who still lived in rural areas.

The cooler weather meant that many families were devoting the time off from school and work to prepare for the winter months. The last of the produce was canned, frozen, and stored in cellars and the next step, slaughtering and parceling the meat usually occurred in November.  Often referred to as "hog killing time," the long Thanksgiving weekend usually entailed families gathering to slaughter livestock and then butcher the carcass.

This was, well, actually it is a communal process.  Once the animal is killed and the meat is cut, much of it is either sent into a deep freeze or a smokehouse.  Meals center around this activity and the recreational/subsistence hunting that takes place once the livestock chores are completed.  If there is deer or turkey meat to be prepared, a similar process ensues.

Because of this, many families might enjoy a pork roast and vegetables for Thanksgiving dinner (midday) or supper that evening.  The next day, the traditional breakfast would consist of tenderloin and biscuits, gravy, grits, fried potatoes and eggs. Tabletop condiments for breakfast usually included molasses, apple butter, butter, and home canned or frozen fruit.  For the rest of the weekend, there might be a cookout, but for the most part, meals were made from leftovers.

Did those 20th Century Tennesseans ever feel their holiday was lacking?  Not really.  It was a time for fun, telling family stories and yes, giving thanks.  According to one person who remembers those Autumn days fondly:

"But then we always did that, give thanks.  Getting up in the morning is as much a reason for knowing there  would be food on the table and a roof over our heads.  We were always thankful for both every day!"

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.

September 12th and Victory Gardens

by Jas Faulkner

September Twelfth always has a tinge of emotional hangover to it.  As each succeeding 9-12 since Nine-Twelve-Oh-One passes, there is has been a decreasing shock about the 3,000 person-shaped hole in who we were as a tribe and more about who we intend to be in the future. As a people, our circumstance, has been shaped by equal parts natural progression and determination to determine ourselves on our own terms.  Our most American of characteristics, our rugged, sometimes bloody-minded individuality is part of what moves us to look for better ways to take care of ourselves.

Localtarianism is one expression of that stubborn streak that keeps us from giving in and going under in the face of opposition from big business and those who seek the approval/protection they perceive to be the advantages of living in the shadow of corporations.  We continue to look for ways to take care of ourselves and engage our neighbors as we support their efforts to create sustainable local economy based on production that gives us a first hand look at the intricacies of how what we buy is made.  We have striven to know the farmer in the next county, the herbalists and the chicken enthusiasts and the artisans and the neighborhood know-it-all.

 This sort of urban agricultural renaissance really isn't anything new.  The Victory Gardens of the 1940s' inspired a generation to adopt kitchen gardening as a way to supplement the limited food that was available.  It was a practical, healthy way to live and one that afforded Americans the chance to make a positive statement about the strength and resilience of those back on the home front.

At its heart, this was the first wave of the American Green Revolution.  It was the age of everyone from the President to GI Joe to Rosie the Riveter and her mother who not only kept hearth and home but proved she was as tough as Dad and Joe when it came to dealing with challenging times; all because she and they could.  Without really considering it that way, this was sustainability in action.  This is what American character looks like in the real world.  It is what an American who is conscious of how we can help ourselves and help others learns how to think globally and reach out to help.  This is what needs to be reclaimed: feeding ourselves and supporting our neighbors.

All of this makes what happens at farmers markets, local food co-ops and businesses like The Turnip Truck that much more miraculous.  It is not just a cultural survival, but a return to currency for what worked in the past and maintains us. Supporting area farmers and those businesses that foster taking an active part in local food production is and always has been an original "patriot act".  Get back to your roots, both literally and figuratively and visit your local farmers market for produce and goods to help you grow your own!

Kathy Kuhn Wants To Know: What's In Your Kitchen?

by Jas Faulkner 

"My initial inspiration was the old timey saying waste not, 

want not, but after reading a lot of different articles and 

doing some internet research on green living,  I found that 

the new way of saying an old adage was: 

Reduce, Re-use, Recycle.”    

                                                                         -Kathy Kuhn

                                                                           Green-24-7.com

For most households, living a greener life starts with what goes into 

the pantry and on the table. Finding items that are eco-friendly and easily 

integrated into the day to day goings on in a household can be a challenge.  

Kathy Kuhn saw such a need was going unanswered, and this was one 

of the motivators behind the creation of her company, Green 24-7. 

At the same time, she wanted to echo the economy and frugality 

that makes the green movement not only a smart choice in the global 

sense but a wise way to manage a household on a very local level. 

The magical "Three R's" play a big role in the ethos behind Green 24-7.

"In times like these implementing the three “R’s” into 

our every day routine not only saves money and promotes efficiency 

in running the household, but also gives us a clear conscience in 

knowing that we are making a difference in helping to promote a 

sustainable lifestyle for the generations to come."  

A visit to the Green24-7 tent is a chance to see cutting-edge products that 

make recycling, composting and implementing smaller changes that add up 

when it comes to reducing your individual carbon footprint so much easier.  

Kuhn does her research to  to see that her products are as green in their origins 

as they will be in their use. Most are created from recycled or recyclable 

materials so eco-minded customers can buy with confidence.  

Kuhn hopes that a taste of the smaller successes in going green will inspire 

people to take bigger steps towards adopting more sustainable households.  

Her goal is "to reach the average American family and business in their day to 

day routine.  Small changes have big outcomes when more and more people 

continue to live responsibly."

What three things does she think we can do to  make Nashville a cleaner, 

greener placeto live?  

"Recycle, Reduce (waste) and Reuse.  

We cannot continue to throw everything into a 

giant trash can and buy new."

With attitudes changing, ENFM Blog asked Ms Kuhn what she sees that makes

her feel hopeful about the future of Nashville as an eco-friendly city.

"Many people are into recycling and most are open 

to the fact that they know they must 

begin to do so.  It is easy and it is simply routine.  

If you have a compartment or bin to 

put recycleable items in, your household or business 

stays organized and is acting 

responsibly.  It is the least we all can do and 

it's not cool to ignore its importance."

Want more information about Green 24-7?

visit Kathy Kuhn's website at:

http://Green-24-7.com 

or drop by her booth at 

East Nashville Farmers Market!

Fall Flavors With Jami from Slocal

by Jas Faulkner

Many novice kitchen gardeners see the cooler months as a time to wind down the garden and subdue the flavor profiles that make summer so vivid.  Actually, nothing could be further from the truth.  Fall gardens offer a tremendous amount of satisfaction both in terms of the spiritual and psychological benefits that come from gardening and the healthy boost that comes from eating locally and with the seasons.

According to  Jami Anderson from Slocal Foods, the bright notes herbs can add to your Fall cooking:

Jami:  As we approach the cooler months, look for cilantro again as it bolts and goes quickly to seed during the summer heat. A second harvest of dill and fennel will also be available soon since any planted in the spring will have since run it's life span. Herbs with continuing availability until the cooler weather hits are basil, lemon balm, mint, oregano, parsley, purslane, sorrel, tarragon and thyme. These will die off for the winter but oregano, thyme, sage, winter savory & rosemary will keep going somewhat during the coldest months. 

Many fledgling gardeners and localtarians want to find ways to keep things growing all year long.  Sometimes even the owners of the prettiest raised beds on the block suffer from a secret shame known as Brown Thumb Syndrome.  Buried in their compost piles are the bodies of violets, orchids, and yes, even cacti  that they or someone else couldn't pass up.  With those dessicated bits of decay in mind, many forgo fresh herbs in the winter.  Should sufferers from BTS reconsider bringing plants inside for the colder months?  How hard is it to tend a kitchen garden in the kitchen?  

Jami:  Herbs will grow only a large as the container you plant them in so plan your pot size accordingly for the amount of each herb you wish to use regularly. Make sure you have a sunny window that gets at least 4-6 hours of sunlight daily, more is preferable. Our customers have had success growing basil, cilantro, dill, fennel, oregano and rosemary when they start with strong, well-established seedlings and don't under- or over-water them. If you are looking to use large amounts of these herbs for pestos & such, you may want consider growing them outside as a window garden usually yields only enough of an herb for accent and flavoring.

Of course this means that space is a big concern.  Never fear!  Herbs can be stored in a variety of ways.  Drying and freezing are two of the easiest methods:

Jami: One way to get that fresh taste once winter arrives is to freeze your fresh herbs and thaw when needed. Wash, pat dry and freeze in freezer bags. They won't be the same texture or color once they thaw but the flavor will be there. You can also suspend them in olive oil and freeze in ice cube trays. This preserves the structure of the herb a little better and cuts down on some of the color change.

You can dry any herb you wish by either spreading it out on a mat, hanging it upside down out of direct sunlight, or drying it in a dehydrator or oven set to a very low temperature. To decrease the chance of mold, strip the leaves from the stems and discard the stems unless you are hanging the herb to dry. Herbs that taste better by freezing are basil and chives although you can freeze most other herbs as well. Experimentation is the key for determining which method you like best for your taste preferences.

Flavor and texture combinations between Summer and Fall are distinctive.  While canning and freezing are a great way to cut food costs once the days get shorter, it's still a good idea to incorporate seasonal produce into the household menu.  How to apply all of this?  Anderson shares some of her favorite combinations and applications:

Jami: Garlic dill pickles - hands down, my favorite! One of our customers gave us a jar of peach preserves she made by adding some of our lemon verbena leaves during the canning process - exceedingly tasty! Russell teaches a canning class twice a year which has been a great laboratory for recipes he is developing and he is working on a pickle relish recipe right now and I'm working on the perfect pickled egg. All customers get a free recipe with any herb purchase at our booth which features the herb in various dishes, both fresh and preserved, and the combinations are endless. 

The ENFM runs through the end of October.  Does that mean Jami and Russell go on an extended vacation?  Not by a long shoot of cilantro!

Jami: We have a website at http://www.slocalfoods.com where we post herbs and other produce we currently have available. Customers can email us from the site to request herbs and we'll hold them back separately at the booth on Wednesdays (we sell out of some herbs every week so this is a wise thing to do.) Customers can also request large quantities needed for catering, parties, etc. This service is available year-round and customers can either pick up what they want at our local garden in east Nashville or we will deliver large herb orders placed during the non-market months (November - April.)

Look for our fresh, organic and locally-grown herbs at the ENFM Slocal booth along with the herbal tea we brew fresh every week. Herbs are sold by the stem AND by the bunch now!  For more information on Slocal Foods, visit their website at http://slocalfoods.com or call  615-480-5347.

Living Clean and Green

by Jas Faulkner

My writing for ENFM is usually oriented towards news features as opposed to a confessional style.  However, I am making an exception after getting a very interesting personal message via Facebook.

The letter writer in question wanted to know what my family eats, how we eat, and how we afford to eat the way we do.  They had been to the East Nashville Farmers Market and the Turnip Truck and Whole Foods and had seen the cost of a can of soup and a loaf of bread and a dozen eggs and from their standpoint, it looked like a prohibitively expensive may to manage a home kitchen.

I thought about her letter the other day when I was at Publix to refill one of our water jugs.  I realized I'd left my cash at home and decided to buy something at the store and just get some cash with my purchase.How hard would it be to buy something useful at Publix?  It used to be my go-to for all manner of green, sustainable products for the household pantry.

The produce section was my first stop.  What was in season was trucked in from another part of the continent, sometimes another part of the hemisphere.  If it wasn't, it was something my family grew or we bought from a local farmer.  Bread and pastries?  We bake our own. As for the middle of the store, we usually follow the advice given by Michael Pollan and Chicago Chef, Rick Bayless and keep to the periphery of the store as much as possible. When I did venture down a given aisle, I found that what they had to offer was either something we bought from a family owned, fair trade, or local producer (cereal, staples for baking, oil, crackers) or it was something we already made ourselves (nut butters, mayonnaise, most of our pickles and relishes).  I finally settled on a block of organic cheese, took  my change and got my water.

You might be reading this and thinking, "The woman walked all over a Publix and acted like my nine-year-old in front of our semi-filled refrigerator on a Thursday after a Saturday grocery run.  What DO you eat? Tofu and lawn clippings?

The truth might surprise you. While I am not completely meat-free (yet), meals at my house consist of a starch, a protein and vegetables.  I know. How exotic.  Here are some other facts about how we live:  There is little in my household that is processed and has more than five ingredients.  One of the goals everyone in the household keeps when shopping is to avoid foods with more than five ingredients or ingredients that would not be recognizable to most great-grandmothers as a food item or a pantry staple.  What meat remains, our dairy, our eggs, our produce, are all local.  We dehydrate, can, and freeze our surplus as a hedge against high prices in the winter.  We use as much of everything as we can. .  All food waste is composted or fed to animals who live in the small wooded area behind the house. Putting out the trash for us usually consists of one small bag a week for the people who are contracted by the city, a box of glass bottles and a plastic storage box of paper,boxes and recyclable plastics for a private recycling company.

One final fact:  Our monthly food bill averages around three hundred and fifty dollars a month.

Want to know more?  Here are some websites that have served as valuable resources for us.  We recommend the books and magazines attached to these sites as well and encourage you show your support for these individuals and organizations by buying what they publish.

Michael Pollan's Website                       Food Politics - Marion Nestle's Website

 Mother Earth News                              Grit

Urban Farm Online                                Earth 911

ReadyMade                                          Instructables

Slow Food International                        Rodale

A Chick Chick Here and a Chick Chick There

by Jas Faulkner 

Here a chick!

There a chick!

Everywhere a chick chick! 

Depending on who you ask, chickens can be cute and fluffy or big and scary or bug-eating fertilizing phenoms or good friends with egg benefits. For people who have never spent much time around them, they are bit of an enigma.  Their presence as part of Nashville's burgeoning localtarian culture has caused some of the more heated arguments in city council over the past few months.  So what is it about these complex, sensitive creatures that incites so much passionate debate?  ENFM sat down with Mary Self, a Middle Tennessee chicken enthusiast who is quickly turning into one of their most persuasive advocates.

According to Self, there are a number of things to take into consideration when deciding whether or not to keep chickens, not the least of which is location.  Some districts opted out of the current ordinance and others placed restrictions based on the amount of space you have available. 

Per Self:  According to the ordinance there must be a minimum of two square feet per hen provided for henhouses and six square feet per bird for fenced enclosures.
In an urban setting, following the ordinance, the chickens depend on the owner for fresh food and water and protection. No free ranging! I visit my girls 3 or 4 times a day for between 10-15 minutes each visit. I bring them fresh food and water in the morning, they get a few treats a day and then I check them at night to make sure they are tucked in and safe. 

No free ranging means you'll have to provide a coop for your little cluckers. There are retailers offering coops, pens and "chicken tractors" that range from budget friendly basic to palatial in scale and ornamentation.  Ms Self confirms that premade coops can get spendy.

 "Well, that is totally up to the person because some coops can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, however we built our coop for $400."

The biggest expenses occur at the beginning.  The chickens seem to cost considerably less and and maintenance is reasonable:

"Our chicks cost $5 each and a 50 lb bag of convential feed costs about $20. A feeder and water bottle cost about $10 each. I have also had a few vet visits with my chickens so that adds up quickly. Over time, I don't think it will feel expensive because they are my pets and I love them."

So. You have the cute little house, the safe place for them to play and stuff for feeding and watering and...chickens.  Where do we get chickens?  Self says you can go the traditional route and buy them locally or shop online,   A quick look at hatchery (chickery?) websites reveal dozens of breeds of poultry.  Some are pretty, others are sleekly practical.   It all depends on why you want chickens. Metro ordinances will allow chickens for eggs only.  Self recommends Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks, Opringtons, Araucanas, and Marans.  

"I have two Buff Orpingtons, Thelma and Louise, who have been laying an egg almost every day since they turned 6 months old," she added. 

Is it worth it?  Ms Self says the happiness a feathered friend can bring into your life is contagious:

"Where should I start? I love it! I look forward to visiting them during the day. They each have a different personallity and they "talk" to me. Their eggs are delicious. The yolks are a beautiful shade of orange and taste creamy and fresh. I share eggs with my closest friends and some of my husband's co-workers. The girls are not messy and my neighbors love them. I have one neighbor who is currently building their own coop. It's a beneficial relationship, like dogs and cats, but my pets make my breakfast!"

and has inspired an ingenious business idea... 

 "I only worry when I go out of town because it is hard to find someone to care for them. I am actually thinking of starting a chicken sitting service to help others."

Does urban chicken keeping sound like it might be your cuppa?  Join Mary Self and other like-minded fans of our feathered friends at Urban Chicken Advocates of Nashville. UCAN Is a volunteer group that provides education and advocacy for people who wish to keep hens in Metro Nashville. Her hope is that the group can help keep the ordinance alive.  

"Our next meeting will be in September and anyone interested should sign up on our website www.ucannashville.org The ordinance has a sunset clause attached to it and in 18 months it will be up for more discussion and a final vote. If Nashvillains want to have the right to raise hens they really need to communicate with their council members and become a part of UCAN!"

For more information, visit UCAN online at www.ucannashville.org and be sure to say "Hi!" to Mary at ENFM, where she acts as an outreach educator for Nashville Foodscapes.

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

Delvin Farms' Green Revolution Is A Family Affair

by Jas Faulkner

“People are not going to buy produce with spots on them.”  

Family matriarch Cindy usually had a lot of faith in the next generation of the Delvin Family.  With one son having recently returned from a stint in the Peace Corp and a daughter who had found a new mission in life inspired by her urban middle school students, the idea of taking the farm one step further into a movement that could make the world a better place seemed well-intentioned, but far fetched.

The Delvins were already successful farmers.  From the beginning of their business in 1972 they had built up a clientele that included household names to most Middle Tennesseans such as Kroger and Shoney’s.  Their thriving twenty-five year old farm wasn’t in need of any kind of makeover.

Amy Delvin remembers that summer in 1997:

“During my brother’s time in the Peace Corp, he had observed farmers using methods that were passed down from one generation to the next.  He came home and tried to tell our parents that there was a way to have successful crops without using conventional technology: pesticides, chemicals, GMOs. 

 “Dad gave him a section of land so he could try it. He used organic methods to grow heirloom tomatoes, for which he got four times as much as Dad got for his conventional tomatoes. That was all it took for him to see that people would be willing to buy organic produce.”

Of course the bottom line was a consideration, but Hank and Cindy Delvin had always taught their kids the importance of maintaining a strong set of principles behind whatever they chose to do.  In a family that valued learning, growth, and doing things the right way, exploring more sustainable ways to farm was the logical next step.

 “My parents originally focused on one or two kinds of tomatoes, greens, and very  traditional, familiar  varieties of produce. We grow a greater variety of vegetables now.  People are more aware of what’s out there and so the demand is greater –not only for organic produce- but heirloom varieties as well.

“Growing up on a farm, you’re aware of the importance of taking good care of the land.  We began to educate ourselves so we could do what was necessary to become a USDA certified organic farm.”

 Part of that transition included expanding and changing their customer base. This would mean reaching out to a new kind of consumer.

Amy Delvin Tavalin prepares for
an afternoon at the Farmers Market.

Amy Delvin Tavalin had returned to the farm after years of teaching at a middle school in Baltimore.  During a discussion of Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird”, she had what some people would call a “lightbulb moment”. 

“We had just read the scene where Jem and Scout were in Boo Radley’s collard patch and one of my students asked me what a collard was.  I realized that these kids grew up never knowing what it was like to have someone in the family living and working on a farm.  Many of them didn’t even have grandparents who gardened.  They had no sense of where their food came from.”

She implemented some opportunities for her students in Maryland to learn more about farming, but realized her family farm back in College Grove, Tennessee offered an opportunity to educate children (and adults) about the importance of agriculture.  Working with educators in Tennessee she created programs that gave kids a day on the farm who might have gone their entire childhood without the chance to see a tomato ripening on the vine.

The new model of agribusiness they were following would offer the public another way to be more directly involved with getting their food from the field to the table.  By 1998, the 140 acre farm* was certified organic and in 1999 they began their CSA with 90+ subscribers. The philosophy was straightforward: provide a way for consumers to buy their produce directly from the people who grew it.  This would eliminate any mystery about the identity or the producer or the quality and safety of the product.

Ironically, simplification for customers meant a whole host of challenges and expenses for the Delvins.  The certification process was much more than just a matter of paperwork and fees.  Inspectors had to flown in, housed and fed, all at the expense of the Delvins.  In order to be able to identify as USDA Certified Organic, they had to submit to inspections of the land, the equipment and all of their paperwork, which has to account for the chain of custody and provenance of the seeds they use. 

Is it worth it? The Delvin Family seems to think so, and so do the over seven hundred subscribers who participate in their CSA.  Every year they enjoy weekly boxes of in-season produce from the farm that now grows over 80 varieties of organic fruits and vegetables.

When asked what plant had grown the most in popularity, Amy says it has to be kale. 

“We were the sole provider of kale to Shoney’s for a long time.” 

According to Shoney's logic,
kale was just too pretty to eat.

Anyone who ever visited a Shoney’s is probably trying to recall seeing kale on the menu. The truth is, it was never offered as part of their fare.  Diners certainly saw it on every plate to emerge from the kitchen, not to mention all over their salad and breakfast bars.  Remember those large, dark green leaves underneath certain entrees and buffet offerings and the curly green sides on every plate and around the edges of the buffet stations?  That wasn’t parsley, it was kale from Delvin Farms.   

“That’s right,” says Ms Tavalin,  “One of the healtiest items we grow was originally used as a decoration.  We sold them boxes upon boxes of kale and my mother would always try to talk them into cooking it.  She told them they could serve it just like any other green.”

Chef and slow food activist Rick Bayless advises anyone who wants to eat better to "get your food from the periphery of the store."  Take it one step further and get your food from the remembered periphery of a Middle Tennessee culinary institution.  This time, it's not about eating something on a dare from your big sister, it's tasting what you've been missing.

*Delvin Farm has grown considerably since then.  They now have 220 acres.

Viva la NashVitality, Y'all!

As far as many members of the East Nashville Farmers Market faithful are concerned, every Wednesday at three-thirty is a time that is spoken for and will be until late Fall.  Upon entering the circle of vendors' booths, people wander, socialize, and exchange tips on cooking and admiring comments about the various dogs and babies that accompany nearly everyone on the premises.  It's a market.  It's also an established component of the culture of East Nashville and a vital part of the growing sustainability movement. 

Wait a minute.  Buying a chess pie or the world's tastiest kale is part of a movement?  Goat's milk soap is revolutionary?  Yes.  The Metro Public Health Department and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean want you (yes, you over there, we see you hiding that Moon Pie) to live a healthier lifestyle. Here's what Mayor Dean had to say about the subject:  

 “Fresh fruits and vegetables are essential to a healthy lifestyle, and Nashville is fortunate to have many local farmers and farmers markets to provide these natural and nutritious foods to our community. The East Nashville Farmers Market is an example of the many markets that are important for shaping and sustaining a healthier Nashville.”

So this, uh, thing? This big green revolution...  How is it different from any other city's efforts to make everyone hug a tree and eat an egg from a happy chicken with friends and lots of sunshine?  The thing is called NashVitality; and what sets it apart is the focus on creating and promoting opportunities for positive change at a communal level, 

When most city leaders decide to go green, they start with architectural revamping and large scale infrastructure conversions that are expensive, flashy and create a lot of media noise. The result is often pretty and it does offer a degree of benefit in terms positive environmental impact.  Those big measures are brave.  They merit the attention and serious evaluation they garner by those who want to develop more sustainable urban spaces in their own towns.  However, when the human scale of civic change is not a central part of the picture, adoption of more immediate, localized measures can be abbreviated.

This is especially true when it comes to winning the hearts and minds of a citizenry who wants to see a greener, cleaner, healthier city, but is also devoting a large portion of its time and resources to taking care of individual and family concerns.  When the scale moves beyond individual reach, when the time frame for viability stretches too far into the future, it is easy for many people, no matter how fervently they believe in the ideals driving the changes, to check out, leaving completion in the hands of future generations. What sustainability activists sometimes overlook is the need for smaller, attainable goals, measures that give everyone a taste of (and for) a future that is less taxing on the environment and each other.  

Marne Duke, manager of the NashVitality campaign, sees the solution as somewhere in between the grander Tomorrowland of acres of solar arrays and a car running on fuel courtesy of a household Mr. Fusion in every garage.  According to Ms. Duke.

" The campaign is really about creating opportunities where we live, work, learn, worship and play to live healthier lives. We try to focus on places and opportunities, rather than individual actions. We’ve found it’s less overwhelming for folks trying to make lifestyle changes to feel a part of a larger movement and supported in all the places they visit" 

The opportunities NashVitality promotes are plentiful and diverse.  The initiative's website serves as a green information nerve center where Metro Davidson County residents can find information about everything from events that promote a healthier lifestyle by getting active to workshops on improving life at the office to the best places to buy that perfect tomato or learn to grow one of your own. 

According to Ms Duke, the program was created by the Metro Public Heath Department in collaboration with the Mayor's Office and a collection of community movers and shakers.  The MHPD funded the creation of the NashVitality brand through a grant called Communities Putting Prevention to Work that was initially awarded to the city by the Department of Health and Human Services as a part of the Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. 

The result was an unprecedented outreach effort that announced the existence of the new program in the various weekly papers, on billboards, buses, and benches all over Nashville.   The campaign included images of people from all walks of like engaged in activities associated with the lifestyle that would become the benchmark for NashVitality's goals.  The success of the program is borne out in the pictures that followed the initial unveiling of the program.  The idealized vision of a healthier Nashville is getting closer to reality every day thanks to NashVitality.  

So the next time you bite into a local strawberry or pass up processed corn meal for open-pollinated meal that was grown and ground in Middle Tennessee, keep in mind that you are committing a revolutionary act.

Viva la NashVitality, y'all!