The Arroyo Co-op in Pasadena

September 7, 2014

Food

Back in the 1970s the phone book for Los Angeles had dozens of food co-ops. Until just recently that number had dwindled to one (in Santa Monica), in a region of some 13 million people. Which is why I’m happy to help get the word out about the new Arroyo Co-op. If you’re interested in joining here’s the press release I was sent: When you shop at your local supermarket, do you feel like you really belong there? Do you wish you had an alternative –...

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Frida Paints Luther

Mr. Homegrown

September 16, 2014

Fruit Trees, Gardening, Thoughtstylings

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...ing about people’s priorities in the 1930s. Kahlo liked to blur the boundaries between human consciousness, the vegetable and the animal. In her portrait of Burbank she touches on themes of life, death and transformation. You could write a book about what’s going on in this painting. Burbank’s work lives on inour backyards and orchards in the form of the fruit varieties he developed. I’ll view his Santa Rosa plum in our front yard differently afte...

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Are Bees Mammals?

Mr. Homegrown

September 18, 2014

Animals, Bees

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...’s milk) These are all characteristics of mammals. Thiele inspiration is a book The Buzz about Bees: Biology of a Superorganism , by Jürgen Tautz who calls bees,”the mammal in a thousand bodies.” Golden Hive. Thiele’s next point was that if we think of them as a mammal than we’re going to have a different relationship with them. Practically, this might mean different housing. If a bee is a mammal what they live in becomes their skin and fur. To ke...

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018 Wendy and Mikey of Holy Scrap Hot Springs

Mr. Homegrown

September 24, 2014

Podcasts

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...Mikey Sklar of the blog Holy Scrap Hot Springs. Wendy is the author of the book The Good Life Lab: Radical Experiments in Hands-On Living. Wendy and Mikey are the ultimate “makers” and it was great to finally get a chance to talk to them and talk about their experiences in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. During the podcast we discuss: Mikey’s Battery Charger Kit Wendy’s wildcrafting Their adventures in biodiesel production 6x6x10 Remesh as a fr...

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Food Preservation Disasters

Mr. Homegrown

April 2, 2014

Food, Food Preservation, Mistakes

16 Comments

...me preservation projects. Some of the recipes I tried were from unfamiliar books and dubious websites. Some sources I’ve come to trust: The National Center for Home Food Preservation’s website. Kevin West’s book Saving the Season: A Cook’s Guide to Home Canning, Pickling, and Preserving . Between those two sources I’ve got just about all the recipes I need. One Ring to rule them all When you’re done processing jars and they’ve cooled down, remove...

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