Read more about this book at www.chelseagreen.com

Food prices are on the rise. In 2007, according to the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of food rose 4 percent, the
highest single-year increase in two decades, and it looks like food
costs will go up another 4 percent in 2008. The prices for corn
and soybeans are skyrocketing because of the increasing demand of crops
for fuels such as ethanol. In addition, with higher
transportation costs, it is costing more each day to ship food across
the country and around the world.

To reference and adapt Barbara Kingsolver's newest book on localvore living...

Animal.

Vegetable.

Pants.

Or underpants.

Whole Systems Design, Inc. describes its work as “occurring at the interface of people and land --
where the built and biological environments meet.” Based in Vermont’s
Mad River Valley, Whole Design Systems integrates ecology, landscape
architecture, site development, construction, farming, education and
other disciplines. Founder Ben Falk holds a master’s degree in
landscape design and has taught at the University of Vermont and
Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum. Vermont Commons Editor Rob Williams
conducted this interview.

 The Peak Oil conundrum is perhaps the single best 21st century
trend for making the case for relocalization, and ultimately, secession.

 Rather than elaborate here, I suggest you read more from Richard Heinberg, who was in Vermont late last week to share his 8 books of wisdom with listeners.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

By Tom Young

Thomas Fuller once said, “Many things grow in the garden that were
never sown there.” This is certainly true at the Waitsfield
Elementary School. Thanks to the work of many, the Waitsfield
Elementary School’s garden has been “reincarnated” over the past three
years. This garden initiative has offered both children and adults
alike a chance to explore the growing process, to think about the
benefits of growing locally, and to use the garden as a community
place.

Thanks to friend and neighbor Charlie Hosford for bringing this interesting article from the New York Times to my attention.  Here is a "taste" of the article.

April 26, 2008
THE FOOD CHAIN
Environmental Cost of Shipping Groceries Around the World

By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL

Cod caught off Norway is shipped to China to be turned into filets, then shipped back to Norway for sale.

Argentine lemons fill supermarket shelves on the Citrus Coast of Spain, as local lemons rot on the ground. Half of Europe’s peas are grown and packaged in Kenya.

In the United States, FreshDirect proclaims kiwi season has expanded to "All year!" now that Italy has become the world’s leading supplier of New Zealand’s national fruit, taking over in the Southern Hemisphere’s winter.

Read more...

Richard Heinberg, one of the foremost peak oil educators in the US, will be coming to Vermont this week. On Wednesday evening (April 23), he will speak in Brattleboro, and on Thursday evening (April 24), he'll be in Montpelier. Details on the places and times for these events, plus how to arrange transportation to the Montpelier event, are at the Vermont Peak Oil Network web site.

Heinberg will also be speaking to legislators at the State House on Thursday at 9 am, and the talk will be broadcast live and streamed by WGDR, 91.1 FM Plainfield. The topic will be "Energy Overview: Navigating the Transition from Fossil Fuels to Renewables."

In the northern half of the state, you can hear me interview him live, Wednesday at 1:05 - 2:00 pm on Equal Time, on WDEV 96.1 & 96.5 FM/550 AM.

In addition to his four books on peak oil, Heinberg writes a monthly Museletter. Several recent Museletters are especially interesting for Vermonters.

I am in Florida visiting my family and heard a horrifying story on Florida Public Radio today.  It was about how a company, Ag-Mart, settled a lawsuit with a couple who worked in Ag-Mart tomato fields in Florida and North Carolina.  The worker couple sued the company after their son was born with no limbs.  The Mexican couple said that the fields were sprayed with pesticides and the workers were sent back into the fields immediately after spraying and on some occassions the company even sprayed while the workers were in the fields.  The mother testified that she was sprayed two to three times a week with pesticides that turned her clothes green and caused her headaches, sore throats and rashes.  The radio story said that there was a gag-order as part of the settlement and did not disclose terms of the settlement.

THE REAL GOOD LIFE: AN ENTIRE VILLAGE TURNS AGAINST SUPERMARKETS AND GROWS ITS OWN:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=559580&in_page_id=1770(Visit this link to see fantastic photos that accompany the story)It was a sitcom that inspired many a household to live off the land.And although it might not attract the likes of Margo and Jerry to move to the area, an entire village is trying its hand at the Good Life.