I am filling in some blanks in my book on the politics of food and preparing the course I’m offering at Vancouver Community College in January. I first wrote this piece on coffee after my trip to Guatemala in December of 2004. I was doing a regular series on food […] Read More
When I began to research chocolate, I decided to immerse myself in the subject. Well, more like drown myself in it. I rented Like Water for Chocolate and Chocolat. I re-read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I ate several pounds of chocolate, but only the very best. Because, as a […] Read More
He was dressed in flowing white robes when I walked in. Well, ok a white chocolate spattered lab coat, and a hair net. He whirled around the factory kitchen conferring with an apprentice here, checking temperatures there. He was Greg Hook, the alchemist of Chocolate Arts himself. This Wizard in […] Read More
My friend David Tracey is a tree nut. He’s the Executive Director of Tree City, a group that gets neighbours together with neighbours and fires them up about tending the urban forest. He is a certified tree care expert. Or so the International Society of Arboriculture says. He consults on […] Read More
There’s a lot of talk in food security circles these days about food hubs. A central location where all food activities can take place. There might be a community garden and commercial kitchen on site, a farmers’ market, cooking and canning classes. Small processors may have access to the kitchen. […] Read More
I love pickles. I grew up eating both my mother’s and my grama’s. Mom used vinegar, grama just water. I prefer the latter. I have made pickles over the years too. With both success and failure. I tried my hand again this year and had mostly success. One jar was […] Read More
Several well-known charities are encouraging donors to buy live chickens, goats and cows as Christmas gifts for the impoverished. The nice catalogue is full of pretty pictures and tells a very convincing story. I admit I was tempted by the idea of giving bunnies that breed blessings for a family […] Read More
I am finishing up the final chapter of my book on the politics of food. While writing about the current international aid system, I noticed the population explosion emerging once again as the scapegoat for poverty and famine. The population theory has been discredited and dismissed many times over the […] Read More
Eating is a political act. Find out how the food on your plate can affect a farmer half a world away. Through field trips, guest speakers, classroom presentations and discussions, students will explore the entire food system from table top to ground and back again. Covers local food issues and […] Read More
My friend Robert Ouimet is the man behind my blog curtain. Former CBC Radio producer and new media wiz, this guy fell from the sky into my life, right when I needed a web site. He also produces Can Urban Agriculture Save the World? – “ the podcast I do […] Read More