FROM SCRATCH CLUB

If you caught my previous post, then you already know I’m trying to start a micro farm this year called Little Sparrow Farm. In mid March I started my seeds with some grow lights in my basement. In late March I went out-of-town for a week and my husband was in charge of the seedlings. […]

FSC Contributor Amy Halloran takes on an a podcast journey to explore the Northeast grain system. Amy’s series on scaling up the northeast grain system provides a wealth of information and serves as an incredible introduction to the world of local grains, and in this episode we continue that conversation. Grains are often left out of the locavore […]

Editor’s Note: Our monthly local-grain-love-fest with Amy Halloran is back with the 8th installment in her Scaling Up The Northeast Grain System series. You can read her previous seven pieces here. In this installment, Amy comes full circle and visits the mill & bakery where her gain-love began. -Christina +++++ I went to Wild Hive […]

Raising animals for food. It’s a tricky subject, but we are tackling it with gusto in this month’s podcast. We’ve talked about growing vegetables, joining CSAs to pay someone else to grow vegetables and we’ve even talked a little bit about backyard chickens. Now we are bringing you an extended interview with a local meat […]

This episode of the FSC Podcast, we are diving into the world of urban farming. That’s right, farming in cities. Not the typical, sprawling pastures in the country or the iconic red barn, but we’re talking to people and organizations who are farming in the city. They are increasing access to fresh food, forging a […]

The 8th Annual Vermont Grain Growers Conference was held in Essex, Vermont on March 15th. I traveled north with my friend Howard, who’s been planting grains for years – rye, oats and barley, and last year, wheat – all for home use. About half the 130 people at the conference were also some version of […]

{Christine’s 2011 22-week CSA Share from Kilpatrick Family Farm} This month’s episode is all about CSAs– community supported agriculture! We tell you what CSA is and why it’s awesome for both farmers and consumers. If you’re interested in supporting local farmers and the local food system, this show is for you. Are you still on […]

{FOOD NEWS} The 2012 Farm Bill is the newest topic for The New York Times’ Room for Debate Series. (link from last week- so good that I’m keeping it up another week!) Thank you Celia from On Cardamom & Cast Iron, forwarded me an update to Seattle’s planned Edible Forest. Its an NPR story that […]

Editor’s Note: I’m having some internet connection problem, so I apologize for the late posting time. If you are local PLEASE come out to talk to your local farmers today at NOFA-NY’s 2nd Annual CSA Fair. Its a great place to have a casual chat with your local farmer since there isn’t any retail produce […]

UPDATE/Editor’s Note: As of 4pm today (LEAP DAY), we’ve been accepted into the iTUNES universe. Subscribe here or search for us in your iTUNES program by “From Scratch Club”.  You can listen to the episode right on this very post too! Just look for the ‘listen’ link below. Thanks for listening! -Christina Happy Leap Day! […]

I have some exciting news to share. I will be one of two NYS constituents heading to DC for the National Sustainable Agricultural Coalition‘s  “Farmer Fly In” lobby days on March 5-7th to discuss the 2012 Farm Bill. More specifically, The Local Farms, Food & Jobs Act and The Beginning Farmer & Rancher Opportunity Act. […]

For those of you who’ve been reading for a year or so, may remember my weekly food politics/recipe link love post, {Weekend Reading} National Edition on Sundays and {weekend reading} Local Edition on Saturdays. Well, those Nationa; posts have been absent from the blog for almost a year, the Local Editions since October, and clearly, […]

Recently, I had the privilege of attending the NOFA-NY conference with Erika. From NOFA: “The theme of this year’s conference, The Cooperative Economy, gives us an opportunity to explore the current of cooperation that runs deep in our organization and movement and the hopes that we have for a more sustainable future“. The 3+ day […]

Editor’s Note: I am so happy to announce we are starting a new contributor-stream on FSC; Community Voices. These contributors will be monthly and are the voices in our local food community; whether it be a local chef, writer or swapper. First up, writer, teacher, wife, mother, urban homesteader Amy Halloran. I first met Amy […]

*I find it interesting that in the same week as I’m writing this post, our biggest local paper, The Times Union, ran a story on a local farm, Dharma Lea farm in Sharon Springs run by the Van Amburgh family, on the cover of their Sunday edition Business Section. Granted, we do have some great farmland […]