Dirt Rich

This is a short late night update of what's going on at the Free Farm these days. At our last Wednesday workday we had a wonderful planting frenzy in the greenhouse and we finally caught up with planting seeds, as we are running out of seedlings to plant in the ground. We somehow grew a ton of tomato seedlings so we now have a lot planted at the farm and we have given away a lot at the Free Farm Stand. We also have pretty much finished the new "office" space (for lack of a better category as to what to call the building...I don't see us doing any office work in it right now).) On Saturday I left part of our seed collection in the space and I am looking forward to not schlepping seeds back and forth to the farm.

We have also been getting more plants in the ground, many pollinators, culinary herbs, flowers, hops and kiwi plants, and we have planted bush beans and pole beans on newly built bamboo trellises. The things growing in the hot house are taking off  and seem to enjoy there existence in a very warm environment (wouldn't you?). Tobias is working on drawing us a to scale map of our farm to help us with crop planting and the taters in the ground are growing more and more each week. It also seems we are getting more people coming to our small Saturday Farm Stand each week and fortunately we have had produce to give away.

We had a beautiful last day with our regular high school students from Stuart Hall who are graduating and they each wrote us a sweet thank you note for working with them. We really appreciate getting the chance to work with students and hopefully get the opportunity to inspire them about service and working with nature.

Finally, we now have a Eartg Flag flying over our farm thanks to Pancho and Mike who climbed the pole to hang it. "The Earth is but ONE country & all living beings its citizens."

I invite everyone to come out and work with the soil with us. We are so fortunate to have this land available to us to grow food for those in need (and soon flowers too). I feel Dirt Rich. In the upcoming weeks we will be doing more work in our greenhouse, making compost extract, weeding, planting carrots and radishes,having fun, and enjoying wonderful vegan lunches made by our volunteers. Every week new people show up and I love meeting you all.

Spring cleaning time!

Greens = perfect food for spring!

Spring is here, so it’s time for me to deliver some seasonal nutrition education! When we eat in harmony with the seasons, we are naturally healthier because local, seasonal foods help us adapt to our environment.

In Chinese Medicine’s Five Element system, the spring season is associated with wood (element), green (color), anger (emotion), sour (taste), and liver and gallbladder (body organs). Spring is the time of growth, renewal and regeneration—manifesting our ideas into action.

Spring = detox time

From Halloween to Valentine’s, and the celebratory holidays in between (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s), Americans tend to indulge in foods that harm the liver:
• a diet rich in animal foods and alcohol combine to make the liver expanded/overactive/inflamed (yang)
• a junk food diet (excessive fat, sugar, refined grains, artificial ingredients) makes the liver overly contracted/deficient (yin)

These diets that abuse the liver cause stagnation of blood and qi, and imbalances reveal themselves as excess of anger/irritability and associated with strokes, diabetes, heart and liver disease, etc. Our bodies have systems equipped to remove toxins and metabolic wastes through the skin, lungs, liver, kidneys and colon. However, our bodies can get overloaded with toxins from daily exposure to synthetic chemicals, pollution and other contaminants in our food, water, air, personal care products, etc. Most of this toxic load which can’t be detoxified is stored in the liver, or in adipose tissue (fat). When the liver is overburdened, it’s less able to filter toxins from the blood and break them down for elimination, so toxins remain, leading to dis-ease.

You are what you eat, absorb, assimilate, and don’t eliminate!

Liver functions to metabolize macronutrients so here’s a quick review:

1. Proteins

Proteins are needed to make, grow, maintain and repair our body tissues. They are big, complicated molecules made up of amino acids, which really work the liver and kidney functions. The digestion and metabolism of proteins require more work than carbs and fats, so they’re less efficient fuel sources. Protein contains nitrogen, which metabolizes into ammonia (toxic in high amounts), which the liver converts to urea (also toxic), which is then eliminated by the kidneys.

People who eat the Standard American Diet (SAD) rely on animal foods for protein. However, consuming animals means taking in larger doses of toxins because animals are high on the food chain, where environmental toxins concentrate—along with added toxins from hormones, antibiotics and other chemicals used in industrial animal production. Last month, Clinical Infectious Diseases, a medical journal published a study finding that 47% of the beef, chicken, pork and turkey at supermarkets nationwide may be contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria! (http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-being-a-foodie-isnt-elitist/2011/04/27/AFeWsnFF_story.html)

(Caveat to anyone relying solely on plants for nourishment: Because plants contain all essential amino acids in varying amounts, it’s important to plan meals to eat complementary proteins during the course of a day: grains/nuts/seeds + legumes. Traditional diets typically use 1 part legumes to 2 parts grain. Soy, amaranth, buckwheat, hempseed, spirulina and quinoa are considered complete proteins.)

2. Fats

Fats help the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E & K), and slow down nutrient absorption so we can go longer without feeling hungry. Our heart, liver and muscle prefer fat as their fuel source.

It’s best to get fats from whole foods (e.g., avocado=monounsaturated; flaxseed, walnuts, purslane=omega-3), which are found in their natural source with antioxidants such as vitamin E (removed during processing). Fats extracted from whole foods become susceptible to rancidity when exposed to air, light and heat. Fats should be refrigerated or stored in a very cool, dark place to prevent oxidation. If you use oil (say in salad dressing), go for organic, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil in dark glass bottles. Avoid trans-fatty acids, which are extremely toxic and rarely found in nature.

3. Carbs: Eating lower on the food chain, or eating plants

Carbs, our best source of fuel for the body (especially our brain and red blood cells), come mostly from plants.

If you decide to phase out meat, the rest of your diet must change so your body gets the nutrients it needs. When you give up meat, also give up refined carbs, and replace with whole grains + legumes. Because meat provides the minerals that are absent in refined foods that make up SAD, it’s important to include fresh, lightly cooked leafy vegetables rich in calcium and magnesium. Eat a rainbow of colors from veggies and fruits—organic if possible to avoid pesticides.

Refreshing foods that heal

Like spring, the liver is regenerating. To heal the liver: eliminate excesses of fat, refined foods, artificial ingredients, drugs, sugar, and alcohol.

Start your day with warm water + fresh lemon juice, which help the liver and gallbladder clean out fats and toxins, so you feel energized yet balanced.

Our spring seasonal diet should be mostly whole grains, green vegetables (broccoli, celery, parsley, collards, dark lettuces), beans (limas, green lentils, split peas), and fruits (green apple, sour cherry, sour oranges, lime). Sour foods (lemon, grapefruit, sauerkraut) stimulate the liver to produce bile (which help digest fats and absorb fat-soluble vitamins) and release stored waste—but too much causes astringency, preventing the liver from releasing toxins.

Put it all together: Sauté greens and drizzle with freshly squeezed lemon juice!

Later, in the day, enjoy Briahn’s liver calming tea (http://www.ccsf.edu/Resources/Faculty/bkelly/):
2-3 China rose buds, crumpled (mei gui hua; gently moves qi & blood; neutral, sweet, slightly bitter)
1 tsp peppermint (bo he; relax liver to benefit throat; cool, spicy)
Wolfberry (gou qi zi; nourish liver & kidneys, brighten eyes, moisten lungs; neutral, sweet)
2 cups boiled water
Steep 20 minutes. Strain and drink to support your liver.

Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum) is 1 of 3 “national treasures” of Chinese Medicine (others are green tea & ginseng). Also known as goji, it’s high in antioxidants and known to help with treating diabetes, liver problems, fatigue, cancer, etc.

Liver-rejuvenating habits
Avoid sources of toxins that place a heavy burden on the liver. Remember: You are what you eat, absorb, assimilate, and don’t eliminate! We’re designed to run on foods produced from Mother Earth, so stick to eating natural, SLOW (Seasonal, Local, Organic, Whole) foods.

Avoid late-night eating and go to bed before 11 pm to prepare yourself for deep sleep during Liver detox time (1-3 am), when blood is strengthened and our hormones regenerated.

Finally, move your body to prevent liver stagnation and breathe deeply to get qi flowing. The most helpful activity for liver conditions is outdoor exercise (sweat and oxygen-rich blood help body elimination and clean out fats and toxins), especially around nature (greenery, as well as wood in the structures of roots, trunk and limbs for trees and plants) . . . so gardening at The Free Farm may be your best medicine!

Unplug from the internet (thanks for reading this blog, though) and let’s grow plants, eat plants!

Gardening at The Free Farm = healing power!

Public Service Announcements:

Daily through Mon.,May 16, 2011 at 5 pm
Vote for Free Farm Stand/Free Farm (#3) at www.baycitizen.org/citizenoftomorrow/
Free Farm Stand/Free Farm have been nominated for the Citizen of Tomorrow Award, which offers a chance to win $5,000 that would help us purchase seeds, supplies, and a large refrigerator/walk-in cooler to store produce when it’s ready to harvest. The group with the most online votes will win. You can vote as often as once a day! Thanks for your support!

Sat., May 7, 2011 at 4-6 pm
Fermenting 101: Kombucha, Soda and Sauerkraut
Mission Arts Center, 745 Treat St., between 20th & 21st St., SF
This DIY in two hours, complete with tastings, is led by The Free Farm’s Lauren Anderson of Produce to the People, who will share her kombucha and kefir soda secrets and Luke Amaru Chappellet Volpini, a sauerkraut sage who loves revealing the fun and ease of fermenting food. http://www.howtohomestead.org/

Sun., May 8, 2011 at 11 am
Plant Fruit Trees at the Free Farm Stand
Parque Niños Unidos, 23rd St. & Treat St., SF
http://freefarmstand.org/

Mon., May 9, 2011, at 7-9 pm
Growing Food Democracy: Connecting Global Lessons to Local Action
Women's Building, 3543 18th St # 8, SF (near 16th St. BART)
Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) presents—along with co-sponsors LiveReal, the California Food and Justice Coalition, Food First and People’s Grocery—this FREE food justice event.
We bring together two of the food justice movement's leading authors, Robert Gottlieb and Raj Patel, and activist Navina Khanna of Oakland's LiveReal for a stimulating evening of dialogue, moderated by PANNA's senior scientist Marcia Ishii-Eiteman. These speakers will explore the successes, tensions and synergies between the local food justice, national food democracy and global food sovereignty movements; we invite you to join the conversation!
http://www.panna.org/blog/pan-hosts-food-democracy-discussion-join-us

Wed., May 11, 2011, at 2:30 pm
Training Session for May 17 Hunger Action Day
150 Golden Gate Ave., SF
Each May, hundreds of anti-hunger advocates from all over the state meet in Sacramento to educate their legislators about hunger and support anti-hunger legislation. Low-income advocates, soup kitchen volunteers, nutritionists, food bank supporters and others concerned about the 3.1 million Californians experiencing hunger travel by bus, car and airplane once each year to participate in this important event. Lunch and transportation provided. Attend training session to get your spot on the bus! Contact: Celina Sutton, 415.592.2728 or csutton@stanthonysf.org
http://hungeraction.net/hungeractionday.php

Tues., May 17, 2011 at 5:30 pm
Slow Food for the People
SF Public Library, Latino/Hispanic Community Room, 101 Larkin St. at Grove, SF
The first in St. Anthony’s series of 60th anniversary symposiums, explores how local policy makers, food banks, and feeding programs integrate into the Slow Food Movement. According to the San Francisco Food Bank, 197,000 people go hungry in our city. How do we, as a community of people living in the Bay Area, ensure that Slow Food, defined as “Good, Clean, and Fair Food” has space for everyone at the table?
Panelists include Charles Sommer, Manager of St. Anthony’s Dining Room; Paul Ash, the Executive Director of the San Francisco Food Bank; and Paula Jones, Director of Food Systems at the San Francisco Department of Public Health. The Panel will be moderated by Tannis Reinhertz, Department Chair of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Studies at City College of SF
http://www.stanthonysf.org/blog/2011/04/26/slow-food-for-the-people-commemorating-60-years-of-hope-through-a-series-of-symposiusms/

Thurs., May 19 & Fri., May 20, 2011 at 6-10 pm
Screening of In Search of Good Food + Greenhorns
Recology HQ, 900 7th St. at Berry, SF
In Search of Good Food follows Antonio Roman-Alcalá, an urban farming activist from San Francisco, on his search for the "sustainable" food system in California. Built off of footage from a two-month trip around the state in early 2008, In Search of Good Food features interviews with farmers, farmworkers, wildlife advocates, cultural biologists, university professors, historians, educators, grassroots groups, organic foods distributors, the CA secretary of agriculture, and many others who form the various arms of this movement to ensure an ongoing supply of healthy, ecologically and locally-produced, economically affordable food for all Californians.
http://insearchofgoodfood.blogspot.com/p/screening-info.html

Workday + Vote for Tree!

This Saturday it felt like Spring had finally arrived and more than twenty volunteers came out to help us harvest, plant, ammend beds with compost and to work on constructing our new "office." A lot of folks came by the farm stand too, where in addition to all our beautiful greens we had a lot of citrus to give away thanks to the efforts of Stanford Glean. This farm was created to provide healthy food options to people who might not have access to fresh, organic, produce. But the farm also creates opportunities for cultivating other kinds of health. Providing a place for people to get their hands dirty in meaningful work supports physical, emotional and mental health too. I think this aspect of the urban farming movement is often overlooked, but it felt so clear to me on Saturday, as we worked together in the sun.

One simple way to support the work of the Free Farm this week is to vote for Tree online as Bay Citizen's Citizen of Tomorrow. If he wins then the $5,000 prize could go towards seeds, supplies and a large walk in cooler to store food from the Free Farm and the Free Farm Stand in the Mission. There are a lot of other great projects out there that are also up for nomination. Check them out at baycitizen.org/citizenoftomorrow where you can vote once a day until May 16th.

Happy May Day!

Earth Day = Every Day at The Free Farm!

Kris sent these stunning still life photos from today's workday:














Thanks so much to Kris for taking photos with her phone camera today! What a lifesaver because I wasn’t able to take photos after my camera’s rechargeable battery died :-(

Earlier in the day, I volunteered at Earth Day SF (http://www.earthdaysf.com/) in Civic Center Plaza. At the Permaculture Pavilion, a couple of One Brick volunteers and I helped Veronica (http://www.earthpeacemandala.net/) set-up and create an earth mandala. My permie instructors (Jay, John and Max) were present so I wanted to capture some Polaroid moments. I went out to buy new rechargeable batteries, but they needed to be jump-started.

In the meantime, I met volunteer Kathy who revealed her green thumb so I invited her to join me at The Free Farm after our morning shift ended. When we arrived at the Farm, we met several new volunteers and I asked how they came to volunteer at the Farm:
• Jenny and Eitam decided to check out the Farm after visiting Mission’s Free Farm Stand (http://freefarmstand.org/)
• Mallika, who moved from Florida, found out about us through our website
• Sharon (who owns http://www.eco-vegan.com/) and her mother just moved into the neighborhood and noticed the Farm’s volunteer sign
• Phenion and Daisy, with their children, decided to come to our workday after walking around the neighborhood when the Farm was closed

We did a lot of soil building and planting: collards, kale, chives, tomatoes, as well as flowers such as marigold, chrysanthemum, zinnia, obelia rose. Alena created a pretty satchel for our WC. Byron and Adelaja continued construction of the office using mostly recycled materials, while I pondered about another mural like last week’s Toolshed Mural project by Ilyse and Girls, Inc. Stanley also brought over 7 wooden crates, donated by Wine House Limited, for our farm stand.

One blessing in not being able to take photos is that I can really get my hands dirty! It was more relaxing to just be present without framing photo shots. But after our workday ended and my batteries got recharged, I returned to take this photo of the Earth Day SF mandala at Civic Center.


Photos are good to look at, but it’s even better to experience The Free Farm in person so come celebrate our Earth during our lively workdays!

Public Service Announcements:

Mon., April 25, 2011, 7-9 pm
TransitionSF Community Meeting
CPMC Davies-Gazebo Room, on Castro between 14th & Duboce, SF
Presentation about the SF Seed Library project; see http://www.sfseedlibrary.org/.
Details at http://www.transitionsf.org/

Wed., April 27, 2011, 7-9 pm
Nature Has Rights: A Conversation with Cormac Cullinan, Shannon Biggs, Bill Twist, and Anuradha Mittal (TBC)
1187 Franklin St. at Geary, SF
SF launch of two cutting-edge books: The Rights of Nature The Case for a Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth - co-developed by Global Exchange, Council of Canadians and Fundacion Pachamama & Wild Law: A Manifesto for Earth Justice, Second Edition by Cormac Cullinan. A conversation with Shannon Biggs, Cormac Cullinan, and Bill Twist.
Details at http://www.globalexchange.org/getInvolved/bayarea.php

Thurs., April 28, 2011, 12-1 pm
Food & Water Watch: Help Save Our Food System!
450 Laguna St., between Fell & Oak, SF
Press conference for a just and fair farm bill that supports local, organic and sustainable agriculture. Farm Bill programs are critical to expanding access to, and availability of, healthy food. RSVP at https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1185/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=69061

“Planet Earth is our home. She is home to almost 7 billion people plus countless species of animals and plants. We are all part of a tightly integrated ecosystem. Our ecosystem includes all life and innate materials on our planet, in our atmosphere, and in the universe beyond.
We cannot focus on the wellbeing of humans, or any one species, to the detriment of another without affecting the rest of the world around us. We are not just on this earth, we are of this earth.
Today as never before, planet earth needs us to nurture and honor her as we nurture and honor each other. Now is the time for us to transform our relationship with planet earth and to recognize that nature has rights just as we humans have rights.”
For complete Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth, visit http://www.rightsofmotherearth.com/

Refresh at The Free Farm!

It's a beautiful morning!

I think I'll go outside a while,

And just smile.

Just take in some clean fresh air, boy!

Ain't no sense in stayin' inside

If the weather's fine and you got the time.

It's your chance to wake up and plan another brand new day!

“It’s a Beautiful Morning” by Mike Love and Al Jardine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZldHDOCNgo

The Free Farm’s inaugural Refresh event was a groovy day full of smiles :-) :-) :-) and exclamation marks!!! Refresh at The Free Farm! What do you appreciate about the earth? “I appreciate its beauty and no matter what, it will always be there if we need it.” Yes!Pancho leads morning meditation workshop! Harvesting fava! Turning compost pile! Pancho’s shirt reads “Be the change you wish to see in the world”! Getup grads Stanley (holding leeks) & Sophie! Finn leads herbs talk & walk while Tree plants in background! Finn is author of The Mental Health Cookbook, published by Source Press, about “creating a connection to the natural world through an engagement with plants, nutrients and microorganisms”!Passing along calendula, which can be made into a salve to treat skin conditions! Kevin & Charlie with Santiago & Rafael visiting from Seattle!Page & Kellen harvest favas!Ilyse’s Toolshed Mural Project! Check out http://ilyseirismagy.com/home.html! Tree taps gong to signal lunch time! Loata, Nathalia, Jeanette & Eden of Girls, Inc. covered the toolshed with their words in less than an hour! And, they managed to keep paint off their white shirts! Harvest set aside for Sunday’s Free Farm Stand! Tree & Amanda set-up lunch spread! Ilyse at far right is covered in paint from mural project! Gratitude circle participants state their names! Pancho led us in breathing exercises before eating! Beautiful blue sky! Joy holds up all-organic spork & lunch plate! Tree, John & Emily serve up lunch on plates brought by Finn, Hannah & Stanley! Monique with Girls, Inc.! We forgive you letters project: write letters about what our life would look like if we forgave ourselves and others! Then we’ll transform letters into pots for seedlings that will be planted into the earth and eventually compost into the soil! Details at http://weforgiveyoupapers.blogspot.com/2011/03/call-for-letters-april-16th-event.html. The purpose is for us to physically put our intention into the world and have the experience of seeing it physically transform! Linda leads yoga for kids: dog pose & spontaneous piggyback! Kellen carts off fava-filled wheelbarrow! Pia explains rutabaga comes from Swedish rotabagge, or root bag, known as Swedish turnip! First-time visitors to The Free Farm say they’ll be back! Harvesting strawberries! 3 Getup sisters: Susan, Stanley & Sophie! Rev Megan & more smile-y faces! Michael leads nichiren shu meditation! Do you know the way to The Free Farm?! “I totally forgive you for missing that exit. I should have planned ahead and mentioned it earlier. Thanks for your forgiveness.” Appreciation & forgiveness flags blowin’ in the wind!

Public Service Announcement:

Solidarity for Food Sovereignty and Food Justice!

Sunday, April 17, 2011, 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm

San Francisco Art Institute 800 Chestnut St., San Francisco, CA THE EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC – LOCAL, ORGANIC AND VEGETARIAN FOOD WILL BE PROVIDED! Keynote speakers: Dr. Miguel Altieri – Professor of Agroecology at the University of California, Berkeley Dr. Eric Holt-Giménez – Executive Director of The Institute for Food and Development Policy, FOOD FIRST. Sponsored by the Bay Area Friends of the MST, La Via Campesina, and the Urban Studies program of the San Francisco Art Institute. Details at http://cafoodjustice.org/2011/04/11/event-417-san-francisco-celebrate-the-international-day-of-peasant-struggle/