Any bright ideas for my food/self-sufficiency zine??

[Charlotte Werth]

I'm about a week from printing my first zine. It's called SQUASH and it's about eating well in a local, self-reliant manor. So far I've done interviews with local farmers, wrote about fermentation, the soy controversy, why eat local, container gardening, some reviews of local spots, and some recipes. I've kind of hit a blockage and was wondering if anyone has any ideas for fun additions that you would like to read/learn about in a zine like this.
Thanks a lot!!

[kath]

maybe you could talk about food wrt local currencies - or using food (amongst other things) as barter currencies in local communities. eg Douglas Rushkoff has some great ideas about this (in his new book & on his website) http://rushkoff.com/forums/bbs & I saw @ kcarruthers talking about a similar project in Sydney - Live Local : http://www.livelocal.org.au/blog. ie moving back to community based systems and dropping corporations & their control. I think this sort of thing will become more popular again

eg: http://www.livelocal.org.au/blog/2009/03/18/chippendales-local-curr...
http://foodforthefuturefair.org/chippo-dollar/how-use-chippo-dollar
http://hplusmagazine.com/articles/economy/hacking-economy - Rushkoff mentions 'comfort dollars' in his town

[Dorian Shaw]

You could write about:

1. the government's influence and control over organic farming
2. how to keep your garden pest free while being pesticide free
3. negative effects of factory farming
4. food shares

[Amazing Sunflower]

I've written a review of The Urban Homestead by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen. I would be glad to let you reprint it (with acknowledgment to the website where it first appeared) if you are interested. Let me know if you want me to send it to you.

Also, it would be cool to write about the fun aspects of growing food and being self-sufficient. I think most people think it's just a whole lot of work.

I would love to get a copy of your zine when it is done. Please keep me posted.

[KellyRose-Pulse Zine]

my parents actually just started their own garden after facing unemployment and they are now growing squash, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes and more...i think it would be cool for you to interview them. they are people outside of the DIY, organic circle, but are growing their own food out of need and for a sense of fulfillment...

[Charlotte Werth]

KellyRose-Pulse, That sounds like an interesting interview. Are you parents in the Portland area? If not, would they be up for me asking a few questions via e-mail?

KellyRose-Pulse Zine said:

my parents actually just started their own garden after facing unemployment and they are now growing squash, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes and more...i think it would be cool for you to interview them. they are people outside of the DIY, organic circle, but are growing their own food out of need and for a sense of fulfillment...

[N.L. Dewart]

I know you mentioned container gardening but I live in a studio apartment in a pretty urban area so is it possible to garden in such a situation? Or is it extremely difficult?

[Charlotte Werth]

If you get a few hours of sun through your window, you can garden! An herb garden is a cheap weekend project. If there is a farmers market in your area, you can probably pick up some vegetable starts there which can easily be transfered into lots of makeshift containers you can fit on a windowsill or shelf with some sun. Potting soil for container gardening can be found at any local nursery for cheap. I got most of my containers by posting a want ad on craigslist for free pots and I got a ton of responses. You can be inventive and use anything from old yogurt containers to wood drawers (not particle board because of nasty chemicals in it but a solid wood, esp. cedar) or just scout goodwills for cheap pots. If you want to do more than herbs, leafy vegetable do well with less sun and can grow tightly if well maintained. You could make a salad bowl with things like lettuce, spinach, and swiss chard all planted together and pluck off the outer leaves to eat while letting the inner leaves grow for future salads.
Gardening can be really addicting and can add good vibes to small spaces. If you enjoy your little window garden, you might want to learn more and start a worm bin to compost food scraps under your sink and make a fantastic soil for future gardens. Also, make sure your pots have drainage so you don't drown your veggies. Let me know if you have any questions!
PS: Finding ways to make a vertical garden can maximize your efficiency in a small space. You could lean a ladder against a wall and stack your containers on it or you could rig up some sort of pole with yogurt containers nailed on to it. Just make sure you have plates underneath to catch the water so you can get your deposit back!

N.L. Dewart said:

I know you mentioned container gardening but I live in a studio apartment in a pretty urban area so is it possible to garden in such a situation? Or is it extremely difficult?

[Sybelle Darling]

You might want to put in something about H.R. 875. It has a distinct possibility of making it impossible for local farmers to sell their produce at farmer's markets.
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/p-j-gladnick/2009/03/19/wapo-writer-wr...
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-875
You could also include some info about alternate cooking methods, like solar ovens.

[Dan 10things]

I used to do a gardening column... I tackled stuff like starting your first veggie garden, container gardening, fall and winter gardening, building a cloche, reviews of local farmer markets, etc. Stuff I'd be interested in is ordering local and organic online (via Amazon Fresh, getting a CSA box once a week from a local farm co-op, other similar programs), growing your own herb/kitchen garden, cheap and ethical places to order seeds from, canning, dehydrating, pickling, what stuff freezes well for preservation, cooking with alternatives (like dairy free cooking, egg substitutes, wheat substitutes, sugar substitutes, etc.), brewing your own beer/wine/hard liquor, and recipes recipes recipes.

[Tom Hendricks]

There is a lot of science studies showing clearly that the less you eat the healthier you are. Now that's an offbeat idea.

[lauramarie]

Hi, I was just reading through old discussions and this one caught my eye. Did you ever come out with this zine?