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FoodBeyond Peak Oil |
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Food seems to be fairly important to most of us, so it makes sense to assure that we have a steady supply of it. Growing your own is the best solution. Supporting a local farmer is also excellent, particularly since that farmer can probably turn out a lot more, and a lot more variety, than you can.
We encourage people to have both home and neighborhood gardens. Your home gardening can be as simple as herbs, sprouts and a few tomatoes; or much more if you have the time and space. Community gardening benefits you from contact with your fellow neighbors as much as it does from the actual food itself.
What's the best way to grow and obtain food? That depends on you and where you live. We've tried to give you a wide variety of ideas here.
World's Healthiest Foods List, A-Z
Foods that are nutrient dense, whole, familiar, readily available, affordable, and taste good.
They're not just cute when they're young; they're food. Both chickens and rabbits require little space, and can be raised in most city (and certainly suburban) backyards. Your town may have ordinances allowing raising such animals for your own use. If they don't, that could change. Perhaps even faster if you push them.
Beginner's guide to raising chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, goats, sheep, and cows [book]
Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens
Simple instructions for brooder preparation, unpacking mail-order chicks, treating chick health problems, moving poults into a hen yard, hen house options, flock management, how to spot common diseases and parasites and basic butchering methods [video].
Sources of natural chicken feed, knowledge about traditional ways of feeding chickens around the world and in old times, putting health before profit in raising and feeding chickens.
A beginner's guide [book]
How to Raise Day-Old Chicks in Your Backyard
With or without a mother hen
Tending small flocks in cities,suburbs, and other small spaces [book]
Living with Chickens
Everything you need to know to raise your own backyard flock [book] Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens Care, feeding and facilities [book] From Mother Earth News Raising Rabbits for Fun and Food A primer on backyard meat rabbit raising practices Biodynamics is an agriculture system initiated by philosopher/scientist Rudolf Steiner in the 1920s. More than just organic, it seeks to work with and revitalize the life forces in the plants and soil. Biodynamic and Organic Gardening Resource Site Excellent source of links and books Biodynamic Farming and Compost Preparation
Extensive information from the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association From Biodynamic Agriculture Australia A philosophical view. Community gardens are shared plots within an urban or neighborhood setting. Gardeners share tools, knowledge and labor to produce food for themselves and others. Video documentary on a community garden in Berkeley, California Three-part DVD series on community gardens in the U.K. American Community Garden Association (ACGA) Non-profit organization for rural and urban gardening Low-cost video on community gardening Free fact sheet from the ACGA Community Garden Startup Guide (LA County) How-to article on small and medium-sized depaving projects. Rip up concrete and turn the space into gardens.
How to start an urban garden [book] Campaigning for foodsafety, organic agriculture, fair trade and sustainability Primer on Community Food Systems From Cornell University Dutch film on urban agriculture Seattle P-Patch Community Gardens Pioneer in city-sponsored community gardening A leader in organic community gardening The journey of a French fried potato and its packaging Agricultural dowsing including remineralization CSA farms are mutually supported by individuals and families. Through ongoing contracts, farmers delivery weekly food—usually organic—to homes. In turn, the farms receive ongoing financial support. Greener than organic. BBC article Farmers markets, family farms, CSAs, organic food Offers services to existing and new CSA farmers and shareholders, including a database of U.S. CSA farms. Composting your yard trimmings and other organic waste keeps it out of landfills and provides a nutrient-filled addition to the soil for your lawn and garden. A complete guide to making compost A list of products and services articles and links covering all topics about composting and organic gardening Lots and lots of free information. Also online classes and ebooks. Commercial product available from Real Goods High-tech composter you can put on your deck as a flower pot See more information on Composting on our Household page. Out of necessity, rather than choice, Cuba has done some amazing things in the area of food production since 1989. When the Soviet Union collapsed in that year, Cuba lost its cheap oil and sugar subsidies. Without money and oil, and without tractor fuel, fertilizers and pesticides, it could no longer operate the highly-industrialized agricultural production that it had been conducting for several decades. While voices in the organic wilderness had been calling for many years for Cuba to using organic farming methods, the Cuban government didn't hear those voices until all other options were closed. Then, it jumped on the organic bandwagon with full force. Today, Cuba is perhaps the only country in the world that practices organic, or semi-organic, farming. For detailed information on food production in Cuba, as well as many other aspects of Beyond Peak life in Cuba, visit our Cuba page. The key to food storage is lowering the temperature where the food is stored. You also want to minimize exposure to light and keep it in as dry (non-humid) an area as possible. Optimum food storage prolongs shelf life, nutritional value, taste, texture and color. Date all food containers—and ROTATE. Excellent and very comprehensive information Why shop for food when you can just pick it? Particularly when it's everywhere. Just make sure it's in an area that hasn't been sprayed. And that you're absolutely certain what you're picking to eat is totally safe. A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants North American edible plants - where to find them, when and how to gather them, and how to prepare them, by Bradford Angier [book] Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West Includes full color photographs of every plant in the book [book] Guide to North American edible plants. Includes more than 500 recipes. By Bradford Angier. [book] Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants
in wild (and not so wild) places [book] Illustrated Guide to Edible Wild Plants, The Produced by the U.S. Army [book] A guide for the wild food gourmet [book] Stalking the Blue-Eyed Scallop On the immense variety of seafoods available on the ocean's edge. By Euell Gibbons. Hundreds of recipes. [book] The classic book on foraging for edible plants in the wild by Euell Gibbons. Includes hundreds of recipes. [book] Fresh and savory food from nature [book] Growing your own food is essential for self-sufficiency. You receive as much food as you can grow, and you know how it has been grown. If you wish, you can grow organically, using non-hybrid "heirloom" seed, assuring that you get the healthiest and most nutritous food possible. A voice for eco-agriculture California Backyard Orchard, The If you've got the room, grow your own fruits and nuts Group of grassroot gardeners in Oregon. Good collection of articles and recommended books. Organic vegetables from your home garden all year long Guide to raising flowers and vegetables in the city, including community gardens Free online book but hardcopy is also available for purchase And fruits, nuts, berries, grains and other crops than you ever thought possible on less land than you can imagine, by John Jeavons [book] Very effective method of soil building Growing food in the city. Profiles 23 different gardeners. [book] How to convert your lawn to your garden Good information and resources American Horticultural Society guide to Master Gardeners throughout the U.S. The gardeners provide free expert advice and training to home gardeners. National Gardening Association Very extensive information From Artichokes to Zuiki Taro, A Gardener's Guide to Over 100 Delicious and Easy to Grow Edibles [book] How would you like a garden filled with beautiful flowers, fresh herbs and luscious vegetables, but NO WEEDS and NO HARD WORK? - From the author of the book Video and DVD versions of the popular book Sustainable Vegetable Garden, The A backyard guide to healthy soil and higher yields [book] Practical information in a friendly gardening site. Hemp is a remarkable food. So remarkable in so many ways, that we've given hemp its own page. Hydroponics is growing water without soil and goes back, at least, to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Very comprehensive site on all aspects of hydroponics Hydroponics and organics, including the free online "Hydro U." classes Using herbs is more than just drinking herbal tea. Although that's an excellent way to take advantage of herbs' healing properties, you can also integrate them into most cooking recipes. See also Herbs on our Health page. Sixteenth century herbal classic Information on more than 40 spices Growing and using herbs for health Health Promoting Properties of Common Herbs From the American journal of Clinical Nutrition Indoor herb garden kits Indoor medicinal herb starter kit Preparing Medicinal Herb Teas, Tinctures, Syrups, Oils & Salves Information from Weed Herb Farms From Heirloom Seeds Spices - Exotic Flavors and medicines Detailed information on more than 30 spices from the UCLA Biomedical Library Tips for Cooking, Freezing and Drying Herbs Practical information from Weed Herb Farms From the UCLA Biomedical Library Commercial site selling a large variety of herbs and seeds. Nutritious, delicious, and much more. If you're hunting for your own wild mushrooms, we recommend you first start out with an experienced mushroom person. See also our Health and Medicine page Company promoting radically new environmental uses for gourmet and medicinal mushrooms. Extensive free information. Highly recommended. Devoted to the science of mycology (the study of the fungi) and the hobby of mushrooming (the pursuit of mushrooms). Includes the "The Fungi of California" with photographs and descriptions of over 400 species of fungi found in California (and over 1800 total photographs) Excellent resources with a very useful beginner's introduction Permaculture was created in the 1970s by two Australian ecologists, Bill Mollison and David Holmgren. They developed a very dynamic system of agriculture which evolved over the years It is a philosophy of ethics, personal responsibility and balanced ecology working with, rather than against, the natural world to create sustainable human habitats. A guide to home-scale Permaculture [book] Video on Permaculture co-founder Bill Mollison By Bill Mollison [book] From Wikipedia Principles and pathways beyond sustainability by David Holmgren, co-founder of Permaculture [book] Promotion and support of the sustainability of human culture and settlements Good selection of books and videos, including Bill Mollison on Permaculture Publishes and distributes the best in Permaculture research. Established by Permaculture founder Bill Mollison Video shows how Permaculture can be applied in an urban setting Group action to help transform urban places Remineralization revitalizes soils by imitating natural processes and using materials ("rock dust") that are a result of glaciation, volcanic eruptions, and alluvial deposits to restore the soil with its natural nutrients. On a Fad Diet of Rock Dust, How Does the Garden Grow? Article from New York Times Non-profit organization incorporated to disseminate ideas and practice about soil remineralization throughout the world. Site offers two free ebooks on soil mineralization Rock Dust Grows Extra-Big Vegetables (and Might Save Us from Global Warming) Article from The Independent We have gone from eating hundreds, if not thousands, of different varieties of vegetables, to the few, standard veggies found at most dinner tables. "Heirloom" seed companies and organizations seek to preserve the original biodiversity, and promote sustainable, organic agriculture with traditional, vegetable, flower and herb seeds, all organic, non-hybrid, and non-genetically modified. Why? Because the foods produced are healthier and tastier, and in the long-run, more likely to survive and thrive than hybrids. Supporting the ethical stewardship and development of seed Seeds of Change: The Living Treasure The story of the movement to restore biodiversity and revolutionize the way we think about food [book] Non-polluting, free energy that cooks flavorful meals. You can even make your own solar oven. Solar thermal products for everyday living Spreading solar cooking to benefit people and environments A lot of information from Solar Cookers International Non-profit organization sells solar ovens to help support its activities in developing countries Commercial products supporting the Solar Oven Society Ovens for sale that are used around the world, including large ovens used by villages. An easy-to-grow, high-protein, space-saving food. Everybody should be growing sprouts. Urban agriculture notes from City Farmer Wide variety of information and products Offers information, seeds, kits and more Worms are your friends. Composting with Red Wiggler Worms Urban agriculture notes from City Farmer Good information from Wikipedia Good list of links Buy a word condo for your home The definitive vermiculture magazine Information and productsRabbits
Biodynamics
Community/Urban Gardens
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
Composting
Cuba
Food Storage
Foraging
Gardening
Hemp
Hydroponics
Medicinal Cooking
Mushrooms
Permaculture
Remineralization
Seeds
Solar Cooking
Sprouts
Vermiculture
