7 Points for Fantastic Food and Cities

22Nov09

Dr. Wayne Roberts spoke on food policy and a new vision for cities at Toledo Library in the US. As always his witty humour is always a hit. The photos he uses in the presentation are also quite insightful. Dr. Roberts also proposes hopeful solutions and answers to fixing cities and the food system. If you want the quick written summary you can read it below.

Filed under: Agriculture, Community Development, Community Gardening, Composting, Conferences, Environment, Food, Food Distribution, Food Justice, Food Retail, Food Security, Food Sovereignty, Gardening, Global/World, Health and Wellness, Local Agriculture, Meat Me Organic, Policy and Law, Skill Development, Society, Soil Management, sustainability, Toronto, Urban Agriculture, Urban Development, Vegetables and Fruit, vermicomposting, Video/Film, Youth   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: careers, cities, colleges, Community Development, community food systems, Community Gardens, development, direct trade, economy, fair trade, Food, job, policy, public health, standard of living, urban, Wayne Roberts

Seed-saving: Keeping the Growing Going!

14Sep09

Join us as Maria Kasstan, a member of Seeds of Diversity, shares with us how we can save the seed from our gardens so that we can keep the cycle of growing going year after year. Seeds of Diversity works to preserve heirloom and rare plants through a network of seed-savers, and has a special project, Pollination Canada, a nation-wide survey of bees and other pollinators by citizen observers. A practical and informative session for beginner and seasoned gardeners alike.

Filed under: Events, Gardening, Seed Saving, Toronto, Workshops   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: biodiversity, city, Gardening, pollination, Seed Saving, Urban Agriculture

How Vegetarianism Can Stop Global Warming

20Aug09

Eating meat spews out more air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions than driving cars. In fact, cutting meat out helps more than switching to a Toyota Prius (2 times as much) or eating locally (12 times as much). Unfortunately lots of people like eating lots of meat as we’ve mentioned in a previous post.

Filed under: Agriculture, Food, Food Distribution, Food Security, Food Sovereignty, Gardening, Health and Wellness, Local Agriculture, Organic Agriculture, Science, Urban Agriculture, Vegetables and Fruit   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: animals, consumption, energy, food miles, freight, health, lagoons, lifecycle, Lifestyle, manure, meat, Prius, Toyota, vegan, vegetarian

How to Sleep “Over” a Garden

30Jul09

Most people might have slept “in” a garden yet how many do you know have slept “over” one? Jane Hutton (FoodCycles latest member) and her partner Adrian designed an award winning sleep-above-the-garden net as part of the 10th Edition of the International Garden Festival at Les Jardins de Métis in Grand-Métis, Quebec. The festival runs from June 27th to October 4th, 2009 and Jane says the Gaspe is an absolutely amazing place to visit.

Filed under: Art and Design, Gardening   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: art, Buckminster, design, Dymaxion, Fuller, garden, Grand-Métis, International Garden Festival, Les Jardins de Métis, map, quebec, sensory garden, sleep, world

Call 4 People: Gardener Interviews in Toronto!

23Jul09

FoodCycles, a Toronto urban farm, would like to conduct interviews of home gardeners and community gardeners in Toronto.

Filed under: Community Gardening, Gardening, Toronto, Urban Agriculture, Video/Film   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: community gardeners, Community Gardens, gardeners, marketing research

City Farm Hands – FoodCycles, Toronto, ON, ft/pt [Volunteer Job]

10Jul09

Are you interested in:  City farming, gardening and growing food?  Learning the practical side of environmental and food issues?  Getting lots of exercise and fresh air?  Composting and creating good soil?  Learning skills to get you a paying job?  Are you ready to make a difference!

Filed under: Community Development, Composting, Gardening, Jobs/Careers, Local Agriculture, Soil Management, Urban Agriculture, Vegetables and Fruit, Volunteering   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: assistance, city, farming, FoodCycles, News, Urban Agriculture, volunteer

2 Vital Meetings on Toronto City Farming!

14Jun09

Joe Nasr, food security professor and an executive member of MetroAg gives us the heads up on 2 very important meetings on establishing urban agriculture in Toronto. Please forward to everyone you know who’s part of the movement (friends, family, allies, partners, interested parties)!

Filed under: Agriculture, City Fringe Agriculture, Events, Food, Food Security, Food Sovereignty, Gardening, Green Roofs, Local Agriculture, Meetings, Ontario, Policy and Law, Rooftop Agriculture, Toronto, Urban Agriculture, Urban Development   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: city farming, city hall, City of Toronto, environmental movements, Events, Food Security, Food Sovereignty, growers, Meetings, Ontario, social movements, Toronto, Toronto Urban Growers Union, TUG, urban, Urban Agriculture

Peas in the Garden, Bones in the Soil

22Apr09

Anne Raver poetically describes soil and growing peas in Maryland and Sunny discusses how soil is a unique story that can be quite ‘telling’.

Filed under: Gardening, Soil, Urban Agriculture, Vegetables and Fruit   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: fertility, Gardening, peas, planting, Soil, Soil Management