 Friday, December 26, 2008 by Jeremy Dore (0 comments)
Talk to anyone well versed in the issues of climate change or peak oil and conversation will inevitably turn to the need to source things more locally. The fact that supermarkets grow fresh salad ingredients in Africa, using valuable water and then fly them in to European markets is crazy from an ecological perspective. Most people can see the problems with air-freighted food but what if we were to take it several steps further and only eat what can be produced in our locality? Yes, that’s right – depend on the land around us as people did in past centuries, rather than a global food market. It may seem a bit extreme in the modern world but that is exactly what Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon set out to do in Canada in 2005. Read more...
Categories: local food supermarket market |
Friday, December 19, 2008 by Jeremy Dore (3 comments)
There was a time in my life when green vegetables conjured up images of a bit of soggy boiled cabbage on the side of the plate. No surprise then that such vegetables were never high on my list of favourite foods. But things have moved on and green vegetables now rank amongst my favourite foods. Why the change? Last week I wrote about how green vegetables such as kale are great sources of nutrients to boost the immune system. If that weren’t motivation enough, I now think they taste fantastic. However, for that fantastic taste, you have to prepare and cook them carefully, so I thought I would pass on some great ways to eat your greens.. Read more...
Categories: cook vegetables broccoli kale cabbage spinach chard |
Friday, December 12, 2008 by Jeremy Dore (3 comments)
A few weeks ago I completed a food diary of everything I ate and drank for a week. This was for the EPIC study: a long-term research project being undertaken across Europe to look at the prevelance of cancer and its relation to diet. I found that there’s nothing like writing everything down to make you acutely aware of just how much you snack during the day and for me one thing stood out: chocolate! So when my family succumbed to a bout of flu last week I decided it was time to clean up my act and try to boost my immunity. But just what changes would be necessary? Read more...
Categories: Immunity health vegetables fruit |
Friday, December 05, 2008 by Jeremy Dore (7 comments)
It has always amazed me how garden centres transform themselves at Christmas. For most of the year they are the model of practicality – full of useful tools, seeds and compost to help turn your scruffy garden into a paradise of vegetation – with perhaps a few gifts at the side. Then at Christmas it’s as if they have to let their hair down for one month of the year. Vast areas of seeds and tools are cleared away to be taken over by singing gnomes, dancing Santas and all manner of Christmas gifts. Is it just me or are they missing a great opportunity for friends and family to buy something a gardener will really treasure through the year? With this in mind I thought I would prepare a list of some of the best presents to buy a grow-your-own enthusiast for Christmas... Read more...
Categories: gardening gift Christmas |
Friday, November 28, 2008 by Jeremy Dore (7 comments)
Unlike the stereotypical image of men, I actually enjoy shopping. Spending time choosing a gift for someone or wandering round shops is quite a creative process for me. So when my brother said he would like an apple tree for his birthday this week I was happy to oblige. Apple trees are actually quite complex things to choose successfully – as well as the hundreds of varieties you also have to take into account many other variables relating to the eventual size and position of the tree. So what are the most important factors to consider? Read more...
Categories: apple tree variety rootstock |
Friday, November 21, 2008 by Jeremy Dore (0 comments)
Did you know that it is illegal to sell curvy cucumbers in Europe? The European Union has long been accused of pedantic bureaucracy when it comes to farming and even the sale of fruit and vegetables has been restricted by regulations specifying the exact ranges of size, shape and skin blemishes that are acceptable for sale. However, last week all that changed with 26 out of 36 types of fruit and vegetables to have regulations repealed from July.Read more...
Categories: Vegetable regulation europe |
Friday, November 14, 2008 by Jeremy Dore (0 comments)
Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, has been raving about the benefits of growing food. As if this wasn’t news enough, it’s all to do with that most international of events, the Olympics, which are due to come to London in 2012. Not content to just put up a good stadium, the mayor and his team have set Londoners the target of finding 2012 new ‘growing spaces’ in the capital city by the 2012 Olympics. They even hope to feed some to the athletes. So what’s the motivation behind this surprising announcement? Read more...
Categories: Gardening allotments London Olympics |
Friday, November 07, 2008 by Jeremy Dore (8 comments)
GrowVeg.com has just turned one year old. During the first year we have made some significant improvements, listened to our customers requests for features they’d like to see and been working away in the background to make it the best website on the Internet for kitchen gardeners. So, how did it all begin and where are we headed? Read more...
Categories: Gardening, planning, GrowVeg.com |
Friday, October 31, 2008 by Jeremy Dore (6 comments)
Few gardeners have the growing space or time to be completely self-sufficient in food. Inevitably we need to source varying quantities of fruit and vegetables from elsewhere. In times gone by that would mean the local grocery shop or farm market. But in these days of convenience shopping it more often means the supermarket chain with a large store close by. However, there are alternatives and organic vegetable box schemes are one of the best ways to cut food miles, source food ethically and get good organic produce. Read more...
Categories: Vegetables Suppliers Box Organic |
Friday, October 24, 2008 by Jeremy Dore (5 comments)
Shredders are one piece of garden equipment that people either can’t see the point of or wouldn’t be without. Now that many localities have ‘green waste’ recycling a lot of gardeners are happy to part with their assortment of woody clippings from bushes and trees, leaving just the green stuff for the compost heap. However, for those who want to generate high quality compost a shredder can be important. But are they worth the effort? Read more...
Categories: shredder composting |