Rekindled

In Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser explores the influence that the US fast food industry has had on the world. We all know that the rise of fast food has led to high levels of obesity, but the growth of the industry has also led to changes in agriculture, employment, politics, culture and more. Throughout the book, Schlosser shows that the real cost of fast food is not reflected in the price on the menu.

What I found most shocking was the way in which low wage, unskilled employees are treated, both in the restaurants and in the meatpacking industry. Meatpacking used to be highly skilled and highly paid work. It is now the most dangerous job in the United States. The workers seem to be regarded as virtually disposable. Their welfare doesn’t even register on the list of priorities for meatpacking firms – they are slaves to the speed of the factory lines. And the speed of those lines is not dictated by concerns for safety, but by profitability.

I was also amazed by the huge influence that major fast food chains have had on the political system.  They have a hypocritical obsession with the ‘free market’, opposing reforms in worker safety, food safety and minimum wage laws, whilst benefiting from enormous government subsidies.  It seems that it is all too easy for a large corporation to ‘buy’ politicians, so that they no longer truly represent the people who elected them.  In addition they have engaged in anti-competitive practices such as price fixing, wiping out numerous small businesses – doesn’t really sound much like a free market to me.

Fast food has also led to the rise of massive multinational agricultural corporations.  This has affected farming, with many small family farms being absorbed into these large firms, and farmers losing their independence, becoming wage slaves or even being forced off the land altogether.  The way that farmers are treated made me think of the Middle Ages, when the peasants who worked the land were virtually slaves to the landowners.

This is a must-read book.  It is both fascinating and shocking.  It has changed the way I think about fast food, and I will definitely think twice before buying another fast food meal.  But it also ends on a positive note, showing that fast food firms are capable of responding to consumer concerns and changing their ways.  An example of this is the removal of polystyrene packaging in the US and UK.  The people who run the industry, who make decisions, are not bad people, they’re just business people.  If enough people demand free range, organic food, they will provide it.

2009 has been a mixed bag for me in terms of gardening, but I think I have made a lot of progress. There have been several failures and one or two disasters, but lots of lessons learned, and handful of big successes.  To be honest I have enjoyed myself either way.  There is something about being out in the sunshine with your hands in the soil that you just can’t beat!

For me, the biggest success is that my garden looks much tidier and is much easier to work with than it was at the beginning of the year. I drafted in my husband to help and together we cleared all the existing beds and dug up a new one.  I am finally free from planting in pots!  I also pulled up some of the patio so now we even more space for growing vegetables. My first batch of homemade compost was ready and I have been spreading it over the beds (I am letting the weather and the worms do the hard work!) so hopefully the soil is gradually improving. I also installed a waterbutt and a second compost bin.

There were a few other highlights worth mentioning. The most surprising (I jumped out of my skin!) was finding a toad hiding in my potato planters!  We have no idea where he came from, but he hung around for a couple of days and then disappeared again.  In August, I was given an apple tree for my birthday, complete with 2 apples growing on it, which has now been planted in its new home. I also had fantastic crops of tomatoes, garlic and potatoes. I had grown tomatoes and potatoes last year, but it was my first time growing garlic this year and I was surprised how easy it was.

I have been busy experimenting as well. I got a mini-growhouse so I could start sowing seeds earlier in the year, which was fantastic. What was not so fantastic was when it blew over on a windy day and all the seedlings were scattered across the garden, so now I have a large bucket of stones on the bottom shelf acting as an anchor. Also after about mid-May it started to get too hot, and many seedlings just shrivelled up and died, so next year I will remember to take the cover off once the weather gets warmer. I also tried using lemonade bottles (with the bottoms cut off) as mini-cloches for seedlings that I had planted out. This helped to protect them from the weather as well as my cats and the army of slugs that live in my garden, and worked really well. I also found that loo rolls, cut in half across the middle, make great seedling pots.

There were also quite a lot of plants that completely failed. I won’t list them all (it’s a looong list!) but the main reasons were: being blown over in the mini-growhouse; being eaten by slugs; being dug up by my cats; and getting too hot in the mini-growhouse. I have dealt with 1 and 4 from the list now, and for number 2 I have found Slug Stop (white, non-toxic granules) works really well. Apart from the lemonade bottle cloches, I haven’t yet come up with a plan to protect plants from the cats, so this will be an aim for next year.

And finally, as I try and decide what seeds to order for this season, this is what I am planning/looking forward to (among other things) in 2010:

• My first rhubarb harvest – planted this year, so a long wait!
• Trying different varieties of tomatoes, especially plum and cherry varieties.
• Apples from my apple tree.
• Working out how to stop my cats digging everything up!
• Being self-sufficient in garlic, having planted some of the bulbs from this summer’s harvest.

I’m afraid to say, summer is well and truly gone.  My tomato plants have given up the ghost and the strawberries and peppers are soon to join the compost pile.  Does this mean that I am turning my back on the garden for the winter?  No way!  This year I am going to try and grow some form of edible plant all year round.

So what can you grow when it gets cold and rainy?  If in doubt head down to your local garden centre and see what vegetable seedlings they have for sale.  If they are selling it now, it is safe to assume that you can plant it now!  This is fantastic if you are a bit disorganised like me and didn’t think to start planting these seeds in the summer.  These are some of the types of seedlings you are likely to find at the moment:

• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Kale and chard (a bit like spinach)
• Leeks
• Winter salad

I have planted some purple sprouting broccoli which I will leave over the winter and harvest in the spring, and while the plants are still tiny I have interplanted with spinach which can be harvested in as little as 4 – 8 weeks.  I am also going to plant some of the garlic that I grew last year which is currently hanging in the shed, but that probably won’t go in the ground until November at the earliest.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Autumn is also a great time to start preparing for next year.  The easiest way to do this is by applying a mulch like compost or well-rotted manure – just spread a nice thick layer over the soil and let the worms and the rain do their thing.  You can put mulch around trees and perennial plants, or just put it all over any empty beds you’ve been using for annual plants.  I’m using my first batch of homemade compost this year – it looks compost-y so I think it’s ready to use!  You will also need to keep on top of the weeds unless you want to be faced with a jungle next spring.

So don’t despair, autumn’s arrival does not mean months of wistfully staring out of the window at an empty garden!  There is still plenty to keep you busy.

Growing your own veg is undoubtedly better, for you and the planet, than buying them from the supermarket.  However, the way you grow your vegetables also has its own effect on the environment.  The obvious issue is whether to use chemicals (including fertilizers, weedkillers and pesticides) or whether to go organic.  But beyond that, there are still ways you can reduce any negative impact from your vegetable plot.  These sustainable and thrifty tips will help you save money and reduce waste.

Plant Pots

We all know that we should try to avoid using plastic bags – but what about plastic pots?  Plastic plant pots are actually very difficult to recycle because of the variety of different types of plastic that they are made from, not to mention the number of different colours that are available.  This is where the three R’s come into play.  Firstly, instead of trying to recycle pots, simply reuse them, as many times as you can.  Plastic is quite tough and long-lasting, which is one of the reasons why it is such a problem when it ends up in landfill, but when it comes to reusing, this makes it ideal.

You can also reduce the number of plastic pots you use by buying biodegradable pots like these fibre pots, or even making your own.  For example, this year I am using loo roll tubes as seedling pots.  They are an ideal size, you can write what you have planted straight onto the pot (instead of using plastic labels) and you can just plant them straight into the ground, as the cardboard will rot away, which will minimise root disturbance for the plant.  Plus, you will already have a free supply of them, and if you need lots you can always ask your friends to save theirs for you.  It’s a win-win situation for you and your plants!  Just make sure you press the compost in well so that it doesn’t all fall out the bottom when you pick it up!  Alternatively, you can use a loo roll tube and some newspaper to make your own Newspaper Plant Pots, which do have a bottom.

In addition you can also reuse any type of tray packaging as seed trays.  In the picture shows I have used a tray from a ready meal and the lid from a punnet of fruit.

Composting

If you are growing anything in your garden, you will need compost at some point, either to fill containers and raised beds, or to use as a soil improver.  Making your own compost is a great way of turning your garden and food waste into a valuable resource.  It also requires minimal effort and it all happens a bit like magic!  I chuck all my fruit, veg and garden waste into my compost bin, along with crushed eggshells, teabags and a bit of shredded paper (take that identity thieves!).  I have a two bin system (pictured) which I have just set up.  I have one bin to fill up and one bin to use up.  Once the second bin is empty, I will empty the contents of the first bin into it, as a way of turning the compost.  The only downside is that it does take a long time to get anything useable, but if you can be patient it is well worth it.

Tibits restaurant celebrate National Vegetarian Week with body painting!

Ok, so I’ll start with a confession: I am not a vegetarian. However, I do like to dabble in a bit of veggie cooking now and then, and I am taking babysteps to reduce the amount of meat I eat. My reasons? It is greener, healthier and cheaper. This week is National Vegetarian Week (18 – 25 May 2009), so it is an ideal time to find out more and experiment with some new recipes.

Most people’s understanding of vegetarianism is that it means not eating any meat or fish, but the term ‘vegetarian’ is not one size fits all. There are actually several different types of vegetarians, from fruitarians (the strictest) to partial vegetarians (the most tolerant). So you can find a set of guidelines to suit you, or make up some new ones and suit yourself!

Greener

If you’ve ever driven past a field of cows then you’ll know that livestock produce methane. But did you know that methane is a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide? In addition, producing meat uses up far more water than producing vegetables or grains. Meat production also needs a lot of land, making it one of the leading causes of deforestation.

Healthier

A well planned vegetarian diet can actually be healthier for you. Studies have shown that vegetarians have a lower risk of a whole range of diseases including obesity, heart disease, type II diabetes, some types of cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, gall stones and constipation. Note: this does not apply if you live on chips and chocolate!

Cheaper

Because of the amount of water and land needed for meat production, as well as various other costs, switching to a meat free or reduced meat diet can actually save you money. One Australian experiment found that it was around 20% cheaper to go completely meat free.

So, to celebrate National Vegetarian Week, why not try a new vegetarian recipe? Feeling ambitious? You could even try a whole day meat free. There are lots of recipes and meal ideas on the Vegetarian Society website, like this selection of Meat Free Made Easy dishes, so get stuck in!

For more info: Vegetarian Society