The Future of Farming

And three months later...! Time flies etc etc

I'm back again! Hope all is well with you all.. I even had a couple of comments waiting for me which was lovely.

I'm really into going to farmers markets at the moment..well the past couple of months at least (yes that's where I've been). It will probably sound a bit worthy but I find it a very satisfying activity! Actually meeting people face to face who grow, pick, rear or gather food. It's great to be able to chat with them, it's quite humbling too. It's also fun to be eating more seasonal foods, investing in local farming, and being in the fresh air even when it's pouring with rain!

Recent purchases include raspberries, apples, pears, squash, mushrooms (from a guy who sold about six different varieties!), pastured chicken and beef liver. I think I am going to have to change the blog name to real and raw, as I'm not advocating an exclusively plant based diet, or exclusively raw. But I do think those elements should be the foundation with the addition of quality sourced animal products, and carefully prepared cooked food. But we get to choose in line with our needs. For example a 100% plant based raw diet can be very cleansing for a period of time as I have found, and for others it's been a lifeline to healing. But it's not necessarily for a life time and not necessarily for everybody. I'm finding there is an art to getting the most out of a meal nutritionally, and it's a good thing too. When you learn the principles you realise you can make choices that fit your values and needs from a wide range of cuisines.

I am convinced there isn't one 'right' way of eating per se except that we all need to be getting a variety of protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins and minerals, fibre and phytonutrients basically from our foods in a way that promotes health in our body and also is enjoyable. And what this might look like on a plate will vary across the world. It will be dependent on availablity, personal biology, seasons, climate, healing processes and so on. But nevertheless would be described as real food. More later.

I've leave you with this inspiring documentary about the future of farming split into five videos on you tube. The garden farm .. amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=9975CC0E8CC2CDDE&search_query=A+Farm+for+the+Future

Happy New Year!!

Yes I know, we're practically in March and I remember to catch up with my two readers!! Only joking I think there are three!! Actually I got an email from a kind soul passing on a video about raw choc, but I think I may have scared him off when I said raw choc doesn't really float my boat so the video kinda went over my head. Never mind back to two readers!

What's been happening? Well I had a lovely long break over Christmas which was blissful. Had a break from food which sounds weird but was also blissful. Of course we need to eat but it is liberating to step out of that for a time for rest and regeneration. We're talking healthy and intentional here, not eating disorder! I've been writing content but when there is something doing with that I'll let you know. And the snow was beautiful .........

What am I eating at the moment? Fruit until late afternoon mainly bananas or Thompson grapes or green smoothie with baby spinach, mango and pears. Also sometimes munch on apples and pears. I like that these are local but don't get myself in a bind about it. A small salad late afternoon dk green leaves, beetroot and avocado for the last month, and now replaced the beetroot with celery because I felt like it. In the evening tends to be either vegetable juice and sprouted bread from the Sunnyvale range, or lightly steamed sweet potato, broccoli etc on a bed of fresh greens with whatever herbs and spices I like with a touch of coconut oil, and nutritional yeast. At the weekends I have raw oat groats which I really like either with almond milk I've made from sprouting almonds or just with water and a bit of raw honey. I don't have any negative effects and it fills me up for the whole day. Initially I ground them into a coarse flour and added liquid and now I soak the groats and then process them in the Blendtech with the liquid. But both ways suit.

This week I soaked some wheatberries and then ground the sprouted seeds in the Cuisinart, spread on a tray and made hunza style or essene flat bread in the oven. How cool. Tastes nothing like bread. Very chewy so teaches you to 'fletcherise' i.e. masticate food properly!

I found this recipe on Wed and literally went home and rescued my soaking wheatberries. First try no less! There is something incredibly pleasurable about seeing a seed sprout. I just find deep sense of gratitude welling up when I eat without having to consciously think to give thanks.
http://earthstar.newlibertyvillage.com/essenebread.htm and also found one which literally lets the dough air-dry. Hope to try that too.

Earthstar has some thought-provoking articles so worth a browse....