A couple o' blogs to check out

Justin Tilson, founder of the Railway Guerrilla Garden by Granville Island, runs a couple of blogs which are well worth checking out.

The first - thetilsons.com - is run with his wife Lisa, and is focused on their experience of urban homesteading in Vancouver. Much useful and interesting information can be found through a quick browse.

Justin's personal blog - Conscious Living in Transition Times - covers issues as wide ranging as Peak Oil, social media, and community building.

Please, go check them out.

Justin was huge in making our video Spreading Seeds (yes, shameless self promotion again) what it is, and provided us with invaluable insight into the world of urban agriculture in Vancouver.

Thanks Justin.

TED Talks: James Howard Kunstler

For those interested in urban agriculture and the issues entangled in it, this video might be of some use when thinking and talking about those issues - particularly public space.

If you'll remember from our documentary Spreading Seeds, we identified the decline of public space as being one of the fundamental issues that urban agriculture helps to mitigate.

In this insightful, passionate, and sometimes genuinely funny talk, James Howard Kunstler speaks to the "tragedy of suburbia", and the need for citizens to reclaim, and redesign public space. Kunstler insists that we need space in our cities to be proud of, space that is meaningful to human life, and space that we can and want to care for. Moreover he is arguing that change is needed across the spectrum of life, (and with regard to agriculture), "The days of the 3000 mile caesar salad are over".

>>Click here to watch The Tragedy of Suburbia

SPREADING SEEDS - The Movie

Finally available online: Spreading Seeds - our short documentary on urban agriculture in Vancouver.

What else to say?
>>WATCH IT
ENJOY
Let us know what you think!

>>Click here to watch Spreading Seeds

Growing Carrots From Seeds

Everyone attending the premiere of Spreading Seeds will receive carrot seeds to start growing.

Instructions - Growing Carrots From Seeds:

• Sow thinly 15 mm deep allowing 30 cm between rows. Keep soil moist.
• Repeat fortnightly for succession.
• Thin out to 10 cm apart and water well.
• Suitable for deep freezing but best eaten fresh!

*Special thanks to Adel at Home Depot who donated the seeds!

What You Can Do - Spread Seeds!

We are only a few hours away from the premiere of Spreading Seeds, the urban agriculture documentary we have been relentlessly working on throughout fall.
As excited as we are about presenting the fruits of our work to our fellow "communicators for social change" we believe it's important to emphasize that our ultimate goal is to get people to engage actively in the food system, to raise awareness, care and spread seeds!

Here's what you can do:

• Start growing in your backyard, on your balcony, in pots!
• Tell your friends and tell your family about growing a small amount of their food.
• Find out where your food comes from.
• Join a community garden!
  
• Ask locally grown food.
• Re-think your space, re-think the food system!

Ready? Set. Grow!

West Coast Seeds

A few days ago we posted some tips on how to get started.
Now here's a good source of help for you: West Coast Seeds!
A lot of people we've been talking to have referred to West Coast Seeds as a good place to start with if you want information and, of course, the seeds you need to start growing your own food.

The entreprise's website is well designed, providing detailed information on how to grow what where and when.
How to use this resource:

• Drop by their store: 3935 64th Street, Vancouver.
• E-mail them your questions. >> Click here
  
• Give them a call: 604-952-8820 or at 1-888-804-8820.
• Order seeds, plants, soil and tools online. >>Click here
  
• Browse through their website for more info. >> Click here
  

Happy Gardening!
www.westcoastseeds.com

SFU Local Food Project: Survey

The SFU Local Food Project invites you to participate to their survey .

The survey aims to assess the amount of local food consumed and/or grown on SFU's campus and the UniverCity development. The findings will help shape future projects and assess current successes.

It takes only 10 minutes to complete and you will have the opportunity to enter our draw to win a $50 gift certificate for the local farmers' market of your choice!

The survey closes on November 30, 2009.

>>To access the survey, click here