food

Greetings to everyone. I am the creator of a new concept business called Celtic Quest Cafe. Currently we have everything set but have run into a funding problem and I am asking for your or anyone's assistance. But before I do let me tell you a little about CQC and what it's all about.

Celtic Quest Cafe is a one of a kind cafe. We have taken the past 3 years to research and locate the most unique vendors and Eco friendly vendors that we could find. Once you enter CQC you will find that all our tables, chairs, couches and a lot of our decor are recycled items. The paint and floor staining are all made from soy based products and Eco friendly. All of our cleaning materials are made from plant based products and biodegradable. The cups, napkins, to-go sandwich containers, bags all the way down to the stir stix are 100% biodegradable and compostable within 45 days.

We encourage all of our patrons to recycle their trash before they leave the cafe. Therefore you will notice in one section of the cafe several containers to dispose of your waste before you leave. One of those "waste" containers will be for the compostable cups etc used in CQC. Those materials will then be put into our compost bins (along with any compostable waste created in the cafe like the coffee grounds) to create a rich fertile Organic soil! Which we will then donate some to the community gardens and some will be sold in the cafe per lbs.

We will be located on Kirkwood Avenue, in Downtown Bloomington. The café will be known for over 20 flavors of coffee (rotated in and out on a regular basis); Espresso based drinks, Teas, Tisanes (the largest selection of Teas and Tisanes in any coffee shop in Bloomington), Smoothies, Bubble Teas and coffee based products. In addition, light snacks, freshly made soups and sandwiches will be offered to accompany the coffee based products. There will be a small retail section of the café dedicated to imported Irish snack and gift items. Irish/Celtic music will be played for ambiance and we will provide free wireless Internet access for patrons to attract locals, professionals and students in the nearby areas and across Bloomington. The mission of the Cafe is to provide high quality products and service in a warm, unique and inviting environment. All while being the only environmentally friendly Irish café in Bloomington.

Several times a month we will invite local Irish musicians to come and showcase their talent for all to enjoy. We also plan to invite Environmental speakers and Leaders to come and help educate everyone on what they can do to help improve their own little section of planet Earth.

Now back to our issue with funding. Celtic Quest Cafe needs YOUR help! I was asked recently by several people if they could donate money to help during CQC's funding crunch. Well good news to everyone!! I've teamed up with PayPal so that anyone can make a donation to help
make CQC become the fantastic Eco Irish cafe that we all know, love and want to
open!! Thank you all so much!! BTW you don't need to live here to donate. Donations
are accepted from anyone and everyone!! Please visit our website to learn more about the donation process! http://www.celticquestcafe.com

Last night I went to see Food, Inc. In my opinion the movie did not have much new to say about Big Agribusiness but it was well worth seeing, to see how many key people in government that have determination over our national food policy have previous relationships with companies like Monsanto, as well as reaffirm the fragility consumers have over their food choices.

The panel discussion that followed the movie included friends Lisa Taranto of Tricycle Gardens and Lisa Dearden of The Center For Rural Culture and The Goochland's Farmer's Market. The audience participation was lively- I particularly liked a cardiologist who said, "Everyone complains about the high cost of eating better, but don't understand that the medicine to treat the ailments caused by poor health and not eating well are more expensive. We all need to understand that we, individuals, need to be responsible for our own health."

One question asked repeatedly was "How can we make good food affordable for those that need it most and can't afford it?"

We rely on the grocers, the farmers. We can vote with our purchase dollars, telling these businesses that we, as consumers, want humanely raised, pastured meat, and fresh, local vegetables. But what was not discussed was that not only should you take responsibility for your own personal health (eat well, work out, to prevent sickness and disease), but that each person should have the RIGHT to responsibly grow their own backyard (and front yard) veggies, that each person should have the RIGHT to responsibly have a few laying hens and mini-goats for (here's where I reel it back to economics) AFFORDABLE fresh eggs and milk for their family.

Have you seen the statistics on childhood diabetes and obesity lately?!?

Address affordability, health, passing on a sense of connection to animals and land to our children while providing them exercise: If you have a back yard:

Get some chickens! : ) 

I promise you, your children will chase and play with those chickens allllllllllllll day long, while teaching them about animals and where their food comes from.

For those (including zoning) that feel chickens are messy and smelly, I offer up an urban coop for your inspection.

Chickens naturally want to be in the brush, scratching for grubs while being protected from predators. So in your average residential back yard, they will be eating the japanese beetles from underneath your rose bushes, hiding in the acuba, pecking through your ivy. Therefore, their "mess" remains in areas that are not trafficked by the rest of the family.

...If only the dogs behaved so!

Unfortunately, many counties and cities have forbidden responsible urban farming. Did you know that a pair of mini-goats, each about 50 pounds, can provide your family with a gallon of fresh milk a day? Both of my dogs are larger than that. My local zoning says I have have three dogs - so I could have three 200 pound mastiffs - yet won't allow a few laying hens in the same back yard?

This is where we, as consumers, need to not only buy locally, eat well, but tell our local government that it should be everyone's right to be sustainable, to have, if they choose, those affordable, healthy options for their family.

P.s. If you like, join our FaceBook urban chicken group, CHICKUNZ, and if you're local, sign the petition for urban chicken in Henrico!

Among all the great building projects you have to choose from this summer, one of them you may want to consider is a tunnel greenhouse. There are low tunnels, that are close to the ground, and High Tunnels, that you can walk around inside.

Building a tunnel greenhouse is a great idea because you can generally keep your veggies and plants growing all through the year. High Tunnels, also called Hoophouses, can be very large, as they were designed to increase the growing season for farmers -- see www.hightunnels.org. But the tunnel design is very popular with all levels of growers. This is because it heats up very fast, and has less interior air to heat 'compared to any other shape.

There is no roof to build and less cover is needed for each square foot of growing space. The wind is deflected over it, and the sun will continually, 'directly strike' the green house. This gives it 'maximum heat and light'- see www.northerngreenhouse.com.

Tunnel design raises the temperature a few degrees each day over the period of several weeks. The design is also said to 'insome instances control insects, diseases, and predators such as varmints and birds (www.plasticulture.cas.psu.edu/H-tunnels.html). WWW.TWOWEST.CO.UK has the 'Opaque Tunnel Greenhouse available, it looks well-suited for a home owner. One of our favorite websites is www.frugal-living-freedom.com/greenhouse-kits.html, which features a detailed explanation of how to put together a high tunnel greenhouse.

I got so sick of my weeds I ate them.

http://www.greenmodernkits.com/2008/05/garden-revenge.html

(Forgive the picture of me in my jammies with yesterday's makeup falling off my face, but I still like it anyway because it shows how large the burdock grows!)

From mkd's newsletter:

Time to break out those gumdrops and some icing glue because ‘tis the season for gingerbread houses! This year, however, why not put a green twist on this great holiday tradition? We’ve created a recipe for creating your very own gingerbread Lotus or, as we like to call it, gingerLotus. Aside from being a fun and delicious holiday activity, we think this project is an excellent way to start acquainting children with the ideas of sustainability and green living. It’s never too early to begin teaching your kids to be concerned for our environment and training them how to respect and protect it through everyday actions. This time of year is such a fun and exciting one for children; what better way to engage them in greening then by integrating it into your family’s holiday traditions. We hope you’ll find the results yummy in every way!

I received this from a friend and it originated at Andropogon Associates, a landscape architecture firm in Philly. It is only a concept house for now but could have huge implications if embraced by bakers in scale.

Water Harvesting: Roof leaders and cisterns are employed to collect and store water for non-potable water needs such as frosting and gingerbread hydration

Reduced Resource Consumption and Waste: Locally made gummy trees and shrubs reduce negative environmental impacts caused by shipping

Sustainable Materials: Baked in hybrid solar oven, all gingerbread is made of organic ingredients. Contains no artificial flavorings, preservatives, or hydrogenated oils

Recycled Materials: Walkway paved with salvaged frosting from roof

Stormwater Management: A bioretention pond collects excess water and recycles wastewater by filtering out all artificial flavorings, preservatives, and transfats

This is simple to make. Made from two cardboard boxes (or even timber), some clear plastic wrap, and a little tape and you can build an inexpensive solar dehydrator. A functional food preservation machine that can be created for little work and little money. For full details on this great concept, go to http://ecobites.com/diy/diy-solar-food-dehydrator.html