Author Archives: Virtual Farmgirl

My cousin actually “found” this band and I haven’t been formally introduced. But I like what I see so far on YouTube and Facebook. I love that they chronicle their road tours via social media. And according to an interview on the Steve Levy Show, their van has more than 190,000 miles on it. Wow.Continue reading “Local Music Find: Josh & The Empty Pockets”

Not much of a locavore weekend here in the flood zone, with two delicious exceptions. For lunch with my cousin and aunts, then at a small dinner party tonight, we set out XX Hot Heirloom Salsa from River Valley Kitchens. The recipe, according to the label, is from Rick Bayless. I almost didn’t break theContinue reading “Local Finds: Super Salsa and Tangy 2-Year Cheddar”

I’ve often wondered if folks think that “organic” means safer. These days I’m not sure it means that it tastes better, is healthier or even is better for the environment. Why? Because organic is a label that’s become so diluted and complicated, it’s untrustworthy. I hear locavores talk about how you’re better off if youContinue reading “Organic. Is it Worth it?”

I’m very excited about a new website that I’ve been getting more and more familiar with over the last few days: The Local Beet. The site is chock full of information, well-written blogs (one by Vital Information’s Rob Gardner), features and forums, all focused on “a practical approach to local eating.” There’s also a niceContinue reading “Exploring The Local Beet”

The keeper of Chicago Locavores, Nina Interlandi Bell, delivered some sad news to my inbox today. She’s had it with all the blood, sweat and tears that she poured into growing this free resource for those looking for ways to take advantage of local produce, CSAs and restaurants that support sustainable food systems. I don’tContinue reading “RIP: Chicago Locavores”

Our sisters north of the border are providing some good examples of farm ingenuity. Take Ruth Klahsen, who’s making a go out of what may be Canada’s first cheese CSA. According to The Locavore, aka Sarah Elton of the CBC’s Here & Now, Klahsen chose the CSA route after the lease ran out on herContinue reading “First Ever Cheese CSA Up North? Any in the States?”

My new favorite celebrity Farmgirl is Neko Case, an alternative rock/country singer/songwriter who has a 100-acre farm in Vermont. She seems like she’s been a shrewd businesswoman (with a home in Arizona too) and remains fairly grounded in reality. She also still has ties to the indie rock group The New Pornographers. I heard herContinue reading “Neko Case is Growing More than Music on Her Vermont Farm”

The time is now to join a CSA. If you procrastinate, you may miss out and have to wait until the next growing cycle to buy a share. I’m sure that’s why this Denmark operation, Aarstiderne, is getting attention these days from places like the Huffington Post and American Farmland Trust. The company delivers weeklyContinue reading “World's Largest CSA Gives Up Some 'High-Church Ethics' to Make 50K Weekly Deliveries”

Nice story in the Portland Oregonian about an eco-conscious cook who is on a mission to prove that eating healthy and organic doesn’t have to break the family bank. Chris Musser tells the paper that she spends $530 a month to feed her family of four a diet of grass-fed meats, organic veggies and legumes.Continue reading “New Biz Teaches Families How to Eat Organic on a Budget”

Thanks to Vital Information for directing me to former lawyer Melissa Graham‘s blog, Having Company. I was especially taken with Graham’s latest, information-packed post on zero-waste practices and why Illinois is so far behind the curve when it comes to composting. She explains how dated concepts and bureaucratic red tape make getting composting permits nextContinue reading “Will Illinoisans Take Their Chance to Make Zero Waste a Reality?”