tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85273918711939989402024-02-07T21:22:56.249-05:00The Concordia Food Systems ProjectYum Yum YumCameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214529638728001862noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527391871193998940.post-60092492064374982162010-11-22T22:15:00.003-05:002011-07-14T10:55:33.456-04:00Ban Bags Made Of Plastic<object height="300" width="555"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/koETnR0NgLY?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/koETnR0NgLY?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="640"></embed></object><br /><br />'Nuff saidCameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214529638728001862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527391871193998940.post-3365392174236026162010-11-04T17:23:00.000-04:002010-11-04T17:23:52.718-04:00RealiTEA UpdateThe garden is nearly put to bed, with a great first season despite the setbacks and challenges we encountered along the way (late planting, loss of some seedlings due to missed watering, a tree falling on half the garden...)<br />
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We produced a cool couple wheelbarrows worth of daikon radish, and a decent quantity of tea is now drying in the almost-completed tea racks in the Hive Cafe (shout outs to Jessica for the design and the fall FSG interns for the construction!)<br />
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We had many enjoyable and well attended workshops through the summer and have gotten the campus thinking about what's possible other than... grass. <br />
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Lennard made this short film about the project in September for the Sustainable Food Festival - enjoy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxq_gHecaE3NLIsqV2RIXoTcw_LzPm1F-qmLJcUe6Q7Mw-WFMCBo-5txFHAdfZ5MbwEbdCJXfnm2u5TDv98mw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214529638728001862noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527391871193998940.post-25458678736719094862010-10-31T17:22:00.000-04:002010-10-31T17:22:28.685-04:00It's Big<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/3732164.bin" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/3732164.bin" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leah Chandler, Fall FSG Intern, loads the daikon harvest into a wheelbarrow for transport while other interns look on. Photo: John Kenney for the Gazette</td></tr>
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We made the papers last week, part of a feature article in the Montreal Gazette exploring food security movements on Montreal campuses (McGill, University of Montreal, UQAM, and us).<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/cause+campus/3732163/story.html">http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/cause+campus/3732163/story.html</a>Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214529638728001862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527391871193998940.post-65396701741176663692010-10-13T11:45:00.001-04:002010-10-31T17:29:45.173-04:00Upcoming Events - Part of ASFA/CSU Green Week @ Concordia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmeN_7O3bFSij24TiamhFftrNFGV20MgsUDAB8HIwqJfr4Ph8iG1lwwgQlo08UqFfsyR9H4HIiOWbpzcKt8ZDiNzGUq3Ue88xV7ogV9OavKynWCynKR4kiwxDyjcrwU6lsV49AsPliGo/s200/Vietnamese-Pickled-Carrots1-445x300.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished Product - Yum!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>1) PICK 'N' PICKLE! MONDAY OCTOBER 18TH, 3PM, LOYOLA CAMPUS</b><br />
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Come learn how to harvest and preserve daikon radish, a companion crop planted in the RealiTEA garden out at our lovely Loyola campus. <br />
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We'll meet at 3pm at the RealiTEA garden behind Hingston Hall (walk to the back of the campus, near the smaller soccer field behind the Science Complex, and you'll find the Solar House and the Garden). We'll harvest our daikon radish and then head over to the Hive Cafe to undertake the preparation and pickling of the radishes! <br />
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The workshop will run till about 4:30 and everyone will get to take home a jar for eating throughout the year. A PWYC ($5 suggested) donation is requested though no one will be turned away. Money will cover the costs of the workshop (jars, equipment, etc) and anything leftover will go towards the <a href="http://concordiafoodsystem.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Concordia Food Systems Project. </a><br />
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<u>Space is limited so please RSVP to <a href="mailto:concordiafoodsystemsproject@gmail.com" target="_blank">concordiafoodsystemsproject@gmail.com</a> to reserve your spot!</u><br />
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<b><i></i></b><a href="http://concordiafoodsystem.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8H6kiTD83e8a7UIXmkY-iYAysG7cMQSMx7igZO7Gezdz2eWP6mEULisCpc50DBI_bvvqq9yFfl5llSeoJyK15Ij4BWNtwdYh5JBqYHN0J22oVHPa3X7l_E4Kr9aQyZvqN1tRBRkaj3cg/s1600/PFPP+Unite%21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8H6kiTD83e8a7UIXmkY-iYAysG7cMQSMx7igZO7Gezdz2eWP6mEULisCpc50DBI_bvvqq9yFfl5llSeoJyK15Ij4BWNtwdYh5JBqYHN0J22oVHPa3X7l_E4Kr9aQyZvqN1tRBRkaj3cg/s320/PFPP+Unite%21.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>2) ROUND-TABLE DISCUSSION ON FOOD POLITICS: YOUR OWN AND THE COUNTRY'S - Thursday, October 21st, 2:30-4:30pm, CSU Lounge (Hall Bldg 7th floor)</b><br />
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<b><i>Presented by students in ANTH 398 (Political Sociology of Food) in Partnership with the <a href="http://www.peoplesfoodpolicy.ca/" target="_blank">People's Food Policy Project</a> and the Concordia Food Systems Project</i><br />
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What we collectively eat - our food culture - has a huge impact on what is farmed, made and sold in our country and around the world. At the same time, government policies, laws, programs and subsidies dictate life for farmers and consumers and shape the business landscape against which food is grown, altered, and eaten. Join us for a discussion about your own food policies and insight into the provincial and national frameworks that impact what ends up on our plates. Facilitated by Cameron Stiff, Co-Coordinator of the <a href="http://concordiafoodsystem.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Concordia Food Systems Project</a><b> </b>Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214529638728001862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527391871193998940.post-19289602542588278362010-09-14T23:13:00.001-04:002010-10-31T17:29:18.704-04:00Add some poison, makes it last longer / pour thicker / taste goodIt's the night before the Food Festival, and me and Morgan Pudwell, the VP Sustainability for the CSU, have just finished putting together our additives series. We've covered a decent amount of ground:<br />
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<ul><li>Carageenan</li>
<li>Aspartame</li>
<li>MSG</li>
<li>Soya Lecithin</li>
<li>Maltodextrin</li>
<li>Xanthan Gum</li>
<li>Artificial Flavour</li>
<li>Natural Flavour</li>
<li>High Fructose Corn Syrup</li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></span>I've learned a lot doing this - because distilling the information down to the basics has required a fairamount of sifting, reading, filtering... There's a lot out there. On top of the wikipedia entries, the health food sites, the doctors' sites, the academic papers and the blogs, there's the industry groups and companies manufacturing the stuff.<br />
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</div><div>The ultimate conclusion? Additives are everywhere, and they are pretty much all killing us and making us sick in one way or another. in addition to polluting the environment. I like to think I live a pretty additive free life, comparatively, but I imagine I'm still pulling the stuff in through eating out and the foods I'm not quite ready to give up - Haagen Daaz ice cream, for example.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I found a great blog providing a good overview of some of the above and a bunch more, <a href="http://fuelasrx.blogspot.com/2010/06/not-so-natural-flavors.html">here</a>. It's pretty depressing, I gotta say - how we let it come to this. Some of the stuff I read linked additives to psychotic behaviour, depression, anxiety... It's got me thinking about talking to a friend who is a psychologist at a local hospital about patient diets. I know when my dad was in hospital with colon cancer in 2005 the food was disgusting and the 'nutritionist' advocated white bread and boiled vegetables and had no issue with jello. Sigh. </div><div><a href="webkit-fake-url://8B5B73BD-5A33-4C43-8D57-636541AF7DAC/additives.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="additives.jpg" border="0" height="400" src="webkit-fake-url://8B5B73BD-5A33-4C43-8D57-636541AF7DAC/additives.jpg" width="276" /></a></div><div>Time are hopefully changing...</div>Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214529638728001862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527391871193998940.post-88228827397474041582010-08-17T02:16:00.003-04:002010-10-31T17:28:54.967-04:00What is Hunger?I got a link to this new campaign, <a href="http://www.1billionhungry.org/yunga/">One Billion Hungry</a>. Their goal is to get a billion people to sign a petition against hunger, to "put pressure on politicians to end hunger." I wish it said "put pressure on politicians to radically change the organizing principles of society" or "put pressure on politicians to redistribute my wealth and place limits on what I am allowed to access by recognizing the inequity the so-called free market perpetuates." Just something a bit more nuanced, a bit more realistic, then "make the people in charge stop the problem and eliminate me from the equation."<br />
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Reading through the site, I am struck by their argument on why hunger exists.<br />
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<i>"Lack of food is not the problem. Enough food is produced in the world today for everyone to be properly nourished and lead a healthy and productive life. <a href="http://www.google.it/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=why+is+there+hunger+in+the+world%3F&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&cad=h" target="_blank"> Hunger exists</a> because of poverty. It exists because natural disasters, like earthquakes, floods and droughts, sometimes occur in places where poor people have little or no means to rebuild once the damage is done. It exists because in many countries women, although they do much of the farming, do not have as much access as men to training, credit or land. Hunger exists because of conflict, which takes away any chance people have to earn a decent living and feed their families. It exists because poor people don’t have access to land or solid agricultural infrastructure to produce viable crops or keep livestock, or to steady work that would otherwise allow them access to food. It exists because people sometimes use natural resources in ways that are not sustainable. It exists because there is not enough investment in the rural sector in many countries to support agricultural development. Hunger exists because financial and economic crises affect the poor most of all by reducing or eliminating the sources of income they depend on to survive."</i><br />
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I feel like they aren't quite telling the truth, like they are glossing it over a bit. I agree with a lot of the statements - yes, hunger is perpetuated by natural disasters, lack of infrastructure, gender inequality, conflict, knowledge, resources, land... but the end gets a little weak. People "sometimes" use natural resources in ways that are not sustainable? Last time I checked there was a global ecological crisis being inflicted through wanton consumption by the haves. The 'not enough investment' argument doesn't ring true, either. As far as I know, there's been quite a lot of 'investment' into the rural sector in developing countries in the past 40 years, but it's been principally targeted towards the development of large export markets that destabilize local communities, destroy local customs, and thwart local knowledge. And arguing that financial and economic crises are a cause and not merely an aggravator of pre-existing conditions doesn't work for me either. They are depending on cash crops because their local sustainable food system has been systematically weakened, egged on by the myth of progress and the belief that life is better in the consumption-driven world. Laura Beach and I were discussing a similar issue earlier: the Olympics. On the one hand, the Olympics are an inspiring demonstration of the capacity of the human spirit to overcome obstacles and achieve personal triumph. On the other hand, the Olympics have become a vomit-inducing cash-grab orchestrated by the world's largest governments and corporations. The two facets are so tightly interwoven that it is a challenge to isolate the one from the other, and give the whole institution any merit. Same goes with Western society: yes, we enjoy incredible comfort and almost unlimited options. But we are no happier and there is vast inequality, an aching absence of community, and little genuine security, especially when our lifestyles are speeding us all towards global ecological catastrophe. From the outside, how easy is it to understand that?<br />
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It seems to me the source of sustainability and the elimination of hunger and poverty lies first and foremost in the cultivation of resilient communities. By pooling resources and creating networks of support and exchange people can do far more than on their own. People must first begin to understand that they have more power than they think. The illusion of powerlessness is the most debilitating and depressing experience of all. Once communities begin to band together and set common goals, such as the production of food, shelter and education, people can begin to flourish and withstand the pressures that come down on them. I think this awareness is beginning to spread around the world, especially in disadvantaged places, such as Detroit, where a <a href="http://www.detroitagriculture.org/GRP_Website/Home.html">vibrant urban agriculture movement</a> is beginning to take root and take off. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_sovereignty">principles of food sovereignty</a> to me, seem like a more complete basis for ending the threat of not having enough food just to live.<br />
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Can a petition ever achieve the end of systemic poverty and the resulting hunger? Perhaps if all the petitioners had the chance to gather in a common place and time, it might, or perhaps if that list of petitioners was used as support for a concentrated, strategic campaign, such as what <a href="http://avaaz.org/">Avaaz</a> does when they target a specific issue with a specific goal at a specific time and place. But I just don't think tapping your email into a database is really going to change things. Still, it's nice to know that at least 388,541 individuals have the desire in their hearts to see all people clothed and fed. I don't buy into the self-centered, cynical view of people that seems to be perpetuated by those self-same corporations and politicians who profit off the privatization of the commons. Robyn sent me a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7AWnfFRc7g&feature=channel">wonderful RSAnimate</a> on Saturday that made that point quite eloquently - that we are in fact driven by empathy, by compassion. Now if we just get a holistic, grounded understanding of the global social and economic systems that govern our civilization... Now that is something I'd like to listen to Jeremy Irons go on about, and not from the inside of a petroleum-powered taxi cab or limousine. Perhaps from the seat of a bicycle?<br />
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A final note: I couldn't find info on who was behind the project, so I click on the contact link. It is based in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN. I don't know a lot about this group but I do know that peasants movements such as Via Campesina have arisen in resistance to policies the organization was pushing. Anyone with any more information, please step up and ladle us some wisdom.Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214529638728001862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527391871193998940.post-89521380011026459942010-08-10T00:31:00.004-04:002010-08-17T02:16:43.170-04:00It's a Sad State of Affairs......when you have to divide up your shopping list into foods more or less likely to kill you. But that's essentially the jist of the 'Dirty Dozen' list proposed by the <a href="http://www.foodnews.org/">Environmental Working Group</a>, a San Francisco based chemical watchdog organization, which is carefully documenting and raising awareness about toxins in our food, air, water, and environment. They advise buying the following organic as often as possible, because the selected fruits and vegetables tend to take on a heavier pesticide load, through increased exposure and retention.<br />
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<ul style="color: #990000;"><li>Peaches</li>
<li>Apples</li>
<li>Sweet Bell Peppers</li>
<li>Celery</li>
<li>Nectarines</li>
<li>Strawberries</li>
<li>Cherries</li>
<li>Pears</li>
<li>Grapes (Imported)</li>
<li>Spinach</li>
<li>Lettuce</li>
<li>Potatoes</li>
</ul>It's pretty shocking to really comprehend that food we take for granted is usually covered or saturated with a thin layer of poison, designed to kill off the insects and animals that contribute to a healthy, balanced eco-system, and that organic is the exception and comes at a premium. It demonstrates how imbalanced and horribly flawed our economic and agricultural systems are. On the bright side, here's a list of 12 foods that tend to escape the worst contamination, so you can feel less depressed about purchasing them with no organic label attached.<br />
<ul style="color: #0b5394;"><li>Onions</li>
<li>Avocado</li>
<li>Sweet Corn (Frozen)</li>
<li>Pineapples</li>
<li>Mango</li>
<li>Asparagus</li>
<li>Sweet Peas (Frozen)</li>
<li>Kiwi Fruit</li>
<li>Bananas</li>
<li>Cabbage</li>
<li>Broccoli</li>
<li>Papaya</li>
</ul>Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214529638728001862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527391871193998940.post-55205705775099089002010-08-05T13:58:00.012-04:002010-08-10T00:54:49.529-04:00<b>RealiTea sprouts into life!</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502012704308719426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1anMy1O0D2TxMoeB_Fxj6o4T9rNZNtQHW3KrPNrIdTWDcFlXWCkevoVfCxk3gHwQ5r0-3uGXFIw-Yfk2Ld3HSkdT7IG2dfdisy-YPYFxLvAYJNyk7KZtNYkQSyf9JQ2dpLsV9qNUBqo/s400/DSCF0855.JPG" style="display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ground view of the RealiTEA garden and the Solar House</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The RealiTea Garden Project was conceived to better understand the journey from production to consumption within our food system. What better to link us to our food system then the production and consumption of organic, locally-sourced, and sustainably produced herbal and medicinal teas, such as Mint, Lemon Balm and Camomile? </div><div></div><div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMn8f66HpxXKbznfYMZept8A2F3uD-eZIP2zTocatXlHx347IsK8DS7G1gBu1j-95zoYf1Tnr5zgqYnhj1UW5rP1yuF9OIP7sD_Q5kMzxziQg9xBeyWa7UU27ff2vYDgQZRa31H_1uxo/s1600/DSCF0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501998658002786050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMn8f66HpxXKbznfYMZept8A2F3uD-eZIP2zTocatXlHx347IsK8DS7G1gBu1j-95zoYf1Tnr5zgqYnhj1UW5rP1yuF9OIP7sD_Q5kMzxziQg9xBeyWa7UU27ff2vYDgQZRa31H_1uxo/s320/DSCF0022.JPG" style="height: 150px; margin-top: 0pt; width: 200px;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RealiTEA mandalas mid-planting</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>Since beginning the project in May, we have already learned a lot, both in the greenhouse where our seedlings were grown, and at the garden itself, which is located at the back of the Loyola Campus, in Montreal's west-end neighbourhood Notre Dame-de-Grace (NDG). The amount of planning, growing and labour involved is tremendous; however, it is beginning to pay off as we see signs of life emerging from the mulch. From the first layer of compost, provided by Sustainable Concordia's <a href="http://sustainable.concordia.ca/ourinitiatives/r4/index.php">R4 Project</a>, to the sheet mulching with a biodegradable root barrier, building of the raised beds and then the first planting of seedling, provided by the <a href="http://sustainable.concordia.ca/ourinitiatives/greenhouse/">Concordia Greenhouse</a>, it is all coming together.</div><div>As the garden comes to completion we are focusing on educational workshops, including: Sustainable Agricultural Techniques, No Dig Gardens, Home Brew Fertilisers, Organic Pest Control, Large Scale Vermi Composting, and possibly an Aerated Compost Tea Brewing workshop. Last week we held a Berkley method compost workshop and will be posting some pictures and the pile turning schedule soon. The full list of workshops and dates as well as the volunteer schedule will soon be posted on the FSP calendar, located <a href="http://concordiafoodsystem.blogspot.com/p/calendar.html">here</a>.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxiIOXMRb_V_GmpZv9jgZb7kZZ2ila5lYCR8_b23PC4U_3pVOD10OJhh6gnbBKnBxE6YJEwQfJBaXBXpdK4Skm4NpzAN-UGqlZWelNoGkItkNAFmlFiyf0YirMTSD3baTp2tRG6IiEl7s/s1600/DSCF0023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502009301023829506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxiIOXMRb_V_GmpZv9jgZb7kZZ2ila5lYCR8_b23PC4U_3pVOD10OJhh6gnbBKnBxE6YJEwQfJBaXBXpdK4Skm4NpzAN-UGqlZWelNoGkItkNAFmlFiyf0YirMTSD3baTp2tRG6IiEl7s/s200/DSCF0023.JPG" style="height: 150px; margin-top: 0pt; width: 200px;" /></a>If you would like to check out a workshop, have a topic to suggest or just want to come and check out the garden, please contact me, the garden coordinator, at the coordinates below. There's lot of tea to grow so don't hesitate to drop us a line and come get your hands dirty!<b> </b><br />
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<b>E </b>Graham.calder@gmail.com </div><div><b>T </b>438. 878.4699</div>P3 Permaculture Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200947323121630149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527391871193998940.post-16000277290309908822010-08-05T12:26:00.009-04:002010-08-10T00:54:32.132-04:00Water IS a human right!<div style="font-family: inherit;"><style type="text/css">
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</style> </div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">As this new fall semester kicks off so too does one of the biggest sustainability campaigns to ever hit Concordia University. The battle against bottled water has come to a head this year - Concordia's exclusivity contract with Pepsico is due to expire in December 2010 and the support for a bottled water campus and a better (more environmentally and socially responsible) beverage contract has come pouring in from students, student associations, faculty members, staff and Concordia's own Environmental Advisory Committee.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;">The fight for water rights is echoed around the globe. This July, after more than 15 years of debate, the United Nations General Assembly formally recognized access to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right. This is a gigantic step forward in the battle to halt the privatization of water, the stuff of life that sustains us all. Indeed, the recognition that water is a necessity to life and should not be commodified (as bottled water, for example) like so many other natural resources represents a pivotal shift towards global sustainability. This shift in ideology is reflected in bottled water sales across North America – for the second year in a row sales have gone down, by 1.0% in 2008 and by 2.5% in 2009. Add to this the increase in sales for reusable drinking bottles and it is clear that the trend towards taking back the tap is on the rise. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">With the expiration of our Pepsico beverage contract Concordia could become the 8</span><sup><span style="font-size: 85%;">th</span></sup><span style="font-size: 85%;"> campus in Canada and the 1</span><sup><span style="font-size: 85%;">st</span></sup><span style="font-size: 85%;"> university in Quebec to boast a bottled water free campus. It is an incredible opportunity to reconsider the way that the university sources its beverage products and to apply Concordia's own environmental policy and honour our committment to sustainability:</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;">“<span style="font-size: 85%;">Wherever feasible in terms of financing, sourcing and availability, the University shall attempt to purchase goods that are ecologically benign, including items that are energy efficient, locally produced, made from post-consumer recycled and/or renewable materials, are recyclable, non-toxic and/or organic, should they meet or exceed the requirements as specified by the departmental end users. The University shall also work to consider life cycle costs and impacts when assessing products and equipment for procurement and, when possible, will tender to suppliers that are local and/or committed to environmental sustainability.”</span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-size: 85%;">Concordia University Environmental Policy, page 2, paragraph 5.</span></i></div></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"> </span></div><div face="arial" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
<b><span style="font-size: 85%;">To sign the petition for a bottled water free Concordia:</span></b></div><div face="arial" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div face="arial" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.csu.qc.ca/index.php?module=bkbPetition&func=sign&id=5&catid=-1"><span style="font-size: 85%;">http://www.csu.qc.ca/index.php?module=bkbPetition&func=sign&id=5&catid=-1</span></a></u></span></span></div><div face="arial" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div face="arial" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div face="arial" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: 85%;">For more information visit:</span></b></div><div face="arial" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div face="arial" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://storyofstuff.org/bottledwater/"><span style="font-size: 85%;">http://storyofstuff.org/bottledwater/</span></a></u></span></span></div><div face="arial" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://tapthirst.qpirgmcgill.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 85%;">http://tapthirst.qpirgmcgill.org/</span></a></u></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.insidethebottle.org/"><span style="font-size: 85%;">www.insidethebottle.org</span></a></u></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.tappedthemovie.com/"><span style="font-size: 85%;">www.tappedthemovie.com</span></a></u></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: 85%;">To get in contact or join the campaign:</span></b></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">TAPthirst (Tap Drinkers Against Privatization)</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="mailto:tapthirst@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 85%;">tapthirst@gmail.com</span></a></u></span></span></div>laura janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00834101624266840703noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527391871193998940.post-86616838671256136642010-07-27T20:00:00.001-04:002010-08-06T16:33:35.023-04:00Watching the Food Movement GrowRobyn Rees, one of our amazing interns here at the Concordia Food Systems Project, has spent much of her time over the past few months plowing through the world wide web in search of films, resources, stories, youtube clips, news shows, tv shows, maps, and more for evidence of the growing food movement we all know is out there. Over the past few days she has sent me a couple of really amazing trailers for incredible films that have just recently been released or are being edited as we speak. Watching them has literally brought tears to my eyes and strengthened my conviction that what we are attempting to do here at Concordia is so vital, so important, and so much bigger than we know, and I am so thankful to her for that. And so, without further ado, embedded for your viewing pleasure, are a few of the choice cuts (and I know y'all love all them food puns I'm using :)<br />
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<b>Food Forward: Let's Eat. Right. Now. </b><br />
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<b>Fresh: New Thinking About What We're Eating.</b><br />
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<embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="350" src="http://blip.tv/play/AfyPAAI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480"></embed><br />
<b>Food Fight</b><br />
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<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MVwxANELftg&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MVwxANELftg&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
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<b>Share your own!!!</b>Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214529638728001862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527391871193998940.post-86278383446503126972010-07-09T13:30:00.003-04:002010-07-27T20:04:57.577-04:00Launch Photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Many thanks to Graham Bradley, who photographed the launch on June 16th. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGTuNhhlW6YNYlhYemJu0gMlxwJ4_ndRZ_7IZ5ujt9qBo8cX6XqhkYTKLB2Cij002bz9rT9r0r-GjjZSaue80XB38gSfCugad-vMA_wtgmJSOPQ8pNXNbUmJKMqUC-aMHFeOg3T15NQIQ/s1600/DSC_0335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGTuNhhlW6YNYlhYemJu0gMlxwJ4_ndRZ_7IZ5ujt9qBo8cX6XqhkYTKLB2Cij002bz9rT9r0r-GjjZSaue80XB38gSfCugad-vMA_wtgmJSOPQ8pNXNbUmJKMqUC-aMHFeOg3T15NQIQ/s320/DSC_0335.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Presentation Document<a name='more'></a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ymvD5B8sAXAKEdx67rSp2K_8GjNatUPp1tiHPckkq241-jJlZHKOAPvG_S0PalmGo0AoeGeN_1H7WWFm-2v4TJixexzHs5pXBeYNG7_jyvMo0vyTucMKp9ClXR5K5XoM6MXw6csepys/s1600/DSC_0299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ymvD5B8sAXAKEdx67rSp2K_8GjNatUPp1tiHPckkq241-jJlZHKOAPvG_S0PalmGo0AoeGeN_1H7WWFm-2v4TJixexzHs5pXBeYNG7_jyvMo0vyTucMKp9ClXR5K5XoM6MXw6csepys/s320/DSC_0299.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good times in the Greenhouse</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKw_DJ4QXoQEGMI1FR3a8lr19joaf0Q04IKipyBqSE8_g1rEDvIopcTS0-AepLiziNbljNZ5gPtZxQ7EtTMo9h0bfAg7syScFh5WaRDDgzA_pRYz3UScNFMaX8N1Kn3Yi0SrQznunsKcY/s1600/DSC_0321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKw_DJ4QXoQEGMI1FR3a8lr19joaf0Q04IKipyBqSE8_g1rEDvIopcTS0-AepLiziNbljNZ5gPtZxQ7EtTMo9h0bfAg7syScFh5WaRDDgzA_pRYz3UScNFMaX8N1Kn3Yi0SrQznunsKcY/s400/DSC_0321.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laura Beach: Passionate About Water Security</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXC2M7ON7Rf9_datdMHtb0ZMkPpu1Kx-59l16Qg0qW7uE1B8MM8Qgr0zAt-SnTrm7gS6NcMysQRhaCAVKZQqfJ5LGOaKBphCWN8Xp_qkU45nLIIWiZXfPMmFBV4zOXUaXICx_rch6hw5U/s1600/DSC_0366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXC2M7ON7Rf9_datdMHtb0ZMkPpu1Kx-59l16Qg0qW7uE1B8MM8Qgr0zAt-SnTrm7gS6NcMysQRhaCAVKZQqfJ5LGOaKBphCWN8Xp_qkU45nLIIWiZXfPMmFBV4zOXUaXICx_rch6hw5U/s320/DSC_0366.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laurence Fauteux, Coordinator of the amazing Vert Ta Ville Project</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7d0bg7xUH1H8EOK7Hzn3uhgRRlioP-pikg4xdgYtE-65riMVl4_gBTEuGGKnRQfD0U4yKErqzcTAOFhWQ7lDyd-24lLiLNUCWeV0FrGNR_6R9gg4rCQDTRQQBvgqMJYzxfFxCtwa-1U/s1600/DSC_0333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7d0bg7xUH1H8EOK7Hzn3uhgRRlioP-pikg4xdgYtE-65riMVl4_gBTEuGGKnRQfD0U4yKErqzcTAOFhWQ7lDyd-24lLiLNUCWeV0FrGNR_6R9gg4rCQDTRQQBvgqMJYzxfFxCtwa-1U/s320/DSC_0333.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lennard gets a goodbye cake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPX_fb1ndmEfrUmgubjdcS_VIbJLgYvmFEsK7_epix22vthPA5oADHc7kkKw4DVJNG8JaDEB8sUJbOOaTjsFahf90ztqX4WgUKZbRrBUW0gH4jA-69IXWWeeVcLRk1ymtW6cOPEDEAzdQ/s1600/DSC_0290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPX_fb1ndmEfrUmgubjdcS_VIbJLgYvmFEsK7_epix22vthPA5oADHc7kkKw4DVJNG8JaDEB8sUJbOOaTjsFahf90ztqX4WgUKZbRrBUW0gH4jA-69IXWWeeVcLRk1ymtW6cOPEDEAzdQ/s320/DSC_0290.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tasty and Educational Treats</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5FN-hTi7YxSrVzCfygwGKm4LK-uLJy74zmhfW5ScmG6vzse-3anh-dBRBWdyOmGw23nlSBCE39YdErCOgoAxfeoL9vTb0_OV7km0mLzaltOxWziAsZ0FstrnLoGOn050KlJbhVnZSFd8/s1600/DSC_0360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5FN-hTi7YxSrVzCfygwGKm4LK-uLJy74zmhfW5ScmG6vzse-3anh-dBRBWdyOmGw23nlSBCE39YdErCOgoAxfeoL9vTb0_OV7km0mLzaltOxWziAsZ0FstrnLoGOn050KlJbhVnZSFd8/s400/DSC_0360.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soon to be Tea Seedlings!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEZ7W_sxP59C062TCoun_5wfkHjxA4ldQ_qazjcDaJgAzOVpRUiIrzLkjyxwIPsdfmfSyxYh83JN3hJTFkqtm1JaHtIoal5H3kovCuB3mctS90hsfgDUu1JNRVaf_PYKgf-KfH_C8scc/s1600/DSC_0300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEZ7W_sxP59C062TCoun_5wfkHjxA4ldQ_qazjcDaJgAzOVpRUiIrzLkjyxwIPsdfmfSyxYh83JN3hJTFkqtm1JaHtIoal5H3kovCuB3mctS90hsfgDUu1JNRVaf_PYKgf-KfH_C8scc/s320/DSC_0300.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As local as it gets</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHXbyCnnopMOJFjSrlxKCxL-wey7ektZFtcmUzzHxToyykdmGck_Pnte1YsdtmmCPIEALQZlcBcMTq7a-WMslKQAajKEJNsR21LbBFzs1QUVgMG3zEK2HNI7jvPq-fLFgMYhzbR4dZzs/s1600/DSC_0348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHXbyCnnopMOJFjSrlxKCxL-wey7ektZFtcmUzzHxToyykdmGck_Pnte1YsdtmmCPIEALQZlcBcMTq7a-WMslKQAajKEJNsR21LbBFzs1QUVgMG3zEK2HNI7jvPq-fLFgMYhzbR4dZzs/s320/DSC_0348.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Aquaculture System's Little Golden Friends</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5d7sqLoa7-2xtRurlEhyFa0OozQOhpNTBeaBeNoh8eJAnjQ4l1TPCKtUAPzl4O32r-G9XHqxRRCPwlsAzfWhX3Pl9DT8HF8RzhcyJUhmVhj415OX-GWLwhzse_G7y_qoNxOESaTGzRAc/s1600/DSC_0362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5d7sqLoa7-2xtRurlEhyFa0OozQOhpNTBeaBeNoh8eJAnjQ4l1TPCKtUAPzl4O32r-G9XHqxRRCPwlsAzfWhX3Pl9DT8HF8RzhcyJUhmVhj415OX-GWLwhzse_G7y_qoNxOESaTGzRAc/s320/DSC_0362.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Or Eat the Food...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6EFG2D_eYuW7vtDo0dJfRm0hr8r-SpduUM9JIhbnfRYtcrVWSbEv_24fUEorRePthzTv2JeeK-x3R_taABZ0AKkGsh5wQ_ar4Y12-Hb7ixz6q93jXm_1adW6-tA6PfGkluA3SHJkVx44/s1600/DSC_0342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6EFG2D_eYuW7vtDo0dJfRm0hr8r-SpduUM9JIhbnfRYtcrVWSbEv_24fUEorRePthzTv2JeeK-x3R_taABZ0AKkGsh5wQ_ar4Y12-Hb7ixz6q93jXm_1adW6-tA6PfGkluA3SHJkVx44/s400/DSC_0342.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The food systems crew, minus a few</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214529638728001862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527391871193998940.post-89888378569009756002010-07-05T10:57:00.009-04:002010-07-09T14:11:48.853-04:00creating a space for dissentToday is filled with promise. The sun is shining, the wind is gently ruffling the leaves of the squash and tomato plants that are growing steadily on my rooftop and I'm polishing off the letter that will be sent to Concordia President Judith Woodsworth tomorrow, with over 30 faculty signatures of support, as part of the Better Beverage Contract and Bottled Water Free Concordia campaign. It seems as though everything is quietly and patiently on its way.<br />
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There is time for patience and there is time for action. There is a time for reflection, to consider how to achieve a balance between the two.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
I've been drafting up a fact sheet to accompany the letter I will be submitting to our university President. The facts are clear: <span style="font-style: italic;">bottled water is bad, valuing water as a human and ecological right is good</span>. No matter how you look at it, from an environmental perspective, a health perspective, a socio-economic perspective, bottled water is one of the worst products to ever be introduced and marketed to society. However, the bottled water industry cannot be held entirely accountable for all of the negative impacts of this product. We live in a society that is, for the most part, driven by consumption. We have been taught that cost is measured financially, in dollars, not in trees, or fresh water, or clean air. We, the consumers, are also to blame for the impacts of the products we consume, for buying them, for throwing 'away' the packaging without much concern as to where 'away' is and what it looks like, for not demanding stricter environmental guidelines or ethical purchasing policies on behalf of the institutions and organizations of which we belong. For not adopting ethical purchasing policies of our own.<br />
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But this too is changing. Alternatives to an apathetic lifestyle are growing quietly and patiently, with some outbursts, fast and full of noise. This past Thursday marked one such outburst, here in Montreal. Denouncing the actions of the police and the Canadian government against those who had come to protest the G20, hundreds of people gathered in Carré St-Louis on Canada's birthday and marched along Sherbrooke street, up St. Laurent, down Mont Royal... It was raucous, there was frustration and anger, but underlying everything was a strong sense of justice, solidarity and love. We demanded that our government protect the rights of its citizens. We demanded that they protect and respect the right to peaceful protest, to freedom of speech, to independent media. We demanded that the voices of dissent - those who deem to measure cost in social and environmental terms as well as economic, who dare to live by the precautionary principle, who fundamentally oppose a system that demands overconsumption and breeds inequality - be heard and not silenced.<br />
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There is a time for patience and a time for action. There is a time for reflection. As I stood in the crowd, listening to horror stories of hours spent in a tiny cell with one portapotty shared between 15 human beings, one glass of water over the course of an entire day, no phone call, no lawyers, journalists beaten by policemen, I began to reflect upon all of the injustices that I stand against, all of the beauty that I stand for. How far would I go to protect the things that I value and love? To fight for the things that I believe in? Would I spend 32 hours in a makeshift jail cell in hopes that the world might hear what I have to say?<br />
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In the case of creating a Bottled Water Free Concordia and ensuring the negotiation of a more environmentally and socially responsible beverage contract, I hope that a concerted educational awareness campaign and the support of students, staff and faculty will be enough to make our voices heard. The biggest barriers to a non-exlusive contract without the sale of bottled water are admittedly financial in nature. Bottled water makes money, and so does giving a multinational corporation the right to have <span style="font-style: italic;">only their products</span> sold on campus. However, the dialogue surrounding environmental and social costs is growing, and the university, through its Strategic Plan and its Environmental Policy, has shown a deep committment to mitigating its impact on the environment and achieving a level of sustainability. Perhaps, with support, we can show the university that the environmental and social costs of selling bottled water through an exclusive contract with Pepsico far outweigh the financial gains. That there are other alternatives, local distributors, better products, a better choice to be made.<br />
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For now, I am patient, waiting to see how the administration will respond to the concerns of its students and members of faculty. Patient, and ready to make our voices heard.laura janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00834101624266840703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527391871193998940.post-2857315668881335852010-06-26T13:22:00.004-04:002010-07-05T18:44:21.626-04:00To be productive, to change, to accept and to growWhat would a productive downtown campus look like? This is a question I have begun asking myself, as I become more fluent in the concepts and theories of permaculture.<br />
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It's interesting how the meaning of productive has been changing and deepening, at least in my lexicon, over these past few months. It has broadened to encompass the landscape I find myself in, the relationships I'm part of. At the same time, I'm working to lose the original meaning, or at least the one I got ingrained with, the one that burdens, that eliminates humanity, that narrows existence down to simple questions of quantity regardless of quality, dare I say it, the capitalist's definition. It's what resonated with me on the last page of Rowan Jacobsen's Fruitless Fall (discussed in my post last Wednesday).<br />
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<i>"The sun's disk touches the western hills. Shadows reach toward infinity across my meadow. I let it go wild this year. In the past I brush-hogged it every summer, but now that i know how many bumble bees make their homes in the tussocks of thick grass, I couldn't bear to do it. If there's one thing I've learned by paying attention to bees for a while, it's that we need to get rid of this false dichotomy between productive land and unproductive land. There's no such thing as unproductive natural land. There's only a failure of human insight to recognize the ways it contributes, a failure of human imagination to recognize what we need."</i><br />
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This statement rings true to me, and I'd broaden it to include all of human society too. How often do we hear criticism of people on Welfare, that they are 'uncontributing' or 'freeloading' or 'lazy' members of society who don't deserve social support because they haven't put in? And where do these arguments come from? More often than not those whose lifestyles consume more of the planet's resources and cause greater pollution, who only want additional wealth to live in bigger homes and take more extravagant vacations. Where is the compassion? Where is the concern with a healthy, happy society? It often feels like we've descended into an age of horrible self-absorption and callousness, reflected in the decimation of the planet and the refusal of those with power to take responsibility. This weekend's meeting of world leaders in Toronto seems, to me, to have almost nothing to do with the reality of life for the vast majority of this human family. It seems more like a meeting of callous individuals with little concern for solving our problems and restoring our crumbling environment. Stephen Harper certainly doesn't seem to care about anyone without aspirations to an SUV and a gun, at least not through his actions or his policy measures (his words occasionally hint at some concern, though I long since ceased paying much attention to those).<br />
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So what does this have to do with food? Well, food is basic. It's simple. It doesn't require money or a college degree to produce, not really. A bit of seed, a couple chickens, a little space - with love and attention life multiplies. Multi-national engineering companies such as Monsanto are trying their hardest - God knows why - to reverse this fundamental truth, the starting block of reality, the nature of nature. Who are these people? What is driving them? How could they think this was a good idea and why do they persist? Perhaps it's because they haven't been shown much love themselves. Perhaps they've never seen another way. I would argue it's just another instance of that same veil that W.E.B. Dubois argued hung over the eyes of slaves and of their sad and angry masters, who believed prosperity was a function independent of liberty. No true happiness can come if one's livelihood breaks down the livelihoods of others. In a functioning, healthy ecosystem, all parts work together in symbiosis, giving and taking with humility and respect, for the greater joy of life. Taking apart this unhealthy economy is going to require sacrifice and acceptance and a gentle but firm confrontation. It's also going to involve getting our hands in the dirt and loving what we live for. That's why I support the protesters in Toronto this weekend, some friends among them, as they do the job of working for justice, consciously objecting to the injustices being perpetrated in the interests of the few. I'm inspired by another ecological example, that of the butterfly, who in larval form - the caterpillar - begins to generate what are called imaginal cells, catalysts that begin breaking down the caterpillar's very structure, and who at first are targeted by the caterpillars immune system and destroyed, perceived as threats to the system. In time, however, more and more cells become imaginal, and at a certain point a critical mass is reached and suddenly the caterpillar is shedding itself to become something it never even knew was within it, something of beauty and light, something that perpetuates life instead of simply consuming it.<br />
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Let's take time to imagine how we might transform from the inside out, what's hiding, waiting beneath the concrete, dormant, soon to become productive in its truest sense.... Concrete and asphalt cannot last. I'd like to think about systems that can and will, systems that harmonize, cultivate, support, deepen. What do those systems look like?Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214529638728001862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527391871193998940.post-21052780134810673932010-06-20T18:23:00.004-04:002010-06-30T17:59:31.113-04:00Let us create something that we understandToday is the day after the launch of our project. Seeing a large group of people celebrating the achievements to date and looking with us into the future felt rewarding and motivated me to continue on the path that I chose.<br />
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A few weeks back I flushed out a little concept for this post. I was going through some intense reflections about myself,what I acquired with my degree and my purpose after graduation, about value systems and how they can encourage us to engage in certain ways but also prevent us from seeing opportunities around us. <br />
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One thing every student realizes once getting involved in extra-curricular work is how big the divide between the reality that surrounds us and the ideal reality actually is. I studied Geography and Political Science and was amazed by how far academics have come and how little is actually applied in practice. Obviously there are so many factors (economic, social, etc) influencing this slow development, but here I would like to focus on the path itself rather than the problems along in. I would like to explore that space between now and a utopian reality that we are going for. This space in my eyes is creation, in the sense of making or invention. Before introducing my view on creation however I would like to give a little background in some systems theory that frames my thoughts. <br />
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How do we measure system deficiencies properly without completely relying on our scientific understanding of the world? The Green Revolution in the middle of the last century induced rapid changes in our agricultural systems and these changes were backed up by scientific legitimization. Working to change a food system at this point is similar I believe. The system is so large and complex, and so many players are affecting each other that it becomes very hard to read, or understand. I argue that in its entirety we are not equipped to fully understand such a socio-ecological system. Rod McRae uses the term “organizational ecology” to talk about systems like that. They are webs of players that are constantly shifting and changing and completely interconnected and interdependent, similar to purely ecological systems. In a complex socio-ecological system such as the one we are dealing with, precaution is one of the most important measures to apply, because we cannot be entirely certain about the outcomes that we induce. In terms of organizational ecology I argue that groups such as ours need to be careful in what ways we affect the system. To gain an understanding of the system at a reasonable scale , that we can apply some certainty to, is important at this stage to make changes that actually have lasting impacts, and don’t just disappear after a while. In the end we are trying to push a system back into its ecological boundaries without entirely knowing what the boundaries are. Systems theory now agrees on the fact that there is not that one threshold that once reached induces a system crash. There are many thresholds, and systems can flip and find a new equilibrium. The former theory brought us into this mess in the first place as managers started to apply command and control methods to the environment thinking that as long as your effect on the system is below the threshold, you are fine. We are now more concerned with containing our negative inputs so that we will not experience a system flip, that potentially can change the socio-economic and ecological conditions of entire countries with largely interdependent systems; the food system is one of them. Cameron has mentioned the honeybee. With a full collapse of the honeybee the system would change so dramatically that it would take decades or longer to find a new agricultural “equilibrium”. <br />
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Being relatively inexperienced with the food system at large, I am therefore asking myself: What do I know? What is it that I can change at Concordia that I can be certain of will have lasting positive impacts? Many people that are interested in food but might not have their academic focus on it might ask themselves the same question. <br />
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This is where creation comes into play. I believe that one thing that is quite obvious: consumers nowadays do not have a real tangible connection to most products that they consume. One of my goals is to break down this divide in a real way. Making people part of the production and distribution process of the product is one way of reaching this goal. Personal connections here are very important. It changes the way we consume as suddenly we already invested energy into the product before it goes into our mouth. Students at Concordia already have the chance to become part of food production with workshops and programs in the Greenhouse (Vert ta Ville, mushrooms, medicinal plants etc). Gardens, such as the People’s Potato Vegetable garden on the Loyola campus are looking for volunteers throughout the summer as well.<br />
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The Food Systems group is starting to develop more agricultural land at Concordia as we speak. Our Loyola campus has large green spaces that are ideal for this. The RealiTEA project, a 2000 sq ft mandala tea garden, is the first phase of this development. Future goals are the development of an incubator program at Loyola where we can teach students small scale farming skills.<br />
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Coming back to complex systems and the problems that come with such a large food system I argue that localizing parts of the production and creating tangible connections between people and their foods will move the focus into what we can understand. I understand that students are interested in farming, but often don’t have access to land. I understand that it feels great to eat a tomato that was self-grown. The existence of many localized systems that are all connected I compare to an ant hill. Each ant does not actually know that they are part of this large system. However, the larger pattern health can reveal localized deficiencies. In our food system, many people are not engaged in the ant hill anymore. They don’t even know about the ant hill anymore, they are only reaping its “benefits”, and even those have become unhealthy. I would like to make people aware of their interdependence with the ant hill and empower them to influence it positively by giving them the tools to do so, and these tools should be very hands-on and tangible and in that sense very complimentary to the theoretic foundations that we gain in our academic programs.<br />
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We are all part of this system. We are all interconnected and we all affect the organizational ecology of the food system in various ways. Changing an interconnected system calls for interdisciplinary action. We are in the unique situation where the University administration, students representing the whole political spectrum with various belief systems, and external partners can work together to reach this common goal. By focusing on how we can help each other, and not how we hinder each other we will speed up the development of putting theory into practice. Let us focus on creating together, respecting the diversity of all that lives.Farm Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17907385119782176208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527391871193998940.post-79203034819293518712010-06-16T08:07:00.006-04:002010-06-23T23:59:10.729-04:00Launch, Logo, Dreams, Fears...It's Wednesday morning, at 8am. I've been awake for an hour. We have our launch today, this afternoon in the Rooftop Greenhouse. I'm excited and, of course, nervous. Will it be enough? I've had many people send their regrets, people I hoped would be there - the Provost, the President, some professors. There wasn't a lot of notice for the invitation, so I understand. Still, I'm sad. These individuals have a great power to wield change for the better within our community. Opportunities to connect with them and share our work seem too rare. Especially given the magnitude of this crisis... more on that in a second.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>We have a logo for the project, designed for us, pro-bono, by Emily Paris, a Concordia student who has done other design work for Sustainable Concordia. The group had some uncertainty over whether it was the right image for the project. Some felt it was too hard, and didn't show the love and harmony in this project. Others felt it was unclear - what are we trying to express?<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSxSQLNVm7pIrXVkSSTe_GwWLSYDRoXY-jSshOXVdTYgsRawZdTynBStG-3M2AQqDmmQAnX6go5Qc-pDnwinEkYIXpGax4f8fKflC-iaq-VBerfWUk-9IMZ4_loGprQ7Un7e6aFLyDr0/s1600/CFSPlogo.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483351748299777218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSxSQLNVm7pIrXVkSSTe_GwWLSYDRoXY-jSshOXVdTYgsRawZdTynBStG-3M2AQqDmmQAnX6go5Qc-pDnwinEkYIXpGax4f8fKflC-iaq-VBerfWUk-9IMZ4_loGprQ7Un7e6aFLyDr0/s320/CFSPlogo.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 212px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 212px;" /></a>Still others loved it off the bat. I felt pulled in different directions - on the one hand, I could understand their concerns and imagine more softness; on the other, a lot of work had already gone into arriving at this place and I felt like I no longer had time or emotional energy to rework the logo, or to ask Emily for more work. I wanted it done so we could move forward. In that lies a challenge I think must be known to all, with varying ramifications depending on your position - for an engineer, the work must be perfect, or the building or bridge might collapse; for the artist, the work must speak truly to the feeling inside that seeks expression; for the activist, the work must convey the full complexity of one's hopes and concerns. It's a lot to ask in an image. Still, as each day passes and I look again at the image, I feel happier with it. I know it will evolve, like me, like this project. For now, I can let it be. Some of the group expressed beautiful sentiments...<br />
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"It combines natural forms with the urban and modern, which is representative of some of the group's goals and activities. And although it is quite jagged, the colours are soft and have natural tones. I also really like the blue part as, to me, it represents both water and windows (of a greenhouse, perhaps?). Also, I think the crescent moon shape softens the image quite well, and it made me think about how early civilizations used astrology to guide their farming practices... But that may be way too far-fetched. A last point is that I think the <span class="il">logo</span> represents the research aspect of the project and how we are piecing the food system puzzle together."<br />
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"I think it plays well with the supposed contradiction between plant life and urbanism (which is exactly what this project addresses,) and the colours and sense of movement are both vibrant and comforting. I honestly think it's one of the most attractive logos I've seen in a long time."<br />
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I want to thank everyone in the team for the time they took to reflect on this image and to relate to it and think about how it could be improved, and how it can be appreciated.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">--</div><br />
I've been powering through a book called <a href="http://www.rowanjacobsen.com/books/fruitless-fall">"Fruitless Fall: The Collapse of the Honey Bee and the Coming Agricultural Crisis"</a> by Rowan Jacobsen, a Vermont-based writer. As you can imagine from the title, it's not a happy tome. Fruitless fall is the end of the sentence Rachel Carson began <a href="http://probaway.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/fruitless_fall1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://probaway.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/fruitless_fall1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 212px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 156px;" /></a>in 1963 with <a href="http://books.google.ca/books?id=HeR1l0V0r54C&dq=silent+spring&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=jMgYTLbKM8X7lweuycXmCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CEMQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q&f=false">"Silent Spring"</a>, and there is a quiet certainty in me that we are witnessing the fulfillment of her dire predictions now, as honey bees - the world's pollinators - begin to disappear, along with thousands of other wild pollinators, insects of all types. Sitting on the sidewalk one afternoon as a child, playing with a friend, he began to kill the black ants that were busily working away at our feet. He had a vicious anger and an uncaring attitude as he tried to squish them. I became extremely angry seeing this, and tried to stop him. Luckily, another neighbour, one of the dads on the street, saw him and reprimanded him for it, and he stopped. He wanted to kill those ants, just because they were small and black and different. This was a child raised on a steady diet of Fruit Loops and G.I. Joes. I knew then that there was something terribly wrong with our culture, a feeling that has never left - that we do not respect life, or each other; that we are entertained by death and destruction; that we are cutting out the very foundations of our existence through our lust for power, over anything. Such folly to think that size matters, that an insect a centimetre long is anything less than the linchpin of our food system, that its death 'doesn't matter'.<br />
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This is why it saddens me that our administrators seem so far from us, and won't be joining us for our launch this afternoon. Our small band of heroes is attempting to address the greatest crisis facing our civilization: the destruction of the planet. We can do little compared to if they turned the full strength of their power to this urgent situation. So I hold out hope, perhaps another event, in July, another invitation... perhaps even just a tea sometime.<br />
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In the meantime, I know that we are the first bees building the hive that will sustain us through the long winter ahead. Jacobsen offers pearls of wisdom and grains of hope throughout his dire warning, explanations of how the honey bee functions and the insights they might have for us. I certainly hope we can all pull together and recognize both the urgency of acting in a coordinated fashion and the opportunities we have to push our development in the right direction now, such as the wonderful initiatives our interns and partners are developing. And this afternoon, we'll celebrate our efforts together and raise a glass of honey tea to our shared commitment to sustainability.<br />
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Come one, come all.<br />
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-Cameron<br />
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P.S. I want to give a shout-out to friends Tana Paddock and Warren Nilsson, whose incredible blog "Organization Unbound" has been inspiring me recently, especially Tana's post on <a href="http://organizationunbound.org/expressive-change/vulnerability-as-a-strength/">vulnerability as a strength</a>, which encouraged me to share honestly in this first post.Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214529638728001862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527391871193998940.post-20382939236668756542010-05-31T18:11:00.002-04:002010-05-31T18:11:49.639-04:00Welcome!Welcome to the provisional website for the Concordia Food System Project. Please take a moment to look around and send us any comments, questions or ideas. We look forward to hearing from you!Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214529638728001862noreply@blogger.com1