Fruits of Labor...

The other day, one of our members finished working with some oyster mushrooms.  If you do not know, it is a tedious and time consuming process.  Spores and mycelium have to be cultivated and watched.  Mold has to be battled and we have to worry about substrates, etc.  Then one day...you have mushrooms.  Lots of things are popping out of our gardens and it is great that a lot of people are going to be getting some really great food.

There are some really great things going on with 99Knives and it is great to see a growing system where we understand every aspect of the process.  This particular member is a chef.  Is there more to be gained from eating if the person who cooked it also planted it and raised it?  We like to think that we are working on an amazing concept.  Perhaps it is not new, but the idea that food is not only prepared by chefs, but also grown by them is rare.

We are getting into this on every level that we can.  Can we look at ways to grow more food and do it with a direct result in mind?

People work hard to produce good food, but when we look at what it means to be fully engaged in our food and what it means to bring it to the table.

This chef learned to make compost and drove around and in the middle of the night collecting buckets of compostable matter.

This chef learned to grow things, how to put that compost into the soil.

This chef learned to manage earthworms.

This chef learned to grow mushrooms.

So, at what point can we say that this person is not JUST a chef anymore?

I listened to him babble forever about how the mushroom tasted and how the next goal is to duplicate it and grow many many more.  We are also growing tomatoes and onions and more.  The goal is to have food with not just a farmer's stamp of approval, but a chef's too?

Recipes for Global Warming

The high today is 75 here in Anaheim...so far.  The sun is shining with all its might and it is January.  In Queens, NY it is about 30 degrees.   It is easy to think that something is missing.  Right about now, I am often trying to find ways to keep warm and comfy.  As someone who is so immersed in culinary culture and whose life revolves around food, it is funny to see that everything that I know is changing.

Living in a new state on a new coast, yes, there are bound to be differences.  I was ready for this.  I never thought about what I would be giving up.  I never thought that I would not have the stomach to eat a nice thick, heavy with vegetables that had been meticulously stored months before.  In fact, we are even looking at growing those things now.  As I find myself buying seeds, I also find myself wondering what can go in the ground now.

It is 75 degrees outside!  Can I plant corn?  Can I put some peas in the ground?  It really does look and smell like spring outside.

Compromise seems to be the order of the day.  Several months ago, I had put up some chicken stock and it was a frozen block, mocking me, waiting to go into a nice heavy minestrone or a mulligatawny.  It now seems to know it's fate and seems to wonder why it has been awakened, like some character in a Sci Fi movie that was not supposed to be awakened until they reached Mars, but was pulled out of cryo-whatever far too early.

I take out some bacon and let it come to temperature slowly.  I add some onions, chopped into a nice dice and watch as they go from white, to gray, to a nice brown and mingle with bacon.  The stock goes grudgingly into a pot, under low heat, on the back burner.

Other veggies find their way into the pot.  Potatoes, kidney beans, carrots, and peas but they are fighting with the weather.  They need to be working to counteract the malaise of winter.  They need to be helping me think of spring.  They need to be helping me see through the evening haze and the overcast day.  Instead, they seem out of place.

There are some things that are missing.  The smell of oak in a burning fireplace.  The subtle fear that someone is going to open the door and let some of the heat out.  There is no fire and no fear because the windows are open and a gentle breeze is coming in.  I am wearing a t-shirt not a sweater.

As a sense cook, I am confused on days like this.  The weather begs me to put in basil and mint.  The time of year makes me want thyme and marjoram.

These are the things that are going to go by the way side, it seems.  Soon, it will be too hot in January to drink cocoa.  Apple cider in the heat of the day will seem silly and forced, even if it is October.

Global warming will not only change what we can eat.  It will not only change what is available; it will change what we want.  My soup today ended with a nice heavy mix of vegetables, large chunks of chicken, but was highlighted by peas and rice.  It felt like a strange mix of Spring and Winter.  It tasted confused, much the way I think it would feel to eat my mother's cranberry ginger cookies for dinner in August.

What do we owe you?

We have been talking and talking about what we want to do and what we want to provide.  We have been talking about making the world a better place, etc.  One thing that we have not done, is ask not what we can provide those coming, but what we have to provide.  What do we owe the next group of people who will follow?

We asked our very talented incoming interns what they expect to get out of their experience with us.   These are their responses...

Samantha...

You owe me space. A big ol plot of green and brown-that kinda dirt that cleans you. You owe me the space to lay my planting grounds. To let my green vine arms run wild and free.  I want the beds to lay the foundations of new friendships and allies. The beds to companion plant some good seeds.

Speaking of seeds, you owe me seeds. A lot of them please. I need seeds to sow in the name of change. Seeds to sow into clean and free form rows. Of course, these seeds may not be GMO’ed.  I need seeds that will feed the belly of the people around us. Especially those sick and in need.

I’m sure you have your expectations of who I am and what I am going to do. But please, you owe me the space to be me and work for you the best I can be. I will need a straightforward explanation of what you need from me and how you expect our 6 months to go. What needs to get done by when, what are our main focuses, how things will be organized, etc. You owe me that guidance, and I owe you the reliance. And, at the end of the day, I will need a place to stay and an hourly wage.

Abby...

 If I could ask one thing of the generations above me, it would be suspended disbelief and a willingness to believe. After all, the way many of us see our life paths is no less then to be the brave valiant warriors of the world, out to save our planet and our people. And one must be very brave (and a bit romantic) if total salvation is the goal. There are many paths to walk in answering the call to be a part of creating a healthy people planet relationship. So next time you see a bunch of kids on you sidewalk with packs and planning a few tunes, kick them a dollar, they leave a very low carbon foot print and could be out to save the world. And if your daughter wants to drop out of college to farm and become the fermentation queen why, give her your blessing, and a pouch to start saving seeds! She is a brave and gentle warrior. Her own courage will bring her the strength to charge into holy battle against apathy and waste, but guarantee you she wants to hold your hand, and have you look into your eyes and bless her. The words every young Eco-warrior wants to hear.. "My child, go. This may not have been the path I would have chosen for you, but times are changing and so we must adjust. We must be brave, but I know we can do it. I believe in you. You will make mistakes, and when you do you should say to yourself "hypothesis proven incorrect, experiment was successful because.." And you will keep trying and keep learning. I will be here for you, and I will learn from you too. And when you are scared and do not think you can go any further, I will believe in you and hold my faith in you, until you can feel it again.Together we will learn from the greatest teachers, the earth and our own experience. When we are united in respect, and all generations are teachers and learners, we are at our strongest. We are all on this together." 

You are going to hear a lot more from Abby and Samantha in the future.  They will be writing much more about their work and many more will be joining them.  They will be asking this question of those who will follow them and helping others to realize their dreams and hopes for the world, as we hope, we can help them.

Home Sweet Home

We made a commitment for this year.  We are working to invest in our neighborhoods and build positive spaces.

What makes a community?
The main thing that we are finding is that everything about a community is a larger part that is made up of a smaller part. The world is made up of countries which are often made of states or territories, and then cities and towns.  Towns are made of neighborhoods, then streets then homes then families and people.  Smaller and smaller and each relying on the next to keep the whole going.

One of our members noticed a home in an area that we are working in.  The home was in a neighborhood that was dominated by condos and newly fabricated homes.  This home was in a row of three homes and each had seen better days.  Each was in boarded up with "no trespassing" signs on them.  The three homes were on the cusp of a disused area.  They were the weak links in the chain begin to show.  These unused homes are the weak parts of a neighborhood.

So we ask what we can do to strengthen the neighborhood.  The goal is to give a sense of ownership and permanence to the people who live in the neighborhood. These are their homes.  The best way to create a strong neighborhood is to have these homes filled with strong families and for those families to feel some connection to their community. Putting in more condos do not help.  A bright coat of paint does not help.  Protests will not help.

We need to pry off the boards covering the windows and repair them.  We need to fill those homes with people who love and care for the community.  This is our next goal.  These are the investments that we are making.

We want to get people into those homes; into these places because they are close to our gardens. We need to invest in our communities.

Home sweet home.

The Difference of a Day...The Farm Army Day 2

We like to think that we get a lot done on a daily basis, but in the last 24 hours, we are particularly proud of ourselves.  We found a lot of people who were interested in what we are doing and working with us to increase the number of heritage breeds in the world.  The Farm Army post from yesterday and the 100Heritage program is gaining momentum.

We talked.  We met people in small towns who told us their stories.  They told us this was their first year or that they had just bought land and had no clue what they were doing aside from the basics.  They told us a number of stories.  They told us that their father or grandfather was a farmer or a rancher and they decided not to go into it, but still felt the call.

We talked.  We talked to people who were interested in what we are doing because they run farms of their own and want to help.

We talked.  We talked to people who thanked us for doing this because they were tired of Monsanto and other corporate farms taking over.  They were tired of reading about misuse, mismanagement, and mistreatment of animals and were delighted that groups were stepping up.

We talked.  We got sponsors and people who want to make t-shirts, and logos and more.

We talked.  We heard from vegans and vegetarians who thought that we should not be promoting the death of animals.

We talked.  We listened.
This morning, there were a number of messages in the inbox.  There were many requests for hosting opportunities and people wondering even more what we were all about.

I liked the fact that it was mainly supportive.  I liked that people were looking at who we are and wanting to join in.

The idea that large numbers of people are coming on board with this is fantastic.  More so the fact that this large group was born from a small group gives us more hope.

Right now, we are able to do a lot for our members.  We are able to provide things like short term micro loans for people to get started, get gas, or even just get groceries until payday.

Soon, we will be able to provide other things like portable pension and medical plans that can go people from job to job as they learn.

We will have tuition reimbursement for people who are continuing their education.

The easier we can make it to be a farmer, the more farmers there will be.  The more farmers producing better food the more good food we can get to people.

We are proud to say that we are helping more people.  The Hive Host program that came before this
sponsors bee hives and now there are 40 more beekeepers in the world.  As of this writing, we have placed two sets of heritage breed pigs and nearly 20.  In that same amount of time, we have "sold" them already.

We are in motion.  Join us and help us get better food in the world.

Wanna join?  Contact us:
epochpeople@gmail.com

The Farm Army

We need more bacon.
Seriously, there is a pig shortage and that is causing a rise in bacon prices.  Meanwhile, bacon is going into everything...even ice cream.

I am looking back on my high school economics and realizing that there are a lot of barriers to entry when we look at the pig biz.  First, you need space.  Yes, you can lock a pig up in a 10 ft. by 10 ft. pen and just let them be.  This is not a nice deal for the pig, but in several months you will have some bacon.  I would recommend about a quarter of an acre, at the least and let the little dudes (more than one is best) roam.  This will save you money because they will root for some of their food and it is just better for them to have a better temperament.

Buying pigs is an investment.  Owning pigs is an investment.  For that matter, everything that goes with owning any animal is an investment.  Because farming in general is an investment people have to know that there is a pay off at the end.  Whether it is the taste of bacon or the cash that they can get from sales, there has to be a return on that investment.  This goes for anything at all.

What do we want?  We want to see better food in the world.   We are not the biggest fans of Monsanto.  We are not the biggest fans of McDonald's.  We are a group of chefs and as such, the return on our investment is the creation of the best food for the most people.  So, we invest in farmers and watch them grow.  Because we need to see a return on our investment, we create ways to make those investments pay off and it is in our interest to make sure that the people we invest in are well taken care of.

What is stopping you?  Seriously.  We want to know what is keeping you from following your dream.  We can help.  Our goal is to see more good food in the world and the desire is to create viable and realistic systems to bring some good food to the table.

Look at the Hive Host Program.  We build bee hives, place them with people who want to help bees and learn about beekeeping, and then create an amicable split of the honey and other products.   Compost SC works with worm composters to sell their products all over the southeast and they are able to share in the profits of the work their worms do.  Now we are ready to step it up a notch and think about other things.  What would it take to get started? What does it take to make your desires a reality?

We are looking to make small scale investments in people.  We are looking to help and create.
We are ready to invest in you, are you ready to invest in you?

We are starting the 100 Heritage Initiative.
Simply put, we are looking for people with land to help raise heritage breed animals.  Members of our organization will be our partners in raising various heritage breeds of animals on their property and creating a profit for the farmer and a responsibly raised product for our buyers.
This is a chance for hands on education, get support and assistance as well supporting heritage breed animals in the world.

We are looking to place 100 heritage breed animals with growers interested in bringing them to market in 2015 with a plan to do much much more in the following year.

If you would like to join 99knives and be a part of this and many other amazing projects.  Contact us at epochpeople@gmail.com

Food and Farm Nerdism...

Someone told me yesterday that I was one hard working mom.  That thought was very strange to me because I literally have only left the house once in the last two days.  My husband is 90 miles away most days working on the farm that we are moving to and I am sitting here staring at multiple screens.  What is the nature of farm work in the modern world?

This year is going to be an exploration of this.  I get a great deal done from the comfort of my bed, now, in the winter, with a beautiful little girl on my hip.  I am ordering seeds, I am organizing events from thousands of miles away.  We are coordinating large scale compost collection from our laptops and cell phones.  It is amazing what you can do and from where.  You can make local changes from thousands of miles away.

new farm worker?

I am going to go ahead and say it.  We are the most advanced that we have ever been and I could, theoretically, be on the moon and do the same things.  My husband is 90 miles away and our interactions are instantaneous.  We became fascinated with this and things like this when we saw the people at Kijani Grows.  This organization is devising ways to essentially run a farm from their cell phones.

Then there are people like the guys at Farmbot.  Farmbot which works with CNC Farming.  What is going to happen is that some places are going to be able to run an entire farm with robots.  They will be able to harvest, inspect crops, tend to livestock and more with greater ease.  On the horizon is the debate about whether or not that is a good thing.  Whether it will be great that we have a lot more free time on our hands or whether the idea that we remove a lot of the humanity from farming.

The folks at Open Source Ecology are building homes and tractors and more and making the information available to all.  How do we get at that information?  How do we get it out?

The fundamental ideal is that we have to unite the two fronts.  We need to take into account that people want and need a personal connection to their food, yet also acknowledge that we live in a modern world.

Taking the place of the hoe and rake?

Farm Hack and other organizations are finding that niche and it is interesting to watch.  Why is Monsanto successful?  Why are other companies able to bring food from a third of the way around the world?  Tech is the key.  With global ties they are able to find a number of sellers and buyers as well as seek the highest prices and increase the margin of profit.  They are also going to have the most money to invest in these technologies and their implementation.

One of the main things facing the American farmer and small farmers all over the world is how to get to their product to their customers.  Knowing their customers is a very big deal.  So not only are the things that make their farm work integral, so too is the social media and reaching out. There will need to be a lot of face to face, e-mail, and more.  Web sites, Facebook pages and "branding" are genuine concerns where we will be able to "farm out" our needs to places a half a world away if we want...if we want.

Farming is entering and catching up to a new era.  Farming is a discipline that has its roots in the past and always will.  The challenge is how to feed an ever growing population and (in keeping with the goal of 99Knives) get the best food to the most people.  That is going to mean stepping up and stepping out of the comfort zones of the discipline of farming and preparing food.  We are going to have to know as much about social media and tech as we know about our soil.  It means that we are going to be looking at a lot more screens as much as we are looking what the chickens are doing.  We are the new #farmnerds as attuned to whirring gears and hashtags as we are in the nitrogen content in our soil.

My opinion?  I think that it is a good thing.  We are going to be able to do a lot more and I am going to be able to spend a lot more time with my child and husband.  There may be something with whirring gears by my side and taking care of the small stuff, but there will also be a comfort to knowing that I can fly across the country and see my mother and know that the pigs are being fed via camera and drone.  Farming can never lose the human touch, but it becomes really interesting in watching how it evolves.  My daughter, will be able to feed chickens with the touch of a button.

Contact
Carol Jordan-Mckern
9of9productions@gmail.com
tweets at @9t9knives