Thursday, February 07, 2008

Shameless Self-Promotion

I was thrilled to see the idea of 50-100 million farmers percolating down into the mainstream in this article:

http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/view/columns/4720535.html//

"Without some miraculous new energy source, muscle power could soon again be a cheaper alternative to fossil fuels for growing food. Blunt economic pragmatism seems set to out-shout nostalgia in the call to put more farmers on the land.

Just how many more farmers would it take to cure farming's fossil fuel habit? Lots, according to farmer and writer Sharon Astyk and "Oil Depletion Protocol" author Richard Heinberg, both leading activists for facing up to life after world oil production peaks.

They estimate that without cheap fossil fuels, we would need 50 million new farmers. That's one farmer for every two households in theUnited States, 25 times more than there are now.

This isn't a move-to-the-boonies-or-starve ultimatum. In fact, many people are ideally positioned to become farmers right where they are-- it's the silver lining to suburban sprawl."

It isn't just the idea of millions of new farmers, either - in the past few weeks I've been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal and an AP reporter about life changes due to climate change and peak oil. Although this is still a part of a "weird" subculture, that's the first step to ideas being accepted - getting them out there at all.

Meanwhile, as long as I'm engaged in shameless self-promotion, I'll be giving a free class on the basics of food storage at 3pm on Saturday February 16, at my friend Joy Heckman's bulk foods shop, The Olde Corner Store, 133 Factory, Gallupville, NY 12073. I'll include materials on what a month or year's food supply looks like, how to find local, sustainably produced sources, how to store it, how to cook with storable foods, etc... Everyone is welcome!

BTW, I'm considering offering this class online at some point, if there's interest, so let me know if you think that would be worthwhile.

Cheers,

Sharon

38 comments:

Unknown said...

An online class on food storage sounds wonderful. Let me know when.

Anonymous said...

I'd be very interested in that online class.

Anonymous said...

I'd love to learn how to store food etc.

Anonymous said...

If the cost were not prohibitive, I too would be interested in such a class.

Anonymous said...

I'd be interested.

Lee said...

An online class would be great and very much appreciated and worthwhile, not for just me but for a whole group of us who read your blog and discuss it.

Great idea Sharon!

homebrewlibrarian said...

Count me in as someone interested in an online course. I've only taken little baby steps when it comes to food storage and I'd like to learn more.

Kerri

Segwyne said...

I absolutely think an online class would be a good idea. I was quickly trying to calculate how long it would take me to get to NY from NH before I got to the part where you mentioned the online class.

just ducky said...

I'm interested. Count me in too!

Anonymous said...

I'd be interested in an online food storage class too.

Debby Brown said...

I would be very interested in an online class. I'm a little over 100 miles from your class, but have absolutely unbreakable plans for that day.

Unknown said...

[quote]BTW, I'm considering offering this class online at some point, if there's interest, so let me know if you think that would be worthwhile.[/quote]

Um, yes please.

Anonymous said...

I'm interested as well.

Lisa Zahn said...

I'm definitely interested in the class!

Lisa

RAS said...

I too would be interested.

Anonymous said...

I'm very interested in an online class - simply announce it in your blog and I'll sign up! I did a mapquest and discovered that to get to your class on the 16th it's a 3 hour and 10 minute drive...but I have a brother in SS, NY so I might just do this and combine it with a visit to him.

Anonymous said...

Usual lurker, but I'm willing to jump out of the woodwork for an online class on food storage. Sign me up!

Anonymous said...

I'd definately would be interested! Since I live in the midwest getting to your class in person isn't going to happen

Anonymous said...

Go for it!

Thank you, Sharon.

Anonymous said...

Excellent idea, Sharon!

~Vegan

simplephat said...

keep me in the loop on a class, thanks

Anonymous said...

Yes, me too!

Anonymous said...

I'd love an online class, Sharon - I'm especially interested in pickling and root cellaring. And I'm in an online accounting class right now so it would be like a fun little extra thing.

I did a drying skillshare a few years ago but it wasn't very successful because it didn't fit well in the time frame. I'm going to try to do some community canning days at our church this summer and see if the people who say they're interested actually show up.

Pea said...

Absolutely, I would love an online class. Please offer one soon! I hope you all get well fast.

Karen F said...

I would love to attend your online class! Please consider doing it.
Karen

Stone Fence Farm said...

I will see you at Joy's store on the 16th! So excited.

Amy

jewishfarmer said...

Ok, I guess there's some interest ;-).

I'll start putting it together, hopefully for offer in March or so. I'll probably offer it in several ways - including, if at all possible (that is, if I can do it without losing money ;-), a self-guided version a no or nominal cost, so that everyone who wants to participate can.

Ok, things to do!!! And for those of you who are coming to Gallupville, I can't wait!

Sharon

Theresa said...

Add me to the online class group please!

Leila Abu-Saba said...

Since I just shamelessly promoted Depletion and Abundance to Mark Bittman of the NY Times, and he actually visited and then complimented you on his blog, I am going to pimp my own blog for a moment.

Today I started a new category, Frugal Food, because of an article in the Times about how retailers are sad that people are using their Christmas gift cards to buy food, diapers and laundry soap, not I-pods.

I titled my post: You can't eat your I-pod.

http://bedouina.typepad.com/

Later tonight I'll publish a link to Sharon's post of November titled "How to Eat Cheap." I don't know if I have anything better to add than what Sharon and others have written about frugal cooking, although my Lebanese food recipes may be novel. I just want to use my "Middle East Peace Blog" pulpit to remind people - or teach them - to eat locally, seasonally, and frugally.

When times get tough, we don't have to subsist on bulk-purchased ramen from Wal-Mart, thank God.

(Oh yeah, check my blog too for the original recipe that inspired Rice-a-roni)

Anonymous said...

I'd like to see an online class. This would cut down on driving.

Kati said...

That's fantastic!!! Glad your ideas are going mainstream. (I went today & bought 4 balls of woolease for eventual sock-crocheting, and stashed them, as well as some cotton kitchen yarn to stash away for future use.)

Anonymous said...

I, too, would be interested.

Anonymous said...

Yay for the online class idea! I'm at the bottom end of NYC, and travel doesn't mix well with my various budgets. I hope the in-person class goes great though :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Sharon,

I would LOVE to have a class like this. The ability to buy food in bulk cheaply and store safely would make me feel like I'm making a small step towards protecting my family and myself for an uncertain future.

LisaH

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小吃餐車加盟連鎖「一條龍的創業模式」複製成功開店

經驗
更新日期:2009/08/25 17:19

(中央社訊息服務20090825 16:19:17)大環境不景氣,工作難找,有不少人就想乾脆自己創業當老闆。為

強化國內創業能量,五路財神開店總部於8月20

日-9月20日舉辦「2009夢幻小餐車創業成果

展」歡迎蒞臨參觀。針對國內一窩蜂創業加盟潮,餐車

達人陳滌五總監提醒創業者,加盟不失為一條創業捷徑

,但若選擇加盟,品牌知名度、產品獨特性及是否擁有

差異化優勢就顯得格外重要。
近年來以成本低的小吃餐車最受創業者青睞。沒經驗的失業族 大部份都選擇餐車擺攤,最多人都想在創

業市場闖出一片天。在台中成立的五路財神開店總部,小吃餐車用品牌方式來營運,總經理陳滌五用自己

的經驗來現身說法。以國人創業首選的小吃餐車來說,如何在同質性高的市場中殺出重圍?雖然是路邊攤

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道。
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很多創業者最憂心沒經驗,業界首創從餐車打造、生財器具、原物料配方、技術教學、促銷廣告、開幕指

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小吃經營的核心價值,凸顯產品獨特性及差異化之外還要定期和你商圈的客人互動,「好餐車、好商品、

好客人」,三個好,如此才有可能成為「不敗的小吃攤」。
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