Preserving the Harvest

F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine St., Brunswick, will host a talk by Amy and Jeff Burchstead of the horse-powered Buckwheat Blossom Farm titled "Preserving the Harvest," on Thursday, November 13, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. The talk is free and open to the public.

The Burchsteads will explain how to plan for winter by storing root crops, freezing and fermenting garden produce, and over wintering crops in the garden. For those considering buying a community supported agriculture (CSA) farm share, but scared off by the thought of what to do with too many fresh vegetables, the talk will suggest ways to spread out the bounty so it can be savored during colder months. Other topics that will be covered at the talk are the definitions of "local" and "organic", the importance of knowing your farmer, and the "dirty dozen" conventional crops to avoid.

Free informational handouts will be provided. Seating is limited, so those interested in attending are encouraged to call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

The talk is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly talk is held at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick on the second Thursday of the month. December's talk will discuss sustainable gift giving.

For more information, please call 729-4050 or visit www.FWHorch.com.

Eating Local - May's Sustainable Living Tip

Eating locally-grown food is a delicious way to help save the planet.

More to know about Eating Local

1. The average Maine meal travels 1,800 miles from farm to table, according to Russell Libby, executive director of MOFGA.
2. 80% of the food calories consumed in Maine are produced out of state.
3. Ten calories of fossil fuel energy is consumed for every one calorie of "conventional" food eaten, due to processing, packaging and transportation.
4. If every Mainer spent just $10 per week on locally-grown food for six months, $100 million would circulate in Maine's economy.
   
5. One acre of a small organic farm in Maine can support 40 people, according to Eliot Coleman, author of Four Season Harvest.
6. During World War II, home "Victory Gardens" provided 40% of the vegetables eaten by the general public.
7. Raised beds and "lasagna" gardening allow home gardeners to grow more produce with less work than conventional tilled bed methods.
8. Home composting of kitchen scraps can help maintain soil fertility without synthetic chemical fertilizers.
9. Organic herbs can be grown indoors year round on a kitchen window sill.
10. Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a way to support your local farmer. By buying a share at the beginning of the season, you provide the farmer with the money needed to buy seeds and operate the farm. In return, you reap the rewards of fresh, local and healthy food direct from the farm.
11. Planting heirloom organic seeds, rather than hybrid seeds, allows you to share and save seeds from year to year.
12. For maximum environmental benefit, eat in season. It takes a lot less energy to grow tomatoes in Maine in the summer than the winter!

Community Supported Agriculture

The families in the Brunswick community who rely on Crystal Spring Farm for their CSA shares will need to find another source of local food this year. To help people connect with other local farmers, we have published a directory of CSA Farms in the Brunswick area. In March we will be creating a local environmental information bulletin board in our store, which will feature CSA information.