Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Occupy Monsanto in Daytona Beach, St. Louis and Worldwide starting September 17th

WORLDWIDE – An expanding network of concerned individuals known as Occupy Monsanto has emerged over the past 8 months staging numerous protests at companies connected to the global trade of genetically engineered foods, also known as GMOs. The network announced today that on September 17, 2012  protests will begin for an entire week in St. Louis, home of the Monsanto Corporation, and across the US including California where voters will decide if they will label GMOs this election and worldwide in Argentina, Canada, Germany, India, Philippines, and other countries where concern over GMO impact on the environment and human health is growing.

The protests will vary in size and nature but are unified in pushing back GMO food into the lab from which it came.  An interactive map with times, dates and locations of the 60+ protests can be found at http://occupy-monsanto.com/genetic-crimes-unit/ In Daytona Beach September 17th-22nd as early as 8 AM Occupy Monsanto will meet at the corner of West International Speedway Blvd & Williamson Ave, Daytona Beach FL 32114 Contact: Dave Manoulian (386) 258-7800 gcu_daytona_beach@occupy-monsanto.com to coordinate meetup times.
Occupy Monsanto means to confront the industrial agriculture system head-on. Some protests could result in widespread arrests of people who choose to engage in non-violent civil disobedience. Despite the peaceful nature of these planned protests, organizers are concerned about surveillance of Occupy-Monsanto.com by the US Department of Homeland Security and law enforcement agencies worldwide. Nevertheless Occupy Monsanto protests will feature costumes made of bio-hazmat protective gear that can also protect against pepper spray from police who have routinely attacked occupy protests in the past year.
“There is something wrong when a chemical manufacturer, the same company who made Agent Orange, controls the US food supply,” says Jaye Crawford, a member of the Genetic Crimes Unit in Atlanta, Georgia that has planned a week of events. Info: http://occupy-monsanto.com/atlanta-gcu-schedule-of-events .
“Wall Street and the American political elite have underestimated and even ignored our potential to effect rational policy change on GMOs which would include labeling for GMOs and restrictions on GMO cultivation,” says Gene Etic an anti-GMO campaigner based in Washington, DC. “If Occupy Monsanto’s anti-GMO actions are successful, after September 17 the media and increasingly more voters will ask tough questions about these experimental GMO crops especially within the context of the Presidential election, as that office holds the power to determine American food policy,” says Etic.
“People are stirred by the evidence that GMO foods compromise human health,” says Rica Madrid, a member of the Genetic Crime Unit of Occupy Monsanto. “Politicians and their sponsoring corporations ignore public outcry over GMOs to protect huge profits over health. Since GMOs’ introduction to the food supply in the mid 1990’s, food allergies have expanded according to Center for Disease Control data,” says Madrid.
“By purchasing influence via massive campaign donations, Monsanto ensures the essential duties of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are neglected. One example of this corporate coup is President Obama’s appointment of Michael Taylor, former Monsanto Vice-President and legal council for the chemical company, to head the FDA’s food safety efforts despite his obvious conflict of interest,” says Ariel Vegosen, a member of the Genetic Crimes Unit. She adds, “Monsanto is the biggest maker of genetically engineered crops so it must be stopped before it is too late to shift to healthy organic agriculture practices as a result of widespread genetic contamination by GMOs. ‘Coexistence’ as defined by the USDA of Organic and GMO crops is a myth.”
“At the US State Department it’s apparent Monsanto has duped leaders in Africa to ask the US for foreign aid in the form of GMO technology and equipment,” says Monsanto shareholder Adam Eidinger who last year walked from New York to the White House in Washington, DC with hundreds of other food activists to demand labeling of GMO foods. “The generous use of US tax dollars, endorsed by the likes of rock-star Bono and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a former legal council for Monsanto, is actually another taxpayer funded subsidy for Monsanto’s pesticide and herbicide hungry crops.”
Occupy Monsanto will be heard at the offices and facilities linked in the GMO food system. In St. Louis a major anti-GMO conference will take place in the same location as the ‘12th International Symposium on GMO Safety.’ A lead organizer of the conference is Barbara Chicherio who believes, “’Monsanto’s push to control agriculture and what people are eating poses a great threat not only to consumers in the US, but to farmers and communities throughout Latin America, Africa and Asia.” Info on the conference is at http://gmofreemidwest.org/ 

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Fair Share Community Gardening in Chattanooga

If you were wondering what is new with Fair Share, check out this video with Joel Tippens in one of his new Fair Share community gardens in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It is really amazing what he has done with this parking lot. The garden is right on top of a parking lot. The focus of Fair Share is bringing food security to inner city food deserts.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Flower Power Collection

My Rose Geranium Roll on was featured in a really awesome Geranium Treasury a little while back.  I wanted to share it here today, but sadly when I went back to it a lot of the items were missing.  So instead I made a new collection with a twist.  Each row includes a different herb: Rose Geranium, Chamomile, Lavender and Calendula.  These are some of my favorite herbs to work with.  I also included my very last Lavender Flax Seed Garden Print Neck Pillow.  I'm so sad that that fabric seems to have been discontinued.  I really loved it, and it was very popular.  The good news is I just picked up a lot of new fabrics, so will be making more Flaxseed Neck pillows soon.  In addition to unscented and Lavender neck pillows, I will also be making some pillows with a nice blend of Lavender, Chamomile and Spearmint.  Yum.          

'Flower Power' by AquarianBath



Red Geraniums Water...
$10.00

Decorative Pillow C...
$49.00

Rose Geranium Perfu...
$15.00

Geranium - Cross st...
$6.50

Chamomile Organic F...
$7.50

4 Cups Dried German...
$8.00

Decorating for the ...
$10.00

Chamomile Roman 10,...
$2.75

10 Dried Lavender B...
$35.00

Lavender Essential ...
$20.00

Organic French Lave...
$13.00

Lavender Flax Seed ...
$16.75

3 Cups Dried Organi...
$3.50

Yellow Calendula Bu...
$15.50

Calendula Oil
$14.20

Calendula flower se...
$5.00

Sunday Bloody Sunday Reunion Party in Daytona Beach September 2nd


It's time to find a baby sitter!  Join the Sunday Bloody Sunday Reunion party with DJs Terry, Lance and Ace where they will be spinning the best 80's and 90's Alternative, Industrial and Goth.  September 2nd, 2002 at the Moon in Daytona Beach (formerly the Coliseum) at 176 North Beach Street.  For more info and to RSVP visit the Facebook Event Page

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Kombucha Making Resources and Recipes

I started making Kombucha tea recently and it has been a lot of fun. I had been wanting to do it for a while, and now that I'm making it regularly I wish I had started sooner. I just wanted to make a blog post about it in case anyone else was interested to try it out.  Kombucha is a fermented drink made with beneficial probiotics. It's alive! The Kombucha is started from a SCOBY, which stands for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. There are many health claims for Kombucha. I can't say that I have experienced any health changes with it. I am primarily interested in it because I can make good tasting fizzy low alcohol drinks with it myself at home with Organic ingredients at low cost.

Getting Started: Acquiring a Culture and First Ferment

If you are lucky like I was, you can get a SCOBY from a friend. My gardening friend Suzanne had one that she traded me for a shampoo bar. She also pointed to this helpful video from Cultures for Health. Cultures for Health also sells dehydrated SCOBY or you can join the international culture sharing group on Facebook where there are many people who are willing to share. I recently free received water kefir grains from a very kind member of the group. Water kefir also makes a similar fermented beverage which is milder in flavor. Also for the Etsy shoppers, you can find SCOBY at Wells of Health. Wells of Health also has a wonderful range of yogurt cultures available.

For those who do not have access to youtube, I will summarize the steps for making Kombucha.

First you brew a strong tea of black tea, Oolong, or green tea. For 1 quart of green tea you need to add 1/4 cup of white sugar. Some people also use sucanat. I have used turbinado and brown sugar. The white sugar is supposed to work the best and create the most stable pH, which is important for safety, but I haven't had any trouble with the sugars I have used.  When the tea cools you can add it to a clean jar that has 1/4 cup of starter tea or 1/4 cup of vinegar. I have been cleaning my jars with vinegar which was suggested by my friend. I also rinse my hands and utensils with vinegar first.  Do not use metal utensils.  Into the clean jar you add the SCOBY and the tea. Next cover the jar with a coffee filter or clean cloth and secure it with a rubber band or string. Next you wait for a new SCOBY to form at the top of your jar. The amount of time it takes for the SCOBY to form depends on the temperature and the size of your starter SCOBY. The SCOBY should be off white in color and it will have a bit of a rubbery texture. Orange, Black or Green on a SCOBY is a sign of a mold contaminated culture that needs to be tossed out. I haven't had that problem. It takes only about 5-7 days for a SCOBY to form on top of my culture, but I have a pretty big starter and the temperature where I have the culture is pretty warm, on top of a refrigerator in a 81 degree house.

The Fun Part: Secondary Ferment

Some people will tell you that the plain fermented Kombucha tastes great. I don't really care for it unless it has been flavored and bottled to make a fizzy finished drink. To make your secondary fermentation, you fill a bottle that you can seal tightly about 80% of the way full with your primary tea fermentation and then fill the bottle the rest of the way with herbal tea, juice, or fruit. I use Grolsh bottles.
Source: google.nl via Christian on Pinterest


So far I have made 4 different flavored Kombucha Drinks. I made up these fun free labels at Labley.com to go along with the recipes for them. So far my favorite is the Hibiscus Kombucha, which my Kombucha loving sister in law also likes. For this Kombucha I simply boil water together with a tablespoon or 2 of Organic Hibiscus sabdariffa powder from Mountain Rose Herbs  and a bit more sugar for about 5 minutes. With the Hibiscus Kombucha I let it sit for about 3-4 days before refrigerating and then drinking it. The top of the brew will have a little film of a baby SCOBY forming which you can strain off and compost. The Hibiscus gives the Kombucha a tart berry flavor. Hibiscus is fun to use to make a natural berry flavored glaze or frosting. I love so much I even made a Hibiscus Tooth Powder.
Holy Basil Kombucha is also really good. The flavor from the essential oil of the plant really gives it a lovely smell and initial flavor. I want to try Holy Basil together with other herbs next time though to give it a deeper flavor beneath the initial Holy Basil top note. My my sister said the Holy Basil Kombucha was the best she has ever had. I love that herb! To make it I simple gathered up tops from my plants and made a strong tea with it. When it cooled I added it to the primary ferment. This also takes about 3-5 days before fizzing up and being ready to drink. I check the top of the tea through the glass to look for bubbles to get an idea if it is ready or not.
If you want a very fizzy Kombucha, just add fresh cantelope. It will be wildly fizzy after only a short time. My bottles of Cantelope Kombucha can only ferment for a day or 2. Then they have to go into the fridge. I suggest opening them with a towel on top when they are completely cold, otherwise you might have an explosive fizzy mess to clean up. I lost a lot of tea the first time I opened one of them before it was completely cooled.
As gardener who always has a stockpile of Seminole pumpkin I'm always looking for something new to do with it. A couple of weeks ago I make a fresh batch of pumpkin pie soaps. I requests for whole pumpkin pie soaps last year, so I wanted to be ready for this Thanksgiving.
I had lots of puree left over and my first fermentation was ready to go, so I added pumpkin puree with shredded ginger. I can't wait to try again with a bit of cinnamon and clove added too.
Do you have a favorite Kombucha flavored tea? If so I would love to know what kind. Leave a comment to let me know. Drunk Off Kombucha

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Cancer - The Forbidden Cures Full Film

Since I have been making a lot of posts recently in response to censorship fueled presumably by FDA and AMA pressure, I wanted to also share this film.  It's quite an eye opener and worth watching when you have a couple of hours.  I personally have a friend who was cured from stage 3 breast cancer using one of the methods used in this video, specifically RIFE technology.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Edgewater Permaculture Society Plant Swap this Saturday 9 - 11 AM

The Edgewater Permaculture Society will be hosting its next Garden Swap Party at Maynard-May Park (413 S. Riverside Dr.) in Edgewater Saturday, August 11 from 9 -11 AM. This is a free public event. Bring anything garden related to trade with other local farmers and gardeners. Suggested items (but not limited to: seeds, healthy plants, garden tools, yard art, chimes, bird feeders,  hoses/sprinklers etc.) Free drinks and snacks, free coloring books and stickers for kids, free locally adapted seeds, door prizes and more! For more information email epsplantswap@gmail.com or call 386-957-4734


 I will be bringing Holy Basil seeds to the swap.
Krishna Basil Occiumum sanctum

I will also be bringing Porterweed which is one of the herbs in the back ground together with this Mexican Hat and Fo Ti (He Shou Wu) vine.