Eat Local (& Organic!) Dining Card Restaurant of the Week: canihaveabiteinc

The Eat Local (& Organic!) Dining Card entitles members of the Kansas City Food Circle  to a one-time 10% discount at some of the best sustainably sourcing restaurants in the Kansas City Area. They were invited to join our program because of their public commitment to sourcing ingredients from local, organic, free-range farmers. We meet with them several times throughout the year for updates to their list of farmers.

To become a member,  click here.

This week's featured Restaurant is canihaveabiteinc.com.

Pick ups at:
5050 Rainbow
Westwood, KS 66205
816-304-0057
kathy@canihaveabiteinc.com

canihaveabite™ is rooted in the belief that food is our best medicine and that is possible to transform your health simply by eating foods that nourish the body. We believe that by understanding the source of your food – how it was grown/raised, how it was processed, how it was prepared – is the key to good health. 

We believe in real food and eat the spectrum of choices. And, when it comes to food, we never see limitations; we see new ways of creating. So we prepare dishes that are both vegan and vegetarian. Dishes that are gluten free, dairy free and allergy free. We prepare dishes with local grass fed meats and pasture raised chickens. We use goat cheese, sheep’s milk cheese and raw milk cheese. We use pasture raised eggs and real butter. We talk to the farmers. We can tell you the story behind every dish, from the raw ingredients to the final deliciously distinctive product. We joyfully taste and test every dish that is prepared. We love what we do, and it shows.

We offer Weekly Bites 

Weekly breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus made from local and organic ingredients. The dinner menu consists of 2 soups, 2 entrees, 2 bean/grain dishes, 2 vegetable dishes and one bonus sweet bite. The lunch menu consists of 3 choices – pizza, seasonal soup & salad and our signature vegan “hipster” wrap. The breakfast menu consists of our signature granola, quinoa with fruit compote, and a weekly rice dish. All dishes are gluten and dairy free.

http://convenientlynatural.com/?page=home_landing

Eat Local (& Organic!) Dining Card Restaurant of the Week

The Eat Local (& Organic!) Dining Card entitles members of the Kansas City Food Circle  to a one-time 10% discount at some of the best sustainably sourcing restaurants in the Kansas City Area. They were invited to join our program because of their public commitment to sourcing ingredients from local, organic, free-range farmers. We meet with them several times throughout the year for updates to their list of farmers.

To become a member,  click here.

This week's featured Restaurant is Cafe Gratitude.

333 Southwest Boulevard  

Kansas City, MO 64108
(816) 474-5683

Our menu is plant based and 100% organic and are a gluten-free friendly restaurant.  We source locally as much as possible.  We make almost everything by hand, in house, and we make our food with love.  We invite you to step inside and enjoy being someone who chooses loving your life, adoring yourself, accepting the world, being generous and grateful every day, and experiencing being provided for. 

Have fun and enjoy being nourished.

Hours

Mon - Fri: 11 am - 10 pm

Saturday: 10 am - 10 pm

Sunday: 10 am - 9 pm

Food Not Lawns (Kansas City) COMMUNIVERSITY CLASS at UMKC in March, 2013

Food Not Lawns KC

Grow Food...
...Not Lawns

Not just another gardening class, "Food Not Lawns" will help you turn your lawn into a garden and your neighborhood into a community. Our goals are to help increase local food security, improve your diet, move your body, beautify your surroundings, reduce pollution, and energy use.

Topics include whole system design, garden preparation, permaculture, water wise gardening, permascape and free resources.

The Food Not Lawns KC Collaborative has been working to transform Kansas City into a paradise garden, one lawn at a time, since 2007.

Four Sessions: Wednesday’s
March 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th
7:00pm – 9:00pm

UMKC School of Medicine, Theater C
2411 Charlotte, KCMO  (http://goo.gl/maps/xKI3u)

steve (a) foodnotlawnskc . org
www.foodnotlawnskc.org

Register at: www.UMKC.EDU/COMMU
Or ...
UMKC's Communiversity Spring 2013 Catalog


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Join FOOD NOT LAWNS KC in Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/91336529617

Eat Local (& Organic!) Dining Card Restaurant of the Week: blue bird bistro

The Eat Local (& Organic!) Dining Card entitles members of the Kansas City Food Circle  to a one-time 10% discount at some of the best sustainably sourcing restaurants in the Kansas City Area. They were invited to join our program because of their public commitment to sourcing ingredients from local, organic, free-range farmers. We meet with them several times throughout the year for updates to their list of farmers.

To become a member,  click here.

This week's featured Restaurant is blue bird bistro.

1700 Summit
Kansas City, Missouri
(816) 221-7559

Serving MidAmerican Artisan Cuisine. 

Blue bird bistro,  an upscale organic restaurant,  specializing in local food offers monthly a farmers'  table that consists of five courses of locally grown and raised food.  We also have a communal dining experience every Wednesday night,  and serve breakfast,  lunch,  and dinner Monday thru Saturday from 7am to 10pm,  and Sunday 10am to 2pm.

KC Food Circle's NEW Local+Organic and Local+Free-Range FOOD MAP

Bookmark this link: 
http://goo.gl/maps/FOYiB

GROWERS - KC Food Circle
(a Google Maps/'My Places' Mapping Project)

Locations for Kansas City Food Circle's Producer Members*

* All of our growers are happy to schedule farm visits at their own convenience (this is required for KC Food Circle membership) - some have asked that their exact farm address should remain UNLISTED for personal and professional reasons. 
^ Always contact our growers IN ADVANCE regarding farm visits. 
^ These map points will be edited and maintained year-round, as our membership grows and changes are required.

COLOR KEY:
Green = fruits and/or veggies
Red = animal protein
Yellow = dairy products
Purple = fruits/veggies and animal protein
Pink = breads/grains/nuts/everything else

For specific questions, corrections
or comments, contact (email):
coordinators (at) kcfoodcircle (dot) org

View GROWERS - KC Food Circle in a larger map

LAST CHANCE... TODAY (MONDAY, JAN 14) IS THE DEADLINE for this UNDERPRICED WORKSHOP - Wholesale Success (KCMO)

REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS TODAY ...
MONDAY, Jan 14, 2013

Wholesale Success:
A Farmer's Guide to Selling, Post-harvest Handling and Packing Produce Workshop ($15)* in Kansas City

Learn from a successful produce farmer with over 30 years of experience about:

 *   Post harvest handling
 *   Food safety needs of wholesale buyers
 *   Packing and grading
 *   Maintaining the cold chain

Participating producers will receive a free copy of www.FamilyFarmed.org's Wholesale Success Manual. Normally a $55 value, this 250+ page manual is newly updated, revised, and in its third printing. The manual includes more than 100 crop profiles with crop-specific information on harvesting, cooling, storing, and packing according to industry standards.

January 17th

Agenda:
1:30 - 3:30 Postharvest Handling and Food Safety
3:30 - 4:00 Break
4:00 - 6:00 Successful Marketing and Food Safety
6:00 - 6:30 Dinner
6:30 - 8:00 Farmer and Buyer Panel:


Farmers: Brett Fahrmeier of Fahrmeier Farms, John Goode of Goode Acers, Lonnie Hail of Bear Creek Farm, and Alicia Ellingsworth of Cultivate KC

Buyers: Delbert Housworth of Balls Foods, Coleen Johnston of Raymore-Peculiar School District, Shane Hanson of Door-to-Door Organics, Goode Acers, and a representative of Hyvee (tentative)

Where: 
University of Missouri Platte County Extension Office
11724 NW Plaza Circle, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO
816-270-2141

Cost: $15 which includes all materials and dinner. 
Email nixonk@lincolnu.edu or call 816-809-5074 ASAP. 

Presented by: Growing Growers of Kansas City  
http://www.growinggrowers.com
and
www.FamilyFarmed.org

You must pre-register.  Space is limited

* REGISTRATION DEADLINE is JANUARY 14th 2013


Katie Nixon
Small Farm Specialist
Innovative Small Farmers Outreach Program
Lincoln University Cooperative Extension
Kansas City, Missouri
816-809-5074

FREE KC Viewing of TEDxManhattan AT Google Fiber Space Lounge

Explore how farmers, chefs, activists, and authors are Changing the Way We Eat as Cultivate Kansas City hosts a viewing party of TEDxManhattan live from New York on Saturday, February 16, 2013. 

Speakers with various backgrounds in food and farming will share their insights and expertise on sustainable food movement issues, impacts, and innovations.

TEDxManhattan will be streamed live at the Google Fiber Space in three sessions throughout the day. A panel discussion with local food experts, featuring a farm-to-table lunch will follow Session 1.

The viewing party is free to attend but reservations are required for each session. SEE LINKS, BELOW for BROWN PAPER TICKETS.

Saturday, February 16, 2013
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Three Sessions:

• Session 1 ~ 09:00a-11:15a
• Session 2 ~ 12:20p-02:15p
• Session 3 ~ 02:30p-04:30p

...plus Lunch & Panel 11:15-12:15

Google Fiber Space Lounge
1814 Westport Road
Kansas City, MO

Tours of the Fiber Space, located directly across from the Lounge, will be available in between sessions.
This event is free, but reservations for each session are required. Seating is limited to 100 participants per session, please reserve your space at http://tedxmanhattanvpinkc.brownpapertickets.com/

For more information about TEDxManhattan, visit www.tedxmanhattan.com

For more information about Cultivate KC, visit
www.CultivateKC.org

 


SHARE THE local FACEBOOK EVENT AT https://www.facebook.com/events/219988638124816/

What do you THINK you know about GMO FOODS? Are you Roundup Ready?

Have you read this article?... Do you understand the significance of micronutrients in your diet?... in agriculture?... in soil biology?...

Never more true than it is today, YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT.

From December, 2011:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/12/10/dr-don-huber-interview-part-1.aspx

Excerpts:

"Many staunch defenders of genetically engineered foods are under the misconception that GE foods are "better" or have improved nutrition when the exact opposite is true. They also don't understand that the glyphosate residue cannot be removed or washed off—it actually becomes part of the plant. It cannot be washed off because it's systemic within the plant itself.

"It's going to be in your root tips, your shoot tips, your legume nodules, and in the food that you eat," Dr. Huber warns.

Furthermore, about 20 percent of the glyphosate migrates out of the plant's roots and into the surrounding soil. Once in the soil, the glyphosate affects beneficial soil microorganisms in the same way that it affects weeds, because they have the same critical metabolic pathway. With each new Roundup Ready crop approved, the glyphosate residues in the soil increases, and the tolerance levels in the crop increases as well."

~~~~~

"The quality of the food is almost always related to the quality of the soil. The most foundational and critical components of the soil are the microorganisms that thrive there—more so than the necessary nutrients, because it's the microorganisms that allow the plants to utilize those nutrients.

According to Dr. Huber:

"The plant can only utilize certain [reduced] forms of all the nutrients… The way that it becomes reduced in the soil is through those beneficial microorganisms. We also have microorganisms for legumes like soybeans, alfalfa, peas, or any of the other legumes that can fix up to 75 percent of their actual nitrogen for protein in amino acid synthesis that actually comes from the air through the microorganisms in the soil.

Glyphosate is extremely toxic to all of those organisms.

What we see with our continued use and abuse of this powerful weed killer is that it is also totally eliminating many of those organisms from the soil. We no longer have the same balance that we used to have. Consequently, we see an increase of over 40 new plant diseases, and diseases we used to have under fairly effective control, which now all of a sudden is another serious problem.""

  

Kansas City area transportation to President's Day Weekend *Climate Rally* in Washington, DC

from: 350.org, the Sierra Club, and the Hip-Hop Caucus Please Travel With Us to Washington, DC to Take Part in the Presidents' Day Weekend CLIMATE RALLY!

This Presidents' Day Weekend, on Sunday, February 17, 2013, 350.org, the Sierra Club, and the Hip-Hop Caucus will stage a massive rally in Washington DC to call on President Obama to deny approval for construction of the Keystone XL pipeline and to demand the US move with all possible speed toward a clean energy future. This rally follows on the heels of 350.org's 20-city "Do The Math" Tour, which was organized to kick off their Fossil Free campaign calling on colleges, universities, churches, pension funds, and other institutions to divest from fossil fuel companies, hitting those companies where it hurts them the most. Several local climate activists attended the tour's stop in Omaha and were moved by a speech given by Bill McKibben, the leader of 350.org, who called on everyone to stand up and take action now, and we are planning to charter a bus to transport area activists to take part in the rally. Now is the time for all citizens to stand up for their families, for current and future generations, and for the wonderful living Earth of which we are an integral part. We must break the hold that fossil fuel corporations have on the US Congress and move this country forward to a clean energy future.

The chartered bus trip will begin early in the morning of Saturday February 16th and end sometime in the evening of Monday February 18th. We will need at least 50 people to commit to the trip by January 15. We currently estimate the cost will be in the range of $150 - $200 per person to ride the bus, not including food or any other expenses. We encourage you to make your own travel arrangements if you feel moved to attend this historic event but are unable to travel with us. Please contact Claus Wawrzinek at 816-517-5244 for any questions.

To be able to reserve a bus from Kansas City to Washington, DC, we need to get your commitment by January 18 and you should be prepared to pay for the bus by February 1. Early commitment (by January 15) will ensure optimal charter bus rates. We will contact you if we get enough people to reserve a bus. Don't send any money yet.

Please tell us on the form below if you are able to commit taking the bus with us to Washington, DC:

FORM LINK: http://goo.gl/hwvPt

Why is this rally so urgent?
The audience in Omaha was very moved by McKibben in his self-described role as "professional bummer-outer." His talk was based on his Rolling Stone article titled "Global Warming's Terrifying New Math" (July 19, 2012 http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/global-warmings-terrifying-new-math-20120719 ) in which he explained the grave reality of the climate crisis: The great majority of climate scientists and the world's governments agree we must limit the increase in the global average temperature to no more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) to have any hope of avoiding dangerous climate disruption, which McKibben called "the bottomest of bottom lines." The latest science indicates we can emit no more than 565 gigatons of carbon by the middle of this century if we are to stay under that threshold - that's our remaining carbon budget - but, at the current rate of emissions growth, we will emit that much over just the next 16 years. Worse, the world's fossil fuel companies have an estimated 2795 gigatons of carbon reserves booked - more than 5 times our carbon budget - and it's those reserves which give their companies market value. McKibben argues they must be persuaded to leave 80% of those reserves in the ground in order to have any chance of preventing a climate catastrophe. That's a tall order, indeed, and he admits "we may not win this fight."

McKibben also spent some time describing the damage to the planet that the 0.8 degrees Celsius of warming that's already occurred globally has caused, including the ongoing severe drought in the US, this Summer's unprecedented decline in the polar ice cap, Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Bopha, and the overall pattern of increasingly extreme weather events worldwide.

The rally has three goals:
• To put pressure on President Obama to deny permission for the TransCanada corporation to build the Keystone XL pipeline to carry diluted bitumen from the tar sands in Alberta, Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast, where it would be refined into synthetic crude oil. If we're to stay within our carbon budget, we must not greatly increase our production of tar sands oil, which is more energy-intensive and, consequently, emits more carbon than conventional oil production.

• To bolster the Fossil Free divestment campaign.

• To continue building a mass movement in support of urgent action to speed the transition from dirty fossil fuels to clean energy.

We ask you to join us in Washington for this historic Presidents' Day Weekend rally.

www.350.org www.SierraClub.org www.HipHopCaucus.org

2013 Small Farm Webinar Series

TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2013  

2013 Small Farm Webinar Series
http://missouribeginningfarming.blogspot.com/2013/01/2013-small-farm-webinar-series.html

The University of Illinois is hosting a series of webinars for small farms.  You might be interested in some of the topics and would like to attend.

The 2013 Small Farms Webinar series will be held on Thursday afternoons at 1:00 pm, beginning January 10 and concluding March 28.

The topics will be varied but designed for small farm application.  See below for a list of dates and topics.

Sessions are presented by U of I Extension Educators and Specialists. Programs will last approximately one hour. You can log on from home or contact a local Extension office if you need Internet access. If you plan to view the webinar at home, a url and intructions will be sent to you once you register.  You can register for each webinar here.
https://webs.extension.uiuc.edu/registration/default.cfm?RegistrationID=7543

January 10 - Raising Broiler Turkeys on Small Farms        

January 17 - Strawberry Production                       

January 24 - Water Sanitation for Small Farms    

January 31 - Wildlife Damage Control                  

February 7 - Basics of Fruit Insect Management   

February 14 - Farm Financial Management           

February 21 - Seed Saving                                      

February 28 - Crop Rotations in High Tunnels      

March 7 - Farm to School Series                            

March 14 - Beneficial Insects                                 

March 21 - Weed Control in Pastures                    

March 28 - Crop Budgeting Resources                  

February 5 - Growing Unique Vegetables (Note: 6-7pm)

Local Food Linkages Project (Missouri/Nebraska) Needs Further Input

Hi folks - Last January we asked for your help in completing a survey of local foods producers in three different areas of Missouri and Southeast Nebraska. This is an on-going research project that you can find out more about at http://localfoodlinkages.wordpress.com/.   

One of the areas is the Old Trails region centered around Lexington Missouri.  I'm sharing some of the information that we have compiled as a result of that survey.  You might find it interesting.  We are also requesting help from producers again.  

We are seeking information on farm income and expenses so that we may estimate the economic impact of local food systems.  

If you are farming in the Old Trails region, we would love your help.  For an hour of your time, we will pay you $100 to complete the survey either over the phone or in person.  

You can contact Jessica Scott at 855-270-0742 directly to schedule an interview or to find out more information about our project.  

If you have overall questions about the project you can talk with Jess, or with Tom Johnson at (573)882-2157 or JohnsonTG@missouri.edu.  I would very much appreciate your help in finding farmers to complete this survey! 

Thank you! 

Mary


Mary Hendrickson, Ph.D
Associate Professor
Department of Rural Sociology
University of Missouri
200 B Gentry Hall
Columbia, MO 65211
Tele: 573-882-7463

Fax: 573-882-5127

http://localfoodlinkages.wordpress.com/maps/

Howard's Organic Fare *and* Vegetable Patch (KCMO)

http://howardskcmo.com

Do you catch yourself looking at the calendar and realizing that there is NO way you are going to make it to the Farmer's Market for your meat and veggies?  

Do you work all weekend, or odd hours?  There is no need to sacrifice your sustainable diet goals when you can have 24/7 access to Howard's Organic Fare and Vegetable Patch!

Howard’s Organic Fare and Vegetable Patch is a membership grocery supporting the relationship between local producers and consumers through a commitment to organic, fair trade and humanely raised goods.  As a member of Howard’s you will have 24/7 access to the store allowing for good food, every day and anytime. Even in Winter ( yes! it's true!)


Howard's Organic fare and Vegetable Patch is located in the City Ice building on Hospital Hill.

900 E. 21st Street

Kansas City, MO 64108


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IN FACEBOOK:

https://www.facebook.com/howardskcmo

Check Out Our 2013 Eat Local (& Organic!) Dining Card!

If one of your New Year's resolutions was to eat better, then boy do we have a deal for you!

GO TO http://kcfoodcircle.org/diners-card

When you join the KC Food Circle, among other nice perks you receive our Eat Local (and Organic)! Dining Card, which now has 14 participating restaurants. There are many restaurant discount programs available to you, but this one is unique.  We have invited only local restaurants that have a deep and public commitment to serving you delicious meals with locally-sourced organic and free-range ingredients.  

By presenting this card at participating restaurants you receive a one-time 10% discount on your food bill, (not to include alcohol, taxes, or gratuity.) The KCFC Dining Card is valid until December 31, 2013. With a little something for everyone - from vegan to omnivore, from mobile food eatery to fine dining, from Smithville to Prairie Village to Lawrence - our Eat Local (and Organic)! Dining Card has your dining needs covered!

These are some serious good eats!  And some of them even deliver RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR. 

Participating restaurants include:

• blue bird bistro
• Café Gratitude
• CanIHaveABite.com
• Conveniently Natural
• Eden Alley
• FÜD
• Justus Drugstore
• Pachamamas
• Room 39
• Smokin’ Fresh Streetside BBQ
• Starkers Restaurant
• Story
• The Farmhouse
• The Reiger

But wait, that's not all! You also get:

• Our Directory of local organic and free-range food producers with our 80+ farmer members who have signed our Producers Pledge, agreeing to bring you the healthiest, safest and highest quality products.
• Our tri-yearly Update! newsletters with the latest in local, organic food news, including legislative initiatives, producer profiles, and local issues.
• Invitations to members-only and members-first events throughout the year.
• Invitation to our annual meeting.

Please join your Kansas City Food Circle membership by sending in your check with this form, and we’ll continue to keep you well connected to local, organic markets, products and events. Prefer to pay electronically?  You can pay online with Paypal.  Electronic payments give you the heebie-jeebies? Drop a check in the mail with your filled out Membership form to:

K.C. Food Circle
P.O. Box 20181Kansas City, MO 64079

~~

Happy New Year, and Happy Eating from your hardworking Kansas City Food Circle volunteers.

IN FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/EAT.LOCAL.ORGANIC.KCFOODCIRCLE/

BADSEED Funky FIRST Friday Farmers' Market - LIVE MUSIC ALL MONTH!! 4pm-8pm FRIDAYS in the Crossroads (KCMO)

For your own newsletter (including all the food porn photos, etc...) send email to Brooke.

Share BADSEED's market event with your FACEBOOK Friends: 
https://www.facebook.com/events/198999153570109/  


Howdy Folks -

Boy oh Boy! This Friday is "first Friday" in the ol' Crossroads. That means extra fun & games at the BADSEED including LIVE MUSIC by some mighty fine (free-range) musicians. Kerry Stanley and friends will be serenading you as you shop with some folk-y tunes from the heartland. Take note - WE NOW HAVE PARKING IN BACK! No more driving around searching for spots. Pull into the alley just east of McGee. Our parking lot is directly behind the building.

Much like last week, winter veggie
s will be in full effect. I gotta say - I've never seen so much stuff so late in the year!! It's green madness!!! To be honest, it's a little frightening. As much as I love this warm weather and extended harvest, I really doubt it's worth an ecological disaster. I am referring to the drought of course. We are headed into our third year of this rain-less reality and it doesn't bode well for next season. Me and my fellow farmers are scared...really scared. But hey, I won't continue to be a downer. I just feel a responsibility to keep my righteous eaters informed!! In conclusion - take advantage of this AWESOME assortment of delectable produce and with every bite do a little rain dance to wash it down!!

Special products this week include local-organic CHRISTMAS TREES from Blue Door Farm!!!! Here's the scoop: these trees are Red Cedars from Laura's acreage in KCK. They are oh so aromatic and oh so INVASIVE! They spread like a weed and are a disease vector for fruit trees!! The good news is this: they make excellent Christmas Trees for all you "green consumers" out there. By purchasing a Red Cedar you are improving the land and doing your ecological duty! Laura will have a few trees available this Friday and will also be taking pre-orders for next week. Check em' out!

Also - MARK YOUR CALENDARS. The BADSEED "Happy Holiday" Farmers' Market Fiesta will take place on Friday, December 21st. This is one hell of a market - full of festive local eats, up-cycled textiles & sustainable gift items, and holiday cheer. HIghlights include a fabulous "Farm Basket Raffle" ($90.00 value) and Irish Coffee on da house! Get tipsy with your favorite farmers...on us!

Well folks, I promised you "house details" in last week's e-mail so I'd better get to it. URBAVORE green home up-date as follows.

SEE YOU FRIDAY at the BADSEED Farmers' Market from 4-8 pm!!!!


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URBAVORE Urban Farm Green Home Up-date!

As most of you know, Farmer Dan and I bought 13.5 acres of RAW land 2 season ago and began the arduous process of building an edible mecca smack in the middle of a city neighborhood. Like most naive 28 year olds, we had no idea what it meant to buy land with absolutely no infrastructure, no water, no fencing, no nothing. In a matter of months we were forced to turn this massive raw space into a commercial farm that could produce not only enough for us to keep the BADSEED going, but enough for us to build a farmstead, expand production, and create a sustainable life for ourselves. We have spent every waking second since the moment we purchased this land making our vision a reality. The term "daily grind" would be an understatement when referring to our day in/day out existence. It would be more accurate to call it the "daily blender" because our minds and bodies feel like they've been reduced to a pulp by the time the sun sets. But hey, hard work has results. To date (in only several seasons of production) URBAVORE has produced over one hundred thousand dollars worth of food! (It also produced a baby named Percy, but that was a pure accident!!).

The hardest part about building our farm has not been the realization of diverse plants & animals. That part comes naturally to us. The real kicker has been infrastructure. Building truly "green" infrastructure is incredibly challenging, insanely expensive, and in some cases just doesn't fly with city building codes! We have run into A LOT of problems in the process of figuring out our farmstead and making plans. Sustainability is the name of the game and we won't budge on that. No matter how difficult our "extreme environmentalism" has made things, we have stuck to our guns and FINALLY broken ground on our first infrastructural project - a passive solar, earth-bermed home.

The house design is the brainchild of local architects Charles Vega & Matt Teismann whose stunning vision took form with the help of Trevor Acorn, our dedicated structural engineer. The talents of many other individuals have contributed to the project. We've worked with a mechanical engineer, an environmental engineer, and a landscape architect. Now, here's the kicker: all these reputable individuals have given their time and energy for FREE! Why? Because they truly believe in sustainable urban living. Once completed, this house will serve as a model for others and the urban farmstead at large will change the way we conceptualize the urban landscape.

You might be wondering why all these highly professional people were necessary for such a small, relatively simple, earth sheltered home for a couple of dirty farmers! The answer to that can be summed up in two words: The City. Weaving through the endless bureaucracy was no small task. We have been in the tireless permitting process for months. I doubt very few people in cities across the nation have attempted to build an off-grid residence such as ours. Frankly, it's unheard of. The fact that we've managed to get a building permit at all is reason to celebrate!!

I have attached a slide presentation put together by our architects that presents the project in a truly poetic way. These slides were created for the "Monsters of Design" competition that took place several weeks back. We won "best unbuilt design"! Soon we hope to win "best built design". I guess that part is up to me and Dan who are undertaking the construction ourselves. Yikes! Good thing we have Percy to help out.

Thus far, the excavation has been completed and once the steel gets shipped we can begin the concrete work (weather permitting). We hope to have the shell complete with plumbing by the end of February, however, this may be a bit of a lofty goal. If building this farm for the last two years had taught us anything at all, it's that nothing works out as planned!!! For crying out loud we were supposed to break ground on the house this past August and practically be done with the shell by now (!!) but the permitting process dragged on and on and here we are, in December, wondering where the time went. But none of that is important. The important thing is that we are doing are very best every single day and that's all we can do. I'll keep you posted as things progress and if you don't hear from me it's cuz farmer Dan dropped a hammer on my head. Stay tuned.



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Up-Coming Workshop:

THE BASICS OF GOAT CHEESE-MAKING

Saturday, December 15th from 1-4ish
BADSEED, 1909 McGee, KCMO 64108

Hey foodies! Looking for a ridiculously delicious way to share the holidays with your loved ones? Learn how to make scrumptious soft cheeses using basic kitchen tools, a few inexpensive cultures and raw, local goat milk! Impress your guests with a fresh spread of chevre, feta, mozzarella and feta. We'll learn how to make them all in this info-packed, hands-on demo workshop!
Or spread the love of cheese by stuffing a stocking with a jar of marinating feta, or simply by giving the gift of knowledge-send or bring a friend along to class!
Includes a thorough packet full of recipes and class materials, AND a guaranteed good time (wine+gourmet cheese tasting & mingling during class!!!)

SPACE FILLS UP FAST> RSVP ASAP PLEASE!!
Contact Amy: 785-760-3052

Cost: $60/person (1/2 the cost of comparable cheesemaking classes!), or $100/couple


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THIS WEEK'S ORGANIC OFFERINGS -


URBAVORE Urban Farm

A project of BADSEED - Brooke Salvaggio & Daniel Heryer
5500 Bennington Ave., Kansas City, MO 64129
www.badseedkc.com
Welcome to URBAVORE - an off-grid, diversified, urban farmstead in the heart of KCMO. Born in 2011, URBAVORE is working towards the creation of an “edible oasis” that brings organic growth, sustainable life, and creative solutions to a city neighborhood. We grow an extensive variety of heirloom vegetables noted for their unique appearance and extraordinary flavor, as well as an array of culinary/medicinal herbs and edible flowers. URBAVORE is a non-certified, beyond organic operation dedicated to respecting both the health of the individual and the environment. It is our aim to build community and collective consciousness through the universal pleasure that comes from eating good food.

OFFERINGS:
*SEXY SALAD MIX
*Gold Ball (Buttery) Turnips
*WATERMELON RADISHES
*Black Spanish Radishes!!
*FREE-RANGE EGGS


Herb'n Gardener

Lew Edmister
17th and Belleview, Kansas City, MO 64108
herbngardener@kc.rr.com
For the “meanest greens” in town, check out Lew's gourmet selection of urban-grown goodies. He grows a mouthwatering array of lettuces, spicy mustards, arugula, and gourmet salad mixes on KC’s west side. Other tasty morsels include heirloom tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, okra, and filet beans. New For 2012 - RUSTIC BREAD straight from Lew’s hand-built wood-fired oven. YUM!

OFFERINGS From the Lips of Lew:
"This year's productivity of green stuff from my jammed garden is about at an end - maybe one more week after this. but that's only as life should be. you work with what you have. enough cheap philosophy. here's what my ground is giving up this week. SWISS CHARD, KALES, ARUGULA and ARUGULA MIXES. SHITAKE MUSHROOMS, SHITAKE MUSHROOMS and then, SHITAKE MUSHROOMS. what a delicacy! and i'm not forgetting the output of my trusty clay oven. this weeks production is WHOLE WHEAT loaves and my combination mix laced with SCARBOROUGH FAIRE. for those of you who can't quite untangle that title, it's PARSLEY, SAGE, ROSEMARY AND THYME."


Rocky Creek Valley Farms

Elizabeth and Gary
Rayville, MO
www.rockycreekvalley.com
Lizzy is an herbalist turned farmer who cultivates glorious acreage just north of Richmond, MO. Her diversified farmstead includes organic vegetable and herb production, free-range laying hens, and dairy goats. Lizzy also offers classes in sustainable gardening and herbalism.

OFFERINGS:
*FRESH HERBS
*Seasonal Produce
*Flower Seeds
*Herbal Teas
*Herbal Soaps
*Healing Salves
*Herbal Tinctures
*Free-Range Eggs


Fair Share Farm

Rebecca Graff & Tom Ruggieri
Kearney, MO
www.fairsharefarm.com
Tom & Rebecca grow some of the most beautiful vegetables in all of the midwest! No joke. Their 5 acre organic production feeds 125 families during the regular growing season through their "Community Supported Agriculture" Program. During the late fall & winter (once their CSA has finished) they grace the BADSEED with an array of cool weather crops still thriving in their fields. Take advantage of their seasonal presence and get your hands on some green goodness this Friday!

OFFERINGS:
*Head lettuce
*Broccoli Raab
*Chard
*Arugula
*sweet potatoes
*gold ball turnips
*Asian Greens
*Cherry belle radish
*hakurei turnips
*cabbage
*endive
*CARROTS!!!
*cilantro
*dill

**Fair Share Farm Calendars available!!
The Perfect Stocking Stuffer...(local, useful art & information from a sustainable farm...what else could you ask for?)


Blue Door Farm

Laura Christensen
Kansas City, KS
Laura grows an absolutely stunning array of certified organic vegetables on her thriving urban farm in KCK. Her homegrown goods can be found at the Brookside Farmers Market every Saturday during the regular growing season & at the BADSEED Farmers' Market in the late Fall and early Winter. Yum....

OFFERINGS:
*CHRISTMAS TREES!!!
Spinach
Fennel
Romaine and other head lettuce
Chard
Kale
Broccoli Raab
Scallions
Turnips
Sweet Potatoes
Napa Cabbage
"Regular" Cabbage
Dill and Cilantro


Avery's Produce of Hoyland Farm

Avery Lominska
North of Lawrence
Street-musician turned farmer, Avery Lominska, will be carrying on his father's legacy with an UNBELIEVABLE selection of homegrown goodness. Avery's father, Bob Lominska, is a regular "rockstar" in the organic growing scene. He's been plowing the way for over 30 years. He's an encyclopedia of (dirt-filled) knowledge and an inspiration to his son who has boldly followed in his footsteps. At 31 years old, Avery has been a full-time farmer for 7 years! Take a bite out of a strong family tradition this Friday!!

OFFERINGS:
*3 Types of Sweet Potatoes!!
*Spinach
*Lettuce
*Kale
*Bok Choy
*Turnips
*Arugula
*Radishes
*Swiss Chard
*Green Onions
*Nappa Cabbage
*Parsley
*Cilantro



Western Hills Produce

Alice & Marvin Huenefeld
Wellington, MO
816-934-2549
Alice is famous for her utterly delicious baked goods made from homegrown, hand-milled whole wheat flour. Her tasty breads, cakes, cookies, and muffins are complimented by an assortment of jams, jellies, pickles, and relishes all made from ingredients sustainably grown on the farm. Marvin adds his own touch with one of a kind wood-turned items handcrafted with the utmost care and creativity. Products can be found during the regular growing season at the Westport Farmers' Market.

OFFERINGS:
*Farm Fresh Brown Eggs
*Wholesome Baked Breads
*Sweet Treats
*Canned Goods
*Wood-turned items by Marvin


Parker Farms All-Natural Meats

Tom & Paula Parker
Richmond, MO
www.parkerfarmsmeats.com
"We produce all-natural gourmet beef, lamb, pork, poultry, and eggs. All of our beef and lamb is 100% grassfed. They are never fed any grain, animal by products, antibiotics, or injected with growth hormones. We have been practicing Management Intensive Grazing since 1997. It is our goal to care for all of the livestock that we have been blessed with, in as natural and humane a manner as we can. Our chickens for meat and eggs are also raised on pasture with green grass under their feet as much as the weather in this part of the world allows. Our hogs are fed grain, but do live outdoors with dirt under their feet. We do not use any petroleum based pesticides or fertilizers on our pastures. We believe that healthy people, and healthy animals start with healthy plants and a healthy, biologically active, soil community. Our meats are available at the BADSEED Market or through our Community Supported Agriculture shares."

OFFERINGS:
*Ground Beef & Patties, and many gourmet cuts
*Pork Products: Chops, Brats, Breakfast Sausage, Italian Sausage, & Spare Ribs
*Lamb Cuts: Ground Lamb, Shoulder Steaks, Rib Chop (butterfly cut, loin chops), Leg (bone in whole, shanks, lamb liver)
**Pastured Chickens !!!!
*Tea Towels, Hand-made Teas, Candles, and Gourd Bird Houses from the lovely Parker Girls


Miller's Honey

Les MIller
Independence, MO
Les Miller only produces the best damn RAW HONEY on the market. No joke!! He is an encyclopedia of knowledge when it comes to sustainable bee keeping and uses 100% natural and holistic methods for managing his hives which range from 60 to 100 at any given time. His honey is sold in various quantities, and 1 gallon jugs are available on request! Bees wax candles and other by-products are also available for purchase.
OFFERINGS:
*Raw Honey
*Bees Wax Candles


Manos Chocolates
(RAW VEGAN CONFECTION)
Zachary Manos
Kansas City, MO
facebook.com/ManosChocolates
Zachary handcrafts organic raw chocolate; ground from raw cacao, and coconut sugar, a low-glycemic sweetener. Using sprouted sunflower seeds, in place of milk, he crafts deceptively decadent "milk" and "white" chocolates and various treats.

OFFERINGS:
Chocolate bars
Truffles
Marzipan cookies
Assorted Confections
Sprouted Sunflower Butter


Nutressant - Bath & Body

John & Sandy
Mission, KS
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nutressant/127040237375535
John & Sandy's hand-crafted, organic body products are petroleum and chemical free and will not pollute the planet or irritate your skin! Furthermore, they are luxurious and fragrant and oooh soooo wonderful. They have the mother-load of offerings including tooth paste, dish soap, and detergent!!!...(not to mention your more typical health and beauty products). Lather up and feel good!!!

OFFERINGS:
*Soaps
*Bath & Body Products
*Facial Products
*Detergents
*Toothpaste
*So much more…




Other Organic Offerings -

HEARTLAND MILL FLOUR (freshly milled, certified organic)



Remember:

LIVE NUDE VEGETABLES (and other organic delights)
Every Friday at the BADSEED


Yours Truly,

Brooke
(farmer and mistress of the BADSEED)



BADSEED
An Urban-Organic Farm & Market Celebrating Local Food Culture, and Community
1909 McGee*KCMO*64108
www.badseedkc.com