squash ubc?

Ronin the cat likes the delicata squash shoop. Or at least he's interested in sniffing it. The squash are from the UBC farm, a wicked outdoor classroom for growing food in an urban setting. There's an aboriginal garden, an heritage orchard, chickens, kids gardens and experiential learning opportunities galore! The farm is under threat of development, sadly, shrouded with flashy logic about sustainability - the planners advocate they doing the best thing by reducing the farm to make way for condos. "It's more sustainable for the students to live on site" Bollux I say! Profits drive the bulldozers of development. The benefits of the farm are less measurable in an economic language. The eagles, and western red cedar forest buffer for animal habitat and soil restoration and water cleansing, and, and, and, are not on the money-makers priority list. David Suzuki says

"…today more than ever, society needs visible examples of productive food systems that retain habitat, biodiversity, steward the ecosystems in a responsible way, and do not impose a toxic burden on our air, waterways, and soils”.

UBC farm has all of these things and more, so not supporting it would be irresponsible, yes? There's gotta be another way to house students on land that is already developed.

Anyways, I have been bussing to UBC to load squash into my backpack to sell at the SFU market on Wednesdays. Their presence opens up a dialogue with SFU students about the importance of partnerships across institutions when it comes to mobilizing for things relevant to us all! local food and places to teach about it! Despite being rejected by the SFU newspaper, The Peak, with an article about the farm for the reason that "SFU students don't care about UBC" - I continue to move beyond the statement by spreading the word and making soup. What else can one do?

Vancouver eats emissions

I like to eat, and learning that seventy-five percent of our food is imported, and ninety percent of those imports are trucked up from California or Mexico, I am afraid. The annual CO2 emissions spewed into the atmosphere for the contents on my plate are the equivalent of a truck loaded with apples, oranges and iceberg lettuce making a trip to the moon and back ten times a year! I imagine a truck hopelessly chugging along and realise that that my food commute needs to be shortened, pronto! Food transportation as it stands today is not reliable. If the trucks quit running, Vancouver would be left with three days of food on the shelves. For every dollar received by a farmer, fisherman or rancher, three to four dollars is received by a shipper, processor, packager, retailer, and advertiser. A local farm, community garden or a backyard plot cuts out much of this excess, and you get more broccoli for your buck. When you pay less at the supermarket for imported foods, you are actually paying more, indirectly, through government subsidies, environmental degradation and by making it less viable to farm locally, increasing the need to be propped up by imported food. What can you do this week to shorten the distance your food travels? Visit your local community garden, seek out your farmers market, and see what grows!

urban dweller, imagine you are in nature

MEDITATION: Peace flourishes where there is balance। This week's meditation balances our mood and energy as we connect with the landscapes of the earth। Allow yourself a quiet place। Place both feet squarely on the floor.Allow your back to be long and relaxed.Remember to release your eyes and jaw by softening the muscles that attach them. Take a few deep breaths. Soften your ribs and your belly to allow more air flow. Think of a specific place in nature that you enjoy.It can be a place you have been or a picture you have seen. Imagine a beautiful place anywhere -- in the forest, by the ocean, in the mountains, in the desert, by a stream... anyplace that feels good to you. Remember it vividly. Make it real.Get into the details of your experience there. What do you smell? What does the air feel like? What colors do you see? What sounds do you hear? How does the temperature feel on your skin? Is there a breeze? Bring this beautiful place to you, where you are right now.Feel yourself held in nature's loving embrace. When you feel complete with the first one, pick another place. Feel free to use this meditation more than once a day

Join the World peace wave – meditate for world peace everyday at 12noon wherever you are in the world!