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Olive Living

 

 


The Plant

 

 


Photo courtesy of Juni, Wikimedia Commons


Rainbarrel at Green on McLean

 


Coyote pup from a local pack, one of seven pups of Big Mama, an alpha female, and her second monogamous mate, Coyote 115.


Coyote 115 after being collared and before being released.

 


Iron Street looking west


Iron Street with overhead looking Northeast

 

 

 


Dan can also answer your questions about inside plants.

 

 


Anthony Todd and his candidate, Basil


Linda Tyson and her candidate, Chamomile


Jessica Rinks and her candidate, Cilantro

 

 


Natural gas storage tank


Mercury


Pipes for Keystone pipeline

 

 

 

 


The dreaded fungus gnat . . .


Mike with Dr. Wally and some guy named Ron


Dan Biss juggling (left), which he continues to do in an entirely different way in the Illinois state legislature. (He has much more dignified pictures, but we can't resist a juggler.)


Brian Houck

 

 

 


Root Riot community gardeners


Green on McLean planting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Sand mine on Route 71 in LaSalle County.
This is similar the one proposed for the location
at the entrance to Starved Rock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Winter at the Chicago Botanic Garden

 

 


Lido Banquets


Andy's Deli & Mikolajczyk Sausage Shop

 


KAM Isaiah Israel

 


Eagles at Starved Rock

 

 


Barb Melera of D. Landreth Seed Company now has reason to flash that beautiful smile.

 

 

 

 


Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko, authors of
Farmstead Chef

 

 


Is it time for a new laptop? Then it's time to
recycle the old one.

 

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February 26, 2012

Introducing students to organic business practices

I'm not exactly sure what I've gotten myself into with this particular show segment. It was exactly four months ago that I received an email from a woman named Sue Bresett, who told me that she was working with a group of adolescents from Joliet Montessori School. She told me that she and her colleages were running an "organic/hydroponic/natural produce buying cooperative" that is based in education.

The organization, Olive Living, L3C is described as a "low-profit entity" in Illinois specifically formed to work with non-profit organizations for educational purposes. Hey, I thought, I know what it means to work as a "low-profit entity." After all, I work in radio. But I digress.

Here's how the business works, in Sue's own words:

Olive Living L3C is a buying co-op/adolescent business, which is part of the adolescent curriculum. We break the group into sectors and tasks. We cycle the tasks to make sure that each child gets a "taste" of accounting, marketing, technology, procurement, and customer service.

For instance, sending the bi-weekly newsletter and reminder to order, unloading the truck, weighing the items, filling the orders, helping customers to their car, filing the sales tax, creating the invoices in Quickbooks, swiping credit cards, going to the bank, making the marketing material, and various other tasks. There are a lot. We have even helped at the Greenhouse that supplies our lettuce!
We are always accepting new members! Our business is meant to serve the community. All they need to do is join the mailing list at Olive Living

Olive Living is undertaking a new Adolescent project of making a product to market. Just like on a grocery shelf. We have selected Salsa which will be made with the products that we sell. The Adolescents will be involved and jointly make as many group decisions as possible starting with the salsa recipe to the requirements of the Health Department, to packaging, to figuring out how much to charge. The learning is in the process.

Um...I was going to show the class how to sprout beans on paper towels but I think I'll just put that whole thing back in the drawer.

Anyway, Sue, Carol Andrew, who is the head of the school, and a bunch of the students are stopping by the WCPT studios this morning to talk about this interesting program. Apparently, the kids have a hand in the business from technology, marketing, accounting, and procurement. The teaching of those skills is augmented by various trips that allow them to experience even more real life lessons.

So I'm trying to figure out why it took me four months to get this team scheduled on my show... especially because I intend to have them do my business taxes before they leave the building.

What is The Plant?

I can tell you what The Plant isn't. It's not a science fiction movie about a horticultural experiment gone terribly, terribly wrong.

However, describing what The Plant is...well, that's a little harder to do. Here's how they describe it on their own website:

The Plant  is a new kind of organization in a very old building. It's part vertical farm, part food-business incubator, part research and education space – and it will be entirely off the grid.

It's also a roughly 90,000 square foot former meat packing plant in the Back of the Yards neighborhood in Chicago that is in the process of becoming a home to businesses like

New Chicago Beer Co.  – A socially conscious beer brewery making bold, strong ales.
312 Aquaponics  – Bringing the power and scalability of cloud-computing to urban agriculture.
The Living Well Brewery, LLC  – Brewing potent Arize Kombucha, or fermented tea, with a great taste and mouthwatering bite.
SkyyGreens  – Creating indoor vertical growing systems that provide organic produce 365 days a year.
Windy City Worms  – Supplying happy red wiggler worms for composting to the Chicago area.

Here's another thing about The Plant: it's not for young children or the faint of heart...at least right now. Kathleen (my webmaster, camerawoman and partner, not necessarily in that order) and I were recently given a tour of the building by Blake Davis. (You can see some of the images and videos on my home page and on the left side of this page.) He is Adjunct Professor of Sustainability and Urban Agriculture in the Industrial Technology and Management Program at the School of Applied Technology at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and he's had more than a little to do with the ongoing work at The Plant.

The first thing we learned is that an old meat packing plant is COLD. Obviously, that will change when the various businesses are in place. But as you can see from the photos Kathleen took, some areas of the building are shells, whereas other areas feature collections of tools, tanks, machinery, bricks, and miscellaneous flotsam and jetsam of decades of industrial use. And there's not much heat in the building right now, so keep your coats on.

Davis lights up when he talks about all of that...er, junk, which we gingerly step over and around. Because much of it is going to be reused as The Plant moves forward. In fact, that is the M.O. of the operation--create as much of a closed loop of energy and materials as possible, with the ultimate goal of being net-zero energy and net-zero waste by 2015. To that end, they hope an anaerobic digester will be up and running by the middle of 2013. It will take the building's waste, including boiled grains from the New Chicago Beer Company, and convert them to methane to power the facility. Wow.

By comparison, the aquaponics facilities at The Plant seem almost, well, normal. Davis showed us the set up that allows tilapia live in tanks, contributing their waste nutrients to water that is then used to grow edible plants in hydroponic conditions. Voila! Aquaponics, yet another closed-loop system that someday might play a significant role in feeding our planet.

The Plant is the brainchild of John Edel, the owner and developer of the Chicago Sustainable Manufacturing Center, a green business incubator in the Stockyards Industrial Corridor. He's obviously a very smart guy, as he was able to transform that facility from "a burnt-out shell to 100% occupancy while using a mixture of waste-stream recycled materials and leading edge technology to make the building exceptionally energy efficient and pleasantly non-toxic. The renovation was assisted by a core group of volunteers and by bartering with suppliers, tenants and scrappers." Don't you just hate people who can figure out things like that?

There's much, much more to this project than I can possibly write about here. Blake Davis is in studio this morning, along with Tim Sparer, outdoor garden designer and manager, and Carla McGarrah, Farm Manager.

February 19, 2012

MELA celebrates 10 years of making green greener

It was ten years ago that organic landscape designer Connie Cunningham pretty much grabbed me by the lapels and said, "We need to start an ecological landscaping organization!" As I gently removed what remained of my collar from her surprisingly strong grip, I asked why. She told me that too many landscapers and their companies did not understand that, in many ways, the so-called "green industry" was not particularly sustainable.

When I said that the two of us should call a few of our colleagues and see if they were interested in such a group, she said, "You're the media guy! You make the calls!" As you can probably guess, nobody says no to Connie Cunningham. Thus was born the Midwest Ecological Landscaping Association (or MELA to its friends, enemies and uninterested parties alike.)

For almost half of that time, the fledgling not-for-profit organization lived on my various laptop computers--including the one that crashed. Mercifully, I was able to recover the files, thanks to a brilliant but emotionally unstable computer geek (long story--buy me a beer if you want ever want to hear it.)

Having me at the helm of an organization with such an imporant mission might seem to be less than desireable. But one of the things we did absolutely right was to start putting together annual conferences that brought together like-minded people to learn from sustainability experts and to discuss where the movement was going.

Fast forward to this year and the MELA 10th Annual Conference 2012 - Balance: Natural Systems and the Built Environment, Thursday, February 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. at University Center of Lake County at The College of Lake County, 1200 University Center Drive, Grayslake, IL. MELA Executive Director Carol Becker and board member Amy Beltemacchi stop by the new WCPT studios to talk about this milestone conference in the history of an organization that seems to be doing very well...now that I'm not part of the day to day operations.

Whether you're a landscape designer, a contractor, a grower, a supplier, you work for a nursery, you're an educator, or you're just interested in how you can become more sustainabile in your own backyard, you should sign up for the conference here. Among the tracks in the conference are

  • Ecology and Land Health
  • Built Environment and Resources
  • Local Food and Productive Landscapes
  • Business Growth and Tech Roll-Out

Click here for a complete conference schedule.

Who'll catch the rain?

Speaking of sustainability and making the most of our resources, did you know that 31 billion gallons of rain falls every year on Chicago’s roofs? And that capturing only half of it would supply enough water for over 200,000 people?

These and other fascinating statistics are part of a new study by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) called Capturing Rainwater from Rooftops. In it, the NRDC looks at capturing rain water as a “green infrastructure” practice in the U.S. that could supply millions of gallons of water for non-potable uses such as yard watering and toilet flushing. The study also notes that such capture would reduce runoff pollution and lower energy costs associated with treating and delivering water to millions of households.

I have long been aware that we in America abuse this precious resource (including me, to be sure.) Water demand in the United States is among the highest in the world, averaging 100 to 165 gallons per person per day—or as much as 4 times more than in some European countries (now why is that not surprising?)

More facts from the report :

  • 270 billion gallons of water are used each week to water 23 million acres of lawn(!) in the United States, at a cost of $40 billion annually
  • Every day, 6 billion gallons of drinking water daily--or more than 2 trillion each year—is flushed directly down the toilet, and along with it the money and energy used to treat and deliver the water.
  • The average cost of water in the United States is $3.53 per 1,000 gallons,7 ranging from $0.94 to $8.50 per 1,000 gallons. One cent can buy anywhere from 1.2 to 10.6 gallons of tap water. By comparison, a 20-ounce bottle of water selling for $1.50 costs the equivalent of $9,600 for 1,000 gallons—2,700 times the average cost of tap water.
  • A consequence of the underpricing of water is that water service as a public utility is frequently undervalued. A Government Accountability Office survey of utilities found that user fees and other funding sources do not generate enough revenue to cover the full cost of providing service in 29 percent of water utilities.

One of the co-authors of the study is Noah Garrison, lead author of the report and NRDC water policy analyst, who appears on the program this morning. He and his fellow researchers suggest capturing rooftop rainwater as a simple, cost-effective way to practice sustainability. The benefits include

  • Inexpensive, on-site supply of water that can be used for outdoor non-potable uses with little, if any, treatment, or for a variety of additional uses including potable supply with appropriately higher levels of treatment
  • Reduced (or no) energy and economic costs associated with treating and delivering potable water to end users because capture systems often use low-volume, non-pressurized, gravity fed systems or require only the use of a low power pump for supply
  • Reduced strain on existing water supply sources
  • Reduced runoff that would otherwise contribute to stormwater flows, a leading cause of surface water pollution and urban flooding

As climate change begins to be felt on a great scale across America and, indeed, across the globe, the water security of millions will depend on developing new laws and technologies to meet the challenge. Collecting free water from our own rooftops is a practical and seemingly effecient start. The time to begin is now.

Are coyotes really wily? Find out at WPPC's seminar

I had the privilege of speaking at the Wildflower Preservation and Propagation Committee's annual "Tending the Earth" seminar several years ago. They haven't invited me back, but I'm sure they have very good reasons. If you've ever listened to my radio show, you know what I'm talking about.This year, the good folks at WPPC in McHenry County are presenting their 20th annual Natural Landscaping Seminar on Saturday, February 25, and, as always, it looks as though it's going to be a great event.

The one talk that caught my eye is “Coyotes: Learn the Facts, and Dispel the Myths,” which will be presented by Chris Anchor, Cook County Forest Preserve District Field Biologist. I tracked him down the other day (much like a coyote) and he told me to take a look at a very cool site called The Cook County, Illinois, Coyote Project.

If you visit it, you will learn that coyotes, which have been called the "ghosts of the plains", have now also become ghosts of the cities...including Chicago. The Cook County Coyote Project is a comprehensive study of coyotes in Chicago metropolitan areas. Its researchers work with various agencies to capture, collar, and monitor coyotes in order to understand how they live in urban areas as well as interact with other wildlife and domestic animals. Among their findings:

  • As a top predator, coyotes are performing an important role in the Chicago region. Increasing evidence indicates that coyotes assist with controlling deer, rodents and Canada goose populations.
  • Most coyotes are feeding on typical prey items, such as rodents and rabbits, and generally avoid trash. However, wildlife feeding will eventually habituate some coyotes, leading to conflicts.
  • Coyotes are exposed to a wide range of diseases; however, to date none of them pose a serious human health risk. In general, the coyote population appears to be relatively healthy.
  • espite the importance of natural habitat for coyotes, some individuals are capable of maintaining territories in portions of the landscape with minimal or no natural areas and elevated human activity.

Which means that even if you can't see them, they can see you. Isn't that comforting? Chris Anchor joins me on today's show to talk about these mysterious predators.

Also joining me is the WPPC's Nancy Gonsiorek, who highlights the other speakers at this year's conference. She notes that the WPPC is celebrating its own homeowner mentoring program, “100 Natural Yards: Bringing Nature Home to McHenry County.”  If that isn't enough for you, educators can earn 6.25 CPDU continuing education credit hours for attending the program.

The seminar is at McHenry County College Conference Center, from 8:15 to 3:45.  Cost is $30 in advance or $35 at the door, and includes lunch.  For downloadable registration, agenda,  and more information, click here.  Additional questions? Call Nancy Gonsiorek at 815.455-9462.

Growing Power's 10th Anniversary in Chicago

Another event that is happening on the same day as the WPPC seminar is a workshop and networking event that celebrates Growing Power's 10-year anniversary of food justice work in Chicago. The event is on Saturday, February 25th at their new Chicago Growing Power headquarters: Iron Street Urban Farm, a formerly abandoned, 7-acre industrial building on the Chicago River.

There will be a hands-on aquaponics workshop at the event, on closed-loop natural systems that grow fish and plants together, as well as tours of the Iron Street Farm ever hour, To cap it off, there's a happy hour, where and appetizers from our compost partners will be served.

Here's the schedule:

Saturday, February 25th, 1:00-6:00pm
Growing Power's Iron Street Farm - 3333 S. Iron Street, Chicago, IL 60608
Cost:     $10 for a Tour
    $15 for Happy Hour
    $20 for Tour + Happy Hour
    $75 for Aquaponics Workshop + Tour (1:00pm-5:00pm)
    $80 for Aquaponics Workshop + Tour + Happy Hour


To purchase tickets ahead of time, visit Brown Paper Tickets. Also check out the event Facebook page.

 

February 12, 2012

Dan Kosta and the Art of Bonsai

Ever since I've known Dan Kosta, he's been trying to convince me to work with bonsai. I can say honestly that I have given it a shot a couple of times...and managed to kill both plants. Of course, that's not his fault. Dan knows what he's doing, having been a horticulturist for 35 years. Heck, he even got his B.S. in Horticulture from Western Illinois University. My degree was in pinball. You can see how that worked out.

For the past 13 years, Dan has worked at Vern Goers Greenhouse in Hinsdale, Illinois. You might be familiar with him as a regular contributor to The Mike Nowak Show. In fact, after last week's One Seed Chicago 2012 Great Herb Debate, he wrote to me with his own thoughts about herbs:

Basil, cilantro, and rosemary are the top selling herbs at our greenhouse. Cilantro is the one that generates the most complaints because it very quickly runs to seed, even as a small plant. Customers are interested in the foliage and not coriander seed. This tendency to go to seed quickly seemingly cannot be stopped or delayed. Chamomile isn't popular with our customers. We sell less than 50 per year. The only complaint I get for basil is too many to choose from. Since there are culinary, insect repellent, and decorative types we carry a large selection. Among the culinary types as wel,l there are the traditional sweet, large leaved wrapping types, spicy or hot types, and variously flavored varieties.

Of the three I would have to choose basil, as it's versatile in both the kitchen and the landscape, easy for anyone to grow, colorful, and a couple can even be grown successfully on a windowsill.

But back to bonsai. All you need to know about Dan's passion for the craft is to know that his email address is "snipologist." His backyard is basically a miniature arboretum, filled with bonsai of all shapes, sizes and genera. It's not surprising that Dan has captured prizes like the Award of Merit in the Mid-America Bonsai Expedition at the Chicago Botanic Gardens for his 100+ year-old Ponderosa Pine. I didn't realize Dan was that old.

Dan has some practical advice if you think you'd like to take the plunge and start or buy a bonsai plant:

You do not need to study under a Japanese sensei (master teacher) in order to
learn the practice. It is a pastime that can easily be learned by anyone who has a working knowledge of regular gardening. Also there are now many resources such as clubs, books, magazines, and classes that can help the novice to learn the basics quickly.
Like any living plant bonsai have certain requirements The three most important are
water, light, and minerals. Proper watering is crucial to the success of any plant. Mistakes in watering are known to kill more potted and garden plants than any other factor. Since the trees are grown in relatively small containers, and in well-drained soil, the trees can need to be watered frequently, sometimes daily. The bonsai grower needs to check the soil on a regular basis. If the soil is found to be dry the tree should be given a thorough watering. When the trees are outdoors in the summer they will likely need daily watering.
Proper light is often not a problem outdoors. Simply place the trees in a sunny location
and they will be fine. Tropicals that are kept indoors should be kept close to a sunny window. Usually within two feet of the window is considered optimum. A position in the middle of the room, against a wall, or under a skylight in the ceiling will not provide adequate light.
The trees should be fertilized whenever they are in active growth. This is generally the
spring and summer months. Do not exceed the amount recommended on the package. Personally I prefer to use the fertilizer at one-half strength and apply it every two weeks, rather than full strength once a month.
Placing the tree in the proper location is also important. If your tree is a type that is hardy as a landscape plant, such as a pine, maple, juniper, etc., it is what is called an outdoor bonsai. This means the tree must be kept outdoors year-round, including the winter months. Such a tree can be brought indoors for a couple of days every month or so during the spring and summer but must otherwise be kept outside. These are the traditional types of bonsai. Tropical trees such as ficus, schefflera, podocarpus, and Fukien tea can be grown indoors year-round or kept indoors in winter and outdoors in summer. This is a relatively new type of bonsai, begun in the early 1950’s, and is still not fully accepted by some bonsai masters.

If you want to learn more, Dan is teaching a class called The Art of Bonsai on Saturday, February 18 from 10 to 11am at Vern Goers Greenhouse, 5620 S. Oak St. in Hinsdale. The class is FREE, but Vern Goers asks that you sign up for a spot by calling them at 630-323-1085 or sending an email to verngoersgreenhouse@gmail.com. You can click here to see the Vern Goers Winter Newsletter, which includes not only information about the bonsai class, but some great stuff about inside plants.

Welcoming back restoration ecologist Jack Pizzo

It's always a pleasure to have Jack Pizzo on the program. In the almost 24 years since he started Pizzo Ecological Restoration, it has become one of the premiere companies in its field. Here's an example of the kind of science that Jack brings to his business:

Stewardship is the term used for maintenance of a natural area. Would you install a landscape and not maintain it? Of course not. If you are going to restore a natural area, don’t do so without a stewardship plan. Natural areas are low maintenance landscapes, not no maintenance landscapes. Stewardship is not so much about making native plants grow: it is more about making invasive species not grow. We work in stewardship under the tenet of Competitive Release. Take the Emerald Ash Borer for example. The borer is such a big problem because nothing eats it here, so nothing can control it. When it was introduced there was nothing to affect its growth, therefore it has a competitive advantage over native insects in expanding its territory. With effective stewardship, we kill the invasive plants so that the native plants have the competitive release on-site. With competitive release our native plants are given the opportunity to beat out the invasive species and destroy its ability to take hold. A stewardship process goes on forever but costs typically drop with time if done right.

One of the questions that Jack and I have debated in the past few years is how to sell ecological restoration during a downturn in the economy. Well, maybe the answer is to show homeowners how smart "landscaping" can help solve common problems like

Flooding – Install plants that assist with infiltration

Geese – Get rid of the lawn and rely on native planting

Increasing habitat – Plant "gardens" that are actually habitat for wildlife

High Maintenance Costs - Native plants, once established, are less expensive than tradition plantings to install and maintain

Drought and Flood - Native plants evolved here and have survived over the millennia under these conditions...why wouldn't you use them?

I have no real idea of where this conversation will go. Should be fun. And if you want to see some of Pizzo's plant selections, click here.

 

February 5, 2012

Which side are you on? The Great Herb Debate" is here!

Are you strapped in? Ready to rumble? "Decision Chicago! The Great Herb Debate" is finally here on The Mike Nowak Show.

Today's debate is part of the One Seed Chicago 2012 vote to determine which of three herbs will be the plant of the year. Here are the teams, the people who will be speaking for each herb, and a short statement about the plant.

#TeamBasil is represented by Anthony Todd (@FoodieAnthony), who is food and drink editor for Chicagoist. His statement on Basil:

"I'm Italian, so I was practically born with a sprig of basil in one hand and a tomato in the other.   It's the tastiest, most useful herb I know, and you should vote for Basil for One Seed Chicago. 

Unlike my colleagues, I'm not a gardening expert; in fact, I'm something of a novice.  I have tried to grow herbs in my windows and on my porch countless times, and the I have the skeletons of thyme, lemon verbena and, yes, cilantro plants to show for it.  But Basil has never let me down.  It's almost laughably easy to grow - and it lasts forever.  Most people have never seen a full-grown basil plant, just the babies at the store.  They can grow to be the size of a small bush!

Basil originally came from India (and is prominent in Indian cuisine) but most Americans identify it with Italy.   Pasta sauce would just be red goo without it, and pesto would be nothing but pine nuts soaking in olive oil.   I dry it, freeze it, and put it in my canned goods so I can use it all year round.  

Basil comes in many varieties, each of which is a little different.  Purple basil, licorice basil, lemon basil, thai basil.  Once you've grown one, you'll want to try the whole rainbow of options.  Is it healthy?  It might help fight arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.  Plus, basil essential oil can repel mosquitos.  What's not to love?"

#TeamChamomile, is represented by Linda Tyson (@ssgardengirl), who blogs as Garden Girl. Her statement:

"I chose chamomile for it's pretty, daisy-like little blooms.  I've never grown it, but would like to give it a try in the garden.  I buy, and use chamomile tea often.  

Chamomile is an aromatic plant, and makes a good companion for vegetables in the brassica family. It's said to enhance their flavor, discourage cabbage worms, host hoverflies and wasps, and to accumulate minerals such as calcium, potassium and sulfur in the soil. 

The January, 2005 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry published a study showing chamomile tea is an immune system booster, and helps relieve muscle spasms and cramps.  Other studies have shown it provides relief from anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia, soothes the digestive tract, and can be  helpful for relieving migraine headaches.

As a compress, chamomile can help relieve under-eye circles and other skin discolorations, and the tea is an effective treatment for mild cuts and burns.  It may also be beneficial for hair and scalp as a rinse, and is sometimes included in chemical-free shampoos, conditioners, and skin-care products.

Camomile is drought-tolerant once established, and will grow in full to part sun.  Camomile tea can help prevent damping off of seedlings, Because of its antibacterial and antifungal properties, chamomile tea can be used to treat fungal diseases including black spot and powdery mildew."

#TeamCilantro is represented by Jessica Rinks (@SnappyJDog) a regular contributer to this show who is a blogger for and President of the Forest Park Community Garden. Here's her statement:

"Multicultural appeal and easy to grow!  You should vote for Cilantro!

Coriandrum sativum , commonly known as either coriander or cilantro, is an ancient herb native to southern Europe and the Middle East.  Coriander is mentioned in the Old Testament and coriander seeds were recovered from King Tut's tomb in Egypt.  Historically the leaves, seeds, and essential oils were used for various medicinal, religious, and culinary purposes. 

The herb was brought to the Americas by European explorers and was eventually popularized as a culinary herb particularly in Mexican cuisine.  However, cilantro's utility goes far beyond just salsa.   Worldwide, cilantro is used in many cuisines including Indian, Chinese, and southeastern Asian cultures. 

Cilantro is an easy herb to grow in a home garden, as it can be directly sown into your garden plot (no need to start indoors under lights) and grows quickly (harvest leaves in as little as 6 weeks and seeds in 9 weeks after sowing). It works well as a container plant too.  Cilantro can tolerate cooler temperatures, so you can sow seeds a few weeks prior to last spring frost to get a head start.   Also, it is very easy to save seeds from cilantro to replant in your garden.  Cilantro seeds will not cross-pollinate with any other of your garden crops.  Also, cilantro will often self-seed on its own.  Cilantro plants are also good garden neighbors as it is thought to repel undesirable insects such as aphids and to attract beneficial pollinators.

All in all, cilantro's ease of culture and breadth of use make it the best  choice for One Seed Chicago."

I will moderate the debate, since I have not decided which seed I will support...yet. In addition, I will have a true herb expert on board--Sal Gilbertie, co-author of Herb Gardening from the Ground Up: Everything You Need to Know about Growing Your Favorite Herbs. Gilbertie is the third generation owner/proprietor of Gilbertie’s Herb Gardens located in Westport, Connecticut. Established in 1922, Gilbertie’s is the largest herb grower and supplier in the United States today.

My thanks to Mr. Brown Thumb, who helped to pull this debate together. I understand that he will be working Twitter and Facebook this morning during festivities. Don't forget to go to One Seed Chicago 2012 to cast your vote.

Fighting for a clean, healthy environment in an election year

Who said this?

“We have a supply of natural gas that can last America nearly one hundred years...Experts believe this will support more than 600,000 jobs by the end of the decade.”

A) An oil and gas industry lobbyist
B) The current President of the United States

If the quote sounded familiar to you, it might be because you watched President Barack Obama's State of the Union Address, where he made the above statement (I removed the phrase "and my Administration will take every possible action to safely develop this energy" because I didn't want to give away the answer.) He also said that he will direct his administration to open more than 75% of the nation's potential offshore oil and gas resources for development, and indicated that nuclear energy and so-called "clean" coal are on his list.

This had organizations like Food & Water Watch scratching their heads. I guess that's environmental politics in an election year. But Environment Illinois Program Director Max Muller says it's important to remember tha,t at the same time, the Obama Administration has been moving ahead with a number of rules required under the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act to protect public health and the environment. The Bush administration put these on hold, creating a backlog of rules that the Obama administration has been making progress on. These Include:

But make no mistake. If enviros have problems with some of Obama's decisions, they need only look at what Republicans would do if they regained the White House. They are already incuding hundreds of anti-environmental riders and amendments in budget bills.

And, much like Glenn Close in "Fatal Attraction," the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline threatens to rise out of its oily bathtub and grab America by the throat. It might be attached to a transportation funding bill that would, among other things, open the Atlantic and Pacific coasts as well as the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, while cutting all funding for biking and walking safety and stifling environmental review for transportation projects.

Gotta admire the consistency of those Republicans. It's the consistency of oil, I think.

Of course, there are always local environmental issues to be concerned about. For instance:

  • "Clean Coal" in Illinois (the Tenaska bill). The State House will be voting on this soon and Environment Illinois is strongly opposed.

Max Muller stops by the new WCPT studios this morning to discuss all of the above...and possibly more. So much environmental degradation, so little time, eh?

What does climate change look like?

Meteorologist Rick DiMaio and I often discuss climate change when he does his weather segment on my show. I don't think I've seen it brought into starker terms than on this post I found on Daily Kos. Please read and be prepared to discuss on my show Sunday morning.

 

January 29, 2012

One week to "Decision Chicago! The Great Herb Debate"

What do you think about basil? Chamomile? Cilantro? There's just one week to weigh in before "Decision Chicago! The Great Herb Debate" on The Mike Nowak Show. Mr. Brown Thumb, who helps handle the publicity for One Seed Chicago 2012, has lined up debaters for two of the three herbs competing for the honor of being the 2012 Seed of the Year.

In this corner, representing #TeamChamomile, is blogger Linda Tyson, a.k.a. Garden Girl, who you can Tweet at @ssgardengirl. In that corner, representing #TeamCilantro, is blogger and regular Twitter contributor to TMNS, Jessica Rinks, a.k.a. @SnappyJDog, President of the Forest Park Community Garden. In yet another corner, representing #TeamBasil is...uh...well, we don't seem to have anybody willing to stand up for basil. At least not yet. If you think you're that person, shoot a message to me on Facebook, @MikeNow, or mike@mikenowak.net.

In addition, I will have a true herb expert on board--Sal Gilbertie, co-author of Herb Gardening from the Ground Up: Everything You Need to Know about Growing Your Favorite Herbs. Gilbertie is the third generation owner/proprietor of Gilbertie’s Herb Gardens located in Westport, Connecticut. Established in 1922, Gilbertie’s is the largest herb grower and supplier in the United States today.

Send me your comments on your favorite herb candidate today!

Rats, my house is full of gnats!

It's always nice to have "Dr." Wally Schmidtke on the program. As you might know, I use the quotation marks because Wally is not a real doctor. However, he is manager at Pesche's Garden Center in Des Plaines, and a wealth of information when it comes to earth friendly gardening.

Wally knows that winter is the time to keep struggling houseplants thriving...or just alive, until we can get them to the sun and warmth of summer sun. There are a number of houseplant pests that can plague even the best indoor gardeners, but one of the most prevalent is the fungus gnat. Wally has put together this page of information that will help you control this pesky invader. And he stops by the show this morning to talk about how they end up in your potted plants.

One bit of advice that makes sense is to be aware that if you leave an open bag of potting mix outside, then use it for your plants, you might be bringing in some stowaways. He also reveals that just because you bought a clean, shiny bag of potting mix at your big box store doesn't necessarily mean that it hasn't been invaded.

Here are some sites he recommends if you want more information:

And two more that I want to throw in because sometimes folks can't keep their flies straight:

Illinois goes to the head of the e-recycling class

On my January 1st show, I talked about the new Illinois recycling law that had just gone into effect. Not quite a month later, it looks as though state recyclers are starting to cash in. That's because he law expanded the number of covered electronic products in Illinois from four to seventeen. Here's the full list:

  • Televisions
  • Monitors
  • Printers
  • Computers ( laptop, notebook, netbook, tablet )
  • Electronic Keyboards
  • Facsimile Machines
  • Videocassette Recorders
  • Portable Digital Music Players
  • Digital Video Disc Players
  • Video Game Consoles
  • Small Scale Servers
  • Scanners
  • Electronic Mice
  • Digital Converter Boxes
  • Cable Receivers
  • Satellite Receivers
  • Digital Video Disc Recorders

While reportedly you could be fined for throwing out any of these devices, it's challenging to find any reference to that point on the IEPA website about the new law. The stated purpose of the law is to hold the manufacturers accountable for the growing amount of electronics in landfills. According to the IEPA: "For calendar year 2012 all manufacturers of the new list of covered electronic products must now register with the Illinois EPA and meet an annual recycling goal." Any manufacturer not complying with the Illinois Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act is liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 for the violation and an additional civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 for each day the violation continues.

Click here for a list of registered residential e-waste collection sites throughout the State of Illinois.

Mel Nickerson of the Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC), who helped author the amendments to Illinois’s e-cycling act and advocated for the original 2008 law, stops by the show today to talk about how Illinois has gone from one of the worst e-recyclers in the nation to one of the best. He is joined by Illinois State Representative Dan Biss, who, along with State Senator Susan Garrett, helped make this law a reality.

Learn about gardening at the Lincoln Park Zoo

That might sound a little odd, but even an institution like the Lincoln Park Zoo is surrounded by plants. In fact, the person who is in charge of those gardens is Lincoln Park Zoo Director of Horticulture Brian Houck, who stops by our new studios this morning to talk about a series of gardening seminars that starts this Wednesday, February 1. It's called "Smart and Soulful Gardening," and the response has been so great that the 6-7 p.m. seminar got filled immediately. So a second session was added for 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., as soon as they clear out the early crowd.

Houck says he wants to "make the joy of gardening accessible to everyone," whether you're a pro or a novice. Actually, he's a guy I've wanted to meet for awhile now, so this is the perfect opportunity. The remaining workshops will include

Saturday, February 18 - Starting Seeds: Inviting Spring Inside

Saturday, May 5 Herb Window Boxes 101

Saturday, May 12 Wildlife-Friendly Gardening

Pre-registration is required for all programs. Registration closes three days prior to each program. Space is limited and some seminars require a registration fee. More information here.

January 22, 2012

Countdown to Decision Chicago! The Great Herb Debate

Mark your calendars, sharpen your debating skills and get your seed packets lined up. Sunday, February ,5 is the date of the inaugural Great Herb Debate. The ubiquitous Mr. Brown Thumb and I have concocted this scheme in honor of the One Seed Chicago 2012 competition...and because I want to hear somebody wax poetic about chamomile.

As you might already know, One Seed Chicago--a partnership between NeighborSpace and GreenNet--is an urban greening project. Folks vote for their favorite seed from among three chosen each January 1st. Regardless of which seed you vote for, you receive a packet of the winning seed just for participating in the competition.

This year's choice is among basil, chamomile and cilantro. Mr. Brown Thumb and I are lining up surrogates who are willing to defend their candidates on my show. I hope to announce those names next week. However, any and everybody is welcome to voice an opinion before and during the debate via email, Twitter and Facebook. Send in those comments now. I'll post them on the Decision Chicago page (click on the image on the left) as I receive them.

And I'm still waiting to be bribed to throw my support to one of the seeds. Sheesh. What does it take in Chicago (!) to get a decent gift to help throw an election? C'mon, Chicagoans! Our checkered reputation is at stake!

Learning about and growing urban gardens in Chicago

A couple of years ago, I was hoping to set up a community garden in my neighborhood. I can't remember exactly how it happened, but Openlands Community Outreach Coordinator Julie Samuels, who is a friend and colleague of mine, told me about a half-day seminar that Openlands was sponsoring to help neighborhood groups plan and and build community gardens.

My community garden didn't happen for another year, but I was able to use many of the lessons I learned at that seminar to help start Green on McLean at the end of my block. Two years after that first class, the HomeGrown Chicago Network has expanded to a four-week course that focuses on

  • Finding and securing land,
  • Establishing a sustainable organizational structure,
  • Designing a garden and growing food organically, and
  • Building garden structures.

I'll be talking with Julie today about the program, which begins on March 24. It also provides customized workshops for garden groups; offers a program manual; donates lumber, soil, seeds, and other materials; and encourages participants to share advice and seeds at the beginning of each growing season. The cost is $150, which will cover four people from your gardening organization for the four-week course.

But wait, there's more! That's not the only gardening program that Openlands sponsors. If you hurry, you can still register for Building Urban Gardens (BUGs), which begins January 28 (next Saturday) at Garfield Park Conservatory. Whether you're working in a community garden or you just want to grow plants in your own backyard, here's what you'll learn in this six-week course, which covers

  • Planning and Designing Your Ecological/Organic Garden
  • The Basis of an Organic Garden: Healthy Soil and Composting
  • Vegetables for Your Beautiful, Edible Garden
  • Perennials and Herbs for Diversity and Flavor!
  • Insects and Weeds: A Place for Everything & Everything in its Place
  • Container and Raised Bed Gardening.

Once you finish the BUGs course, you can join a citywide corps of volunteer gardeners who care for community spaces throughout Chicago. Openlands thanks the Dr. Scholl Foundation for its support of this program.

For more information about the class and to register, please contact Julie Samuels via e-mail or by phone at 312-863-6256.

Coal pollutes Chicago air while batteries go back to the landfills

If you read that headline and wonder what the heck I'm talking about, let me explain.

I received a message this week from my friend Qae-Dah Muhammad, who is with the Ashe Park Advisory Council & Garden Club. She wrote:

Yes it is true. No more recycling your dead batteries. I searched for this information until my eyes watered. Went into the South Shore Library and my tired eyes landed on the flyer sitting on the information rack. The Illinois EPA says that you can throw them in the regular trash.

She included a link that sent me to the City of Chicago website, where this appears:

As of January 1, 2012, Chicago's Battery Recycling Program has been discontinued, including collections at Chicago Public Libraries. Rechargeable batteries can still be recycled at multiple locations throughout Chicago, such as the Household Chemicals and Computer Recycling Facility . Find additional locations at www.call2recycle.org .

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency recommends disposing of alkaline batteries with regular household trash. Alkaline batteries contain no hazardous waste and little recyclable materials. Previous environmental hazards associated with alkaline batteries were due to their mercury content.  The federal Battery Management Act of 1996 phased-out the use of mercury in alkaline batteries and today few, if any, alkaline batteries contain mercury.

My reaction could be categorized as WTF? I hadn't heard about this at all and, as many of you know, I'm President of the Chicago Recycling Coalition. Oops. I called Mike Mitchell, Executive Director of the Illinois Recycling Association and he confirmed that the IEPA had made some kind of determination last year.

So I did some searching on both the Illinois Evironmental Protection Agency site and the EPA site. Nothing. Zip. Nada. If they are changing the rules regarding the disposal of household batteries, they are certainly keeping it quiet.

I am determined to find out what's going on. I hope to contact the IEPA this week to get more information. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, Meteorologist Rick DiMaio wrote today to tell me about this front page story in Sunday's Chicago Tribune: Coal plants dominate list of Chicago's biggest polluters. Ya think? Michael Hawthorne writes:

No other polluter comes close to the 4.2 million metric tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide churned into the atmosphere by the two coal plants in 2010, according to a new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency database that for the first time allows people to compare major industrial sources of greenhouse gases

That's why it is so important for the Chicago City Council to finally pass the Chicago Clean Power Ordinance, reintroduced in late July 2011 by Ald. Joe Moore (49th Ward) and Ald. Danny Solis (25th Ward). Considering that the ordinance has 35 co-sponsors, one wonders why it hasn't been passed yet. It would require that the Fisk and Crawford coal plants reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 50% and particulate matter by 90%.

Perhaps it's time for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to step up and protect Chicago citizens from the ravages of these two ancient power plants, which continue to do more harm than good.

 

January 15, 2012

A message from LaSalle County: "Piss on Starved Rock."

Those of you who follow my Facebook or Twitter posts already know that last Thursday's meeting of the LaSalle County Board did not go well for supporters of Starved Rock State Park. In a 20 to 6 vote, board members voted to Mississippi Sand LLC to create an open pit sand mine on what is now a slightly more than 300 acre farm adjacent to Starved Rock State Park in Utica, Illinois.

According to a number of accounts, the two hundred or so people crowded into the Ottawa Knights of Columbus Hall were evenly split on the issue. However, my sources, who were also at the meeting, report that the sentiments ran decidedly against approval of the sand mine. This, despite the presence of union workers, who are hoping to see the sand mining jobs brought to the county.

What is undeniable is that it is an emotional issue on both sides. One of the people I interviewed on my show last week was told by a high-ranking LaSalle County Democratic official and union leader, "Piss on Starved Rock." Nice. This is what happenswhen the old "jobs v. the environment" meme is trotted out. It doesn't help when the Chicago Tribune reinforces this tired, discredited concept in the headline "Sand mine proposal near Starved Rock pits company against environmentalists." Oh, and by the way, Trib and Sun-Times, thanks for getting on board with this story the day before the vote. Well played.

Even a last-minute plea from Lt. Governor Sheila Simon to delay the vote until more study could be done failed to budge the board members from their laser-like focus on approving the 90-foot deep pit outside the eastern entrance to the jewel of the Illinois State Park System. LaSalle County Board member Rick Scott, who appears on the show this morning, introduced a motion to postpone the vote, but it was defeated handily. His concern was that people who own property next to the proposed mining site have had very little time to present their side to policy makers in the county.

Also on the program this morning is Cindy Skrukrud, Clean Water Advocate for the Illinois Sierra Club, who has had her hands full lately trying to prevent a coal strip mine from being approved near Canton in Fulton County. John McKee, President of the Starved Rock Audubon Society, who joined me last week, also stops by. The focus now shifts to agencies like the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), which is not only responsible for natural areas like Starved Rock but is charged with regulating the mining industry. Some people, like McKee, are concerned over what has been a deafening silence so far from DNR.

Among other places to look for help might be the Illinois EPA, the Lt. Governor's office (how does Ms. Simon feel about being summarily ignored at the LaSalle County board meeting?), the Governor's office (any comment, Mr. Quinn?) and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (ditto, Mr. Durbin).

This story is a long way from over...but Thursday's action in LaSalle County just made saving Starved Rock State a lot harder.

Winter arrives...a month late. How are plants holding up?

Well, we knew it wouldn't last forever. In fact, I'm one of those people who was actually happy to finally see some snow. But a lot of folks are concerned--and rightly so--with how their outdoor plants will react to getting faked out by warm weather and then whupped upside the head by Mother Nature.

Never fear: Cindy Baker, Manager of Horticultural Services at the Chicago Botanic Garden, is here to tell you what--or what NOT--to do. She should know her stuff. After all, she has been at the Garden for 24 years and she supervises more than100 acres there, including the Berm garden along the Edens Expressway. And if you can keep plants alive along an expressway, you must know what you're doing.

One Seed Chicago update: Nope, no decision yet

For those of you who are wondering which seed I have decided to favor in the One Seed Chicago 2012 competition, I'm still deciding. The choice is among basil, chamomile and cilantro, and I'm still waiting to be bribed to throw my support to one of them. In the event that nobody wants to bribe me, I will make a sudden, petulant decision, then throw my entire media empire behind one of the seeds.

On the other hand, somebody suggested to me on Twitter that I should have a debate on the show among the three contestant and then declare a winner. Hmm. It certainly would be a lot less stupid than the continuing reality show that are the Republican presidential debates.

Perhaps chamomile will have an "oops" moment. Could be fun.

 

January 8, 2012

New studios! And a new call-in number: 773-763-9278

I need a new introduction to my radio show. The one that talks about being midway between Zacatacos and Paco's Tacos is now obsolete. As of January 7, Chicago's Progressive Talk is now on the north side of town...which means that I will get a lot of grief from my south side friends. By the way, we have a whole slew of new phone numbers, so if you're a regular listener, you might want to keep this link handy.

And while we're not exactly in a glass bubble on Michigan Avenue, we are now housed in pretty-much state of the art digs at our new location on Milwaukee Avenue, midway between Lido Banquets and Andy's Deli & Mikolajczyk Sausage Shop, which is a lot harder to pronounce, especially if your Polish is as bad as mine.

And on this first day in the new studio, I have the honor of not only doing my own show, but filling in for Mike Sanders, host of Our Town. It's a little complicated, but in a nutshell, Mike also serves as engineer on Sunday mornings. And since we're in a new studio with new equipment, we thought it would be a good idea to keep Mike as undistracted as possible by things like, oh, a show and guests and phone calls and that sort of thing. So Mike will be playing technical geek while I'm on the air. Works for me.

I'll be joined by Mike's co-host, Julia Shu, who has promised to read one of her famous lists of the interesting, the odd and the ridiculous. And, in a kind of Self-Help Sunday reunion, Ron Cowgill of Mighty House has promised to stop by and chat about green home improvements. And even though we have barely experienced winter in Chicago, I want to talk to him about keeping your walks and driveways free of ice and snow. Our very own Beth Botts wrote about this in Chicagoland Gardening Magazine. And recently, I saw another article by the Chicago Botanic Garden's Tim Johnson in the Chicago Tribune.

But what really intrigued me was a product that Ron mentioned on his Saturday show called Propellant 49. The website looks like it was put together by a high school graphics student on a five minute deadline. Sorry, but look at it yourself. And it doesn't help that NOWHERE on the site can I find the active--or even ANY--listed ingredient. Hmm. We'll chat about that, too. I hope you tune in.

KAM Isaiah Israel puts food--and social justice--on the table

It was two years ago that I first met Robert Nevel, architect and chair of KAM Isaiah Israel's Social Justice Committee. I'm not exactly sure how he discovered my show, but he was eager to tell me about the Hyde Park congregation's food justice and sustainability program, including their gardens, education advocacy programs, interfaith outreach, and young leadership summer program. Mostly, he wanted to promote their first Martin Luther King, Jr. Social Justice Weekend, featuring respected speakers and seminars on food justice, urban farming and the environment.

Fast forward to 2012 and the third annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Social Justice Weekend.Nevel and his colleagues have long since earned my utmost respect. I've watched the garden at their congregation expand and mature, and I've seen them spread the gospel, so to speak, of growing your own. They have, with their harvests and their White Rock Gleaning program, delivered thousands of pounds of fresh produce to local soup kitchens and shelters, even dragging me along to help.

So it's a pleasure to have Robert Nevel back on the show today, along with Doriane C. Miller, M.D., Director of the Center for Community Health and Vitality at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Dr. Miller is presenting the keynote address on Friday evening, January 13, "Health and Food Justice: Observations from the South Side." Here's what the entire weekend looks like:

Friday, January 13: 

8:00 PM:  Shabbat Service
9:00 PM:  Lecture: "Health and Food Justice:  Observations from the South Side"

Saturday, January 14: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Panel Discussion: "From Plant to Plate - Distribution of Locally Grown Food"

Sunday, January 15: 11:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Workshops:  "From Plant to Plate - Practical Learning" - 18 Workshops and Presentations with Lunch and Cooking Demonstrations at Noon

All events are free and open to the public  Pre-Registration is strongly recommended for the Sunday workshops, as class space is limited.  You can RSVP for workshops here.

Still working to save Starved Rock State Park

When I first reported on this story on December 18, the LaSalle County zoning board of appeals had just approved a sand-mining operation on a 350 acre parcel of what is now farm land just south of the town of Ottawa. The problem is that the land is adjacent to one of the most visited natural areas in Illinois, Starved Rock State Park.

The vote was unanimous, despite the fact that so many people turned out to the meeting that it had to be moved to a larger location and then held over two days. In the wake of that meeting, I interviewed Jack Darin, director of the Illinois Sierra Club, which urged people to write to the LaSalle County Board and tell them to reject the zoning board's decision. A couple of local residents, geologist Mike Phillips and city planner Debbie Burns, echoed that sentiment, citing damage that an open pit sand mine could do to wetlands and to the quality of the experience for visitors to Starved Rock. The good news: Jack Darin tells me that 6,000 people have taken action this week at this site.

One would hope that the average county board member, after receiving 6,000 requests, might get the idea that people feel passionately about an issue. Still, the prognosis might not be that good for a happy environmental ending. My sources have told me that they expect the full board to rubber stamp the zoning board's vote, regardless of the growing controvery surrounding this decision. Even though this part of Illinois, and north into Wisconsin, are prime areas to mine silica that is used in fracking, more and more citizens and environmental groups are challenging the industry's argument that the mining work has minimal impact on surrounding lands.

With the full board's vote scheduled for Thursday, January 12, LaSalle county residents have started to organize opposition to the proposed Mississippi Sand LLC operation. A number of those people are joining me on the show today: John McKee, President of the the Starved Rock Audubon Society; Daphne Mitchell of the Illinois River Coordinating Council; Joseph Standing Bear from Midwest Soarring Foundation; Merlin Calhoun, whose LaSalle county property is in the firing line of the proposed sand mine; Tracy Fox, activist and technical writer, who reportedly spoke eloquently but futilely at the zoning board meeting; Katie Dumke Troccoli, who is helping to organize a rally against the decision tomorrow in Ottawa; and perhaps more.

As I dig deeper and deeper into this issue, I have a number of questions, some of which I hope can be answered on this morning's program:

  • I have been told that, in Illinois, once the zoning board votes, it is a done deal. Really? Then why bother with a vote of the full board?
  • I have also been told that the County Board fears being sued by Mississippi Sand, should it rule against the company. Again, I ask: Really? On what grounds? Exercising its municipal rights and duties?
  • There is a deal currently being considered for a sand mine in Utica, too. That operation would be north of the Illinois River, whereas Starved Rock is south of the river. How many other operations are being considered and how many ecologically sensitive areas would they affect?
  • How will archeologically important and sacred indigenous areas be affected? Perhaps Joseph Standing Bear will have some answers.
  • Apparently, there have been no permits yet requested for the operation, perhaps because it hasn't been officially approved. Is this significant?
  • Lt. Governor Sheila Simon's chief of staff Deirdre “DK” Hirner will reportedly be at Thursday's board meeting. Does this mean that the Governor's office plans to get involved in this controvesy?
  • How many jobs will be created by this operation? The numbers I keep hearing are 38 or 39. Is that right? Ransoming the future of the "jewel" of the Illinois State Park system for 39 jobs? What about the jobs in the park that will be lost if key parts of that land are degraded and people start staying away?
  • Finally, where is the money trail? My sources tell me that the county stands to make very little money on this deal. I'm told that the taxes raised on this parcel will be insignificant. So how is the county benefitting? Who's making the money?

As I mentioned earlier, there is a rally Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at Jordan Block (Main and LaSalle St) in downtown Ottawa. Concerned citizens are being asked to ring signs, candles, and solidarity to the event. More information, including a map, is available on the event Facebook page.

One Seed Chicago update: Mike is still deciding

For those of you who are wondering which seed I have decided to favor in the One Seed Chicago 2012 competition, I'm still deciding. The choice is among basil, chamomile and cilantro, and I'm still waiting to be bribed to throw my support to one of them. In the event that nobody wants to bribe me, I will make a sudden, petulant decision, then throw my entire media empire behind one of the seeds.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

And don't forget to recycle your holiday trees and lights

I have no idea what Chi-Town Cheapskate is, but I give them kudos for putting together a one-stop shopping guide to recycling not just Christmas trees, but the lights, too. So in the interest of giving credit where credit is due, I'm posting the link to their recycling article, mainly because, unlike most of the stories I've seen, they also include suburban locations. Good on you, Chi-Town Cheapskate, whatever you are.

 

January 1, 2012

A new year...and D. Landreth Seed Company can see the light

One of the most inspirational stories of 2011--and now of the new year--has been the continuing struggle of the D. Landreth Seed Company, as the 227 year-old business claws its way out of near financial ruin. If you're a regular listener to this show, you know that I started following this story after I was made aware of it in a post by Mr. Brown Thumb (more on him later).

Basically, a note was called on the outstanding debt of the company and they had about a month to show that they could paid the bill. Their goal was to sell one million catalogs in...who knows how long. The original deadline was September 30th but that was extended as orders came in. Owner Barbara Melera appeared on my show a number of times to talk about how things were going. While she was always upbeat, she wrote that behind the scenes, things were tougher than they needed to be because of their credit card processor, First Data Merchant Corporation:

On October 14th we received a letter from First Data telling us that they refused to be our credit card processor and that they were terminating the relationship on October 27, 2011, BUT they were keeping at least $50,000 plus any transaction funds posted after 10-27-2011 for six months, supposedly to cover all of the refunds they were going to have to make because of the scam we were running.

Scam?? If that's the case, then Melera is one of the great scam artists of all history. I mean, not only did she con me (easy enough to do), but she dragged along people like Oprah, Martha Stewart, Ellen Degeneres and Rose O'Donnell, not to mention companies like John Deere and Organic Valley, as well as organizations like the Sierra Club and Mother Nature Network. So I was gratified to see this posted on the Landreth Seed Company Facebook page this week:

GREAT NEWS!! Your facebook posts, letters and emails and voicemails WORKED. We have just received a call from FDMC, literally moments ago, and they are releasing our funds which should be in our account by Friday. YOU DID THIS. They would never have listened to us, but they did listen to all of you. It is now being said that social media will mean the democratization of process and you have just proven this. You have proven that true justice can be accomplished, quickly and efficiently, even in America. Thank you, Landreth friends.

Well, after seeing that, I knew that I was going to have Barb back on the show on this New Year's Day. Meanwhile, keep the orders coming! Listeners to my show have really stepped up, which makes me feel like a proud pappa. You can get a sense of the quality of this catalog by linking to sample pages here. Log onto these various social media sites to continue to get the word out: Landreth Seed Co, Save Landreth Seed Company, Order their 2012 Catalog!, and more. If you're on Twitter, use the hashtag #savelandreth. If you just want to make a contribution, go to ChipIn.com and click the icon on the upper right hand side of the page.

One Seed Chicago contest goes online LIVE on my show!

Mr. Brown Thumb, who I mentioned above in reference to the D. Landreth Seed Company, is back on the show today to announce the contestants in the One Seed Chicago 2012 competition. He is joined by Ben Helphand, Executive Director of NeighborSpace, Chicago's land trust for community gardens, which is the chief organization behind the competition.

Each year One Seed Chicago selects one plant to be the focus of a season-long celebration. Actually, One Seed Chicago chooses three plants, and voters decide which is most worthy of being celebrated. In the past, the votes have alternated between flowers and vegetables. If you watched the competition last year, you know that the contestants were radish, eggplant and Swiss chard.

Of course, it was hardly a fair fight, once I threw my support behind Swiss chard. At that point, my loyal followers (all 3 or 4), stuffed the ballot box, if only to keep me from sulking. At the end of the voting, when Swiss chard was announced as the winner, I was declared Chard Overlord and accorded all of the rights and privileges therewith (and post haste, if I'm not mistaken). As a result of my stomping all over the democratic process last year (which I thoroughly enjoyed), I've decided TO NOT STEAL THE ELECTION THIS YEAR!

I'm not sure how much I'm supposed to reveal about this year's vote, so I'm going to let Mr. Brown Thumb handle that duty. In fact, not only will MBT be revealing the three seeds, but he promises to hit the switch that puts the contest online LIVE DURING THE SHOW! It will be an unprecedented marriage of the broadcast and Internet media. Well, perhaps not unprecedented, but pretty cool, anyway.

As I mentioned , One Seed Chicago is a project of NeighborSpace, in partnership with GreenNet Chicago. Other sponsors are Openlands, Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance and Illinois Extension-Cook County. Residents from the Chicagoland area vote on their favorite as a reward for your vote (it's kind of a bribe, I guess), you receive a packet of seeds of the winning plant. Teachers can request a classroom size packet along with an educator guide.

Sustainable Food Fundamentals
"Farmstead Chef": fixin' good food fixins that're good for the planet

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not big on cookbooks, chiefly because I don't cook. I don't draw, either, whether with ink, pencil or crayons. Other than that, I'm pretty open to things.

That being said, however, I'm not an idiot and I know when a book--even a cookbook--has a lot going for it. Which is why John Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist, authors of Farmstead Chef  are on the show today. Okay, that and we happen to have mutual acquaintances. More on that in a moment.

If you have any sensitivity at all towards the local/sustainable/healthy/whateveryouwantotcallit food movement that is taking our country and its kitchen tables by storm, this is the cookbook for you. Regardless of how appealing it sounds, not everybody is going to do what Ivanko and Kivirist did--start Inn Serendipity, an organic and largely fossil fuel-free farm complete with Bed and Breakfast in Wisconsin.

Which is why it's such a good thing that they are passing along their knowledge of what it's like to live--and eat--close to the land. But they do it by suggesting rather than preaching. As they say in the book:

Farmstead Chef showcases the creative and budget-friendly side to eating lower on the food chain more often, while taking responsibility for the food we put into our bodies--by growing it, sharing it, savoring it. By lower on the food chain we mean more fruits and vegetables and less meat. Not "no meat"...This "farmsteadtarian" cookbook--preparing healthy meals with ingredients sourced as close as possible from a farm, ranch or artisan food purveyor--is anything but prescriptive, proclaiming you will die an early death if you touch an ounce of sugar, eat meat or unwind with a strawberry daiquiri at the end of the day.

Whew! They had me worried for a second. Pass the merlot.

The chapters feature the various types of meals that we eat: breakfast entrees, breads, soups, "sides, sauces and salads," nibbles (appetizers), main dishes, "cakes, pies and sweets," and drinks. There is a final chapter devoted to their son Liam's favorites and tips on pantry stocking. The recipes are simply and efficiently explained so that even a novice like me can follow them (no small feat). Ivanko and Kivirist stress eating "seasonally," but they are not dogmatic about it, mercifully.

Along the way there are tips about cooking and sustainability and healthy eating. There are also short articles, which they call "Kitchen Table Talks," that feature farming friends, urban gardeners, chefs and the like. That's where our mutual acquaintances come in--Beth and Jody Osmund of Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm, who have been on my show several times. Farmstead Chef devotes a Kitchen Table Talk segment to the Osmunds under the title "Meet Your Meat Maker." See? I told you that they weren't dogmatic about food. Meat is certainly welcome on the table, as long as it is raised and killed humanely and sustainably.

There's a lot I'm missing here, including the dishes, like

  • zucchini feta pancakes
  • fresh tomato breakfast pie
  • winter squash spice muffins
  • homemade vegan pitas and pita chips
  • cheese roasted asparagus
  • creamy spinach salad
  • vegan hearty root vegetable dip
  • creamy leek pastries
  • herb-infused spare ribs
  • fried green tomato & basil sandwich
  • beet burgers
  • Italian sausage risotto (courtesy of Beth and Jody Osmund)
  • strawberry dessert pizza
  • pear crumb pie
  • homemade graham crackers

Hey, you'll just have to get the book. You'll think that the 20 bucks you paid is the best bargain you've made in all of 2012. That's a joke, of course, but the cookbook is terrific.

Saving Starved Rock State Park

The controversy surrounding Starved Rock State Park and the attempt to put an open pit sand mine next to its entrance is still on my radar...and should be on yours. I will be discussing this issue on next week's show. In the meantime, find out more about the issue from the Illinois Sierra Club. You can submit a comment to the LaSalle County Board here.

New electronics recycling law for 2012

As of this morning, if you throw out those old electronics, you could be fined for it. That's the result of a new law that went into effect as of January 1, 2012. Mike Mitchell, Executive Director of the Illinois Recycling Association, talked about this a few weeks ago on the show. The new law expands the number of covered electronic products in Illinois from four to seventeen. Here's the full list:

  • Televisions
  • Monitors
  • Printers
  • Computers ( laptop, notebook, netbook, tablet )
  • Electronic Keyboards
  • Facsimile Machines
  • Videocassette Recorders
  • Portable Digital Music Players
  • Digital Video Disc Players
  • Video Game Consoles
  • Small Scale Servers
  • Scanners
  • Electronic Mice
  • Digital Converter Boxes
  • Cable Receivers
  • Satellite Receivers
  • Digital Video Disc Recorders

While you could be fined for throwing out any of these devices, the real purpose of the law is to hold the manufacturers accountable for the growing amount of electronics in landfills. According to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, "For calendar year 2012 all manufacturers of the new list of covered electronic products must now register with the Illinois EPA and meet an annual recycling goal." Any manufacturer not complying with the Illinois Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act is liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 for the violation and an additional civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 for each day the violation continues.

Click here for more on the Electronic Products Recycling & Reuse Act and the responsibilities to manufacturers.

And don't forget to recycle your holiday trees and lights

I have no idea what Chi-Town Cheapskate is, but I give them kudos for putting together a one-stop shopping guide to recycling not just Christmas trees, but the lights, too. So in the interest of giving credit where credit is due, I'm posting the link to their recycling article, mainly because, unlike most of the stories I've seen, they also include suburban locations. Good on you, Chi-Town Cheapskate, whatever you are.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER SHOWS