…including ways we can right our environmental wrongs and help nature thrive…”

I do not believe that humans are inherently bad for nature. In history, humans lived harmoniously with nature for generations, living as an intertwined part of nature rather than separate from or in control of it. In fact, even today, in many places in the world, healthy ecosystems actually depend on human intervention and stewardship to thrive.

Does that mean the problem is that humans aren’t living in harmony with nature anymore, as we should be? Well, that may be a piece of it; however, in addition to being better environmental stewards by taking measures to protect the environment, I also believe that we should be taking reactive measures to fix the problems we have already caused. This is where ecological restoration comes into play. There are plenty of things individuals can do to help the environment, including ways we can right our environmental wrongs and help nature thrive in places it used to. Ecological restoration is just that – righting the wrongs, repairing the relationship.

WHAT? – Defining Ecological Restoration

The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) is the leading organization in ecological restoration across the globe. SER defines ecological restoration as “the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed”^[1]. In other words, ecological restoration involves looking at spaces that used to be natural areas that have been ruined in some way as a result of human activities and disturbances, and then taking measures to turn those areas back into functional ecosystems.

The process of ecosystem restoration // SOURCE: Medium

An example of this process in a community could be transforming a damaged, unused parking lot space into a city park where native vegetation can be planted. A larger scale project might look like reverting a decommissioned, highly polluted mine site back into a thriving natural ecosystem. But, wait. Isn’t this supposed to be about how individuals can practice ecological restoration? Absolutely! Ecological restoration does include large scale projects, research, and experiments, since restoration ecology is an academic field of study. But the concept of restoring natural spaces can also be scaled down to the local, household level. So let’s get into what ecological restoration has to do with YOU.

WHY? – The Benefits

Before we discuss the how, we should discuss the why. Why should you care about ecological restoration? Because it benefits you!

Restoring natural areas can do wonders for human health and wellbeing by making our communities healthier and more desirable places to live. For example, transforming degraded areas into functional, natural spaces may improve air and water quality. Ecological restoration projects could also combat climate change, since plant life takes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and cools our environment.

Natural areas also directly benefit human mental health and wellbeing by providing recreational outdoor space, and making urban and suburban areas more aesthetically pleasing. Several studies, including one conducted by the NASA Earth Observatory, have shown the link between positive mental health and both the accessibility and proximity to green spaces. Green spaces are valued by many for enjoyment, boosting their mood, and inspiring deeper connections with nature. To break it down: Ecological restoration = more parks and gardens = more outdoor fun and good-looking cities = happier people.

Ecological restoration projects also usually provide increased and improved habitat spaces for wildlife. Now, I know this article is focused on why ecological restoration is relevant to people, and you are probably not a butterfly or toad looking for habitat, but hear me out. Some very important species are at risk of extinction since their habitat needs are becoming harder to meet in this era of urbanization and climate change. Many natural areas have been reduced or destroyed, and the animals who need to live in those spaces are struggling to survive in many cases. The karner blue butterfly is just one of many examples of a pollinator species that has gone locally extinct in Ontario.

The Karner Blue Butterfly // SOURCE: Nature Canada

Pollinators are especially valuable species for the health of the entire planet, so we really can’t afford to lose any more of them. It is estimated that up to 95% of flowering plants depend on pollination^[2]. In terms of plants that humans eat, that means roughly one out of every three bites of food that you take exists because of pollinators. So if pollinators can’t find habitats and continue to decline, our entire global food system could be at stake. Now that is a scary thought. Allow me to bring back the optimism. It is truly amazing that we have the capability to stop those environmental dooms from happening, and a key method to do so is ecological restoration!

HOW? – The Actions

The individual’s role in ecological restoration is simple: transform your areas with little to no diversity into biodiverse paradises, and take part in local community projects.

One great starting point for figuring out where you should do ecological restoration is identifying areas outdoors that have little to nothing growing there. The average North American lawn is a great example of this. What comes to mind when you think of a lawn? Probably an expanse of short, uniform grass. Let me explain why lawns are one of the areas with the most potential for ecological restoration at the household level.

Lawns are very common green spaces in urban and suburban areas, yet they have no ecological value. Many lawns actually do more harm than good for the environment because they require lots of water and can even release more greenhouse gases than they absorb. It is nonsensical that these precious areas of green space are being wasted on lawn grass!

The key to remember here is simply – restore your green spaces so they are welcoming to a diversity of species in order to create functional ecosystems and promote sustainability.

nstead of having a boring, homogenous lawn, you can transform that space into something more beautiful and ecologically-beneficial! Alternative lawns may look different depending on where you live and what kind of space you have available, but planting a diversity of native plants is a good start. Using a diversity of plants, meaning plants of different species, is important to create habitats. The more diverse your space is, the more types of pollinators and other species it will accommodate, and the more functional the ecosystem will be! If you take pride in the beauty of your yard, then now is the time to let your creativity shine! Check out Credit Valley Conservation’s tips and resources on how to “ecologically landscape” your lawn.

SOURCE: Hamilton Pollinator Paradise

If you don’t have the resources to completely change your lawn right away, don’t worry. You can also just let your grass grow longer instead of regularly cutting it, which can lower the lawn’s water requirements and still foster a space for pollinators. Even simply taking a break from raking leaves in the fall is a strategy to make your spaces more ecologically beneficial because leaf piles are actually super important spaces for small critters to live and hide, like butterfly larvae, salamanders, and shrews!

The key to remember here is simply – restore your green spaces so they are welcoming to a diversity of species in order to create functional ecosystems and promote sustainability.

 For those who don’t have a lawn and don’t have any areas where you can create habitats and gardens, there are still things you can do – just get involved. There are so many local ecological restoration community projects, practically across the whole globe. Finding a project near you that you can help with is just a few clicks away! Just research ecological restoration projects near you. You can also go to the project database on SER’s website to find some larger scale projects in your area if you’re interested in learning more! Many ecological restoration projects welcome volunteers with open arms. You could spend a day in nature by joining a team pulling invasive species in a natural area, or donate to a local initiative trying to turn an old landfill site into a park in your city, or even take a field trip to a conservation area! For example, the Ontario branch of SER hosts several field trips each year in order to introduce the public to restoration efforts near them. Even during the pandemic, they are hosting virtual field trips and webinars.

I study at the University of Waterloo and I like to go for walks on my study breaks. Recently, I took a walk in Filsinger Park, in Kitchener, and I found out that the Filsinger Park stream had been a restoration project. The city replaced the concrete stream channels with native vegetation to create a naturalized, functional stream ecosystem, and it is now a beautiful place to take a walk and appreciate nature! My point is, simply going for a walk and discovering ecological restoration in your city could be the first step in making your mark on the environment a positive one. Ecological restoration is relevant to you. We can all contribute to restoring natural spaces in our own backyards and communities. And by making these contributions, we can restore our relationship with nature, one step at a time.

^[1] Society for Ecological Restoration, “International Principles and Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration: Second Edition” (accessed January 7, 2021) <https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.ser.org/resource/resmgr/docs/ser_international_standards_.pdf>^[2] Ollerton J, Winfree R, and Tarrant S, “How many flowering plants are pollinated by animals?” (accessed January 7, 2021) <https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0706.2010.18644.x>

^[2] Ollerton J, Winfree R, and Tarrant S, “How many flowering plants are pollinated by animals?” (accessed January 7, 2021) <https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0706.2010.18644.x>

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Editor’s note: This article is an exploration of a truly complicated topic: food and climate change. We’ve shared perspectives that touch upon the personal aspects, the scientific realities, and the actionable first-steps that can be taken to better plan for future changes in our climate.

The Morning Meal

“Aunt Mary, what’s baann knock?” I looked over my mug of chicory root “coffee” at my nephew screwing his eyes at the word. He was looking through an old cookbook of mine. “Bannock. A bread made by many of our Indigenous neighbours. Or Scottish. Depends who you ask,” I answered in all scholarly seriousness.

“Oh” replied Evan. “So, is that what you’re making now?”

My answer to this latest question was a chuckle; Evan does not like surprises and that’s exactly what I was serving him for breakfast.

He was staying with me for the weekend while his parents were down in that crammed Barrie metropolis. They were closing the sales on the last of their land holdings in the Greater Barrie area before leaving the city for good. Some would fold into the Greenbelt, and some they would sell or lease. Boring stuff for a child. Of course, I didn’t mind having Evan stay with me on my little farm in Foleyet. I can always use more hands out here.

“I told you I’m making a special breakfast. Have you finished your goat’s milk?” As if the milk moustache hadn’t given that answer away, Evan put down the Parr Trail cookbook and gave his glass a last sip.

“But, Aunt Mary, how come today is a special breakfast?”

“Because, Evan, it’s just you, me, and the tummy tickler!” I said as I found the same spot on his belly that used to send his father and me into fits of giggles. “Now,” I said, “can I trust you to fetch a few eggs from the coop?”

“Yes!” He was still young enough to love watching the chickens scratch the dirt and cluck at each other.

“Alright, then grab a basket and remember to say thank you to the hens.”

“I will Aunt Mary!” And with the speed known only to seven-year-olds, was out of the kitchen and over to the coop before the door could swing back shut.

Tempus fugit is no joke. Did the radio really say it was summer 2040? It’s when I spend time with my nephew I realize just how much has changed. When I was Evan’s age, almost every weekend breakfast was a thing of wonder. It was easy to enjoy mountains of bacon, homemade bread, BBQ fruit skewers (my grandfather loved cooking fruit, no matter the season), eggs however we liked them, REAL coffee, and, of course, pancakes. Someone’s birthday or a holiday might’ve meant adding to the table smoked salmon and Montreal bagels, or fried chicken and waffles, or – “Thank you Hen” – like a pin to a balloon, my nephew’s serious voice broke through my food montage. I looked through the window and spied him adding two more eggs to the basket.

I never thought I’d be living (never mind farming!) – so far north in Ontario. I worked hard in Toronto for my finance degree and lived the ideal urban life for a while – no car, a solid Bay Street job and a few potted plants on my condo balcony.

Our diets shifted so gradually, I barely noticed at first. I only started paying attention to the differences in the land and food once the economy followed the climate, and changed as well. Breakfast tables today are 

no longer laden with imported wonders and mountains of processed meats; one just can’t afford them for the everyday.

Now, we save bacon for special occasions. Grandpa’s BBQ fruit skewers aren’t the same without a bit of pineapple (wow, I can’t recall the last time I saw a fresh pineapple), but I’ve been making my own peach and cherry skewers for years. Two years ago I joined other homesteaders to supply a community shared agriculture program to 500 people. Anything from yellow watermelons to patty pan squashes might show up in our boxes, so we never know what we’ll cook with next. No, breakfasts aren’t the same as they were 15 years ago.

But then again, not much is. 

Climate Change and Food Production

On one hand, a warming climate in cooler parts of the world like Aunt Mary’s homestead on the Canadian Shield will provide extra heat for plants to grow bigger and faster. This, combined with the higher carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels, could increase food production in these regions.

On the other hand, rising temperatures in warmer areas will push crops past their heat tolerance threshold. This will likely offset any increase in food production on a global scale. A recent publication in Nature suggests that with just a 1°C increase in global temperatures, global wheat yield will decline by 4.1 percent to 6.4 percent. This is extremely bad news for a crop that, together with rice and maize, supplies over half the world’s calories.

Ethiopia’s 2017 drought crisis led to the death of over two million livestock. A severe heat wave in central California killed 6000 cattle. However, while, the food system is a victim of climate change, it is also responsible for approximately one-third of all human-related GHG emissions. Infographic by Evan Gravely

Ethiopia’s 2017 drought crisis reminds us about the fragility of our food-producing landscapes. Extreme water shortages brought on by warming temperatures in the Indian Ocean exhausted pastures and dried up local water supplies, leading to the death of over two million livestock. Normally, these animals supply milk to Ethiopia’s pastoral communities and are a major source of food. Without them, people go hungry. By August, nearly one in twelve Ethiopians were depending on dwindling emergency food aid.

The changing climate, sped up by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere, is changing humans’ ability to grow food. For regions in Africa, rising temperatures could double the risk of drought by the end of the 21^st century, and the pattern follows for other areas of the world at middle latitudes. Flooding, which devastates crop harvests, will also increase, along with the risk for severe heat waves, such as the one that killed an estimated 4,000 to 6,000 cattle in central California this past June. Most regions in the world are not prepared for such climatic extremes, and even a modest increase in extreme weather events could wreak havoc on food production.

The trajectory of global food production will depend on how well societies adapt to the effects of climate change. For example, a warmer climate will likely increase the spread of diseases like Asian soybean rust, which can reduce soybean yields by anywhere from 10 to 80 percent. Rising temperatures and other human factors are disrupting pollinator populations, which are essential for food production and contribute billions of dollars to the agricultural economy.

Most of the higher-tech, scientific agricultural innovations to address climate change impacts (such as engineering disease- and drought-resistant crop varieties, or inventing pollinator drones) are concentrated in the richest regions of the world, despite the fact that climate change will most heavily impact the poorest regions. As a result, the damage caused by climate-related food system disturbances will be asymmetrical between the richest and poorest parts of the world.

But the true crux of the problem is this: while the food system is a victim of climate change, it is also responsible for approximately one-third of the human-related GHG emissions. As well as adapting to the regional impacts of climate change, societies must contain rising global temperatures by reducing their GHG emissions, and much of that will concern farming practices.

Agricultural lands take up over 40 percent of the Earth’s land surface, and food production activities on that land contribute billions of metric tonnes of GHG’s to the atmosphere every year. This is primarily through the emission of methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) – gases that are drastically more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of their warming potential. One important source of nitrous oxide comes from the widespread use of nitrogen-based fertilizers to grow crops, which has increased sevenfold over the last half century. Methane production from worldwide rice cultivation, the conversion of natural areas to agriculture, on-farm energy use, and the production of fertilizers, pesticides, and other farm inputs all add to the GHG burden of food production.

Methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) are the most potent source of farm-related GHG. The largest portion – 65 percent –
of agricultural emissions come from cattle and other ruminant belches (CH₄), and from applying natural or synthetic fertilizers and wastes to soils (N₂O). Plants use only a portion of the nitrogen from fertilizers and as soil microbes break down the rest, they release NO₂ back into the atmosphere.

Smaller sources include manure management, rice cultivation, field burning of crop residues, and fuel use on farms. In the underground carbon cycle, organisms decompose organic material into its simplest components. One of these is CO₂ and it is stored in the soil in high concentrations. Because the concentration of soil and atmospheric CO₂ is different, some CO₂ diffuses into the atmosphere. However, there are huge fluxes in the uptake and release of CO₂ through these two processes and the net release of CO₂ into the atmosphere is estimated to be quite small (less than one percent of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions). Diagram by Ryan Garcia | adaptedfrom ippc (2006)

Overshadowing these factors, however, is global livestock production, which accounts for well over a third of all food-related GHG emissions. When cows and other ruminants digest food, microbial fermentation takes place, which releases CH₄ into the environment when the animals pass gas. Furthermore, since livestock production diverts approximately one-third of all cereal crops for their feed, this system also carries the GHG footprint of intensive crop cultivation.

Beyond production, food often has to travel long distances for distribution and undergoes energy-intensive processing and manufacturing activities. After processing, food must be packaged, stored, and sold through a food retail infrastructure that generates its own GHG emissions. While there are no globally available estimates, in the United Kingdom, food supply chain activities occurring after production make up nearly half of all food-related GHG emissions.

A final but important consideration is how food waste contributes to climate change. Approximately a third of all food ends up wasted. This occurs for various reasons, including poor handling, issues with storage and transportation, as well as the rigorous quality standards that food retailers impose upon their suppliers. Food waste fills up landfills and releases N₂O and CH₄ into the atmosphere
when it decomposes. Moreover, food waste represents the lost potential to mitigate GHGs by using what we produce more efficiently.

Ultimately, we need to start feeding ourselves in a way that does not contribute climate change – the force that threatens our future food supply. Agricultural technologies and techniques may shield our food-producing landscapes from the worst effects of climate change, but these responses are only viable on a global scale if they’re accessible to the most vulnerable. We must prioritize solutions that work for everyone. 

Back to the Futue of Saving Seeds

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Timing: When you start your seedlings depends on where you live. Check a gardening map to find out which zone you are in, and the average spring frost-free date in your area. Then use a planting calendar, such as this handy one from You Grow Girl, to figure out when to start seeding. Remember that some varieties can be planted directly in the ground, while others do a lot better if they are started indoors and transplanted outdoors as seedlings.

Getting started

Timing: When you start your seedlings depends on where you live. Check a gardening map to find out which zone you are in, and the average spring frost-free date in your area. Then use a planting calendar, such as this handy one from You Grow Girl, to figure out when to start seeding. Remember that some varieties can be planted directly in the ground, while others do a lot better if they are started indoors and transplanted outdoors as seedlings.

Space: Which varieties will do well in your garden depends on what kind of space you can give them. Do you have a large garden? Are you hoping to plant in containers on a patio? Will your plants get good sunlight? Check the guidelines on seed packets, and pick crops and varieties that do well in your conditions. Remember to only plant as much as you can fit! Squashes, for example, need a lot more space than most greens do.

Soil: Do you know much about your soil? If you are starting a garden for the first time, it may be a good idea to add compost and/or manure to amend the soil before you plant. If it’s not your first year gardening, remember to rotate your veggies, so that you end up with light feeders or nitrogen fixers, such as beans and peas, in the spots where you previously grew heavy feeders such as tomatoes.

RELATED: Learn About Sprouting, Rain Gardens, Micro-Farming and Seed Saving

The three essentials

Light: Not all seeds need light to germinate, but once they have sprouted, all seedlings need light to grow. This is what allows the little plants to photosynthesize and make energy to get bigger. Bright light is very important! A sunny window is often not enough – sometimes you may have to add grow lights to make sure your seedlings get the start they need to be strong and productive for the rest of the season.

Heat: Some seeds need warmth to germinate, while others can tolerate cooler weather. If it is too cool though, your seeds may germinate slowly or not at all. (This is the reason we can’t just plunk seeds in the ground in the spring in colder growing zones!) Most seeds germinate at room temperature (optimum germination temperatures for many garden vegetables are between 15˚C and 30˚C). If you find that your seeds aren’t germinating (and you are sure that your seed isn’t too old), you may want to consider moving them somewhere a bit warmer, or adding a heat pad under your trays.

Moisture: Seeds need moisture to germinate and seedlings need moisture to grow. But not too much! A good rule of thumb is to make sure that your seeded soil doesn’t dry out until the seeds germinate. When your seedlings have come up, water when the soil is starting to look a bit dry, but not so dry that your seedlings are wilting. Make sure when you water that the moisture gets to the bottom of the container or cell your little plant is in – that’s where its roots are!

RELATED: How to Start a Community Garden

Two common problems

Most seedling starting problems can be linked back to one (or both!) of two problems:

Too much moisture: Do your seedlings look well and healthy for a few days, and then fall over because the stem seemed to have shrivelled up at the base? This is called damping off, and happens when your plants are getting too much water. Make sure you let the soil dry out a bit more between waterings, and sprinkle some cinnamon on the soil to help keep fungus at bay.

Not enough light: Are your seedlings long, spindly and “leggy”? Are they not quite strong enough to hold themselves up? If so, they want more light! Leggy seedlings make leggy plants, which are not quite strong enough to be productive. Move your seedlings to a sunnier spot, or better yet, set a grow light up above them, and keep them as close to the light as possible (without touching).

Two great resources

You Grow Girl has pretty much all the information you need to plan your garden, start seeds and care for seedlings, troubleshoot, and even harvest and preserve your produce later in the season.

High Mowing Seeds has a handy database of growing instructions you can search by crop type. 
 

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I used to be scared of bees. As a child I panicked and ran away screaming from bees during recess. Usually, the bee was just chillin’ on a dandelion. I know now that the bee was probably just minding its own business, collecting pollen from flowers.

Honeybees as a species were imported into North America in the early 17th century. Humans have been keeping hives for centuries, to help with the pollination of plants and to harvest the honey these bees make. There are over 4,000 species of bees that are native to North America, none of which are domesticated like the honeybee.

More and more people these days are getting into hobby beekeeping and starting their own, non-professional beehives. I visited two beekeepers in Waterloo Region in Southern Ontario and learned about how they started their hives. Melissa has been a beekeeper for around two years and Marco for about one.

In recent years, colony collapse disorder (CCD) has emerged as an environmental crisis. Beehives are dying at alarming rates which consequently puts our food supply at risk. Pollinators like honeybees fertilize flowers and enable the creation of seeds and fruit. Pollinators aid in the production of one third of the world’s crops. Colony collapse disorder clearly indicates that the health of honeybees is at serious risk.

RELATED: 37 Million Dead Bees Bring Strong Warnings and International Bee Expert Speaks Out

Pesticide use and mono-crop farming are factors linked to CCD. Keeping honeybees without conventional pesticides is just one way to help pollination of nearby plants. Natural beekeeping practices include not using pesticides in the beehive for mites, or on the fields surrounding your hive.

Bees in Marco’s hive drinking honey.

If you are interested in beekeeping, start by educating yourself. To get an overview of honey bees and the problems they face today, start by watching these films: More Than Honey (2012), Queen of the Sun (2010) and Vanishing of the Bees (2009).  

There are lots of books about beekeeping and you will probably want one comprehensive book for your library. Most geographical regions also have a beekeeping association. Look up your local association and get connected; here’s a list of Beekeepers Associations in Canada (and some more links here). Many of these associations have a mentorship program for new beekeepers. Learn from local beekeepers about how the honey bees are faring in your region. You may also be able to buy your first nucleus colony through other beekeepers in the association.

A simple thing anyone can do to help bees is to provide food by not plucking your dandelions, or plant other bee-friendly flowers. You can also get involved in taking political action to push for better regulations on pesticides that have not been proven safe for bees. In Ontario, the government is starting a consultation process on pesticide use and their link to the health of honeybees, and will be restricting the use of neonicotinoids starting this autumn.

RELATED: Read this before you yank out that dandelion.

So whatever your interest in helping honey bees, the next time you see one buzzing around your garden, don’t panic, and be glad the bees are helping our food grow. We couldn’t do it without them. 

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Dandelions are everywhere. It’s impossible not to notice the yellow blooming plants this time of year. They grow just about anywhere, including our lawns, where most people see them as the annoying weed that needs to be killed, whether by pesticides or the more environmentally-friendly (and safer) method of just digging them out. But have you ever considered that this abundant plant maybe has its purpose?

Herbalists have long called weeds and wild plants like dandelions nature’s healing garden. That dandelions – and the health benefits they provide – are so widespread used to be something to be thankful for!

Here’s how you can learn to love dandelions again.

Spring is optimal liver-cleansing time. The liver has over 600 functions and many people’s would benefit from a good cleaning. Allergies, digestive problems, eczema, headaches and acne are all symptoms of a stagnant or congested liver. Liver loves bitter food, which dandelions certainly are.

The whole plant can be used to our benefit. The root, which you simply clean, chop and boil in water, provides a tea that supports the liver, leaves can be used in salads and even the yellow flowers can be used to make a dandelion “honey” that looks and tastes just like honey (recipe below). You can also pick the buds before they start blooming and eat them right away or fry them in butter – they taste great! And, of course, the flowers make for a beautiful crown or necklace for the kids. Consider leaving a few in the ground for the bees, too – they’re a good early-season food source for these pollinators!

The whole dandelion plant is waiting to help us. The animals seem to know that, so why don’t we? Maybe it’s time to re-connect with nature and see the miracles growing right under our own feet.

Dandelion “Honey”

Put the following in a pot and let sit for 24 hours:

• 220-260 dandelion flowers
• 1 whole orange, sliced
• 1 whole lemon, sliced
• 1 litre of water (or enough to cover)

Strain and add 1kg of sugar. Cook on low, until it reaches a honey-like consistency (this can take up to an hour or so).

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This article is part of A\J’s web series Night School. In celebration of back-to-school time and our Night issue, the A\J web team brought you a series of quick lessons, posted between September 16 to October 11, 2013, covering everything from activism tactics and canning tips to how factory farms breed disease.

We’re welcoming guest lecturer Zoe Miller for our final A\J Night School Lesson. Zoe is reporting back from a workshop offered earlier this week by the Waterloo Public Interest Research Group on healing from trauma with plants.

I have been working with herbs in my garden for the last three growing seasons, each fall focusing on drying and crushing the herbs I’ve grown for teas. Emotional trauma is something relatively new to my life, and something that I hope to overcome by fighting to survive daily, while utilizing plant allies to improve my ability to be me – unimpeded by overly self-critical, detrimental and destructive thought patterns.

Shabina Lafleur-Gangji, who has been studying herbs for more than half a decade, joined me and other plant-infatuated folks to share knowledge about medicines and approaches to healing that have been consistently stolen, colonized and devalued. Throughout the workshop, we paused to discuss specific issues we were experiencing, ask questions about terminologies and seek support or suggestions from other folks in regards to our own stories and histories with certain herbs.

I think it’s beautifully necessary to share this knowledge again, although reading about making a tincture (for me, anyways) is more difficult than being shown how to do so. I hope that I am able to reproduce the following recipes as accessibly as they were made to me.

What is an adaptogen?

Adaptogenic herbs help decrease cellular responses to stress, allowing one to slow down their thoughts; these herbs meet you where you are. That is, when you’re experiencing panicked feelings, adaptogens can help slow and calm thoughts/respiratory responses. When you’re depressed and unmotivated, adaptogens can act as a catalyst for energy and motivation/focus.

Kala Tulsior ‘holy basil’ (ocimum tenuiflorum) is the adaptogen that we focused on in this  workshop. Tulsi has been sacredly cultivated in India for over 5,000 years; its name means the incomparable one. It can be used in teas, tinctures and salves to:

• Decrease cold, flu symptoms, and viral susceptibility
• Help with lung health, asthma
• Calm ear/head/stomach upsets
• Prevent heart disease, fever, mercury poisoning and slow the progression of cancers
• Help relieve ring worm
• Counteract venomous bites, mosquito repellant
• Promote longevity and long term health maintenance
• Lower blood sugar in diabetic patients
• Naturally aid sleep

How to make a Tincture

1. Cultivate, dry, and finely chop your chosen herb.
2. Fill a mason jar or darkened, sealable glass container more than half way with the dried herb (if you are using fresh herbs, fill the entire jar; herbs shrink down when they are dried).
3. Fill up the rest of the bottle with alcohol of choice. (40% is necessary to extract the nutrients needed from the herbs. You can use brandy, vodka or your preferred alcohol.)
4. If you wish, you may add a bit of water or glycerine (mostly to improve the taste).
5. Leave the sealed jar in a dark place, and shake every once in a while. Leave it like this (unopened) for one to three months depending on your preference.
6. When the tincture is sufficiently aged, strain the liquid from the herbs in the bottle and (optional) transfer into a dropper bottle for easy use.
7. Label it with the name of the herb and date created. Tinctures are most potent when used within a year.

Need to de-stress? Honeyball it!

I wish I’d had this recipe accessible to me last winter, when struggling with school, emotional and traumatic stresses – but now I feel more prepared for the upcoming one! Honeyballs are herb- and honey-based candies that help you to be grounded, centred and purposefully embodied when faced with intense stress or other emotional challenges. No exact measurements are given in the recipe: it’s something that you can feel out and make your own.

First, collect or purchase:

• Ashwagandha root (aids in morphine withdrawal, arthritis, anxiety, trouble sleeping)
• Maka powder (energy and immune system boost)
• Licorice root powder (helps to lubricate respiratory system, taste)
• Cinnamon
• Oatstraw (replenishes adrenals, helps bodies to replenish)
• Tulsi 

Using a double boiler, bring a cup or more of honey to a boil, then follow these three simple steps:

1. Start by adding ashwagandha and maca powders (as the base) to thicken the honey. Add in the cinnamon, oatstraw and tulsi as supportive ingredients.
2. Keep stirring and mixing in the ingredients until the honey mixture is very thick, like a cookie batter.
3. Using a spoon and your fingers, form the mixture into balls. Roll the balls in the licorice root powder. They will harden if left to do so, or put in the refrigerator. They are just as awesome freshly made and squishy, though!

We were each able to take home two honeyballs, and upon eating mine I felt noticeably calmer and more present within ten minutes.

After the workshop ended, our discussions evolved into a way to keep this knowledge close to us, to sustain it and ensure its continuity. Within the next few weeks, folks who attended the workshop series or those who are just interested in having personal autonomy over the healing practices used on their bodies will be having a preliminary discussion about fostering ongoing herbal learning and discovery at the University of Waterloo. If you are interested in being a part of this discussion and the meetings that will likely follow, track our plans from the event’s Facebook page!

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Rhona McAdam has eaten her way through Europe and has worked as a cook and a food writer. She keeps her own garden and is an active member of the food-security community. In Digging the City, she takes her readers on a food-production journey through time and space and lands us here in Canada, where she says we are at risk because “it’s not only possible but acceptable for families to buy 100 per cent of their food from supermarkets for their entire lives.” Without access to local and/or sustainable agriculture, we are losing our connection to flavourful and nutritious food, putting our health in peril.

Geared toward readers who already have some notion of food production, security, and trade, but may not yet be devoted locavores, Digging the City offers motivation to consider exactly what is in all those packages lining your refrigerator shelves and question why you made the food choices that you did.

Building on a local food ethic recently popularized by Alisa Smith and J.B. McKinnon’s 100-Mile Diet, McAdams suggests that the future of food-secure cities – and of food production in general – lies in diversification and localization. She considers both flora and fauna, and how we have come to be so far removed from the processes of the large-scale systems that provide our food. She explores how little awareness we have of the treatment endured by the animals we consume.

In addition to the treatment of our food, we are largely unaware of how we take our food systems for granted, demanding diverse and exotic foods throughout the year. On the other hand, we require food to be processed and simplified for our consumption – “convenience foods” and nothing more. Many of us may be content with these food choices, but our true well-being depends upon alternatives and increased awareness of our food choices and vulnerabilities. Through urban initiatives, McAdams asserts, “we can take charge of our own food supply and choose to understand how our food is produced, where it comes from, and how to make the best use of it.”  

McAdams makes it clear there is no panacea for the transition to local and diverse food. She puts the onus on individuals living in urban settings to change the food culture of the urban landscape. Bringing food production home – on whatever scale possible – is an important aspect of our collective well-being and sustainability. From the smallest container garden on a condo balcony, to the largest urban community gardens, this move toward a new culture of food is essential to ensure that our food remains healthy, safe, and readily available. Such a move takes more than action, it requires a shift of consciousness. Local food might be less exciting than the mango from Mexico, the garlic from China, or the factory-farmed beef available at an affordable price, but it is necessary.

We may not all become beekeepers or chicken farmers, and most of us won’t set up farm stands in our front yards. But we can all choose to acknowledge the decisions we make when supporting big box stores and agricultural conglomerates in our quest for the cheapest food. We can reverse these choices by participating in local food systems. There are already changes happening: farmers’ markets are busy, community garden plots often have waiting lists, and seed-starting kits encourage us to engage with our food directly. The situation is not hopeless and the move away from local food is not inevitable – far from it. Making conscious and informed decisions about our agricultural decisions will require rooting in the earth and considering alternative ways of being with our food. It may be a struggle, but as McAdams writes, “If food isn’t worth making noise about, what is?”

Digging the City: An Urban Agriculture Manifesto, Rhona McAdam, Vancouver, BC: Rocky Mountain Books, 2012, 168 pages

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Huge supermarket chains appear to be bursting at the seams with food choices, but this is mostly an illusion. The reality is that 75 per cent of our crop biodiversity has been lost. Our industrial food system has created too many overweight, undernourished citizens. The environmental degradation caused by multinational-scale agriculture is unprecedented, and we have become disconnected from what we eat.

Yet not all of the news is bad, says Jennifer Cockrall-King. In Food and the City, the award-winning, widely published food journalist finds inspiration in the state of urban agriculture and squares it with the growth of food production and distribution to large urban centres since the turn of the century.

By 2008, for the first time in human history, more people lived in cities than in rural areas. To illustrate and emphasize the importance of urban agriculture to our current and future well-being in light of this fact, Cockrall-King takes readers on a farming tour of diverse, solution-driven cities such as Detroit, Paris and Vancouver. Urban agriculture is one part of what Cockrall-King calls the “New Food Movement,” which puts production back into the hands of consumers and adapts to the unique needs and constraints of each built environment.

Innovation is essential to getting the best yields out of the concrete jungle, but it can sometimes seem deceptively simple. For the past five years, a Toronto-based NGO called Not Far From The Tree has been trying to make the most of the abundant fruit that grows on the city’s trees each summer. Many apples, peaches, cherries and berries that grow in Toronto have long gone to waste by falling on the ground and rotting. In 2010, the organization’s harvesting team collected more than 13,300 kilograms (29,397 pounds) of fruit. The organization’s volunteers, local food banks and the landowners who volunteered their fruit trees for the project split the harvest into thirds. Because Not Far From The Tree’s model offers fresh, tangible goods and supports a range of local stakeholders (including an important charity), the program is now being replicated in cities all over North America.

While Cockrall-King examines multiple approaches and locales of notable urban agriculture initiatives, and examines various urban production methods globally, not every increase in agricultural efficiency is easily embraced. Humans are not the only ones who have become industrial-scale eaters. The animals we eat have been forced to do so as well.

Food in the City identifies the grim realities of “Concentrated Animal Feedlot Operations” – areas where animals are raised without an existing food source and must live on agriculturally produced feed – as one of the chief villains of industrial food production. Beyond the basic feasibility of supply, mitigating the consequences of adopting this highly processed, meat-focused system on a global scale is becoming increasingly difficult. The resulting problems include new strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, unethical treatment of animals and more food being used to feed animals consumed by the planet’s wealthiest people rather than alleviating the poverty of its hungriest.     

Cockrall-King ably profiles how we can improve our diets and reduce our environmental impact with a range of examples, from growing food in small spaces to biodynamics to small plot intensive farming (aka SPIN). Food and the City serves as a great starting point for anyone interested in alternative food systems, weaving together important milestones in urban farming, key figures in its growth and seminal texts on the subject.

This book isn’t a how-to manual, but it does provide a long list of resources to help get you started. Whatever your personal approach to growing, raising, foraging or finding your own food within city limits, this enjoyable resource will offer a boost of inspiration to eat better.

Food and the City: Urban Agriculture and the New Food Revolution, Jennifer Cockrall-King, Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY, 2012, 372 pages

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Most environmentalists I know dabble in some form of food preservation. From wild fermentation to dehydration to freezing, there are many ways to keep local, organic produce year-round. Rather than a comprehensive recipe, this lesson details tips & tricks for hot water bath canning. My favourite canning website Food in Jars has compiled Canning 101, a list of blog posts over the years that deal with which types of jars to use, canning definitions and much more about the whole process. EcoLife has a great example of a canning season calendar, though keep in mind that things may be different in your region.

A\J’s Tips & Tricks for Canning

1. Canning can be a hugely intensive endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be. While it’s important to keep certain areas clean and sterilize your jars, you don’t need fancy supplies to get started. I attempted canning for the first time after getting a load of free asparagus. Our largest pot only fit four jars at a time, we didn’t have a jar lifter so we rigged up regular tongs to get our jars out, and our vinegar solution was way too strong, but yet we managed to pickle about 40lbs of asparagus that we’re still working through two years later.

2. Tomato sauce, pickles and jam aren’t the only things you can can. I was incredibly excited to find a recipe for ketchup that I could use maple syrup in, since low or no sugar ketchup doesn’t always come in containers that can be recycled in my region. 

3. Enlisting a few friends can make the process easier if you have a good system down, but I find canning alone to be a Zen experience. It’s definitely possible to turn 25 pounds of tomatoes into sauce by yourself in an afternoon.

4. Small-batch canning can be better if you prefer variety but don’t want to spend every weekend of your summer canning. Rather than making one giant batch of strawberry jam, switch it up and spend a few hours on a vanilla peach jam, and a few weeks later try out a grape jelly. At the least you’ll learn which process you like best if you do want to get into large-batch canning later.

5. Large pots take a long time to reach a boil. Turn them on before you start prepping your produce so that you’re not waiting for half an hour before you can put the jars in.

6. Deskinning fruits isn’t hard per se – many recipes suggest peeling your peaches, tomatoes and pears before preserving them ­– but there are definitely ways to get around the intensive step that involves handling boiling hot produce. Tomato sauce with skins tastes just as good as without, I promise.

7. Sometimes when you buy produce it’s not ripe yet, so you may not be able to plan your canning day to be the day after you pick up your produce. But you also can’t rely on that fact, since sometimes it needs to be canned right away. Regardless, be careful of how you store your produce. If you want it to ripen faster, try keeping it all in paper bags, but keep an eye on how fast it’s progressing!

8. You can probably find most canning supplies second hand and reuse your jars year after year, but make sure to buy new snap lids.

9. Botulism is bad. Follow recipes.

10. Canning can use a lot of processed sugar. Sugar is not good for you. Luckily it’s not hard to find recipes that either use less sugar or instead use maple syrup or honey, which are lower on the glycemic index, can be found locally and have more health benefits. Check out this Honey-Sweetened Peach Vanilla Jam and try out Pomona’s Universal Pectin for low-sugar or no-sugar preserving – the box comes with basic recipes for all types of preserves.

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THE KITCHEN is a great place to start greening your home. If you’re already stacked with Energy Star-certified appliances and low-flow fixtures, follow these smart and easy tips for a healthier, more conscientious space. 

Choose durable, well-made cookware 

Look for pieces with high heat conductivity; for instance, copper-bottom pans heat up faster than regular pans, and cast-iron pans hold heat longer so you can turn the burner off earlier. Since mining these metals can be energy and waste intensive, look for hand-me-downs or second-hand bargains. Use flat-bottomed pans – a warped-bottom pan can use 50 per cent more energy to boil water. Avoid products with harmful chemical finishes like polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). That means bye-bye, Teflon. 

Size matters 

Maximize your oven space by cooking more than one dish at a time, and don’t peek – the Edison Electric Institute says you lose 25˚ to 50˚F every time you open the oven door. Make large batches and freeze them in meal portions to  enjoy later, and pick the best-sized stovetop burner for the job. Use a toaster oven, slow cooker or microwave for smaller dishes to reduce energy use – by up to 80 per cent, according to Energy Star. 

Cook lighter 

The most energy-efficient cooking requires no cooking at all – try new recipes for salads, sandwiches, cold soups, smoothies and more. Certain foods are actually more nutritious when raw, and cooking can deactivate their benefits. Fresh broccoli contains the enzyme myrosinase, which helps your liver detoxify carcinogens; raw garlic contains the DNA-protecting compound allicin. Get more raw inspiration and recipes from rawguru.com or rawmazing.com. 

Reinvent recycling 

Get creative with your used packaging and containers: brew your own kombucha in an old Mason jar, organize electrical cords with bread tags (so you can keep them unplugged), or scrub pots and pans (gently) with mesh bags. Or unleash your inner crafter and create a work of art – make wine bottles into tiki lamps, wooden crates into shelves or baby food jars into snow globes. 

Waste not, want not 

The Value Chain Management Centre estimates that 40 per cent of Canadians’ food goes to waste. Plan the week’s meals before you shop, and buy only what you need (you’ll save money, too). Get creative with food scraps. Old coffee grounds make great mulch for acid-loving plants like roses, hydrangeas and evergreens. Citrus rinds are high in citric acid; use them to polish metals. Many leftovers can actually be regrown, like celery, ginger, sweet potatoes, garlic and bok choy. Don’t have a backyard to compost your organics? For small spaces, check out vermicomposting (that’s composting with worms) or Bokashi composting (a compact indoor system). 

Be water savvy 

Modern dishwashers are water and energy efficient, provided you follow a few rules: scrape, but don’t pre-rinse dishes; only run the dishwasher when it’s full, and at night during off-peak electricity usage; and choose an energy-efficient setting whenever you can. If you don’t have a dishwasher, fill up two small containers in the sink – one with soapy water and one with rinse water – to avoid running the tap constantly. You can use kitchen greywater for plants: unsalted, cooled water from boiling or steaming veggies is nutrient-rich; water used for boiling eggs contains calcium (especially recommended for African violets); and diluted tea is a great fertilizer. 

Switch to green cleaners 

Get rid of the toxic and petroleum-based chemicals found in most commercial cleaners. Create inexpensive, versatile cleaners with all-natural ingredients like baking soda, borax, lemon juice, olive oil and white vinegar. A classic all-purpose reused spray-bottle mix: one tablespoon of baking soda, two tablespoons of vinegar, one cup of warm water and 20 drops of essential oil (recommended: lemon, peppermint or tea tree). Bonus: prolong the life of your kitchen sponge by microwaving it for one minute, effectively killing 99.99 per cent of bacteria.

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