Get an Exceptional Romantic Green Gift

All FoodCycles members and supporters get a 15% online discount on fair trade, one of a kind, sustainably produced jewelry by Lara Bazant (this includes free shipping). Better hurry though since the offer lasts until February 14, 2010. You can get this deal by joining the mailing list if you aren’t already on it. Once you’ve joined you’ll get an automatic message with the version of this post that has the offer code.

Your Food, Your Choice: Grounds for Change

COG Toronto is holding its annual conference with an impressive line up of speakers in the organics movement including Baerbel Hoehm, the first Agricultural Minister for the German Green Party and Michael Schmidt, the raw milk dairy farmer. The event will happen on Saturday, February 20, 2010 9 am to 5 pm at the University of Toronto Conference Centre (89 Chestnut St., Toronto).

Popcorn Sprouts in Coleslaw

The Hot Yam’s lunch menu today includes a dash of popcorn sprouts from FoodCycles in the coleslaw

Peat Use Burns Wetlands

Funny how about a week or two ago I was comparing the environmental impacts between peat, coconut fibre and compost in a conversation with Raphael and Frank, a volunteer. Using peat destroys wetlands that keep water clean and releases a lot of climate changing gases into the air. Peat is used in a lot of your typical greenhouse and potted plant operations in Toronto and elsewhere.

The DIRT was GOLD

The first major screening of the triple award winning film DIRT! the Movie in Toronto was an awesome success! There were over 400 people in the audience and the movie itself was fantastic.

How Healthy Soil Makes Healthy People

Volunteer Frank Ivis sent along this video of how Wegman’s organic research farm in western New York State is trying to boost the amount of local, organic food all year round. Not only that they also know that the soil is key – the soil takes care of the plant.

Calico Yam Make Top 10 Restaurants (2009)

Two of FoodCycles’ restaurant friends were #2 and #4 on Steven Davey’s Top 10 Restaurants of 2009. The first was Calico and the second was the Hot Yam. FoodCycles supplied fresh, local, organic onions, arugula parsley, basil and collards to the Yam in the summer of 2009 (sprouts periodically) while supplying sprout shoots to Calico. Both are committed to using as much local, organic vegetables in their food as possible.

FoodCycles on Google Earth

FoodCycles greenhouse (the southernmost one of the big square building) has finally appeared on Google Earth.

Get Down with DIRT! (the Movie)

FoodCycles (http://foodcycles.org) is hosting one of the first largest screenings of the award winning DIRT! the Movie in Toronto at Bloor Cinema (506 Bloor St W; map) on Thu, Jan 28, 2010 (6:30-8:30 PM). Dirt! the movie tells the amazing story of the earth we stand on everyday and how we depend on it for life. In addition, FoodCycles is fundraising for its education work. Tickets will be available online and at the door on a sliding scale of $10-20. There will be a reception at 6:30 PM and the movie will start at 7 PM and end at 8:30 PM. You can buy sprouts, vegetable earrings or memberships during the reception.

“Build Your Own Membership” Pre-Survey

This is a run up to a possible full survey and to the upcoming annual general meeting.