PopSugar

Would You Take a Farm Vacation?

CasaSugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 07:00:12 -0700

If you're looking to get away from it all, Feather Down Farm Days offers family getaways on beautiful US working farms, and its sister sites offer the same opportunities in Europe. So far, there are only three farms on the US list, including two in New York and one in Illinois, but I have a feeling that number will rise in the near future. I love the idea of getting away from civilization and spending a few days in the great outdoors, living in one of these cool tents, gardening, and gathering eggs. What about you?

Source

10 Great Urban Farms Across the United States

CasaSugar — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:00:42 -0700

Who says that farming has to happen exclusively in rural areas? These 10 farms prove that you can grow veggies in any city in the country. Better yet, many of these farms also run substantial education programs, providing city kids with great information about where their food comes from. Check to see if your city's urban farm made it in my slideshow, and then go volunteer!
Source

View Slideshow ›

Do You Have a Gorgeous View?

CasaSugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:00:08 -0700

I wish this were the view from my front porch! It's actually the view from a farm stay at a cabin I visited in New Zealand a few years ago.

I also love the view from my home's deck, but I've lived in a few other places where the view was less than desirable. What's it like at your casa?

"Wee"kend Getaway: Manchester, VT

LilSugar — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:00:00 -0800

With the state of the economy up in the air, families throughout the country are putting their vacation plans on hold until things begin to stabilize. Rather than plan a week-long trip to an exotic locale, many are planning extended weekend getaways to locations within driving distance of home. With this in mind, we are beginning a series called "Wee"kend Getaways, highlighting vacation spots that offer a little something for everyone in your family. First stop is Manchester, VT, located in the southwest corner of the state. First incorporated in 1761, the town offers outdoor activities during each season of the year.

View Slideshow ›

Nice and New: Simrin Farmyard Placemats

CasaSugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:30:30 -0800

You may not enjoy the scent of cow manure or the sound of a rooster's crow at the break of dawn, but you can still bring a little farm life into your home without counting Babe as one of your dependents. Velocity has introduced Simrin Farmyard Placemats ($36) into its collection of fashionable table linens, and I think they're just the thing to give us all a taste of the old days, short of rearing animals ourselves. The placemats are made from 100 percent cotton, and can be easily machine washed and dried. But that shouldn't prevent you from line-drying them out in the pasture, if you so please.

In the News: Farms Sprout in Suburbia

CasaSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:00:40 -0700

The Wall Street Journal's "Green Acres II: When Neighbors Become Farmers" reports that a growing number of Americans are "turning grass into edible greens and maybe even greenbacks," by growing food in their front and backyards. Since 2006, in Boulder, CO, school-bus driver Kipp Nash has "uprooted his backyard and the front or backyards of eight of his Boulder neighbors," and spent his afternoons "planting, watering, and tending" these minifarms, growing vegetables like tomatoes, bok choy, garlic, and beets. Although not everyone in the neighborhood finds this suburban farming aesthetically pleasing, particularly not during the Winter months, the locally-grown food market has grown, leaving yard farmers with an opportunity to sell to nearby restaurants and other neighbors. Since land is expensive, and nearly a third of residential water goes to landscaping, the financial advantages of suburban farming are clear. But, environmentalists also support it because it "cuts the distance - and the carbon dioxide - needed to get food from farm to consumer." To see a video on the topic, read more.

Source

Midday Muse: A Home at the Top of the World

CasaSugar — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 11:53:43 -0700

I snapped this picture of a small mountain farm last September when I was visiting my brother in the Western fjords of Norway. It is so remote and beautiful. Sometimes I dream about living in a place this far up and away from the bustling urban world.

Cool Idea: NYC's Floating Farm

CasaSugar — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 09:22:58 -0700

Since more than half of the world's population now lives in cities, it makes sense that we try to grow more of that food within the cities themselves.

Enter the Science Barge. The barge uses a system of recirculating greenhouse hydroponics to grow tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, and peppers. Hydroponics doesn’t use soil, and the barge irrigates with rainwater and river water. The Science Barge itself is powered with solar, wind, and biofuels.

To find out how to visit the barge, and for more pictures, just read more
Taking nearly a year to build, the Science Barge launched in May of this year, and is on a tour of waterfront parks through this year and 2008.

Have any New Yorkers out there visited the Science Barge, or plan to in the future?

via Inhabitat.

Label Able: Certified Humane

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 17:15:00 -0700

If you are conscious about what goes into your body and you have respect for all creatures great and small, you need to be on the lookout for this Certified Humane food label. This label that makes it easier for conscious consumers to choose egg, dairy, meat, or poultry products that were produced with the welfare of the animal in mind.

A team of veterinarians and animal scientists created the Animal Care Standards to ensure that farmers, producers, and processors keep their animals in conditions that meet high standards of animal care.

If you see a product with this "Certified Humane" label, you know that the animals:

Were allowed to engage in natural behaviors.
Had sufficient space, shelter, and gentle handling to limit stress.
Had ample fresh water and a healthy diet without added hormones or antibiotics.

Humane Farm Animal Care is the independent non-profit organization that conducts regular inspections to make sure businesses are upholding these high standards.

Fit's Tips: Check out this list to find out which businesses and restaurants you want to support. Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs and Echo Farm are proudly on the list.

Confessions of a Reformed Vegetarian

YumSugar — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 10:33:12 -0800

Maybe this post is going to be of no interest to anyone else, but I have to share it anyway.

Throughout my college years, I was a die-hard Blur fan (Damon Albarn of Gorillaz fame's other band) and I am no stranger to bassist Alex James' wacky wits. He's now living the country life in England and has recently published a story on why, after 17 years, he's "given vegetarianism the chop."

Chopping up my first lamb stayed vividly on my mind for a few days. The anatomy of a sheep is pretty similar to our own, really. I couldn't scratch my ribs without the image of that immaculate carcass springing to mind. I thought about it involuntarily as I lay in bed at night. But, boy, those chump chops were good.

I was a vegetarian for about 17 years. Now here I am, butchering and eating one of my own lambs.

How could a vegetarian of 17 years talk so effortlessly about slaughtering lambs? To find out, read more

Turns out he bought a farm, rented the land out to sheep farmers, had a problem with birds taking over and was forced to do something about it.

Killing rooks [crow like birds] is not nice at all. There are no neat boxes for exterminating them; shotguns are the only thing that work and it's a pretty medieval and messy business, which I don't enjoy.

But I felt I was acting for the greater good. It was a hard decision for a vegetarian to make, and the moment I made that decision was the moment I became a farmer.

So there you have it, 17 years of vegetarianism can be undone by a gang of wild birds.

James' entire essay is lengthy, but goes into a lot of detail about his own country house experiences, as well as UK agriculture and farming practices. Even if you don't know (or care) who Alex James is, it's still a pretty interesting read.