Buying The Farm

Terrific little article on beekeeping in NYC, with some fun quotes:

The citys urban bee mavens inhabit their own entomological universe, sharing useful information about mite cures or re-queening protocols that is, replacing a jaded queen bee. As might be expected, they are also given to apiary humor. There are puns about the, well, plight of the bumblebee and requests to lend me your comb; and, yes, there are questions about whether to bee or not to bee. Mr. Solomon, a graduate of the Harvard Business School, has been known to tell hive masters that he has a degree from the Harvard bee school.

On a recent afternoon on her rooftop, Ms. Goodman unhinged the hive cover and she and Mr. Graves began examining the individual wooden bee frames, wedging out big pieces of honeycomb. Being from New York, it boasts a bouquet that is more floral — sweeter — and has a lighter taste, said Mr. Graves. He noted that the bees forage in Central Park, at rooftop planters, outside florists shops and in community gardens, rather than at upstate clover fields or deep-South orange groves.

But it isnt the easiest thing in the world to sweet-talk skeptical New Yorkers into buying urban honey for $5 a pound. You would think that New York honey might have a rather strong flavor, said Judith Cramer, a computer-science teacher who had stopped by Mr. Gravess cart at the Union Square Greenmarket specifically to buy New York honey as a gift for a friend who lives in England.

Actually, its rather sweet, Mr. Graves said.

No, you’d think that New York honey would be quite aggressive as far as honeys go, Ms. Cramer said with a laugh. You know, its the honey that says, Whats it to you? …

I loved this closer:

Back on the roof, Mr. Bukiet sighed as he surveyed the spectacle of his wife and children poking into their two big-city beehives.You raise your children in Manhattan, you think theyll be the ultimate urbanites, and instead you get a bunch of naturalists, he said, deadpan. Where did I go wrong?

via Beekeeping in New York City.

Yesterday I let slip that I’m planning my first actual garden. It occurred to me that I hadn’t explained how this came about!

In a fit of new year’s resolve, I spent the first week of January visiting dozens of gardening websites, one of which linked to Sharing Backyards – a North American take on the much bigger, much more entrenched Landshare program, which – though huge in Britain – hasn’t yet taken root in Canada. (I’m exhausting my gardening metaphors, here.)

Sharing Backyards offered more locations in Toronto than I expected, but was pretty woeful in the suburbs, where I live. Lo and behold, though, there was one listing not 10 minutes’ walk down the street from me, and the homeowner and I hit it off immediately. The backyard isn’t huge, but as first-time gardeners and first-time backyard lenders, we agreed it’d be more than enough for experimenting, and we’re both excited for Spring.

http://sharingbackyards.com/

Spotted in a comment on that NYTimes article, here’s a link to an aquaponics program instituted in a Louisiana penitentiary.

Not only are these inmates providing fresh fish and produce for the prison tables, they’re learning valuable and transferable skills that will serve them well upon their release. A win-win-win situation.

http://www.gaalliance.org/newsroom/aquasolutions-detail.php?Prison-Aquaculture-Program-11

One of the few things I will sorely miss when I finally leave Toronto is the marvellous Toronto Public Library. The holdings are huge, and items can be ordered online and delivered to local branches for free. Its a rare thing when the catalogue lets me down, but I went into my search for Superbia! with little hope of its availability. Imagine my surprise to have a copy delivered to me within a few days. And imagine my joy to find the book was even more inspiring than I’d anticipated.

Be careful with this book: Its enthusiasm is contagious! The authors approach a topic that is the bane of eco-warriors with a pragmatism that is sadly lacking in much of the environmental movement: While new development can be done with an eye to green building, existing suburbs are entrenched, so we might as well work with what we’ve got.

And what work can be done if we put our minds to it! The authors lay out a series of steps undertaken by a fictional neighbourhood that start with small efforts and eventually lead to an actual community. The fictional aspect does gloss over some of the real-life problems (e.g. legalities, problem neighbours, and plain old human stubbornness) that would probably add friction to a path mainly depicted here as self-lubricating, but there’s no denying it helps build excitement in the reader, and show that even small steps can lead to big strides.

The idea of community-building is intoxicating to a pragmatist such as myself. Being able to pool resources such as cars, lawnmowers, toys and tools opens up space both in one’s home and one’s wallet. Being able to pool talent opens up possibilities and creativity in one’s neighbourhood. The Utopian community depicted in the book features a fenceless backyards transformed into gardens, a shared house where rooms are let out as home offices and weekly potlucks keep the residents close, and a labour exchange so an hour of babysitting can be traded for some renovation work, web design, or whatever other goods and services can be offered.

North American suburbs have a reputation – not unfounded – for being airless, unfriendly and sterile, but the colourful, vivacious and open community depicted in the book makes me feel right at home.