Sheep Shots

Nicole is in good company! She and Al Gore got me thinking about my personal Carbon Footprint.

Earlier this spring


I decided to do something about it!

My dirt is awful for growing stuff, even grass. We live in an area with highly acidic soil that is mostly shale and slate. Raised beds make it possible to grow some stuff, but we'd need to truck in loads of topsoil if we wanted to actually grow a real garden.

(I miss having a garden.)



I bought a tomato plant (first one in several years because I've had such rotten luck with them here). Nothing beats the taste of a ripe-from-the-vine tomato.

And look! I actually have a couple.





I also have chives (use them mostly in salads and on veggies).

That's Sparky's volunteer catnip patch in the background.






And sage is great with poultry.

There's a bit of lavender as well, that I grow for the lovely aroma (my favorite herbal).

So anyway, in an effort to eat more locally, I checked out Local Harvest in hopes of locating a CSA (Community Sustainable Agriculture farm) near me. Unfortunately, one of those nearby is already fully-subscribed and the other hasn't updated information in a couple of years.


I was able to get a low-down on the pricing (relatively costly for the amount of produce I can eat alone--the Other Half is a confimed carnivore).

I did find a list of nearby growers' markets, though, and I will be checking those out as the season progresses.

Meanwhile, the Other Half and I thought we would give the Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers' Market a look-see.

Since I had been to the "real grocery store" the night before to shop for the week, I was really only eyeing the local produce, the local eggs, the local meat. I wound up buying only a cantaloupe (probably grown in California, it's still a little early in the season here), and lunch (steak sandwich for the Other Half, tuna on toast for me).



The tomatoes are from the grocery (and they were grown in Canada). Clearly, I have my work cut out for me!

So, here's the plan: Next Friday, I'll hit the supermarket for things like paper products and Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi, and Reese's Cups, and Saturday, we'll pack up the string bags and head to the farmer's market for eggs and cold cuts, and meat and fruit and veggies, taking care to buy the stuff that's grown right here in the Lehigh Valley. It's a habit that can only be good for us and for the planet!

Knitting Mojo: Oh, and whichever of you found my mojo, thank you for giving it a gentle nudge back in this direction!


I started this earflap cap from the Interweave Knits website last night. It's Patons Classic Wool that has been steeping for a few years in the stash on size 7s. The pattern called for a heavier yarn and size 9s.

Knit from the top down, I'll have a kid-size when I get finished, which is just fine.

Watch for a serious case of finish-itis this coming week. I have unseamed projects piling up.

Labels: food