Novella Carpenter

I went to listen to Novella Carpenter author of Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer.  She made the crowd laugh and she made her talk very interesting.  She uses profanity and humor in her speeches which had many of us looking around because it was unexpected.  There was a mixed crowd ranging from college age to late 60’s maybe. Most of the people there was K-College student since it was hosted in their Fine arts building.

One thing I found most interesting was she used the term “squatting”.  At first I didn’t know what was meant by the term until she further explained that it was farming on a piece of land that nobody really owned.  She mentioned her car was egged when she first rode through the neighborhood.  This is a part of town that has been neglected with lots of burned and abandoned homes.  The land she squatted on for 8 years was a burned down apartment complex.  In this part of town is called “Ghost town” traditionally called food desert because there are no access to grocery stores or healthy foods. She mentioned it was like the perfect storm because the city tried to help and eminent domain destroyed housing, highways were built and it destroyed the sense of community.  People would ask her for .50 cents and she would offer them an apple not thinking they would accept her offer.  This is when she got a real sense of hunger in the community. 

Another topic I found interesting is the fact that homeowners can get a tax credit for having a garden instead of a lawn.  You can place the garden on top of concrete and not have to worry about contaminants such as lead that's found in the ground in California.  I would quickly put a garden in my yard, not so much for the credit but because it’s empowering when you are able to feed yourself and know that you grew it.

Global Warming

I never really thought about global warming and the affects that climate change has on agriculture.  There is overwhelming evidence that the earth is warming based on statistical data. It saddened me to know that the developed countries are the cause of so much greenhouse gases but it’s the developing countries who are suffering the most.  1 in 7 people are chronically hungry especially in Africa and Asia. America is better than most countries when it comes to hunger but we still have problems as well. 450 million people depend on agriculture for eating and economical purposes therefore we must do something about global warming and its affects.

I didn’t know I was helping to minimize my carbon footprint when I got my home weatherized a few years back.  I bought my home in 2010 because of the incentives offered to new home owners after the housing crisis of 2008.  A few months after living in the house I notice it was drafty and my heating bill was threw the roof.  So I called a company that came and blew installation in my attic and walls, sealed up cracks and air seeps and put weather stripping around doors. Getting the home weatherized helped my heating bill tremendously, but most importantly helps to reduce emission from my furnace into the atmosphere. I also learned in my science class that Geothermal heating and cooling emits no greenhouse gases in the air but are very expensive in install.  Although it is costly it only requires a small amount of electricity practically eliminating your carbon footprint.  As our guest speaker mentioned in class the government is also trying to help reduce the effects of climate change by offering tax incentives. If you buy a window that’s energy star rated or if you install a geothermal heating system you receive a tax credit, kind of like a payback when you file your income tax returns.

 I could also buy a more fuel efficient car to help reduce the fuel emission I help put in the air.  I really like the Chevy Volt over a Toyota Prius but I can’t afford either one of them right. So I guess for now I can help by walking to the store that’s only two blocks away instead of driving.

Saffron's

Dr. Allen has taken me out of my comfort zone this semester. He has made me publish blogs for the first time, I visited the food co-op that I’ve rode pass a million times and my latest adventure was visiting Saffron’s.  Friday afternoon I had an enjoyable experience sampling Indian food with Kate and Jordan.  We had the opportunity to talk to the waiter, Abhi, and he was delighted to tell us about the owner and some of his countries cooking traditions. The owner came to the United States and worked with his brother in Boston which is where he learned about cooking. He moved to Michigan and opened Saffron’s which has been in business for over 10 years.  The spices are imported from India and at least 30 are incorporated into each dish. What I found most interesting is the way the animals are slaughtered which is by slicing the throat. Killing the chickens this way has some religious implications and is considered to be more humane.
O.K, so you probably want to know how was the food?  It was so-so. It wasn’t nasty but I can guarantee you it was my first and last visit. It’s just not my style of food.  I tried almost everything on the buffet and the one thing I didn’t try was made with spinach, YUCK! I found 4 items I really liked which was the Naan bread, Tandoori chicken, Saffron’s sensational salad and the Badami Kheer.  The Naan bread reminded me of pita bread that had been cooked over an open flame. It had kind of a char tasting, but it wasn’t burned.  The sensational salad was spectacular. You would never believe that cantaloupe, raw onions, celery, grapes and a shit load of other fruits and vegetable would be good together. It was awesome! The chicken was a little dry but tolerable and the Badami Kheer is an almond rice pudding with raisin and nuts. 

Now I can say I’ve tried Indian food but I can’t say that it’s something I would be willing to pay for again. This location has about 10 options to choose from so Indian food has to be something you really enjoy. The lack of option was my biggest disappointment but overall the waiters were excellent and the environment was welcoming.