worm-astrophe!

This morning I decided to check on the worms and found a slight mess under the sink. I hadn't checked in a while and I guess the amount of liquid in the bin came up over the vents. Not a big deal just a bit of a wipe up. As a quick fix I've added more paper to try to soak up some of the moisture. I mixed it up a bit but left some on top to catch some of the droplets from the top. And because I had extra paper. Not sure this is the best method but it's worth a shot.

Other than the mess they are doing really well. It seems they're breaking down foods really fast and they're multiplying like crazy. The amount has probably close to doubled since I first got them weeks ago. I'm hoping to post some places to buy the kits or the worms in different cities in the next few days. That way you can give sustainability as a holiday gift this year!

Maple Syrup---It's not just for breakfast

Pancakes, waffles, ice cream, 
Does this look similar to your list for what you would put maple syrup on?

Coffee, salad, rum, granola, carrots, baking, yogurt, bacon, roasts, potatoes, and the list goes on.
This is my list.

How is it, in a country so abundant with maple syrup, it is still considered a novelty and not a prominent part of our cooking and eating lifestyle. Instead we buy sugar, agave syrup or some other product that does not and cannot reflect its real price. Maple syrup is relatively more expensive than the alternative white sugar at the grocery store but in an era when more people are turning to local foods we are so lucky to have this beautiful, delicious product coming from our own Canadian Maple trees.

As I learn more about the nature that surrounds us and their nutritional capabilities I am continuously surprised. We are surrounded in this country by alternatives to what we have become accustomed to. Instead of oranges why not pick a branch of cedar for cedar tea, which contains vitamin C. Perhaps with some maple syrup as sweetener. Instead of paying for iron supplements why not chow down on some delicious boiled or fried stinging nettle. Maybe with a nice maple syrup vinaigrette.

On top of being delicious, there are studies that show its medicinal and nutritional properties to justify eating it. Maybe not in the quantity I've been eating it, but that's a minor detail.  Though syrup contains the same amount of calories per tbsp as white sugar, it also is considered a good source for calcium, iron and thiamin. Some people even say that there are cancer and diabetes fighting properties in maple syrup.

Why the interest in maple syrup?
In the last few weeks friends of mine have started marketing and selling their maple syrup in Toronto and Ottawa.

Its called Alska maple syrup and is probably the best on the market. If you're interested in seeing the work of Gene and Gab in Toronto, check out Lennie's in Cabbagetown, Fresh and Wild at King and Spadina (tasting here Dec. 3, 4-7), Essence of Life in Kensington Market, Pusateri's on Church St., Jamie Kennedy's Gilead Cafe at King and Parliament. If you're in Ottawa, try Herb and Spice in Westboro and look for it in health food stores elsewhere. I know there are nine stores but don't have all the locations written down.

Stay tuned for more locations, recipes, the syrup making process and more!

The New Pets---Vermicomposting

I recently invested in a worm compost to take care of all the coffee grinds, rotten veggies and egg shells without having to take them down to the green bin. So far it seems to be working really well. There has been no smell and I haven't even had to add extra paper. At the beginning there was a crazy cotton candy looking mold growing over the top but the worms didn't seem to mind.

Fits nicely under the sink.

I initially thought I would make my own compost centre but found it difficult to find worms at a decent price. A quick search through Kijiji led me to my worm guy. For $25 I was able to buy the whole kit which had already been started. All the worms I had looked at before finding Jason were anywhere from $25-40 per half pound. My kit probably had upwards of a half pound, but came in a pre-drilled rubbermaid with happy worms crawling throughout.

I thought the rubbermaid would be a lot bigger and had cleared a space for it in the closet. The pictures I had seen on the internet had led me to believe it was a space consuming project as it was never presented relative to anything. I was surprised how easily it fit under the sink in our small kitchen.

I've been adding almost all the organic waste we've had. I questioned things like kleenex and pastas but have just been wetting them before putting them in and adding them in small quanitites. I stay away from citrus being put in as the worms aren't fans.

So far I've been able to keep them alive and well fed. I'm hoping to see some terrific results in the spring in having beautiful, nutrient rich soil. I hope to figure out the picture posting process and keep an update on the worms and what I've been learning throughout the process.

Here goes!

So here it is. My attempt at making my home a food producing, efficient haven and my first attempt at blogging. My hope, in writing and experimenting with indoor agriculture in a small space, is to identify projects that can be done by most urban dwellers with relative ease.

 Will the apartment smell of rotten food if I have a worm compost? How many harvests of mushrooms can I get out of different indoor mushroom kits offered throughout Canada? Is there a way to grow vegetables throughout winter?

These answers are what I hope to find in the next few months of apartment living. The importance of food in cities is not to be overlooked and in these adventures I hope to make clear how apartment food growing projects can be beneficial to one's meals and wallet.