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Where Have I Been?

Posted at 7:37 PM on October 2, 2008 by Leslie Allen (2 Comments)

Dear readers, I am so sorry I have been absent for these past few weeks. I can't believe how busy my life suddenly became. I am very sorry I haven't posted, because I have been doing the coolest things! I will definitely catch you up on all my goings-on. I am especially eager to share with you my experiences at Slow Food Nation in San Francisco. What a fantastic event. But, that is for another post.

So, what have I been doing while I was away from the computer? I have been canning! I have been on a canning marathon. It has been an especially productive summer in the garden, and we still haven't experienced a frost. This is SO unusual. We normally get a frost about the middle of September. But I am still picking pounds of tomatoes, tomatillos and green beans. I am both loving and cursing the bounty. I love it because it has made us 99% locavores! We still but spices and flour from non-local sources.

Having all of this homegrown food is truly a blessing, we spend so very little on groceries because of our harvest. What I find myself running to the store to buy is more canning jars! So far I have put up over 8 quarts of tomato sauce, 8 quarts of salsa, oodles of bread and butter pickles, 9 pints of peach jam, and 10 pints of strawberry jam. I was inspired by Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and tried out the busy person's relish, sauce and chutney in a day. It indeed does take a day to make the entire recipe. But it is worth it.

I also have been busy giving more talks and workshops on being a Locavore. My friend Shelley and I gave another talk at Moana nursery, one in Gardnerville as part of the Sustainable Living and Energy Round-up, and one recently at the Unitarian Universalist church. That one was entitled Ethical Eating because the church is seeking to develop a witness statement regarding ethical eating. I totally applaud their commitment!

I also have been recognized by my peers. I just found out that I am a 2008 recipient of a Golden Pine Cone award. This is an environmental stewardship and achievement award given out annually by Nevada Econet, a local non-profit environmental education organization. I am so honored! I will be receiving my award at a dinner ceremony in November.

I am also featured in the fall issue of Reno Magazine. The fall issue is devoted to the culinary scene in Reno, and apparently I have some influence over that scene. The garden my friends and I planted in the middle of West Street has been the buzz about town, and has inspired a serious dialog about community gardens and local food systems. YEAH! Who knew that corn in the middle of the street would inspire so many people?

This has been one of the most interesting summers of my life. It started with an idea to plant the West Street garden, was filled with chicken guts and chicken eggs, and has ended with a radical abundance that I never saw coming. I am so grateful for my family and friends, they keep me smiling and energized. Without them I would surely have keeled over from canning exhaustion!

Comments (2)

Congratulations on all your accomplishments, Leslie! Way to go!
Autumn

Posted by Autumn Long | October 7, 2008 6:43 AM

Wow - you are my loca-heroine! We house-sat a couple of years ago in a Nevada City cohousing community, not too far from Reno. Nearby was one of the nicest organic farms I've seen -- we bought the loveliest produce there -- great eating for the two weeks we were in the vicinity. Miss it!

Posted by Cher | October 9, 2008 10:47 AM