NEWS

Blueberries, Okra, and Buffalo!

Blueberries, Okra, and Buffalo!

Posted on by Kbaumlier

Food Font had its first farmer market event at the  Elmwood-Bidwell Market in Buffalo, NY.  People at the market made a food alphabet out of food from local farms.  The food that was used included peaches from Bozard’s Farm; squash, onions, tomatoes, beans: from Native Offerings Farm; cucumbers, okra from Winter Farms and blueberries from Erdle farm.

Before the end of the event the entire list of letters, numbers, and characters got done.   People still stopped by to make letters – so we ended up with some extra Q’s and A’s.  (and maybe some extra P’s) The alphabet shows the mood of the event – upbeat, creative, and curious.  There are some really elegant letters and numbers that were made.  Some people really took some time in crafting a letter, carefully adjusting blueberries, okra, or picking out the right green bean.

Thanks to everyone who came out to the event!  Pictures from the event are up on the Food Font Photo page and also on Flickr.  The Elmwood-Bidwell food alphabet will eventually be edited and put into the Food Font interactive design tool when built.

This upcoming weekend Food Font will be at Weaver Street Market in Carrboro, NC where people will be making a Food Font out of peppers from a local farm.

One last update is that the resources on the Food Font website have been updated.  Directions for making a food font, uploading your pictures, and promotional materials are all on the site to help you make a food alphabet that you can submit to the site.  What food would you like to write with?

Small Plant Worlds: The History of Terrariums

Small Plant Worlds: The History of Terrariums

Posted on by Kbaumlier

I have this idea that in the future I will have time for another creative activity – making terrariums.  Terariums have been on the rise lately, with glass bubble containers, the use of upcycled/thrifted objects, and sweet small worlds of plants being seen in flower shops and garden stores.  Often the plants are succulents, cacti, and other plants that do not require much water.

Where did terrariums start?  The history goes back to Victorian times when people were really into ferns.   Women had extra time on their hand so they had hobbies that included making crafts, sewing, and collecting ferns. Fern collecting was seen as a serious pastime, and both men women would participate.

In 1827, Dr. Nathaniel Ward, a doctor in London was studying moths and caterpillars.  He found that some plants, including a fern,  had grown in the bottom of the jar.  This fern was healthier than the ferns in his backyard that grew in the polluted air from the local factories.

Ward discovered that plants could grow in London if they could be protected from the outside air. He created  miniature greenhouses, which he named fern cases. Today they are known as Wardian cases or terrariums.

The cases led to new plants being to be grown, including tropical and more exotic plants.   It also led to fancier cases.  In the 1860s, most Victorian houses had at least one terrarium.

Today terrariums function as fun, decorative containers that have plants that usually thrive without much care.  Some interesting studios that make interesting terrariums include  Twig Terrariums and Sprout Home.

Right now I am more in a fixing up the house/ cleaning things up mode – but I have big plans to make some small plant worlds myself in the future.

Image Source:
twigterrariums.com/
terrariums.net

Links:

Video – How to Make a Terrarium – by Sproutm

www.sprouthome.com/

twigterrariums.com/

Go Box: Resuable To-Go Food Boxes

Go Box: Resuable To-Go Food Boxes

Posted on by Kbaumlier

Sometimes when I travel, I end up getting food to go.  After I eat I end up with a plastic bag, Styrofoam containers, and plastic utensils.  I usually feel bad about the amount of packaging I used for my meal and if I have to throw it out I feel guilty.  Packaging of food and drink has increased, with the plastic bottles of waters being one of the top uses of plastic packaging.

Laura Weiss wanted to address this issue, and she created Go Box, a program that teams with some of Portland’s local food carts to offer reusable plastic packaging to local patrons. For a one-year subscription fee of $12, a consumer gets a a token that they give to participating food carts, and their takeaway food is served in reusable (BPA-free) plastic containers.

Users can return the reusable containers at over a dozen locations in Portland and receive a new token for their next food purchase.

So far, Go Box has managed to divert 8,000 disposable ‘clam shell’ containers this year from the Portland dump.  900 people have subscribed to the service.

Future plans for Go Box is to expand to include the program being available to  downtown Portland restaurants that do take out.  Less trash, savings for the food vendors – why not eat food and help reduce adding waste to the planet?

Image Source:
http://www.goboxpdx.com/

Links:

http://www.goboxpdx.com/

This Weekend – Food Font comes to Buffalo, NY

This Weekend – Food Font comes to Buffalo, NY

Posted on by Kbaumlier

Food Font,  a project where people can create food alphabets and use them in an interactive design tool to the Elmwood-Bidwell Farmers Market in Buffalo, NY on July 28th.

Food Font is an interactive art project where people can make alphabets out of food, take pictures of each letter, and later use these and other food alphabets in a fun, free, interactive online design tool. With the tool, you can write with various food alphabets, choose backgrounds, and do basic layout techniques to make images that can be saved, shared electronically, and also printed. The tool can be used to make images, posters, signs, and other printed materials.

The Buffalo News wrote a short writeup in the Grub-Pub area about the upcoming event.

If you are in the area – come stop by and make a letter out of local produce!  (but we are not Buffalo wings I just had to use that image!)

Links:

Buffalo News – Food Font Writeup

www.elmwoodmarket.org

The World’s Fare: The Largest International Roaming Dinner Party

The World’s Fare: The Largest International Roaming Dinner Party

Posted on by Kbaumlier

A few weeks ago I backed a project on Kickstarter called The World’s Fare.  The project got funded, and this Fall, the organization The Feast will host an international, roaming dinner party called the World’s Fare that everyone is invited to participate in.

On October 5, 2012 at 7pm local time in cities everywhere, anyone can be a part of the dinner by  bringing together 6-8 people for a feast (dinner) of their own. The purpose is to eat together and decide on one thing each group can collectively start to make the world better.  It can be small –like fixing a fence or large such as supporting an effort to redefine an industry.

All of the groups who participate will be invited to share what they intend to build and change with the world at large online.  These commitments will be shared through The Feast site, social media and showcased in a public art installation that will act as the central piece for a pavilion of innovation in NYC the next day.

This initiative is part of the organization, The Feast, which organizes the Feast Conference which brings entrepreneurs, radicals, doers and thinkers who are revolutionizing the way things work for the betterment of humanity.  This year the conference is from October 3-5, 2012.

I plan to participate, and just put the event in my calendar.  Now – I have to decide what to cook and who to invite.

Image Source:
feastongood.com/worldsfare/

Links:

feastongood.com/worldsfare/

www.kickstarter.com – World’s Fare