AKA the foibles of an urban vegetarian.

My Angelica Home Kitchen and Chez Panisse Vegetables cookbook bindings are well worn to squash and onion recipes- the hardiest vegetable holdouts in my root pantry. My potted herbs survived, although the bay leaves jack-in-the-beanstalk like growth gave merely false hope for indoor veggie production. An amateur attempt to grow micro-greens indoors on the kitchen counter top was disappointing as buying cut flowers only to see them wilt in days.

I found many new sources of local greens foraging through the city. The Denver Urban Homesteading offers many roots, greens, dairy, hot house tomatoes, dried and local canned fruits and vegetable.  James and his team also host classes on subjects from raising chickens to cold frames. Their funky factory building has the warmth of Faneuil Hall, without the scent of caramel corn.

Next week the outdoor market re-opens and local greens and seedlings are high on my shopping list. Consider the forces weighing against our local farms – higher petrol prices to a shortage of garlic planting stock, to an extremely dry winter, to Open Space’s continued use of toxic herbicides – we must support our local farms.

Despite light snow in the foothills, the spring planting season has started. Much like our food choices, we should look to local organic certified seed and seedling suppliers.  Buying seedlings from the supermarket or hardware store is akin to buying your food from far across the country. Remember, seedlings do not grow in 18-wheelers, they grow in local greenhouses. Be as careful with your seed and seedling purchases as you are with your vegetables in your tote.