Tuesday, August 12, 2008

graffiti alley


IMG_1385, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

I'm not sure how often it happens, but just a few months ago an alley behind 4 or 5 blocks of Queen Street in Toronto hosted a graffiti carnival.

The first time it was like being passed by a really bright bus - I was a bit lost and took a sidestreet that formed a sort of graffiti cross-section. The next afternoon I stopped to check out a tiny-happy-healthy community garden and was so incredibly excited to find that the back gate led into a whole other arm of the same alley - it almost felt like I tumbled out into a sea of paint.

Even crazier was to run into several of the artists who cut through the alley whenever they get a chance just to see all that amazing work in one place.

This was one of my favorites ::

roots on the Gardner Expressway


IMG_1386, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

Farm Start


IMG_1339, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

(Toronto adventures continued!)

Farm Start is a short drive from downtown Toronto, though the acres of farmland make it seem a much greater distance. These guys are a bit different from the other groups visited in that they don't serve as a community garden, but rather as an incubator of sorts for new Canadian farmers - so, folks who are new to farming, new to Canada, or even new to both, and who would like to begin their own small-scale market farm.

Farmers must submit an application and business plan, and because they know not everyone is born with both a green thumb and business savvy, they require that everyone participate in a small business workshop where they can focus on just the right bits for their business plan.

I'm awed by how much they've been able to accomplish in such a short period of time (this location has only been up and running for a few months) and by the poignant juxtaposition of the farm to its rapidly multiplying subdivision neighbors. The farmland was placed into a land conservancy, from which Farm Start rents about 15 acres, and the combination of trails and farm plots serves as an incredible example of the many, many ways open space offers benefit.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Congo Street

Our students are really amazing!! I know I've told some of you a bit about what their doing, but it would be wonderful for more folks to visit their blog : http://r3works.blogspot.com/.



And though pictures tell so much, here's a bit of background...

Through my organization I help to teach a design/build architecture class at UT Arlington - my boss handles the technical bits and I meet with them to work through their thoughts about the soul of the project (they're building a house, but the relationships they grow in the neighborhood are so, so very important) - it's been really incredible!

They started as 8 students (now 7) finishing up designs through a series of community meetings and long hours locked together in a house that serves as their design studio, and are now building a house that will serve as temporary residence for families on Congo Street in the Jubilee Park Neighborhood of South Dallas. (This blog goes straight to the heart of Congo's relationship to the rest of the city).

Three families own the 6 houses on the street's North side, and together with students and some immeasurably generous folks we hope to renovate or rebuild all 6 without any of the homeowners having to move from their street or their families - one household at a time will move into what they've named the "holding house" until the whole North side is restored.

Still no word from the landlord who owns rental units on South side of the street, but maybe one day?

Sunday, August 10, 2008

garden harvest!


IMG_1497, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

They're not many, but I'm so excited about these lovely vegetables!

Until now I've mostly had chard, basil, and the occasional pepper, but right here you see my very first eggplant and my second batch of tomatoes! (Tomato #1 was far too exciting to wait until I even left the garden - temptation is so so tasty!! I must also admit that tomato #2 met the same end.)




IMG_1515, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.


Not quite the Food Channel, but I wanted to capture this too! I mixed the garden bits with some cannellini beans, garlic, onions and olive paste and ate it on my new couch - foi maravilhosa!!

honey harvesting!!

Bit of a break between Toronto photos (more of those to come)!

My friend Johnice and I are both pretty new gardeners, and in an effort to try to understand just how a city the size of Dallas could have so few options for fresh, healthy, affordable produce (particularly South Dallas), we are trying to "meet" as many gardeners, food activists and food security organizations as we can to see where Dallas' own solutions might lie. There are an insane number of healthy, thriving organizations throughout the States and Canada (check out FoodShare) to learn from!

Gardeners In Community Development is one of Dallas' most valuable resources - many volunteers strong, with two at its heart who make a shoe-string budget go a million miles - with 6 healthy community gardens in both East and South Dallas. The plots at their Church of Our Saviour garden are overflowing, and tucked in back they have 2 bee hives that they harvest twice a year...




IMG_1460, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.


Honey frames straight from the hive.




IMG_1463, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.


Honey frame with the wax covering - feel lucky I'm not trying to describe all this, I learned so much about bees that afternoon that I foolishly imagine I could host my own Discovery Channel segment.




IMG_1472, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.


Johnice scraping the wax away.




IMG_1486, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.


Josh, Johnice's son, turning the centrifuge.




IMG_1484, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.


Honey!! (The wax gets filtered out, but otherwise it goes straight to the bottles).

need i say more?


IMG_1258, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

The city even has it's own "cycling" webpage. Aye.

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church


IMG_1263, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

I am drawn to churches - for the architecture and awe of the faith that drives people to create such magical, even mystical, spaces. It being early on a Sunday, I was blessed to sit in the church just before the service and listen to the choir soloist practice.

Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)


IMG_1268, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

It seems Frank Gehry really does get around - but **fun fact alert!** it also seems he grew up pretty close to the old AGO. I can dig that.

Toronto!


IMG_1249, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

Ahhh - to live in a city with sidewalk patios!!

(Again, I wish wish wish I had more photos to share from my walks throughout the city, but this time I decided just to be in it - a million gardens and parks and so much energy - I have a new city-crush!)

along one of Everdale's many paths...


IMG_1237, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

abandoned strawbale house at Everdale


IMG_1240, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

I know the folks at Everdale have gotten into a million projects since revving up in the late 90's, and though it's sad that they don't all get finished it was pretty cool to happen on a straw-relic!

Everdale THREE


IMG_1229, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

Everdale 2


IMG_1230, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

Everdale Environmental Learning Centre


IMG_1231, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

After being with my family, I drove down through Ontario and stopped at Everdale on my way to Toronto. I wish I had photos of the drive to share - a wicked thunderstorm gave way to a sky split between angry, dirty clouds and golden-red sunshine with walls of fluffy trees broken by occasional wetlands - it's the sort of thing we're meant to soak up slowly, in a canoe or on your bike.

After an unexpected visit to the Silver Creek Conservation Area (read: I'm not the best navigator) the Everdale sign popped up and I drove down into the mini-valley where it sits. There's a flower and herb maze on one hill, a soon-to-be-finished maze featuring heirloom seeds (it's a test site for a great org called Seed of Diversity), an open-air barn with sheep and cows and a few donkeys, acres of organic vegetables, a community meeting space, a farm market, compost outhouse, solar showers, and a bio-intensive garden run by one of my wonderful tour guides, Farmer Andrew. Andrew's in his first year of internship through another amazing org called CRAFT and will soon head back to his hometown Mississauga to head up an urban agriculture group - he was so wonderful to talk with! I also got to meet George and Peter, brothers from Mississauga who grow much of their own food and are easing their way into a completely raw diet - such great tourmates!!

This photo is meant to form a triptych of sorts with the two that follow - far too difficult to capture the Farm in its entirety!!

and ryan!!


IMG_1191, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

Ryan's curiousity and giggle are completely infectious, and help to remind you that every moment should be savored. (Not to mention he makes a mean cup of coffee.)



I've got loads more photos of the trip (well, of Ryan & Allison mostly) here.

allison!


IMG_1204, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

I can't think of a better way to get back blogging!!

This is my beautiful, goofy, dramatic and absolutely precious niece, Allison. We were blessed to have the whole family together for a week this summer - I love them all, but Allison and her twin Ryan have my heart (and I believe I'm wrapped around both pinkies).