I say Tomato...

We have had a hard time trying to grow tomatoes this year. We originally started with at least 10 different varieties this Spring, including Beefsteak tomatoes, Coeur de Boeuf from France, Black Krim, Tommy Toe, Indian Moon, Prescott heirlooms, etc. Unfortunately many of the seeds did not germinate in the greenhouse, others did not survive the transplant process, and many others developed some weird fungus or got eaten by weird bugs.


At any rate, I did not think this was going to be the 'year of the tomato' at Antigua Farms. Luckily, even with over 50 plants dying, we are now getting loads of tomatoes in from the garden. I've made ratatouille, soup, ketchup, marinara sauce, casseroles, salsa, and salads. And now my family is officially tomatoed out.

Mini mini cherry tomatoes

There have actually been so many tomatoes that I've had to think of ways to process and store them. So here are some pros and cons from my tomato storage wars:


1. Canning
Pros: No energy used to store. Long shelf life. Ready to eat out of the jar. Cons: Time-consuming. And do not look up botulism on the internet...

2. Freezing
Pros: Whole tomatoes, soup, sauce; it can all get dumped in the freezer.
Cons: Freezer burn, defrosting takes time, lots of wasted electricity.

3. Drying
Pros: Quick and easy to do. Versatile. Takes up very little storage space.
Cons: Can get moldy if not stored properly.

Sundried tomatoes are a winner!

Verdict is in: if you have too many tomatoes, just make your own sundried ones! You can invest in a dehydrator ($30-$50), you can dry tomatoes in your oven but that means your oven is on all day, or you can do it the super easy way.

Just slice your tomatoes lengthwise (Romas seem to work best) and remove the seeds. Place them directly on a baking sheet. Park your car in the sun and let the tomatoes sit on the dashboard  for a day or two and voila!

Make sure you store them in a dry place and check that the leftover moisture from the tomatoes, if any, does not get trapped in the bag or jar. You can also sprinkle the tomatoes with salt, herbs, or dunk them in vinegar before letting them dry out. Sundried tomatoes are really sweet and can go in everything; salads, omelettes, pizza, casseroles, etc.

New projects for next year?!!



Square tomatoes for better shipping and storage*



Bioengineered, anti-aging, purple tomatoes**

GMO tomatoes with mutated fish genes***

 *  http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/11618

** http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/126892.php

*** http://www.amazon.com/Pandoras-Picnic-Basket-Potential-Genetically/dp/0198506740

In the News...

Alright, vacation is over, back to work folks!

Jim got interviewed by Gerard Ungerman of Respectful Revolution last week. He and his partner have started a not-for-profit advocacy project documenting positive, small-scale projects from people across the US. These range from social justice issues, healthy living, food distribution and hunger, or energy efficiency, to name a few. There are so many people out there with unique and inspriring ideas and projects!

Gerard's motorcycle broke down in Prescott and he somehow heard about us and came to see what we were up to! To be honest, we were surprised he wanted to talk to us. We didn't think we were doing anything special, but it was nice to discuss healthy food, small-scale gardening/farming, and community  work. The concept of his documentary are that no project or idea is too small, and that together, at a grass-roots level, we can make a lot of positive things happen.

If you want more information on this inspiring and uplifting project, visit www.respectfulrevolution.org

Stay tuned and follow Gerard's journey at www.facebook.com/respectfulrevolution

Do we come from monkeys?

This is a question that, unfortunately, I have to explain and defend on a semi-regular basis. How does this relate to ecologics? Well, in order to understand our role, if any, on this big planet, we need to know where we came come. Making smart decisions when it comes to our health and our environment starts by understanding how we fit on this earth. And the answer is not 'poof, we magically appeared here.'

Because I work in archaeology; over the years many people have asked me about:
1. Dinosaurs (that's paleontology)
2. Rocks and volcanoes (that's geology)
3. Monkeys (that's primatology)
4. Aliens and Egyptian pyramids (that's crap)
5. Indiana Jones (no, I don't usually dig up crystal skulls)
6. Evolution

"Well I'm not a monkey, that's for sure. You're a scientist, explain evolution to me"
Well here you have it, I came across this yesterday. Evolution 101, enjoy!

Cheap Books and Free Volts

On our last trip to Tucson we stopped at the local "Bookman's," which for those of you not from Arizona, is a store that sells second-hand books, movies, music, and video games. It has become a trendy place to hang out, browse their magazine section, and check in on local events, bands, and cool happenings in town.


They have stores in Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff and seem to have been able to shift their marketing and reinvent themselves over the years to overcome the hurdles that larger bookstores have had to deal with, such as the event of online music downloads, the arrival of netflix, and Kindle-type books. Personally, I think trading and buying used books and CDs is super eco-logic and I honestly don't remember the last time I bought a brand new book. Actually, I do. It was Harry Potter.

"Free Electric Vehicle Charging Station"



Anyway... as we parked our gas-guzzling mini van in the parking lot, we noticed the giant sign that was painted on their front windows.

That's right, they have a free electric charging station at their store! I asked an employee; they say they get about one client per month that comes and charges their car. I guess in a sense it is not a lot, but it really brings the concept of the eletric car to the forefront, shows passersby what it could mean to own an one, and is a great marketing strategy for a company that in a way promotes recycling and conservation of natural resources.


And it makes me want to buy an electric car!

We are thorough reporters, conscientious academics, and we pride ourselves in our integrity and ethical research techniques. So, we left no stone unturned, no plug unplugged.

We tested it for you, and yes, it works!

Aha! and Huh? (No. 2)

Here we go again with the good and the bad of my lil' ecologics  world..

Aha!

This is a lecture from Daniel Gilbert, a professor of Psychology at Harvard, who explains why people are in denial when confronting the issues surrounding global warming.
Very informative and incredibly well summarized. Everyone should listen to him, it makes perfect sense!

http://vimeo.com/10324258

Huh?

I went to Fry’s this week and brought my own cloth grocery bags.
As a reward for doing so, I got a sticker! Love it, it says "You saved a plastic bag."

My reward for not using plastic is… a piece of plastic.
Let's not be overly eco-friendly, we wouldn't want to make this too efficient.

Awesome.