Boston GreenScene

Come Play a Hands-On Role in the Grassroots Healthcare Revolution!

Farm to Pharmacy is an innovative internship program that takes place at Goldthread Herb Farm and Apothecary in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts. Educational and life changing, the internship offers participants the chance to play a pi votal role in the Grassroots Healthcare Revolution. Find unparalleled communion with the medicinal plants themselves as well as a community that emphasizes sustainable, non-toxic and cost effective healthcare grounded in organic agriculture and empowered self-care for all.

Goldthread offers interns the rare opportunity to learn fundamentals of both traditional medicine and plant cultivation side by side. Synthesizing Chinese, Ayurvedic and Western herbal traditions, our educational offerings are a comprehensive compliment to the abundance of time spent outdoors. We welcome herbal medicine students from all walks of life and are happy to facilitate college credit where possible.

During this experiential seven-month program, students divide their day at Goldthread’s organic herb farm between classes in herbal theories and supervised work with the plants in over 3 acres of fields. Educational herb walks in the learning garden to practice identification and discuss botanical characteristics will compliment lectures and coursework. Subjects range from the major classifications and their specific healing properties to the medicinal applications for a wide variety of medical conditions.

Over the course of the growing season interns will participate in all aspects of plant cultivation from preparing beds and planting seeds through to harvest and beyond. Interns will learn to process and prepare herbal medicines transforming freshly harvested flowers, leaves and roots into tinctures, syrups, teas, salves, elixirs and oils for our apothecary.

Included in the internship program are many additional learning opportunities taking place off the farm at our apothecary in Florence and in the wider community. Goldthread offers lectures and demonstrations in many specific areas and aspects of healing with monthly themes and outreach programs. Join us as we supply local low-income community gardens with seedlings or sit in on an elaborate discussion of the benefits of an herbal spring cleaning program. The wider community of the Pioneer Valley itself is brimming with opportunities to further your immersion into a culture of true sustainability in action.

Upon completion of the program, interns come away with an extensive understanding of the theories of herbal healing, the agricultural training to cultivate the major medicinal herbs in their own space, and the practical skills to apply their new knowledge and begin healing themselves and their families.

Dates: Wednesdays 9-4 , April 11th -October 10.
Work study is available and will begin on March 15.

Tuition: $2450. Pay in full before March 15th and save 10%.
A non-refundable 25% deposit is required to hold space.

See our website for more details: www.goldthreadapothecary.com

Organic Wine's Bad Rep?

Organic wines have been discussed in depth on our sister site, CT Green Scene, before (click here for Part 1 and Part 2). Our initial picks were far from fabulous. The second crop was certainly better and showed some promise. Since then, organic wine has been making friends and influencing people, so to speak, along the way.

But they still have a long way to go to catch up to the rest of the wine industry. Many labels that produce organic wine are small growers. The larger labels that have organic wine either have a small section of their farm devoted to it or simply don't advertise the fact that they are organic. It seems the organic label will often scare consumers off.

In an article originally published in the L.A. Times on January 6th, there are some wine growers who are urging the government to allow sulfites--often the source of heated debate when it comes to organic wine--in the winemaking process. They feel that larger producers would then have an incentive to go green. See the excerpt below.

Why isn't more wine 'organic'?
By W. Blake Gray, Special to the Los Angeles Times
January 6, 2011

"Currently for a wine to be labeled " USDA Organic" — a coveted seal of approval for most foods — it must have no added sulfites. However, most winemakers feel that sulfites are crucial in winemaking — they discourage spoilage and preserve fresh fruit flavors. Unlike most organic products, wine may sit for years before being opened. Furthermore, most wines contain some level of sulfites anyway since they are a naturally occurring byproduct of fermentation.





As a result, even though organic food is one of the fastest-growing categories in the supermarket, "organic wine" is an afterthought. No large producers make it. Other types of eco-friendly wine have stepped in to fill the breach, including biodynamic, sustainable and "natural wine," which may have weak or even no official standards. Wine drinkers looking for a healthful, green product face confusing choices, and wineries can claim they're eco-friendly without anyone really checking.





Because of that, some leading environmentalists in the wine industry — including Paul Dolan of Mendocino Wine Co., a pioneer in organic grape farming — are asking the government to allow sulfites to be added to wines labeled organic. Dolan thinks that change would encourage more grape growers to be certified organic, meaning the use of fewer herbicides and pesticides in vineyards.

"

Click here to read more.



Image courtesy of Parducci.com

Milking the corporate cow

By Ryan Parker

Ryan Parker is a former staff member of the United States House of Representatives. Currently, he runs a diversified, beyond organic, small family farm.

 A recent BDN article by Dr. Stephen Sears probably left readers wondering why it was relevant and what they should do about the deadly toxin raw milk. It might surprise the majority of Mainers that the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control have been spending lots of our tax dollars raiding small farms, sending FBI agents into stores with guns drawn, misleading consumers, shutting down family cheese artisans and issuing cease and desist orders to family farms (in Maine) that sell milk to their neighbors.

After Dr. Sears’ (Maine’s state epidemiologist) article, you’re probably breathing easy knowing these agencies are fighting such terrible threats as raw milk. Indeed, as the doctor wrote, according to the CDC, raw milk has been responsible for two deaths in the United States since 1998.

Obviously, Dr. Sears simply stated numbers from agency press releases and e-mails rather than actually looking at the Foodborne Outbreak Online Database. There, he would have found that, indeed, in the decade between 1998 and 2008, in a country now home to a population of more than 300 million, raw milk caused two deaths. What he neglected to mention regarding “public health” was that in 2007, in Massachusetts alone, there were three deaths from pasteurized milk.

How could Dr. Sears miss this information when he is so concerned about public health? Presumably, the same way he could quote an oft-stated CDC figure of 1,614 reported illnesses from raw milk. Why the CDC uses this figure is unbeknownst to the population, since its own data reveals 1,254 reported illnesses for the decade in question.

So what is going on here?

This is part of a nationwide campaign to take away your right to eat and feed your children healthy, real food. Sound like a conspiracy theory? Don’t take my word for it. Take the FDA’s. The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund recently sued the FDA because its ban on interstate sales of raw milk is unconstitutional. In the motion to dismiss, the FDA stated the following: “There is no right to consume or feed children any particular food. There is no generalized right to bodily and physical health.”

Scared? It gets worse.

Event: Second Annual Urban Ag Fair

The Second Annual Urban Ag Fair is coming up in Harvard Square this weekend.  It should be a great day to celebrate fresh, local food in Cambridge -- we'll see you on the 19th!

Who: You

When: September 19th, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Where: Winthrop Park, Harvard Square, Cambridge

Contact: www.harvardsquare.com

Cost: Free

ARE YOU A PARENT? ARE YOU AWAKE?

by Heather Burns

I only needed to open the door a few days ago to my child's gymnasium and take one whiff of the newly polished floor to be reminded of how much work still needs to be done to create awareness, turn inaction into action and create real change when it comes to the toxic environment our children are exposed to. 

And while I may not be able to instantly control what school administrators put on floors, on the lunch menu, or on the school yards - I can create change to the degree I feel comfortable, have time for or feel compelled. 

Healthy Child, Healthy World is a stand up organization helping keep "conscious" parents like me well informed so I can make sound choices on behalf of my children. 

A Permanant Boston Public Market

Boston needs a permanent public market and now there is a coordinated campaign to make it happen.  An impressive list of entrepreneurs, businesspeople, government officials, farmers, and community leaders have all come together to form a coalition that is building a grassroots campaign to send the message to our elected leaders.

As mentioned on this site before, building a sustainable food system is crucial to the future of Massachusetts.  A vibrant Boston Public Market would be a vital, visible step towards reaching that goal and this coaltion appears to have what it takes to make a permanant public market in Boston a reality.  So, take a second to visit the BPM website to learn more and send an email to Governor Patrick to express your support!

UPDATE: The Patrick administration has pledged $10 million to make the Boston Public Market a reality.

Blue Tierra in South Boston

By Sylvia Rozwadowska and Taro Muso

This week we received beautifully crafted chocolate sweets so delicious and memorable that we needed to get some more. Our pursuit led us not to a famous European establishment, but to Boston’s very own chocolatier, the Blue Tierra. To get to this hidden gem, we took the Red Line to Broadway T stop and walked through a quiet neighborhood of Irish pubs and condominiums. 

Blue Tierra, in one phrase, is eclectic chocolate art made from conscientious creativity. Its philosophy pervades beyond chocolate to the café itself. The interior design consists of Bostonian brick walls, Western wooden pews with Middle Eastern pillows, antique tables, oil paintings, and traditional church lighting. Out of these parts emerges a café environment that is interesting yet calming. “Every piece has a story behind it,” explains chocolatier and owner Jen Turner. We asked her a few questions.

Coolidge Corner Theater presents:Green Screens Series -Ingredients

The Coolidge Corner Theatre continues its Green Screens film series on Thursday, July 29 at 7:00 p.m with a one-night only presentation of INGREDIENTS, a critically acclaimed documentary that explores the thriving local food movement.  

 At the center of this movement are the passionate and committed farmers and chefs who are creating a sustainable food system.  Their collaborative efforts have resulted in healthy, great-tasting food and greater consumer awareness about the benefits of eating local. 

 

Slowfest

SlowFest is a two day festival celebrating session beers from 30 breweries, and food samplings from local New England producers.  Slow Food USA, the hosts of this event, aim to reconnect Americans with the people, traditions, plants, animals, fertile soils and waters that produce our food.  Additionally, Slow Food aspires to inspire a transformation in food policy, production practices and market forces so that they ensure equity, sustainability and pleasure in the food we eat.  While Slowfest is all about local food, session beer is a global phenomenon and there will be an amazing array of session beers to try.  See you there!

Who: You and your friends, 21+

When: April 23rd & April 24th

Where: Boston Center for the Arts

Cost: Varies by day

Contect: Slowfest

Boston Event: Down 2 Earth

 

Down 2 Earth, a Boston sustainable living expo, is one of the largest green business events in the city. According to their website, D2E is: "An exploration into sustainable living.  As a community of savvy consumers and responsible businesses, we can effect major change. And that’s what D2E is all about. Our sponsors, exhibitors and advisory board are committed to exploring how we can live well for ourselves and our planet."

We hear great things about the D2E expo and are looking forward to checking out all of the sustainable businesses in the Boston area.  Hope you see you there!  

Who: You and your friends

When: Friday, April 9th to Sunday, April 11th

Where: Hynes Convention Center

Cost: $10 adults, $8 students & seniors 

Contect: www.d2eboston.com