A little garden math

The joys of homeschooling!  We were spending a day harvesting cayennes and hot peppers in the garden, then relaxing by the pond in the back - when a little spontaneous garden math happened.  I love the possibilities of life learning, seizing the moment to explore deep questions when they arise, to learn by hands-on doing together in the daily activities of life.  For more inspiration about life learning, check out Life Learning magazine a great Canadian-published e-magazine by the same folks who produce Natural Life magazine.

Article in Natural Life Magazine, Sept -Oct issue

I'm pleased to have another article publised in this current Sept-Oct issue of Natural Life Magazine.  The article focusses on herbs for pregnancy, childbirth and post-partum, including how to involve your children in home herbal medicine making.  I will be writing for Natural Life again for their spring 2011 issue, discussing how to start a backyard herbal medicinal tea garden and (re)empowering ourselves with herbal healing knowledge.  Check out the magazine here, and consider subscribing to this wonderful Canadian-based magazine about homeschooling, green living, sustainability, and natural parenting.

Little City Farm featured in May/June Natural Life Magazine!

We're so pleased to have an article telling a little of our story in the most recent Natural Life Magazine (May/June 2010 issue). I wrote this article a few months ago and pitched it Wendy Priesnitz (the editor), in hopes that it would fit with their mandate. They had just published a story about the transition town movement, which aligns very well with urban homesteading principles, and so she was happy to include our story! I wanted to inspire others to see urban homesteading as a viable option for those of us living in cities but seeking a more sustainable way of living - and along with the article have also included ten suggestions on how to get your own urban homestead started. Check it out:

http://www.naturallifemagazine.com/1006/Natural_Life_May_June_2010_index.htm

Natural Life Magazine - featured article about Little City Farm in May-June issue!

We are excited that the May-June issue of Natural Life Magazine is coming out shortly! We have an article being published in this upcoming issue, talking about our life here at Little City Farm and how to get your own urban homestead established - "Living the Good Life in the City: Creating your Sustainable Urban Homestead".

You can read it online, or better yet, pick up your copy of the magazine (at Wordsworth Books, or order online). This is a wonderful Canadian magazine focussing on natural parenting, sustainable living, organic gardening, homelearning/unschooling, and green building:

http://www.naturallifemagazine.com/1006/Natural_Life_May_June_2010_index.htm

Natural Life Magazine & Transition Towns

The latest issue of Natural Life Magazine just arrive in our mailbox! This Canadian magazine describes itself at "The original natural family living magazine, founded in 1976. Reader-supported and trusted by thinking people around the world who want positive alternatives to high cost, high consumption lifestyles for themselves and their families.". It focuses on green living, slow food, homeschooling/unschooling, and natural parenting. The Jan/Feb 2010 issue features articles on natural immunity, forest preschools, kitchens as wellness centers, biologic architecture, transition towns, re-imagining schools, healthy art materials, green personal care products, and more. The articles are practical and very accessible, while still providing enough detail for readers to begin to get a solid grasp on these issues. Each article also provides follow up websites and book titles for those who wish to learn more. It is one of the few Canadian published magazines of this genre that we know about. More on Natural Life Magazine at www.naturallifemagazine.com

The article on Transition Towns seemed especially timely in this issue. This international movement is moving local communities from oil dependence to local reliance - and this is also exactly the kind of thing that small-scale urban homesteads are looking at - in effect, we need to build a network of small "urban homesteads" that allow city folk to rely on each other, share their strengths and knowledge, and build solid resiliant communities. Here in our city there is a growing Transition Town movement taking place, with exciting discussions, events and working groups forming to work at this topic on a local level.

The article on Transition Towns by Monika Carless, can be found at: http://www.naturallifemagazine.com/1002/transition_town.htm

Here is a small excerpt:

"The Transition Town initiative is one way to address the controversial issue of peak oil and climate change, from a pro-active, not reactive stance. It teaches that small scale is big change in an industrialized world and that individual effort can create a collective harmony between the needs of a community and the will of local government. It is not about survivalism in the usual sense, but about creating change before we are faced with the absolute end of cheap oil.

Learn more:

www.transitiontowns.org

www.findhorn.org

www.naturallifemagazine.com