Relaxing during a foraging expedition.
Come to the Mar Vista Green Tent this Sunday in the heart of the Mar Vista Farmers Market. Meet Art Lee…a Renaissance man for our times. Whether he is foraging for healing herbs or rerouting your washing machine to water your trees, his heart beats to the pulse of Mother Earth. And don’t forget to ask about his one-of-a-kind solar powered bicycle!
GET THAT GREY WATER IN THE GROUND!
Don't let the winter rains fool you. We still need every drop of water back in the soil. Redirecting grey water is an easy way to prevent waste.
What is grey water? It's the "waste" water from your washing machine reused to water your fruit trees or perennial plants instead of being sent to the reclamation plant and then out to the ocean. With a grey water system, every time you do a load of laundry your plants get a good drink and you save money as well.
As everyone knows, California has experienced an extreme drought for many years and it will most likely continue. Water is probably the most important resource for every living species on our planet.
Learn how to double the usage of your water!
Green Tent guest Art Lee holds workshops that cover all the information you need to install a grey water system at your house. He's bringing a mini greywater demo system so visitors can see how it works and will answer your questions. He'll also have a signup sheet for those interested in attending a future workshop.
FAVA LOVE
The ancient Egyptians fed fava beans to workers on the pyramids, perhaps because they knew that they were both filling and nutritious. The ancient Romans also understood the value of favas as being both good to eat and good for the soil. Apicius, one of the earliest known cookbooks, featured several fava bean recipes. Cato and Columella, two prominent agricultural writers of the time, advocated rotating edible crops with a cover crop of favas beans – seen as an essential practice for good land stewardship. Yet, it’s one thing to read about this hardy bean and another to marvel at its beauty in full flower growing in a garden or farm. Once little known by California’s industrial farmers, fava beans have gained the attention of growers interested in regenerative agriculture practices. Want to know more? Come to the Green Tent tomorrow and meet Lydia Breen, UCCE Master Gardener and director of Planet Earth Observatory. Get a free fava seed packet and sign up for the Fava Buddy Newsletter, with growing tips, recipes, culinary history – and opportunities to discuss ways to mitigate the effects of climate change on the food we grow in Los Angeles.
The Great Fava Bean Giveaway is a partnership between Planet Earth Observatory, California State University, Chico and Prairie Fava.