Don't you just love this time of year?
We were treated to a most excellent start to the month last week - blue skies abounded and the sun shone - 0h the sunshine! Look how blue the sky was. Look how red the berries.... Glorious :)
It's not the Equinox until 23rd September (btw, we also have a full moon that day - so much good stuff) so it isn't really officially Autumn, but the weather is definitely autumnal up here in central Scotland, and the leaves are just starting to turn. The kids are back in school and there's a scent in the air, no?
And with the change in seasons, it is often easier to find a change in focus. A new project, perhaps? Or just the promise you made whilst enjoying your sunny summer holiday put into practice?
This week is an easy one for me and my easily distracted focus. It's both part of the Soil Association's Organic Fortnight
and the third National Zero Waste Week
Both initiatives mean I've been renewing my focus on some of the things that are most important to me.
Choosing organic everyday was a decision we made years ago - and it's really super to see this event get so big. To be honest, not so many of my neighbours up here in central Scotland suburbia are aware of Organic Fortnight, but we hope that with the support of the ever popular Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and his delicious sounding organic pork recipes even those of those that don't live as close to the land, will start to think a little more about where their food comes from.
National Zero Waste Week just also happens to be about food this year. Yay! My fave subject :) Did you see the programme about the Great British Waste Menu? I haven't got around to watching it yet, but apparently it did a great job of highlighting just how much food waste us Britons throw out.
Mrs Green over at My Zero Waste doesn't throw out any waste. Well, last year the Green family put just one wheelie bin out - for the whole year! National Zero Waste Week (supported by chef Brian Turner and sponsored by Tetra-Pak) is a great campaign started by Mrs Green and this year's focus is on food waste I've been ever so vigilant this last couple of weeks and am working hard to make sure we're not buying too much food and that we're finding inventive ways of using up what's left over - even scraps!
It may be nearing Autumn officially, but that doesn't mean there's no new planting to be done.
Not another campaign? Well, yes. This time it's the One Pot Pledge from Garden Organic. Aimed at getting folks to pledging to grow at least one pot of their own food this year, I thought it was such a great idea, I've only gone and labelled myself a Gardening Guru!
That means I've been growing some of my own food for a few years and therefore should know what I'm doing, apparently! We're a little later than we'd have liked but we started a brand new projectand created two brand new veg beds in the brand new polytunnel (home grown compost and all!) and what you can see below is the result. In 4-6 weeks time I am expecting a harvest of radish, parsley, lettuce, spinach, pak choi, mixed leaves, spring onions and rainbow chard.
Hello Julie, that photo of the tree against the blue sky is simply breathtaking! How I wish I could see it on-site! I buy organic and local foods and feel it is well worth it. When people say to me that they can't afford to buy organic, I tell them my theory: I can either spend the money now on wholesome food, or I can spend it later on medical bills from ingesting all those chemicals!
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