2009 To-Do List
Posted: December 30th, 2008 | Author: James Glave | Filed under: Almost Green, top | Tags: 2009 | 5 Comments »A few things I want to do, and do more of, in 2009:
- Get more involved in helping my community prepare for the coming ground shifts. I’m hoping to work with the municipality to develop an active-transportation plan for the island, which is a prerequisite for implementation — going after public funds to build the stuff. Going to try and use social-media tools to get as much input as possible.
- Working with my wife, Elle, to launch several Bowfeast farmer’s markets over the summer. We are eyeing the North Dock as a location for this year’s market — a little- used space over the water next to the Island’s ferry dock that has huge potential — see below to get your bearings. Hope to bring back all the farmers, apiarists, and food gardeners from last year, and add a few more.
- I’m going to work to more closely align my work with my values; I’m hoping to keep writing, but also develop an impresario role, using Web 2.0 tools such as mapping, tagging, and wikis to help people of common purpose connect with each other.
- Buy more second-hand, everything. Value Village, yeah.
- Ramp up the food garden. Last year was a great disappointment but we have been working on improving the soil over the fall and winter, and we have great hopes for a bumper crop this year. We’ve been hoarding mason jars for at least a year, and hope to do some canning and preserving.
- Camping, kayaking, and canoeing. The kids are big enough to appreciate all of it now.
And how about you? What do you want to accomplish?
James, best of luck in 2009. I’ve enjoyed reading your work in the past year. Look forward to more good stuff.
Cheers,
Pete
Hi James.
Belinda Geiger introduced me to your book and your site. After reading about your disappointing garden from last year, I wondered if you have tried raising earthworms for compost. We’ve interviewed some folks who do vermiculture, and they swear by the value of the worm castings as fertilizer.
This link will take you to three stories that mention vermiculture. The bottom two are likely to be the most relevant for you: http://www.organicgreenandnatural.com/category/ecology/agriculture/vermiculture-agriculture-ecology/.
Joe and I will be getting in touch with you about an interview soon.
Here’s to a greener new year!
Julia
That’s funny, we have finally gotten our worms in a happy place. I wrote a light piece about our fumbling efforts with vermicomposting in Sierra.. Enjoy:
http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200901/smile.aspx
I too have enjoyed your writing over the past year James. I like your community spirit, and applaud your efforts to change your lifestyle while encouraging others to do so too.
I’d like to see more recycling/reusing on island. Value Village is great, but wouldn’t it be wonderful too see our own Bowen style Value Village come into being? I know there’s talk about the Knick Knack Knook, but I haven’t heard much about it lately.
And speaking of newspapers, have you heard about the new Bowen Island Times launched by Tim Rhodes and Darcie Buzzelle?
Cheers,
Julia
Hi James, and thanks for your book. Well I should thank Colleen Kimmet — a friend I stayed with in Vancouver. She passed it along to me… and I believe she interviewed you (Tyee perhaps?)
For 2009 I’m really trying to ditch plastic. I do the cloth bag thing, but I want to go further. I admit this is more about the image of sea birds eating lighters … what’s your take? Is hard plastic really the devil?