Owning an aeroponic Tower Garden has it’s responsibilities… I know. I own one and can’t believe how fast the plants grow. Three weeks after planting, I was eating lettuce from it!
There is an absolute beauty to rich, green foliage growing on your deck. Personally, I am all thumbs when it comes to growing things… and, believe me, the thumbs are not green! The fact that in spite of me it is growing profusely is a miracle. Continue reading THE TOWER GARDEN HARVEST…DO IT SOONER THAN LATER!
Are you looking for a great way to encourage young children to eat Fruits and Vegetables? This book might be your answer.
Discover the MAGIC of Rainbows: Annie Oxidant finds the path to Healthy Foods is a new book that tells the story of a little girl, ANNIE OXIDANT and her dog, PHYTO. They love rainbows and follow one looking for treasure. They are disappointed when it ends at a produce stand. Friendly farmer, BROCK O’ LEE, assures them they are actually looking at the treasure because “You can eat a Rainbow”.
RUDY BAGA, Annie’s neighbor, doesn’t think that is possible. To explain what he means, BROCK O’LEE takes them to the garden and orchard. He has them pick fruit and vegetables representing each of the colors in the rainbow and in the process explains, from a child’s perspective, what’s in it for them to eat the rainbow.
When I got the idea for the book, I needed nutritional information that would resonate with children. I’m not a nutritionist, so I contacted a good friend with a Masters Degree in Nutrition, Dr. Jane Oelke, ND, PhD . She outlined the reasons why kids, from their perspective, would want to eat fruit and vegetables. Additional valuable input was provided by Sandi McArthur, Education and Outreach Coordinator for Oryana Natural Foods Market, a Community Cooperative in Traverse City, Michigan.
My goal in writing and illustrating the book was to provide parents and educators with a resource that not only would provide accurate information but be interesting to kids. Educators say most of the materials for teaching nutrition to young children are “dumbed-down text books”… boring to most children. Discover the MAGIC of Rainbows has an engaging story line designed to teach the basic concepts of whole food and where food comes from… in the format of a treasure hunt.
After reading the book, parents say children become more interested in what they are eating and why . Conversations about the book have created a means for parents or educators to address issues related to diet and attitudes about food. To order the book, go to my website: www.BearClausePublications.com or email me at: bearclausebooks@gmail.com.
English is an interesting language. The multitude of inherent double meanings provide unlimited cartoon ideas.
I got this idea when I saw an ad for the opening of Trout Season in Northern Michigan. The ad suggested the business had everything a fly fisherman would need. Prior to that, I hadn’t thought about what it would be like if flies fished. The idea of flies fishing raises the same questions that people have who fish: “What are the size restrictions?… When do you have to catch and release? Are they in season?” Fishing is complicated!
Often, after a cartoon is drawn, I realize there is more than one way to interpret it. Another possible interpretation for this cartoon: Is the fly fisherman checking to see if the bait is still on the line? If people use flies for bait, wouldn’t flies use people for bait? If that’s the case…. What are the flies fishing for?
The local Natural Food CO-OP, ORYANA NATURAL FOODS MARKET, has a great newsletter. This is a cartoon I recently submitted for the newsletter.
“Buy Local” fresh produce is the mantra of healthy eaters everywhere. I wondered how that marketing approach would work for farmers in Northern Michigan this time of year. Since I also know people living “off the farm” aren’t always clear on the origin of their food, I combined the two issues in a cartoon. As the cartoon portrays, when in doubt…ask an expert.
A side note from an “Off the Farm” kind of guy: Is Iceberg Lettuce a Winter Crop or do they really grow lettuce on glaciers?
Everyone knows that if you play music for your plants, they will grow better. I got to thinking about the implications for farmers….And then it struck me! I bet that’s what they mean by “Organic Farming“.
As a public service, I am blowing the lid off this cover-up! The next time you go to a Farm Market and they start touting the merits of Organic Farming, ask them if they’re any good. If good music makes plants grow better, doesn’t it stand to reason that bad music might compromise the quality of their produce?
Somewhere, out there, a terrorist is recruiting a band of fifth grade musicians to attack our food supply! Somebody should do something!