Green Eats

I’m writing this post from Tampa International Airport, where I just wolfed down a hotdog. However delicious my hotdog was, I can’t help wondering why airports don’t do more to showcase local food. You have a captive market and the ability to be representative of your state/region. I’m tired of having to rely on Starbucks and crappy “grille” burgers – fellow travelers of the world unite! Demand fresh, local food in airports!

From the lovely folks at the Rodale Institute comes this gem of an article describing five ways in which you can scratch your farm itch without investing in some serious acreage. Tips include starting or joining a Crop Mob (like our nationally recognized one right here in the Triangle), becoming a WWOOFer (travel + organic farming? Sign me up!), and getting some backyard chickens.

Read the whole article here, and check out the other amazing resources at the Rodale Institute website.

For those of you who like to put an organic spin on your vacations, take a minute to check out World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), a great organization that pairs volunteers with organic farms around the globe. Here's how it works (from the WWOOF website):

WWOOF organisations publish lists of organic farms,
smallholdings and gardeners that welcome volunteer help at certain
times. The diversity of hosts available offers a large variety of tasks
and experiences.

Volunteer helpers ("WWOOFers") choose the hosts that most
interest them and make direct contact to arrange a stay. Volunteers
usually live as part of the family.

WWOOF hosts do not pay volunteers for their help.

WWOOF organisations usually charge a small fee to hosts and volunteers. This fee helps maintain and develop the WWOOF network.

If you're looking to stay a little closer to home you can check out WWOOF-USA, or you can pack your bags for a stay on an organic farm in places like Belize, Kenya, or even French Polynesia. Membership for WWOOF-USA is only $20 – imagine the experience and knowledge you could gain on a working organic farm! I'm planning on setting up at least a week's stay with a farm here in the Southeast sometime next spring.