My First Green Living Experience

Gardening Nostalgia

I come from a long line of "country folk" who were cattlemen and black farmers. My grandparents gave us a healthy balance in the city with edible and ornamental gardening. I remember living in the heart of the city, having access to fig, persimmon, and kumquat trees. Occasionally, we'd see a cowboy once or twice a year from our neighbors who came from Texas homesteads.

We'd walk around our neighborhood looking for pecans to pick. I remember climbing my neighbor's shrub to steal pomegrantes. Thursdays were fruit truck days for the elders in our neighborhood.   I never knew my maternal grandfather---who grew tomatoes, okra, watermelon, greens, and other foods in the city---but my grandmother continued his tradition. She took me to local nurseries to find new trees and roses for her home.

My first green "experience" was exposure to growing  fruits and vegetables, and beautifying our property with plants and trees. Once I hit my teenage years, I only remember my grandmother's trees and plants. There were no fruit trucks at all. The growing latino community brought in lemon trees and chickens, but this was no longer accepted by the current residents. I don't remember having dangerously hot summers as a child nor having gripes about the utility bill then, like now.  But, we did worry about lead safety issues.

As an adult, I can't believe how ashamed I was of my "country roots."  Most of the people in my old neighborhood had roots in rural Texas, Louisiana, or Oklahoma. But, we didn't want to "look country."   I hated the "gossip-ridden" small town feel of my old neighborhood, but now I regret the lack of community and pride in our "family name."

Now, I long for that type of self-sufficiency.  No! I don't want to raise cattle.  And, yes! I am living in a fantasy! The uncertainty of the bad economy makes me long for hard work and simplicity over the complexities of debts, class, bureaucracy, and no community.

I'll strike a balance.

As a city dweller, I'll make do with urban life and green living.  I have no other choice.

I started with what I know best: cosmetics and hair products.

I can't wait to master food and ornamental gardening!

--Ann

Green Housing Communities

Greening Building

As a prospective green building professional, I'm overjoyed when I see the private sector, non-profits, local, state, and federal governments agree that the future of community and neighborhood development is in green building.

Recently, I've seen a growth in green senior housing communities---some are partially funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment act.  I hope this spreads to affordable green housing.

Today is the ribbon cutting opening for Cypresswood Estates, which are LEED certified.  I hope to see more apartment and neighborhood development in cities with large African-American communities.

Public Housing Development Goes Green to the Max: MyFoxHOUSTON.com

Press Release

http://cypresswoodestates.com/

The Chew is a hit! Meet Chocolate Mint - Carla Hall

After clocking thousands of hours on the Food Channel, I had my doubts about another cooking show, especially on major network television .   I was also a bitter All My Children fan, who resisted change.  But, after watching The Chew, I was impressed by the possibilities it presented for overworked and financially stretched families in need of healthy, home-cooked meals.

My aim to incorporate healthy quick meals into my life has been a bumpy ride.  I felt the need to master  frugal shopping and preparing complex meals.  It was too time-consuming and too systematic to find local farmer's markets or sales cycles in grocery stores.  The Chew fills a niche of bringing realistic, healthy, cheaper meals to my life until I master edible gardening and all of my other plans.

Carla Hall's Fried Apple Pancake Rings

I've fallen in love with chocolate mint chef, Carla Hall, who presented her family's recipe of granny smith apple pancake rings, which were topped with condensed cider as syrup!  The recipe follows two simple steps of dipping sliced apples into pancake mix and frying.  There's no need for planning or creativity, and it's a healthy snack for kids!  Also, the meal is one dollar per serving!  That's the way healthy eating should be!

Source: beta.abc.go.com via Ann on Pinterest

Urban Farming in West Oakland; Ludacris on Planet Green

Oakland Urban Farming

The more I research about African-Americans in the recent green movement, I find many resources on the city of Oakland.  As a Texan, I'm aware of southern migrants to Oakland and California, but I was not familiar with their experiences after leaving their rural roots for West Coast cities.

I stumbled upon a short documentary on the City Farm News site called Cultivating Community : Urban Farming in West Oakland.  It's an inspiring short story of West Oakland's history and its non-profit, City Slicker Farms, who spearheaded the urban farm movement there.


More Oakland: I will follow up with a book review of  Farm City by Novella Carpenter, who documents her urban farming experience in Oakland's neighborhood, Ghost Town.

Please view the Cultivating Community short documentary below:

Battleground Earth on Planet Green with Ludacris

A rapper and a rocker campaigning and competing for the environment sounds strange, doesn't it?  Well, it's a reality!

Ludacris and Tommy Lee participated across the U.S. on a road tour full of green competitions and challenges.

If you missed Battleground Earth's season  please check your local listing on Planet Green.

View the bio of chocolate mint, Ludacris here.