"Bigness" is Last Year's News

Many of us are approaching this new year, this fabled 2012, wondering what the big change will be. Few still claim that next year will mean the end of the world as we know it, but as we watch and participate in a time of global uprising, more and more people lean toward the idea that 2012 will be a time of change.

Many will argue that every year is a time of change, and that 2012 will be no different. Of course, no one knows what kind of change will come about next year, but I believe--and I hope--to see a continuation of the positive movement we've begun this year.

In this entry, I will describe my hopes for the coming era. Understanding that I am no authority on the matter, I will set forth my hopes for the way our world is going. Because, if we think it and speak it and dream it enough, I believe we can make it happen.

***

Many Americans are ending their year feeling financially strained. And we ReTreeUS Co-founders can certainly relate. Starting a non-profit is just as it sounds: not profitable.

We are buying land for our trees and gardens. We are ordering seeds, rootstock and saplings. We have just enough to cover our costs--not enough to pay ourselves for the labor--and yet we're grateful for every penny we have.

As it turns out, this is the perfect opportunity for us to demonstrate what we hope others will do. It is our goal to take the exclusivity out of organic food, and to help communities grow organic produce for themselves and their families...on a budget.

As our pocket books shrink, however, the passion of the global community seems to grow.

It is my hope, and I do see some evidence, that we are distancing ourselves from the idea of bigness. Bigger cars, consuming more oil, bigger TVs, showing off the material wealth of a few privileged people, bigger supermarkets, containing bigger, shinier apples...these staples of our society are becoming less important.

I turn now to a quote from the late American political icon Robert F. Kennedy:

It is not more bigness that should be our goal.  We must attempt, rather, to bring people back to...the warmth of community, to the worth of individual effort and responsibility...and of individuals working together as a community, to better their lives and their children's future.

As ReTreeUS works to build warmer communities, stronger individuals, and a brighter future for our children, we have found far more success with individual membership contributions than with grantors and national corporate sponsorships. Those who are inspired by what we do have given generously, and we are happy to use those funds to further our mission. 

Of course, there is nothing wrong with support from The Big for a mission like ours, but it seems fitting that the real loyalty, the real driving force for our programs, is coming from our members...and those who choose to support us as clients of Votenet Solutions (visit their website to learn more). It's so fitting, because we are here for the communities, for the schools, for those who can't afford to buy organic food in the store, and for the children.

As we learn to thrive on a tiny budget, we will continue to share tips on how to provide nutrient-rich, pesticide-free meals. We will continue to draw connections between living well and loving the earth. And we will do this, I hope, with the support of a changing world. I see a world with new priorities--like environmental sustainability and social justice. A world that understands the importance of community is a world that, too, understands the part it plays in the planet's systems. A world where our children climb trees and grow apples; where they grow up and teach their kids to do the same. This is the world I want to live in.

Below is a recipe for not just one inexpensive, nutritious, and delicious New Year's meal, but also the potential of many more meals like it to come.

Impress Your Friends and Family with this Yummy Spaghetti Squash Dinner (and make more of it for zero dollars)...Because Fast Food is Last Year's Cheap Solution

Spaghetti squash dinner, served in its own shell.

Ingredients:

One spaghetti Squash

Feeds two to four people. This vegetable is easy to grow and provides many vital nutrients such as Vitamin A, Iron, Vitamin C, Omega 3 and 6-fatty acids, and more! If you're watching your weight, it is also a great substitute for pasta. 


Tomatoes
fresh (or canned, this time of year)

Herbs
basil, thyme, peppers, etc. 

1 Tbsp Butter


Salt


Pepper



2 leaves of Kale (chopped)


2 cloves of garlic (pressed)

Cheese (grated)
You can mix it up with mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, or Romano. You can usually find cheeses at a Farmers' Market. Most take EBT cards, and many cities have indoor winter markets.

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Carefully cut the squash into two pieces, length-wise. Remove the seeds and other loose material from the inside with a spoon and set aside. (Do not throw away!)

Fill a large pan with a 1/4 inch of water on the bottom. Put the squash, face-down, into the pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cook the tomatoes down (add water if they are fresh). Add garlic, herbs, salt and pepper to taste.

Take the pan out and flip the squash over, exposing the inside portion.

If you have melty cheese like cheddar or mozzarella, there is no need for butter/salt here. Put the cheese into the hollow part of the squash and  put it back in the oven for 5 more minutes. Then, take it out one more time and add kale to the inside. Cook for five more minutes, or until you can easily remove the noodle-like squash pieces with a fork.

Once it is fully cooked, you can take the squash out of its shell with a spoon, mix it with sauce, and put it back in the squash shell for a lovely presentation. Then, add the Parmesan or Romano, pepper, and serve.

***Saving the Seeds: As your family helps you clean up (wink, wink), one person can do the dishes while another separate the seeds from the muck you saved. Compost the non-seed material, and rinse the seeds in a colander. Put a towel in and under the colander to dry them off.

We LOVE saving seeds for next year.

Then wrap them in a paper towel, store them in an envelope of paper bag, and set them in a dry, dark place until spring.

Then, you can plant them, and recreate this meal for free!

This is where we'll store our seeds. You could also use the refrigerator, just to preserve freshness.

New Year, New Hope, Same You

Stay loose, like a goose. Stay loose, like a goose,  a little girl tells herself as she zooms on tiny skis down one big mountain.

"Stay loose like a goose!" Her dad reminds her, flying past.

Those were the words he had used to teach her that skiing was a piece of cake. "Especially, for you," he told her every winter morning, "You're a mountain girl."

I had almost forgotten that memory, and many others, of skiing winter after winter in New Mexico and Colorado, where I grew up. I had almost forgotten that I am that mountain girl, shredding it every day, feeling connected to the earth and to myself.

Because I had forgotten, I was very nervous to start skiing again this winter. It had been a few years.

What if I fall in front of Richard and make a huge fool of myself? I had already talked up my skiing skills and passion for so long, he would probably find me utterly ridiculous if I were either too frightened or too out-of-practice to shine.

And then, he got me some cross-country ski boots to use with his late grandmother's classic wooden skis. What a special gift! I guess that means I'm facing my fears, I thought immediately.

I pulled on my boots and clamped in my skis, knowing I could do it but feeling the fear. "Could you please not watch me at first?" I said. "You might mess me up."

Not only had it been a while, but I had never skied on eastern snow, never with un-waxed skis (we hadn't gotten wax yet), and never on a front lawn with just a few snowy inches covering pure, solid ice.

But we didn't have time to go anywhere else. The sun had already set, and there was rain in the forecast. It's not that it was "now or never," but I pretended like it was. You see, I really wanted to go for it.

Zoom! I was off down the hill in our front yard!

It was a little anti-climactic, but at least I didn't fall. I went back up the hill and down again, then I went back behind the house to show off for Richard.

He was chopping wood and didn't seem too impressed, so I returned to the front yard to spell "love" in cursive with my skis. I was determined to wow him.

The cursive word was barely visible by the time he got to see it, but by then, it didn't matter anymore to me whether Richard was impressed. I had impressed myself! I had remembered that connection with childlike exuberance, and I had felt it once again. I remembered a part of myself, and I was glad for it.

Here I am kissing Agnes and Arigna, my new skis. (You can see my guitar, MoJo Hen, and our potted plants in the background.)

This may be a stretch, but I think that's how people are feeling about food right now. Even though it's been a while, even though we are used to going to the grocery store for dinner, we're moving back toward the land, back to our roots. And it feels good. More and more, we're choosing to buy locally, we're growing our own, and we're starting to remember our connection to food.

This Christmas, many of you honored that connection and your lovely friends by donating a tree on their behalf. (Find out who gave, and their honorees, by visiting www.retreeus.org.)

If your donation was enough to put someone's name directly beside one of our trees, your honoree received a unique, hand-made, recycled certificate and envelope like this one:

Just the top of a special gift for one of our supporter's friends.

Of course, the real gift is not the certificate, nor even the honor of having a tree planted in your name. The gift is to know you're a part of this movement--back to that feeling, that truth that we are a part of this planet, that acknowledgment of some forgotten part of yourself.

This New Year, we hope all our local and regional supporters can join us in remembering, and fostering that connection for young people everywhere. On January 31st at Flatbread Pizza, a deliciously conscientious Portland, Maine restaurant, we'll celebrate with some really good food. For every pizza sold, Flatbread Pizza will donate $3.50 to ReTreeUS.

Working on the hand-painted banner to be hung at Flatbread.

Posing by the poster I made to help us advertise the event.

So join us. It doesn't have to hurt, and you probably won't fall down. Because organic, locally-produced food is deeply ingrained in each of us.

Come back to your roots, with ReTreeUS.

A World of Marvels

In his famous work, Desert Solitaire, author and scientist Edward Abbey writes about the earth's magnificent landscape beyond cities. He points out brilliantly the fact that:

...out there is a different world, older and greater and deeper by far than ours, a world which surrounds and sustains the little world of [humans] as sea and sky surround and sustain a ship. The shock of the real. For a little while we are again able to see, as the child sees, a world of marvels...and our journey here on earth, able to see and touch and hear in the midst of tangible and mysterious things-in-themselves, is the most strange and daring of all adventures. 

A student at one of our participating schools enjoys the wonder of this tree.

It seems to me that people who deliberately foster their connection to the land also inherently foster their own awareness of the same wonder about which Abbey writes. I imagine that two hundred years ago, when 50 percent of this nation's population were farmers, many more people here were in-the-know.

However, as we moved away from a culture of food production and our farming population shrank from fifty to one percent, everything--including our earliest childhood experiences--changed. Though ReTreeUS hopes to help bring nature back to children, I find that our foraging and harvesting memories now often come from grocery store aisles, not rows of growing greens.

And I'm sure that's why my mom had such a funny story to share with me recently, about a day out with her husband and one suspicious police officer in Nashville, TN.

The garden my mom and her husband planted where there used to be a lawn.

My mom and her husband, who grow beautiful food gardens in virtually every corner of what used to be their lawn, ventured down to a nearby park to pick mulberries one day last summer. As they feasted on these delicious fruits, which break and drip down your fingers at the slightest touch, a police car slowed and drew to a stop right next to them. The cop inside stared for a moment before he rolled down his window and demanded, "What are you doing?"

My mom, who is known for her childlike enthusiasm and passion for earth's wonders, spun around and extended her handful of berries to the officer. "We're picking mulberries," she exclaimed with a smile, "Would you like to try some?"

"No!" said the cop, who was glaring at her and already stepping on the gas.

Mulberries

Oh, well, some might say. It seems we have reached a certain pinnacle of ignorance about where our food comes from.

Yes, I believe we have reached that pinnacle, but I also believe there is hope. Not only is there hope, but also an undeniable trend back in the other direction--toward farming as a lifestyle, teaching children about nature, and remembering who we are as a part of this planet.

Almost every 20-something I meet is involved somehow in a land-based hobby or profession like environmental education, activism, nature-inspired art, or farming. Many of them are in constant communication with the earth, thus staying up to date on all of its many miracles. Of course, that could be a result of the lifestyle I lead...but I don't think so.

Many 50 and 60-somethings have noticed the same thing about my generation. And maybe it was their generation that taught ours to appreciate the land.

I spoke with an old friend recently on a trip to Nashville, where my mom lives. The friend is about my age and was raised by parents of that back-to-the-land mindset, like myself. He and I were excited to hear what the other is doing these days. We are both eagerly pursuing the land like a romance, and we are reaping many rewards. I am, of course, quite focused on planting trees and assisting home gardeners, and he is deeply involved in the garden he and his girlfriend have planted. The two spend many hours working and playing in their garden, as well as foraging for food in the forest nearby.

We talked about some of the rewards of our adventures: edible mushrooms, herbs, and berries we'd found in the woods, and he told me about fig and persimmon trees he hopes to graft onto one day. He also has some ornamental plum trees and asked about grafting fruiting branches (called "scion") onto that "rootstock," or existing tree.

Photo from another blog of a proud child and her reward--a mushroom like those my friend and I discussed. He finds it in the woods near his TN home and says, for anyone else foraging there, it's the unmistakable orange streak at eye level as you venture through the forest. ********Please note that mushroom foraging is only fun and gratifying when the utmost caution is used. Do your research and be sure your find is an edible mushroom before you proceed.*************

This is certainly a noble effort.

While ornamental plants and trees have their place in the greater ecosystem, often times a fruiting tree is a much more natural and positive addition to the forest. Besides, it's efforts like these that help lead us back to the land and into the world outside the city. It certainly is "a world of marvels."

Below are some links and tips for my friends and others interested in similarly fun and fruitful pursuits:

- On general grafting: http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/dg0532.html 

- On grafting in Maine: http://umaine.edu/fruit/growing-fruit-trees-in-maine/rootstocks-and-dwarf-fruit-trees/ 

- Though there are differing opinions on how well grafted persimmons grow, here is a how-to link: http://www.ehow.com/how_6692973_graft-persimmon-trees.html

- As for fig trees, I'm reading now that most of them are propagated by rooting and planting cuttings from the tree, rather than grafting per se. If you do want to try grafting figs, however, the T-graft works best. Use any type of fig rootstock (such as the fig tree in my friend's yard).

I was thinking about these conversations on my way back from Tennessee, reading Desert Solitaire and adding to my thoughts more interesting stories from the people I met.

I wouldn't have spoken with one woman, who was sitting next to me on the plane, if I hadn't overheard her say something about her 6 year-old daughter. This sparked a lively conversation between the two of us, since I am an environmental educator using art and music in my lessons, and she is an artist using nature as her primary inspiration. (See more of her tree and plant-inspired work at http://www.etsy.com/shop/tigerlillyshop.)

Handmade maple seed necklace by Baltimore artist Allison Fomich. You can find her work at the Tigerlillyshop on Etsy.com.

The artist, Allison Fomich, plants trees in her urban Baltimore neighborhood, and we at ReTreeUS will plant over 1,000 trees next spring. We shared in the wonder of meeting someone with whom we had so much in common, and relished the hope we feel as we watch the pendulum swing back to a world of marvels.

Have Yourself a Meaningful, Sustainable Christmas

There are as many differing thoughts on the holidays as there are needles on a tree. I have entertained practically all of them as I have grown and learned about the interdependence of social and ecological systems. I love the lights, the cookies and cheer of the season, but I don't love the obligation to buy. It's unsustainable, of course, for our pocket books, and it's also unsustainable for the earth.

In an attempt to reject commercialism and consumerism, I have gone through periods of refusing to buy gifts during the holidays. I have celebrated Christmas by decorating a living tree in my yard, and I have "celebrated" by not decorating a Christmas tree at all.

Sometimes, by trying so hard to maintain my philosophies on living responsibly, I have Grinched the whole season and moved on to January, probably hurting some feelings along the way.

But, as I appreciate magic and the balance of nature more and more each year, I think I have finally reached my own sense of balance during the holidays.

For example, Richard and I have been planning to take down a hemlock tree which has been leaning on the power line by our house for years. (After all, it is a safety issue and we will be planting 1,000 more trees next spring.) I thought perhaps we could use the top of that tree for Christmas this year, since we were cutting it down anyway...

And that would have been a fine option.

But when we had no plans to cut that tree any time before January, and Richard got a job harvesting trees at the very sustainable permaculture operation down the road, I thought that might be an option, too.

This "tree farm" is nothing at all like a monoculture. It is a diverse forest which has been altered by humans so that all the trees are crowding each other, and few trees have any room to grow.

So, the humans running the property now have decided to alter the forest selectively, in a way that benefits the overall health of the ecosystem. Some of the overcrowded tree population is removed (and used for a little seasonal magic) so that others are allowed to grow into healthy adults. Then, they are better able to contribute to their forest community the way we hope adult humans will do. 

A healthy Maine forest with a festive wreath.

And when Richard came home to surprise me with a tree from that forest one day, I was elated! I ran out into the cold to greet him (and our new tree) with bare feet and a huge smile.

One day soon, we will use that tree as new acidic soil for our blueberries, which will raise support for our programs and eventually be planted in our orchards. For now, I am enjoying our beautifully decorated tree and the togetherness and magic that it brings.

Richard and I embrace the season and pose before our sustainably harvested tree.

If you are interested in giving the gift of sustainability this season, please consider one of our holiday trees. Time is running out, so please order at www.retreeus.org before December 20th to receive your certificate on time.

A student at one of our participating schools hugs a tree.

Growing Thankfully

Since Richard brought me back to his home state, I have been soaking up the beauty. Now, as winter approaches, I wish I had a dollar for every time someone said to me with a worried face, "So...this is your first winter in Maine?" (Of course, I'd give my fortune to ReTreeUS.)

This question is ironic because the mountains of New Mexico (my home state) already have about 20 inches of snow. But it is also a valid concern, because the winters here are equipped with shorter days and more moisture to send the temperature straight down to the bone.

Whether or not I am prepared for it, and whether or not it's as dismal as many Mainers claim, I am impressed by the vitality of living things native to this region.

For instance, the Mainers who warn me about the climate. They have welcomed us with open arms, and many of them are taking part in our Holiday Tree Campaign.

Not to mention the apple trees these residents grow, which are an inspiration to us all.

Northern Spy apples at our neighbors' house in mid-November.

They are shining, red and nutritious even long after the first snowfall. These particular apples are especially inspiring to the ReTreeUS program because they are spray-free. All of our apples will be chemical-free and (hopefully) thriving long into the school year for all of our participating students to enjoy.

Equally amazing are the blueberries on our land. They're not fruiting, of course, but they are glowing brightly well into the season of gray winter skies.

Native blueberries light up the landscape just before our Thanksgiving snow.

I am a firm believer that we are shaped by our surroundings. Thankfully, the plants are still showing off as the season brings us closer to dormancy. Likewise, Richard, ReTreeUS and I are glowing, too.

Thanks to kale, another survivor of harsh climates, we are eating well. (See below for our Thanksgiving kale recipe.) And, thanks to the tough yet generous locals, our program is growing as the trees go to sleep. All season, we will be preparing to install four orchards in schools and plant over 2,000 trees!

We appreciate those who have given the gift of trees this holiday season, and everyone who will! We also appreciate Flatbread Pizza in Portland, where we will continue to raise support at our benefit dinner January 31st. We hope you'll stay tuned for more details on that evening, and that whatever warms and inspires you this season keeps you smiling and giving thanks.

Here are two pieces of the french toast described below. (Those are a couple of veggie sausage patties on the side.)

Savory French Toast: A Nutritious, Delicious Recipe for Thanksgiving Brunch*
Serves 2-4

You Will Need:

hearty spelt, whole wheat, or multi-grain bread - 4 slices
4 eggs
1/3 cup milk
pinch of red NM chile or paprika
1/2 cup cheese - grated or thinly sliced
1 cup kale - very finely chopped
1 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, scramble the eggs, paprika or red New Mexico chile, and milk with a fork or whisk. Add half of the kale and cheese, and mix those in with the eggs. Soak a piece of bread in the mixture. Flip to make sure you've covered both sides.

Heat a skillet to medium-high. Melt 1/8 of the butter and put the soaked toast on the skillet. Add a little of the fresh kale and cheese to the toast's upper side. Wait until the cheese on the bottom is golden and crispy, then add some fresh butter to the pan, flip, and repeat on the other side. Salt and pepper to taste.

* Some of my friends have an aversion to eggs. Others are vegan. If this sounds familiar, please know that you can make an egg-free version that is equally delicious. You can even make it with a cheese and milk substitute if you don't eat dairy.

All you need to do is grill your bread with some butter in the skillet and add the kale on top. Then add the cheese (or cheese substitute) and flip the bread over in the pan. Then add more kale and cheese. Flip again and cook until both sides are golden and crispy.

A Healthy Halloween Brings Happy Holidays

A healthy person is a happy person, and it is the goal of ReTreeUS to promote health...even on the holiday dedicated largely to candy and fright! We celebrated with an apple tree jack-o-lantern and local apple treats (find our sauce recipe on the previous entry).

Our apple tree pumpkin glows on Halloween night!

We would have dressed up as Kaptains Kalaroo (the kale superheroes of our own imaginations) at a family Halloween party in Cape Cod, but we changed our plans at the last minute. That's because we were traveling back from a New Jersey visit during the legendary snow storm...of late October.

We decided to get off the snowy road and stay in New York for the night. As we watched the snow fall from our room, it felt more like the holidays of winter than the autumn days of Halloween.

And thinking ahead turned out to be a good thing, because, as most people know, thoughts of holiday gift-giving start early, too.

I mean no offense to the man in red, but I am often annoyed to see Santa at the grocery store no later than November 1st. We haven't even had our Thanksgiving feast!

However, there is a way to take the consumerism out of the upcoming season, which then can make rushing the holidays a more worthy cause. When is it a bad time to spread gifts of positivity, light, and hope--especially if it means contributing to a sustainable system, and using fewer resources?

I say, it's never too early.

That's why we've come up with a guilt-free holiday shopping option:

Eva Simmons, a student at one of our participating schools, poses in the snow and shows her tree-appreciation.

From today (November 1st) until the New Year (January 1, 2012), you can spend $5 for a tree to be planted in a friend's name. Just fill out the form (to be posted on our website shortly) and give the name of the gift recipient. We will provide a certificate, which you can then disburse to your friends. Or, to make it even easier, we will send the certificate to each recipient directly. It's your choice.

Your gift will fund the planting of one tree in our nursery, which will then be planted in an educational school orchard. Your friends will be honored to know trees have been planted on their behalf, and children will benefit from the beauty, nutrition and knowledge that tree provides. The effect of your gift will live on in perpetuity, fostering sustainability and citizenship for generations. Your gift will be for all of us, and for the earth.

So, thanks for spending a few dollars on this special gift of trees!

...and thanks for promoting a healthier, happier holiday season.

All About Apples

All you need to know about apples--as long as this is something that you truly understand--is that it is impossible to know all about them. There are literally infinite varieties, infinite methods for growing, infinite tastes, and infinite ways to describe the smell of the apple.

To truly understand what I mean, one must first understand the anatomy of an apple. (Don't worry, I'll try to give the short and interesting version of a long...yet still interesting...tale. Someday, I hope you'll be inspired to read a little more about it.)

A display of Maine apples at the Great Maine Apple Day in mid-October.

My version of the Infinite Apple goes like this:

The apple you find at the grocery store (a Granny Smith, for instance) has within it several seeds--each of which contains the genetic code not for that Granny Smith but for another type of apple. That apple type is unknown and unnamed by humans...because it is unique to that single seed!

One of our Northern Spy cores cut in two, seeds exposed.

So, you may have read on our website that we plan on grafting each of the trees we put into school orchards. That is the only way to know what you are growing, and we want to know the variety, the type of fruit it yields, how it tastes (perhaps like cinnamon, grapes, or pina coladas, as I just learned some of the heirloom varieties do).

And yet...

You can ask the old-timers which was sweetest apples they remember tasting, and many of them will  site one of those nameless "seedling" trees. Our goal is to introduce a whole generation of young people to the world of growing food for themselves, so that we can ask them the same question. We will know we've succeeded when young people either feel the same way the old-timers do...or at least know what we are asking.

But there is no apple expert--young or old--who could provide an answer for all of your apple questions. I dare say, it's kind of like enlightenment: the more you know you do not know, the more you really know. Get it?

Anyway, we walked away with that sense of the unknown after our visit to the gurus at Great Maine Apple Day this weekend. We learned a lot of old tricks--and some new ones--for growing orchards. Interestingly, the new tricks, or experiments, seemed to be the most touted methods of all. Try everything, they told us. Watch the earth and how it works, learn from it, and try new things.

As it turns out, we are trying lots of new things.

I admit that this example belittles the point that they--and I--hope to make...but I feel compelled to share this photo of the new method we tried for extending the daylight (work time) hours:

An indoor lamp set outside to light our wood-chopping efforts.

New experiments, ancient traditions, asking our elders and trying new things--these are the riches we have in abundance as we continue the adventure of Re-treeing U.S. See our apple sauce recipe and pictures below for an example of old traditions with a twist.

A special thanks to Jessica Bates and our friends at Greenager.com, where you can find a beautiful article on our efforts. We are also excited to announce that our partnership with Votenet is up and running! Check out our program on their website: www.votenet. com.

How to Make Pink Apple Sauce (thanks to our neighbors' trees and Richard's mom's recipe)

My proud picture of our first apple sauce batch.

You will need:

a large pot-full of apples (we used Northern Spies, but any pink or red apple will do)
water
two pots
a stove (wood, gas or electric)
two large (or four small) Ball jars
an apple sauce maker like the one in our pictures (or something that works just as well)

Northern Spy apples from an orchard down the road.

Chop the apples to remove the cores. (If you're feeling adventurous, this is a great time to save the seeds, which can be planted for rootstock. You can then graft a branch from an apple tree you know to this stock.)

Put the seedless, coreless apples into a pot of water and bring to a boil. We chose to boil ours on a wood stove to save energy, but any stove will do.

Once the apples are soft, spoon or strain them into the apple sauce making device. Squish the apples, marvel at their most amazing smell, and pour the sauce into jars. Compost the skins. If you boil the jar lids before tightening them, this seals your container and makes a great holiday gift. If you don't seal the jar, enjoy that sauce right away!

Enjoy this recipe instead of Halloween candy for a healthier treat! And stay tuned for our Halloween post in the next couple of days...

Three Steps to a Grape Autumn Meal

Step 1. Look out the window at the falling leaves and rain. Listen as your partner shares his brilliant idea: I wonder if there are any grapes left on the property?

Put on rain pants over the clothes you just wore to a meeting; time is of the essence! Bring a ladder, two bags, two pairs of clippers, and the camera to the place we know grapes usually grow. You should probably have with you also: a smile, lots of joy to use in the rain, and one very brave soul to lean the ladder and climb on tangled branches alone. (On second thought, don't try that part at home. There were plenty of beautiful grapes down low.)

Richard gathers grapes from the upper vines. The only support for that ladder...are grape vines.

Marvel in the wonder of this earth we call home as you pick (and eat!) the fruit. You may feel like a goddess; but in this case, everyone is. These grapes were found no more than 100 yards from a busy highway. There are many vines growing wild in domestic places.

Step 2. Bring your harvest into the cozy kitchen and find your apple sauce maker (which, of course, we will also be using for apple sauce this season). This is a very basic tool, often just like this:

Use the wooden piece (shown above) to squeeze the juice out of your harvested grapes into another bowl beneath. The wild Concord grape seeds in Maine are just small enough to stay behind in this device.

Next, put the juice in a pot on the stove, add sugar to taste, and simmer until it's reached the consistency you prefer. Meanwhile, find a few jars for your syrup/juice/jam (you'll get jam if you add a little pectin to this recipe). Boil the jars and tops in a separate pot before pouring in the delicious homemade contents. The heat helps seal your jars.

Step 3. Wake up the next morning and make pancakes: the perfect vehicle for your grape harvest creation! Below is my very own fluffy, whole wheat pancake recipe (makes about 8 medium-sized cakes).

You'll need:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 dash of cinnamon (optional)
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp butter

Put a skillet on the stove to pre-heat on medium.

In a large bowl, mix the first five (dry) ingredients. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, mix the milk, egg, and vanilla until the egg is slightly whipped. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir  until just mixed. Add oil to the batter and stir. (If you like nuts or fruit in your pancakes, now is the time to add those as well.)

Turn the burners up to medium-high and let the skillet get a little warmer while you find a measuring cup for pouring the batter. Put a small slice of butter on the skillet for each pancake you want to make. (If the butter is sizzling, you'll know it's time to pour!)

Pour the pancake batter onto the skillet and wait for the classic bubbles to appear before you flip each cake. Another tell-tale sign it's ready: the outside rim of the cake starts to firm and turn golden.

Meanwhile, heat the grape syrup you made yesterday on another burner. Pour it on your pancakes...and have a fall feast! (The pancakes shown here have sliced almonds inside and on top. Of course, you can add whatever you like.)

Here's to a Grape Autumn! Stay tuned for our apple recipes...

The Seeds are Sprouting

Our winter rye seedlings nourish the soil for our future nursery.

Since we last wrote, ReTreeUS has grown as quickly and beautifully as the seedlings you see in the picture above.  We sprinkled our tilled nearly-acre with rye seed by hand, and it grew as we spread the word about what we are doing to many new people and places in Maine.

We brought our mascot, Kermit The Frog, to our table at the MOFGA-sponsored Common Ground Fair. This is a huge annual event, drawing progressive thinkers from all over the region and cultivating "green" interests in communities near and far. The ReTreeUS team led a lecture at noon, planting kale seeds with kids, and gave ten trees away to schools interested in receiving our orchards. We may not have raised much money, but we did generate a lot of interest in our program. And interest, at this point in the process, is equally promising in the quest to reach our goal.

To see a video of Kermy in action, click the play button below:

The Common Ground Fair came after another interest-generating event with our first partner school, Cricket Hunt. School founder and director Michele Bois-Gilbody invited us to table at her 10th Anniversary Celebration, where our band, Spruce Canopy, played and Kermit sang along. Many happy families went home with kale seedlings and information on how to grow these nutritious greens. Hence, our mission is being fulfilled already.

Cricket Hunt's orchard, along with one to be planted in a Portland or Lewiston-area school this coming spring, will help us fulfill the real fruit of our mission to educate a new generation of conscious and empowered home growers. Joe Bornstein is the generous sponsor of our Portland or Lewiston orchard, and we are currently applying for grants and recruiting support to fund the next few orchard installations.

To say this kind of support is vital to our success is truly an understatement. Donations to the ReTreeUS program go directly to education, planting more trees and creating access to healthy food. One of our most exciting developments of late is another sponsor: Votenet Solutions. This national e-ballot software company has agreed to fund the planting of hundreds of trees every year through their own client donations. This is another exciting opportunity for the ReTreeUS seeds to spread and sprout! Thank you, Votenet, for your generous contribution.

And thanks to all of our supporters! Whether you're donating money or spreading the word about ReTreeUS, you are helping to sprout the seeds of growth for our organization...and our earth! 

Growing Into Our Growing Shoes

Since our years in college, neither Richard nor I have worked a single job just for the money. Our jobs in California were gratifying, but not very lucrative. The funds we had saved from teaching dwindled quickly on our move across the country. Now, as we move into the Maine winter with part-time jobs and spend most work days building ReTreeUS as volunteer co-managers, we are poor in money but rich in dreams.

And as much as I like to think dreams are all that matter, I admit it takes money to make them come true. After a season of acquiring in-kind donations and key connections in the region, we are beginning to gain some funding. We have Joe Bornstein, our first Orchard Donor, on board, and the potential for a nursery is--literally--on the horizon.

Yesterday, we laughed at our extremely low-tech measurement methods while counting our steps around the perimeter of a hillside. This land will be tilled and planted with rye next week to prepare the soil for apple, pear and plum tree saplings next spring.

This stake marks a far corner of our soon-to-be nursery. We marked the 1/3-acre plot yesterday to be tilled and planted with winter rye in preparation for planting our first nursery trees next spring. 

The hill gets plenty of sun, especially in the morning, has both north and south-facing slopes, drains well, and is surrounded by native blueberry bushes, some of which will also go into school orchards.

The first lucky school to receive an orchard will benefit directly from the steps we take now. Each step we take to count out the footage of our nursery land leads to another student happily taking a bite from the apple he or she helped grow. Step-by-step, we are growing into our growing shoes.

Moriah poses in front of a White Ash tree we will use to heat our home this winter. The paragraphs below detail what it's like to build an organization on nothing but dreams--such as, how does one take care of necessities, like eating, staying warm, and enjoying the weekends?

As exciting as this work is, the adventure of building a life together, and an organization, on two part-time incomes alone is a roller-coaster ride to match.

Luckily, nature provides the best and cheapest thrills in the universe...and Richard and I have front-row seats.

Yesterday, we decided to forego a trip to Portland because gas is too expensive, both for our pocket books and for the planet. Instead, we took a ride on the river; it cost us no money and required no fossil fuels.

We had been visiting the river on foot for a few weeks. With every visit came a moving gift for both of us: the call of a Kingfisher, the close-encounter with a Great Blue Heron, or the family of Bald Eagles flying majestically and squawking hilariously nearby. Each time, we noticed that, if we had left a moment sooner, or looked away from the river too soon, we would have missed the gift. It seemed each animal siting was another reward for spending time with our old river friend.

And so the time came to further explore it.

Our generous neighbors loaned us their canoe, which had missed the water for years and years. There it sat on wooden stands, collecting dust and sparrow droppings, providing habitat for spiders and goodness knows what else, just waiting to be on the water again. We lifted it precariously out of our neighbors' barn, strapped it to our car roof, and sprayed it with the hose before carrying it to the river.

We dragged it down our massive hill trail and realized that either we would need to find an easier way of getting it back home, or the up-hill climb with a heavy canoe would have to be worth it for the beauty and adventure we were about to encounter.

Turns out, it was worth every moment of trouble and more.

We paddled downstream beyond eddies and ripples, reflections and rocks, to a mysterious channel we found drawing us to it. We turned to see how far down the secret passage we could go and noticed a fat, furry creature working dutifully on the bank.

I pointed emphatically so Richard would see, but I didn't dare make a noise. Richard was already watching, too.

The creature's long, flat tail, alongside a large, felled tree in the water, helped us identify him (or her) as a beaver. We watched as he wobbled down the steep slope to the river, fell over on his back for a moment, and then calmly swam under his tree...all within about ten feet from our boat.

The beaver seemed not to mind us at all as he dove under a pile of leaves and carried them out of the channel on his back. He looked like a floating branch.

From the beaver experience to the sandy beach, where there were no human prints but many signs of heron and otter...to the circumnavigation of an island we had been scoping now for weeks...the gifts were multiplied again and again.

When we got home we called Richard's mom to tell her about our trip along the Androscoggin River, which she had seen but never been on in her 30 years of living close by. She told us she had had hopes of going out on that river when she moved here long ago. But at that time, she said, the river was so polluted she could smell it from the banks, and it seemed a far-away vision to go out onto the water--even in a boat.

She was happy to hear that all the community clean-ups had worked, and that, in this case, big dreams and a little bit of money had brought the river a long, long way.

Just another example of dreams, work, and multiplying gifts...

We think that growing into your growing shoes--no matter who you are, how much money you start out with, or what positive goal the shoes help you accomplish--is an exciting and worthwhile challenge. We thank you for your support of our dreams, and we encourage you to pursue your own.

Getting inspired for our own projects...

Enjoying apples from another Maine orchard.

The Answer is Blowing in the Wind

Hurricane Irene is stirring things up here in Maine today, but that doesn't mean the gardening stops. Of course, we have moved our baby trees inside for protection, but our well-established garden plants are  loving all the rain.

The trees, newly planted in Fertil pots for our members, are enjoying life in their first outdoor home.

The plums trees, now inside, while the storm rages on.

(Watch our video at the foot of this page for coverage on the hurricane in our garden, and see why kale is the answer that's blowing in the wind.)

Meanwhile, we are spending the day indoors using our plants to make soup, smoothies, and tea...depending on whether or not we have power at the moment. (All of these are good practices for the end of summer--rain or shine.)

When we did have electricity, we used some of our neighbors' abundant zucchini, cucumber, kale and chard harvest to make soup, which we then froze for later in the year.

Here is the recipe for our delicious, end-of summer soup. (Please note that you may choose to substitute or remove any of these ingredients and still have a huge amount of very good soup.)

Homemade Vegetable Broth

Onion skins
Kale stems
Chard Stems
Water

Boil all in a medium pot, then simmer until the mix cooks down.  Strain the broth, compost the solids, and use the liquid in the recipe to follow.

End-of-Summer Harvest Soup

1 large (or 2 small) zucchinis, cut into large slices
3 potatoes, cut into large slices
1 large onion, chopped 
3 ears of pre-steamed corn, with kernels cut off the cob
1/2 head of garlic (or less, to taste)
1/2 cup cream or milk (optional)
dash of salt (to taste)
dash of black pepper (to taste)
Romano or parmesan cheese (to taste)

Add the zucchini, potatoes, corn and onion to the veggie broth. Bring to a boil, then cook on medium heat until vegetables are soft. Put softened veggies and broth into a blender, and add the corn, garlic, cream, salt and pepper before blending. Serve in a bowl with cheese on top.

Another good recipe (which requires electricity) is our Kale-and-Cucumber Smoothies...

1 kale bundle
1 large cucumber
2 cups frozen strawberries
1/4 cup blueberry or blackberry jam
3 apples
1 cup vanilla or fruity yogurt (optional)

Put into a blender with some ice cubes, and enjoy!

Once the power was out, though, we moved on to other plant activities...

The photo below, for example, shows echinacea flowers hanging up to dry for an immunity-boosting tea.

Dry echinacea (or cone flowers) upside down and out of direct sunlight.

Pods should be far enough apart to get sufficient air for drying.

We will let these flower pods dry, and then use tea balls to steep them in boiling water. We will probably also use some honey (which is also antibacterial) to sweeten it, as echinacea can have a bitter taste.

So, gardens can benefit from hurricanes, and we can benefit from our garden growth. Check out the video below for a glimpse of our kale bed's hurricane experience:

American Chestnut Day

Both Richard and I have been naturalists our entire lives; we explored the outdoors as youngsters and marveled at the magic of nature before we could talk.

Both of us developed our passions into careers of connecting others to nature during college, where he gained experience in agriculture and I studied environmental science and sociology. Both of us met key people then who challenged us and helped us grow, just as we are doing through ReTreeUS today. We look back on those people and experiences now with fondness, as they have shaped who we are and the progress we have made.

My mind slipped back in time this morning to the very first botany class I ever took--a rousing lecture taught by the one-and-only Dr. Hill Craddock: enthusiastic intellectual, botanophile-extraordinaire, and a true expert on the American Chestnut tree.

I thought of Dr. Craddock when Richard asked our forester friend to identify a tree in the yard. Based on its distinguishable sharp, shiny leaves and sea-urchin pods, we knew it was in the Chestnut family. I never would have guessed it was an American Chestnut, though, because Dr. Craddock and others had taught me about the terrible Chestnut Blight, which wiped out what was once a dominant tree and abundant food source on the east coast of the United States. (Learn more about the benefits and demise of our American Chestnut forests, as well as what's being done to help, by clicking here.)

The only American Chestnuts I had ever seen were tiny relics--only a few feet tall--of the majestic forest creatures they once were. I know that the fungus blight attacks the trees before they can get very tall, so looking at this giant towering at the edge of our yard never rang any bells before.

At first, our forester friend, Rob, came to the same conclusion. "It's probably a horse chestnut," he said quickly, remembering the tree he had just noticed moments before. But when we all went outside to reexamine the specimen, Rob changed his answer. "No, that's a real Chestnut," he said.

"An American Chestnut?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Yeah, it must be blight-resistant, or there just aren't any infected trees around."

All the folklore I have heard about this tree as a hardwood, a food source, and even a way of life, for thousands of people living in the eastern U.S. before 1950, came rushing back to me. When the blight killed the Chestnut tree, it took with it a quarter of the forest in the eastern half of our country. All the hope that was lost and poverty that resulted from the extermination of this tree was devastating to the ecosystem and society at that time.

Photo of people with an old American Chestnut tree, from the American Restoration Project website.

The American Chestnut was a staple of our culture--like cell phones, Starbucks, and blogs are today--in a time when the population at large still felt some connection to the natural world. (Click here for more information on the culture of the Chestnut before it was lost.) Some might even argue that the loss of the American Chestnut may be linked to the decreased connection to our forests and to growing our own food. Some might argue that the Chestnut blight, among other factors, contributed to the indoor norm and the limited idea that food comes from a grocery store, rather than from plants.

The mission of Dr. Craddock (click his link to find chestnut recipes and other information), and many others, is to find blight-resistant trees and mix their genes with our typically-intolerant native Chestnuts, so that we might restore this American icon to its original greatness.

Our mission, at ReTreeUS, is to reconnect our culture with the natural world and to where our food comes from. And here, on the future site of the ReTreeUS nursery, we have a (relatively) giant, (perhaps) tolerant American Chestnut tree! Its species is not only an excellent food source, but also an invaluable piece of U.S. history. Our history, rich with farming and connection to the patterns of the earth, could be restored as we build our mission of sustainable agriculture and environmental education.

I happily celebrate today, August 9, as American Chestnut Day! It is a day of new hope and beginnings for the global community and the inseparable ecology thereof.

Thank you for supporting our mission, and for helping to grow a healthier planet!

Sprouting Soon: Our First School Orchard

More time spent in Maine means more time spent growing ReTreeUS.  And if our organization were itself a fruit tree, that tree would be tall and fruiting. With the help of our generous sponsors, donors, members, and new friends with invaluable connections, the seeds of positive change are spreading.  We see a healthier planet ahead. 

We have acquired almost everything we need for a nursery now, including tools, compost, mulch, someone to till at a discounted rate...and, most importantly, trees!  Next spring will be a busy time for us; but all of our work is fun. 

From now until we till and plant cover crops, a lot of our time is still spent networking, grant writing, and campaigning from indoors.  

Richard and I work on our non-profit in the sunroom of his childhood home.
We hope to make this the greenhouse and official office for ReTreeUS.  

None of this time is rewarded with a paycheck yet, so we both found part-time jobs to pay the bills.  I am most excited today about my job, because I just found out I was hired by a nearby private school as Administrative Assistant.  Directing my own non-profit, combined with administrative work I've done for other non-profits in the past, make me a great fit for the job.  The fact that I am working with the school's founder, Michele, makes the job even better.

As the school's original founder, Michele fosters a philosophy of teamwork and responsibility among her students.  (Both of these ideals fit perfectly with ecology and sustainable agriculture.)  She leads many outdoor activities there and encourages students and parents to buy local, healthy food.  One of the Freeport Farmer's Markets is even hosted in the school's parking lot for that reason.

Michele began a garden with her students in the school yard, but she said maintenance was a challenge, and she is excited about the prospect of an orchard.  Fruit trees require less energy-input than a garden...and often produce much more.

She plans to make hers the first school to participate in the ReTreeUS program.  She has also connected us with key people who could help us expand in the very near future.

This entire process has been like a fruit tree: producing branches, giving way to fruit, then leading to more fruit in a chain reaction of giving.  Thank you to all who support us, to all who enjoy the fruits of our labor, and to all who will help grow a healthier planet.

A Wish List and Our Love for Garden Pizza

So, here we are in Maine, on the land where we hope to plant our nursery soon.  We have received our biodegradable pots for the plum trees we give to new members (thank you, FertilUSA), we have tools from Home Depot to start planting, Adams County Nursery has donated trees.  We just have a few more things on our wishlist:

1. Soil amendments, such as compost and mulch
2. Materials for a fence to prevent deer from eating our fruit trees
3. A little garden pizza for energy, joy and well-being

Our garden pizza, if we do say so ourselves, is a rather gourmet favorite of practically everyone we know.  That's because we make it at least once a week, so we've had plenty of practice at making the dough just right and devising the most delicious combinations of ingredients we pick straight from our garden.  Yes, our pizzas are grown and made with love you can taste.  Now, we'd like to share the love--and share our recipe--so you can enjoy the deliciousness at home.

Ingredients for One Large & Healthy Garden Pizza of Love
(as always, they're best if you grow them yourself)

For the crust:

2 cups of flour (whole wheat is healthier and works great with this recipe)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup water
1/8 cup vegetable oil (optional)
dash of cornmeal
one large, holy metal pan or pizza stone
...and keep the flour handy for a few more finger-fulls

First, start the grill on high or preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Then, turn it down to medium-heat or 325 degrees.

Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and water in a bowl.  Knead those ingredients on a floured cutting board until just workable (about two minutes or so).   Roll into a nice ball with your hands and cover with a thin layer of oil.  Add a tiny bit more flour to the ball of dough and to a rolling pin (or empty wine bottle--whatever works). Roll out the dough as thin as you can get it.  (If you like it thin and crispy like we do, the dough will be about one-and-a-half feet in diameter before you put it on the pan.)  Spread some oil and sprinkle some cornmeal onto a pan or pizza stone and lift the dough onto the pan. 

And now, for our patented crust-grilling process (TM):

Take the pizza dough out to the grill or put it in the oven just for about two minutes with no toppings until it is thoroughly warm.  Remove from heat and flip it over before adding the toppings.

For the toppings*:

*What we put on our pizza is as creative as our whims and as variable as the weather.  They range from white sauce with cheese, kale and mushroom to fresh pesto, mashed potato, and asparagus.  Feel free to use our guidelines and add or subtract whatever you'd like.

1 freshly sliced tomato (lay these down first in place of sauce)
1/2 cup sliced fresh mozzarella (or vegan alternative)
1/2 cup extra-sharp cheddar (or vegan alternative)
lots of chopped veggies (kale, spinach, squash)
lots of chopped herbs (fresh basil, oregano, rosemary)
1/4 cup romano, parmesan, or vegan alternative

Put it all on with love, but leave a little extra romano on the side to add after the pizza has cooked and cooled down a bit.  (Cooking temperature is medium to medium-high, and time in the oven is about 10 minutes, or until it looks irresistible.)  Cut in little abstract shapes and marvel at what a garden pizza-master you are.

Thanks again for reading!  More to come...