The Power of Cultivating Vital Life Skills

Aug 3, 2020

By Nicole Newell, Sustainable Landscaping Program Manager

Source: Unsplash

As the Sustainable Solano team was preparing for some time off in July to renew and recharge, we had the perfect opportunity for a reminder on taking care of ourselves. On July 13, Anne Freiwald gave a presentation on how to restore the resource of self by cultivating vital life skills. Anne is a passionate personal health and permaculture educator and holds a master’s degree in public health.

These vital life skills are familiar, but what was intriguing was how Anne provided examples of parallels relating to nature and our bodies. One example is how a garden requires mulch to build organic matter in the soil, and our body requires fiber for a healthy gut. She also gave specific techniques on how to calm our systems during stressful situations with our breath. Prior to her presentation, I thought of these skills as an exhausting never-ending to-do list. Shifting to thinking about these areas as skills felt empowering because it provides power in our choice. At times, this world can be overwhelming, but we do have the power to choose to put our energy in strengthening our systems.

View and print your own copy of Anne’s Vital Life Skills Mandala here.

Here are a few highlights from the talk:

Breath
Where do you breathe? Shallow in your chest? Or deep diaphragm breaths? Breathing slowly helps us respond with a calm system during stressful moments. So often during the day it is easy to get lost in the many tasks and to forget to pay attention to breath. When feeling stressed, just take a few minutes to get into the moment by
• Taking 5 deep diaphragm breaths
• Inhale to the count of 5 seconds
• Exhale to the count of 10 seconds

This technique helps to slow our systems down so we can move through this life in a peaceful state of mind.

Sleep
How is your sleep? Do you turn off all devices two hours before bedtime? Turning off devices two hours before bedtime drastically helps with getting a good night’s sleep, we all know this. Nevertheless, it is difficult to break the habit of zoning out: playing games on the phone, watching hours of news, getting lost on YouTube or binge watching Netflix (I highly recommend Self Made and Anne with an “E”!). It is unrealistic to be perfect with this rule, but Anne invited us to consider turning off devices when a good night’s sleep is needed.

Awe & Nature
What in life makes you speechless? Finding something larger than yourself helps to adjust your thinking in order to see things differently. Seeing the larger picture can help to put individual experiences in perspective. It could be as simple as taking a few minutes each day to lie on the ground and look at the sky, a moment to feel insignificant and be in awe of something larger. Anne recommended spending 20 minutes at least once a week just sitting outside in nature, a backyard, or a park. Twenty minutes is the baseline, as this is the time it takes for the creatures to adjust to your presence. You then become part of the landscape while they continue to go about their activities with you being there, giving you a chance to observe.

Creativity
Are you creative? This is not about being an artist. Of course having an art project is one way to be creative. Anne invited us to think about creativity in a way that we look at our daily problems. For example, how do we get creative in finding ways to connect during social distancing? Yesterday I saw two women sitting 6 feet apart at a garden with masks on just chatting.

Connection
Do you have at least one person that you can confide in and love? During the presentation Anne replaced the term “social distancing” with “spatial distancing.” She emphasized the importance of connecting with people during this pandemic and to stay physically distant but not socially distant. Finding at least one person in this world to confide in and love leads to many health benefits.

Know
What supports you thriving in your life? Decide where you want your energy to go, and then prune out the areas where energy is wasted. In nature, Anne gave the example of pruning a tomato plant. When you prune tomatoes, the plant will have fewer tomatoes but they will be larger and more nutritious. When you are overwhelmed, Anne invited us to look where we want our energy to go, and then begin pruning the areas that need to be removed. That is powerful! Another exercise Anne gave was to answer the question: Who I am in 12 words? Just by giving words to that question, it is a reminder of who you want to be. This is a living question that can fluctuate, or it can be a simple reminder of the person you are.

Boundaries
What is OK? What is not? Anne asked us to begin with the generous assumption that everyone is doing the best they can, which allows a space for compassion when creating boundaries. In nature, Maximillian sunflowers are a boundary that deters deer from entering a property. What a great visual! Rather than putting up walls with people, the question is how can we get creative and make a boundary that is both beautiful and functional within our personal life.

Nourishment
This is not about eating. It is about what nourishes our gut. The garden needs mulch and our gut needs fiber! Most of us do not get enough fiber in our daily diet. At least two of our feel-good neurotransmitters (serotonin and dopamine) are made in our gut. Taking care of our gut will help us feel happy, calmer and more focused.

Movement
What activities do you like to do that require movement? The heartwood of a tree helps to provide support to it. The heartwood needs wind to strengthen, and we need movement. Make it a priority to move at least 20 minutes a day. Again, looking at this as a skillset as opposed to an obligation can allow you to proceed stress-free!

The hope is that by incorporating these vital life skills they eventually turn into daily habits that strengthen us and provide energy to do our work in the world from a clear, balanced place.

Anne Freiwald and Lydia Neilsen will lead Sustainable Solano’s new Permaculture Design Certificate course starting in January. Learn more about that course here and keep an eye on our future newsletters for updates and an exciting free introductory class this fall!

Enjoy the talk? Take this survey to help us determine future classes.

The Solano Sustainable Backyards program and the talk are generously funded by the Solano County Water Agency.

Potato & Green Bean Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

Jul 31, 2020

Photo: Unsplash

Ingredients:

2 lbs. small red potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed, cut into ¼” thick slices
1 lb. green beans / haricots verts, trimmed
2 T. table salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. + 1 t. champagne vinegar
1 T. Dijon mustard
¼ c. + 2 T. olive oil
¾ t. ground black pepper
3 T. minced shallot
1 ½ T. minced parsley
1 ½ T. minced chives

Boil salted water for green beans. Blanch then shock in ice water. Drain, cut green beans in half or thirds, depending on size. Chill until needed.

Place potatoes, 6 cups cold water, and 2 T. table salt in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer potatoes, uncovered, until tender but still firm – about 5 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup cooking water from potatoes. Drain potatoes, and arrange hot potatoes close together on a sheet pan.

Whisk garlic, potato water, vinegar, Dijon mustard, oil and pepper in a small bowl until combined. Drizzle dressing evenly over warm potatoes. Let stand 10 minutes.

Combine potatoes, green beans, shallots and herbs in large bowl. Mix gently to integrate dressing. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Serves 8-10.

Chef’s note: If not serving immediately, keep beans & herbs separate, so the acid doesn’t turn them Army green.

 

Download a printable version of the recipe here.

Learn how to make this recipe by watching the cooking class below

Spanish Tapas

Jul 17, 2020

Photo: Unsplash

Tomatoes and other seasonal veggies are highlighted in these two recipes: Spanish Romesco Sauce and Gazpacho Andaluz

Spanish Romesco Sauce

Ingredients:

1 ½ dried red Guajillo chile, seeds removed
2 c. chicken stock
1 c. red wine vinegar
1 to 1 ½ c. olive oil, divided
4 slices French / baguette bread, 1/4” thick OR plain breadcrumbs, to taste
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 c. sliced almonds, lightly toasted
2-3 roasted red peppers, peeled and seeded
6-8 garlic cloves, minced
Salt to taste
Optional Garnish: sliced almonds, parsley, etc.

Grilled Mediterranean Vegetables / Shrimp / Chicken

Place the Guajillo chile, stock and vinegar in a saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain the chiles, reserving the liquid.

Heat about ½ c. of the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and fry the bread on both sides until golden brown. Remove and reserve the bread. (If using bread crumbs, skip this step.)

Add the chopped tomato to the oil in the skillet. Saute the tomato for a few minutes, or until the peels begin to release and they soften. Reserve with the oil and set aside to cool.

Place the guajillo chiles, optional fried bread, tomatoes with oil, almonds, bell pepper, garlic and a pinch or two of salt in the workbowl of a food processor. Process until well mixed but slightly chunky with some texture. If using breadcrumbs, add now, a little at a time, until slightly thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Sauce can be made several days in advance and kept in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature or heat slightly before serving.)

Serve with grilled vegetables, potatoes, shrimp, chicken … or on sandwiches or crostini.

Makes about 3 cups.

Download a printable version of the recipe here

Gazpacho Andaluz

Ingredients:

Garnish Vegetables:
1 lb. ripe tomatoes
½ cucumber
½ green bell pepper
½ small red onion
½ t. salt

Soup – Part 1:
2 lbs. tomatoes, cored
½ small cucumbers, peeled & seeded
½ medium green bell pepper, cored
½ small red onion (about 3 oz.)
2 garlic cloves
1 small serrano chile, seeded & halved
1 ½ t. Kosher salt

Soup – Part 2:
1 slice white sandwich bread, crusts removed, torn into 1” pieces
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
2 T. sherry vinegar, plus extra for serving
2 T. minced fresh herbs: parsley, chives, basil
Ground Black pepper

Cut garnish veggies into ¼” dice. Toss with ½ t. salt and transfer to a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Set aside for 30-60 minutes.

Meanwhile, rough chop “Soup Part 1” ingredients. Add Kosher salt and combine in a bowl. Set aside.

Add bread pieces to liquid from drained garnish veggies (there should be about ¼ cup), and soak 1 minute. Add soaked bread and any remaining liquid to rough chopped “Soup Part 1” veggies. Toss to combine.

Transfer half of vegetable-bread mixture to a blender and process 30 seconds. With blender running, slowly drizzle in ¼ cup oil and continue to blend until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Optional: Strain soup through a fine-mesh strainer, pushing on solids. Repeat with remaining veggie-bread mixture.

Stir vinegar into soup and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours to chill completely and develop flavors. Taste and adjust seasonings. Garnish soup with minced veggies, or stir some into soup for a chunkier gazpacho. Drizzle additional olive oil and sherry vinegar on top, if desired.

Serves 4-6.

Recipe from Cook’s Illustrated

Download a printable version of the recipe here

Learn how to make these recipes by watching the cooking class below

 

Backyard Chickens 101

Jul 13, 2020

By Tyler Snortum-Phelps, Sustainable Contra Costa

Tyler Snortum-Phelps, who has been keeping chickens for more than 20 years, offered this fun and informative class on keeping backyard chickens. Tyler works with Sustainable Contra Costa, which co-hosted the class. He is also a certified Master Composter and has taught home composting workshops for many years. In this blog, Tyler has been kind enough to answer questions there wasn’t time to answer during the talk. You can watch Tyler’s talk in the video here and read his responses to your questions below.

Find additional backyard chicken resources, from websites to books, here.

What’s the difference between chickens and quail. Is there one? Or are they kinda the same?

Chickens and quail are entirely different species and quail are NOT a domesticated animal! I was just pointing out the quail are “ground birds” like chickens, in the sense that they spend most of their time on the ground and rarely fly.

When chickens fight, does it stress them out?

There is a certain amount of stress when they struggle for their place in the pecking order, but it’s an important part of their life, and they can actually be unhappy when the social order is not clear. But if you are talking about roosters fighting, that is very different and chicken keepers should not allow this, as the roosters can be seriously injured. That said, most roosters (if you even have more than one) tend to work it out pretty quickly.

Are there any animals that chickens do not get along with that we should be aware of if we own a large farm with various other animals?

Chickens tend to get along well with most other animals (like anything, there are always exceptions!) with the possible exception of dogs. Their relationship with dogs can vary from total friendliness to a predator/prey relationship where the dog will stop at nothing to kill the chickens. And everything in between! Backyard chicken website and forums are full of stories, advice and ideas from dog owners. My initial advice is to start out carefully until you know what your dog will do, and from there you may to do further research.

If you show a rooster who’s boss, can you “out-mean” him?

Not a good idea to get too mean. I have heard stories about tennis rackets and baseball bats, but that’s an invitation to injury for the rooster. If he keeps attacking you, it may be time to get rid of him.

Do chickens prefer to lay on hay, straw or shavings?

Something soft and malleable is nice in the laying boxes, although they will lay on bare wood if they have to. One thing the bedding does is help keep the egg from cracking. Hay or shavings are great, and I like hay because it doesn’t compact and get soggy, and is cheap. Since I use hay as part of my coop floor bedding, I just put some more in the laying boxes. You will have to replenish it from time to time.

Can you do the deep litter method with pine shavings instead of hay?

I would probably recommend mixing something coarser and drier with the shavings, since they can get compacted and possibly allow mold to develop. Wood shavings are also more expensive than hay. I don’t, however, recommend wood chips because they are too coarse. The chicken forums have lots of great discussions about coop bedding choices.

Are the manure fumes unsafe to breathe in, more than just don’t breathe in a lot?

If you are raking your manure into the bedding regularly (usually just the pile under the roosting poles, the chickens will take care of the rest) then there should not be a build-up of odor that is dangerous. And remember your coop needs good ventilation!

I recently heard Salmonella can be an issue. Should this be a concern?

If your chickens are not crowded, have good clean food and water and a well-ventilated coop with bedding that is changed regularly, they should stay healthy and you have little reason to worry about Salmonella. Of course you should practice good basic hygiene: washing your hands after being in the chicken yard/coop or handling the chickens, checking your shoes so you don’t track manure into the house, and discarding any eggs with manure on them.

 

At what age do we switch the food from chick feed to chicken food?

18 weeks, or 4 ½ months is the recommended age to begin offering laying food. Earlier than that and their livers can’t handle the extra minerals.

How about giving the chickens apple seeds?

The chickens can eat a few apple seeds, like those in an apple core you give them, but don’t go out of your way to give them lots of seeds, since there is a small amount of toxin in apple seeds.

What is the best way to integrate new chicks into existing flock/coop?

Be careful when doing this, since the old flock can be very cruel to the newcomers. The best arrangement is one where the two groups can see each other, but not come into contact, like some kind of wire fence. After a few days you can try introducing them. If there are still aggressive chickens in the “old timers” flock, I have had success squirting them with a spray bottle or squirt gun each time they try to attack. They hate that and will hopefully learn not to harass the new chickens.

If the new chickens are young, and considerably smaller than the older ones, it can also work to create a space where they can hide which has an opening that the bigger chickens can’t get through.

One of our chicks turned out to be a rooster?

As I said on the show, you have to decide if you’re going to keep them. And if not, you can ask at your feed store what they recommend, or look for a local online forum where you can offer the rooster.

Does the chicken yard need to be flat ground or can it be slanted? We have a lot of hill space and less flat area in our yard.

Chickens definitely don’t love climbing hills but they can do it. You could try creating terraces that make it easier for them to walk along.

Are there any suggestions for cold weather rearing of hens (Canada)?

This is definitely a good question for online research. I’m not experienced with chickens in cold weather, but there is a lot of information about it out there. If you use heaters in the coop, be very careful and have safety measure in place. They can cause fires!

I’m also curious about using technology to help keep my hens comfortable in the Suisun heat.

Most important is to have plenty of shade, and keep the water fresh and full. As I said, you can hose down the coop and chicken yard on extra hot days. The chickens hate the water, but they will appreciate the cooling effect.

Does the roost have to be tiered? Or is it possible to create a top space for all the chickens?

It’s totally fine for the roosting poles to all be on the same level. Mine is at an angle.

Enjoy the talk? Take this survey to help us determine future sustainable landscaping classes.

The Solano Sustainable Backyards program and the talk are generously funded by the Solano County Water Agency.

Easy Taco Toppers

Jul 10, 2020

Photo: Unsplash

Create these three easy sauces to top your weekday tacos: Homemade Mexican Pico de Gallo, Guatemalan Chimichurri Sauce, and Roasted Tomatillo & Avocado Salsa. Interested in creating salsa out of almost anything? Follow this handy formula from Bon Appetit.

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:

3 tomatoes – cored and chopped
Salt & pepper
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno chile – stemmed, seeded and minced
1 T. lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced

Toss tomatoes with ¼ teaspoon salt in a bowl. Transfer to a colander and let drain for 30 minutes. Combine drained tomatoes with all other ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Makes about 2 cups.

Recipe from Cook’s Illustrated.

Download a printable version of the recipe here

Chimichurri Sauce

Ingredients:

1 large bunch parsley
1 large bunch cilantro
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 T. white wine vinegar
1-2 T. lime juice
¼ c. (approx.) Olive oil – or more if needed
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Remove large, tough stems from herbs. Place leaves and tender stems in a food processor. Rough chop the jalapeno and garlic, and add to processor. Add liquids (vinegar, lime juice, some olive oil) and puree until mixture forms a consistency like pesto. Adjust flavor with additional vinegar, lime juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with grilled steak, chicken, fish, eggs, roasted potatoes, on sandwiches, tacos, etc.

Makes about 1 ½ cups.

Download a printable version of the recipe here

Avocado & Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients:

½ lb. tomatillos – husked, cored and quartered
3 garlic cloves – lightly smashed and peeled
1 jalapeno pepper – stemmed and halved (for less heat, remove seeds & membranes)
1 leek – white part only, coarsely chopped
1 T. avocado / vegetable oil
2 large avocados – pitted and flesh scooped out
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 t. sugar
½ t. ground cumin
½ cup water
¼ cup finely chopped onion
½ t. dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 T. fresh lime juice
Salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the tomatillos, garlic, jalapeno and leek with oil and spread in a single layer. Roast until vegetables are lightly charred and softened, about 10-12 minutes. Let cool, then transfer to a blender.

Add avocados, cilantro, sugar, cumin and ½ cup water and puree until smooth. Add the onion, oregano and lime juice and pulse until incorporated, 2-3 times. Transfer salsa to a bowl and season with salt. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Makes about 3 cups.

Recipe by Chef Tim Cushman.

Download a printable version of the recipe here

Learn how to make these recipes by watching the cooking class below