Video by nathan m peracciny

From the Throw To Grow Team:

“Food is medicine.” Lan Thai

Our next installment of the Throw To Grow Profile series, features Lan Thai, Chef & Founder of Happy’s Hawai’i. Happy’s Hawai’i combines innovation, a sense of community, with traditional Vietnamese cooking. All to create fresh and sustainable food that keeps guests smiling.

Happy’s Hawai’i is committed to providing foods that contain no artificial preservatives, no artificial flavorings, NO MSG, and NO GMO. Happy’s only uses organic chicken and local grass-fed beef.

In this piece, Lan describes where her journey began, and what drives her to run a company and create food with awareness.

You can enjoy Lan’s cooking every Sunday at the haleiwafarmersmarket.com.

Learn more about Happy’s Hawaii at:happyshawaii.com

Enjoy!

More Throw To Grow Profiles coming next week.

To learn more visit: Kickstarter the Throw To Grow project

Mahalo!

ThrowToGrow.com

This Design school project (it is currently a prototype) holds great promise for the barefoot farmers in India and around the world.

This design was developed at DSK ISD International School of Design, India

Team members – Dorian Hernould, Arthur Trichelieu, Harika Arumalla, Maxime Dubreucq, Rachana Kakade, Harshit Karia, Jaineel Shah

Video by: Jaineel Shah

From the Team:

SAHAY – means Help in Hindi language

From our Analysis, we found an opportunity for the Indian farmers, to help them increase their efficiency and productivity. Keeping in mind low cost, low tech, not a revolution in the product but comfortable and pleasant improvement

SAHAY is a low cost shovel head especially made to make more comfortable and less painful the labor of shoveling and digging barefoot. SAHAY is a product which would seem obvious to anybody but which has never been done before and this is its great strength!

This product has been thought for people of low earning for who buying shoes is a less important necessity than working and being efficient in their work in order to earn money to buy food to their family. This is a situation that a lot of Indian poor laborers are facing, and that can be extended to a lot of other countries particularly in Africa.

Keeping in mind Low cost, Low tech, not a revolution in the product but comfortable and pleasant improvement of the actual tools for the same price. It was surprising for us to find many design opportunities around this topic, because you can’t find anything in the market which is matching the basic problems they are facing everyday, their direct environment, the hardness of their labor as well as their habits or forced behavior because of their social class and status which is not allowing them to purchase certain items many people wouldn’t be able to live without (clothes, shoes, gloves, cap, medicines, containers, glasses, etc…). We can notice is that there’s not a lot of innovation work and propositions are made for farmer’s tools and here is our opportunity.

To hear him tell it, the Throw to Grow project is something simple that filmmaker Nathan Peracciny and his collegues are doing on their own. “People can do this” says Peracciny, adding; “It’s a simple concept, you have the ability to empower yourself through action to do things. The fundamental matter is that people have to do and carve out your own niche. If you want to change something, change it with yourself and your environment. The concept of bokashi is a very simple process that in the end is very big. To divert 100 percent of your food waste and convert it into soil is very big. Wants to have true ownership over his life, not to have to wait for someone else to make a decision.”

About Harvest recently spoke with Nathan Peracciny of the Throw to Grow project:

AH: Please tell me about how you came to be involved with a food waste recycling pilot project in Hawaii?

NATHAN:

Throw To Grow has allowed my life to come full circle in many ways. I am firm believer in the power of media. I believe small independent media can have big impact. Carefully crafted media can inform, inspire, and ignite people. Carefully crafted, meaning media that looks good, sounds clear, and is edited in a way the keeps the viewer’s attention. If you don’t do those three things you fail. Sorry. There are no more awards for second place. The folks responsible for our current environmental crisis, health crisis, economic crisis, culture crisis, etc. are not going for second place. They want to keep people divided, subdued, and paying.

In 1999 I began college at Green Mountain College in Poultney, VT. GMC is a small environmental liberal arts school in a rural part of Vermont. I learned a lot there. The class structure was great. Environmental Ethics class was a battle of ideas. After class you wanted to rush back to your room to read the next assignment. It was awesome. For me there was one thing missing. I saw a disconnect between academia and the source of most environmental, social, economic problems. The individual consuming, and wasting was not interested in reading a collection of essays or a book on sustainability. Print would not be an effective tool in creating change. Then I asked myself; what is influencing people to shop till they drop, gas it up, waste and consume? It was television, film, and radio media.

In 2002 I dropped out of GMC and decided that some day, some how I was going to make meaningful media. Five years (and a lot of traveling) later I graduated from the University at Buffalo with a degree in Media Arts. At first I was pissed, UB gave me no exit strategy, no real plan. I did what anyone of would of done, I worked as a waiter in a fancy steakhouse. (hahaha) I did freelance as a PA and Assistant Editor, here and there. My main gig was waiting tables for a few years. I made a lot of money, wasted all of it, and wasted a lot of time. It was only after losing my job and being on unemployment, that I started to volunteer with an online food and culture show about Buffalo, NY called True Blue Buffalo (www.TrueBlueBuffalo.com). There was no budget for that project my professional responsibilities sky rocketed. I went from PA to Associate Producer in no time. (hahaha) On that project I learned the power of well-crafted food and community videos.

TBB connected me with local entrepreneurs, chefs, foodies, farmers, etc. From there I was given the opportunity to produce video for a Locally focused food and cooking competition called Nickel City Chef (www.NickleCityChef.com) Directing, filming, and editing Nickel City Chef really opened my eyes to so much and gave me the chance to tell the stories of hard working amazing men and women of Western New York that work their butts off in the kitchens, vineyards, and fields. I have since produced two seasons of Nickel City Chef, a full length documentary called Food For Change, and we’re going on our four season of the series this Winter 2012.

After I finished the Nickel City Chef: Food For Change documentary I showed it to my good friend Jim DiCarlo of Each One Teach One Farms (www.eachoneteachonefarms.com) in Oahu, HI. We went back and forth on some ideas for filming a sustainability project in Oahu. That project later became Throw To Grow.

AH:How has your involvement in this project positively affected you personally?

NATHAN:

This project has had a huge impact on me personally. I believe in the Bokashi Bucket compost system because food recycling is a simple lifestyle change that has huge benefits both individuals and communities. Throw To Grow is an awareness movement designed at spreading the word of self-activation and individual responsibility.

When I was asked last August, if I would be willing to fly out to Oahu for a month to film various leaders in Hawaii’s sustainability movement. My first thought was Hell Yeah! Before traveling to Oahu I had limited knowledge of Hawaii, its history, its people, etc. Being from the East Coast you assume it’s all beach, sunsets, and sand. It is a lot different than that. lol! I learned a lot in that month.

For starters, it’s not America. It has America “Things” but Hawaii has its own culture, its own language, and its own way of life. It is very important to appreciate Oahu as visitor. In removing myself of any sense of entitlement or attachment, I was able to really learn and listen. As a Director and Produce a big part of my job is listening. “Talk story” is a great phrase on island.

We simple rolled camera and talked story with educators, artisans, yogis, surfers, farmers, small business owners, chefs, etc. An amazing thing about filming with the group that we did, everyone was so busy (hahaha). It was really hard to set them down and have them talk what they do and why they do it. It was really inspiring.

Telling the stories of others that have made the commitment to living their own lives, as best they can, on their own terms is amazing. I have worked many local service based jobs. Spending your money and eating local matters and it means something. Never before did I think about the power and freedom of recycling your food waste.

I know that not everyone has land, a garden, or access to traditional composting sites. With the Bokashi Bucket you can recycle 100% of your food waste in your home. If you don’t compost, no problem. Once the bucket is filled you can donate it to a green house, a farm, a school, a church, etc. I know making friends with like-minded people in your neighborhood or community might sound crazy. But it is not crazy. A collective body of individuals wasting and consuming creates the problem. A collective body of individuals recycling, independently buying and growing their own food is a solution to the problem.

I have a Bokashi Bucket system at home, eat as much local and fresh produce as I can. When my bucket is fill I give it to the neighborhood healthy choice restaurant Merge (www.MergeBuffalo.com). They add it in to there compost waste.

I have plans to move to Oahu this May, after Nickel City Chef season 4 wraps. The idea is Bokashi systems are scalable. They work for individuals in the home; they can be scaled to service larger food waste generators, and then scaled even further to service communities. And the bi-product is nutrient rich soil.

AH:Why is it named the “Throw to Grow” project?

NATHAN:

Throw To Grow is brainchild of Jim DiCarlo (http://vimeo.com/25295090). Jim is a marketing genius with creative business sense. The title or phrase Throw To Grow is simple but activating statement. In my opinion, when strategically thinking about growing a brand centered around “new lifestyles” you have make it as simple and as acceptable as possible. We want using the Bokashi system to speak to everybody, not just individuals already committed to sustainable living. The idea is simple, you Throw your food waste in the Bokashi Bucket, it later becomes fuel for the soil to Grow more food.

Another aspect of TTG is the growing of ideas. You have to commit to being almost crazy creating such changes but if you believe in your idea, you respect it and put a lot of work in, you will see it gain momentum and grow. Again, small ideas used to create big impact.

AH: Please share a little history about the Bokashi Fermentation and how it works.

NATHAN:

Bokashi is a Japanese term that means fermented organic matter.As a waste management method, Bokashi fermentation is an efficient and earth-friendly way to recycle concentrated volumes of food waste (incl meat & dairy) into nutrient rich soil. Although Bokashi is often referred to as a type of composting, it is actually the exact opposite of what most people think of traditional composting. Bokashi is an anaerobic (no oxygen) fermentation process, while composting requires oxygen to take place. That’s why we see people turning those big steamy heaps of yard and food waste in their back yard. Most of the Bokashi process takes place in an air tight 5 gallon bucket right inside your kitchen and no turning is required.

The magic that makes Bokashi happen is the specialized blend of beneficial microorganisms that are layered with the food waste inside of the Bokashi Bucket. This special blend of microbes, which include lactobacilli, yeasts and phototropic microbes, was developed and popularized by a Japanese professor named Teruo Higa. Although fermentation is nothing new, Dr. Higa recognized the right proportion of microbes needed to make the blend work just right.

Bokashi fermentation is a simple process that anyone can easily adopt as a daily habit. Food waste is scraped into the Bokashi Bucket. The idea is that you can scrape your entire plate of scraps, no matter what’s on it, right into the Bokashi Bucket. For every 3 inches of food waste, 2-3 tablespoons of the Bokashi is sprinkled on top of the waste. This process is repeated until the bucket is full. Inside the bucket the beneficial microbes are hard at work releasing enzymes to break down or fermenting the food waste. To finish off the process, the fermented food waste is placed into the soil, where the naturally occurring soil microbes turn it into a rich black nutrient-rich soil.

There is no foul smell associated with the Bokashi fermentation process. Because it is an anaerobic process, oxygen is the enemy. It is oxygen that causes rotting of organic materials, and hence the stink. In the Bokashi Bucket, the lack of oxygen and the relatively low acidity prevent the organisms that produce gas and smells from forming. Even if they’re already there, these bad microbes will be consumed by the anaerobic organisms that thrive when oxygen is absent.

Bokashi is 100% natural and completely safe for the environment. It reduces the emission of toxic greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane.

AH: What have you learned about the importance and value of a community working on this project?

NATHAN:

Individuals working together and supporting one in another is how Throw To Grow will succeed. I think there are two types of community that are important to consider.

1. The online community. Technology has given us the opportunity to live and solve problems as a global community. We can share ideas and stories instant via vimeo and email. Creative ideas can find resources on sites like Kickstarter. Throw To Grow members are able to send files and work collectively on projects through sites like Basecamp.

2. Regardless of all the technologically tools you have at your disposal. People are the most valuable element to this project. Oahu has great community of DIY minded entrepreneurs, artists, and leaders. To highlight these our friends and community members we created the Throw To Grow Profile Series. Throughout the month of October, we interviewed and documented 14 extraordinary individuals that are leading the sustainability and food movements in Hawaii. These people are being the change they want to see and activating others to make not only Hawaii, but also the world a better place.

Without their support and the support of people passionate about deceasing their impact on the environment. TTG wouldn’t gain the momentum it is right now.

AH: What are your short-term immediate goals for this project and why would people want to become involved?

NATHAN:

The short-term goals are to raise funds for our pilot project in March of 2012. The pilot project will involve Each One Teach One Farms collecting food waste from larger scale waste generators like schools, restaurants, offices, etc. That waste composted using the Bokashi method. During the month of March we will be gathering data on ways to increase the scale of our food recycling services.

Getting involve means you support the idea of responsibly recycling your food waste to create nutrient rich soil, to then use that soil to organically fertilize and grow food.

AH: What are you long term goals for this project and why should people support you all in this Kickstarter campaign?

NATHAN:

In the long term, we want society to rethink the terms “trash” or “waste”. With the Bokashi System waste become fuel for growing your own food. To me there isn’t anything more independent, spiritual, punk rock, patriotic, etc. than growing your own food or supporting those that do. Bokashi eliminates the disconnect between bi-product and the product. Our goal is to build proof of concept on island in Oahu, HI, then bring it the mainland, and then the world.

By supporting our Kickstarter you’ll be giving us the resources necessary to build a larger scale Bokashi site and grow our idea.

To contribute and learn more, visit: ThrowToGrow.com

“School Food” is part of a series of videos developed by the School of Design Strategies at Parsons, within a project called “Designing W/”.

Students conducted research in New York City public schools to imagine and innovate new sustainable practices in the cafeteria.

To learn more visit: www.designingwith.parsons.edu

Video by: Science in a Nutshell

From the filmmaker:

This is an excerpt from a full length video produced by Science in a Nutshell for the Regional Farm & Food Project and Cornell University Cooperative Extension. The video is about using high tunnels (a low cost greenhouse) to increase agricultural yields, improve crop quality, and extend the growing season. This video was produced in 2006 in standard definition video.

Video by 2600 Productions

From the filmmaker:

Atlanta Farm to School presents the Edgewood Farm crew at the Coan Middle School Edible Schoolyard. This program allows students from the neighborhood to learn to grow, harvest and sell foods on a 1/2 acre of land in the city. Kyla Zaro-Moore manages the programs providing the students the opportunity to understand the importance of sustainably grown foods.

To learn more, visit the Atlanta Farm to School website here

Many thanks to Louisa McKerrow of Queensland, Australia, Senior Communications Officer South Region Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation for sharing this story with About Harvest.

Plant pests and diseases coming into Australia can now be rapidly and accurately identified thanks to a program that could save Australian agriculture millions in lost production and also protect the environment.

The Plant Biosecurity Toolbox recently won an award in the Premier’s Awards for Excellence in Public Service Delivery for its role in protecting Queensland’s agriculture with remote diagnostic technology.

At the 2011 Premier’s Awards for Excellence in Public Service Delivery (from left) Plant Biosecurity Toolbox Project Leader Dr Gary Kong

The project ‘Digital Diagnostics: Revolutionising Plant Pest and Disease Diagnostics’ is led by Dr Gary Kong from the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation’s (DEEDI) Agri-Science Queensland unit.

Agri-Science Queensland Science Leader (Crop Protection Systems) Dr Emma Colson said the Remote Microscope Diagnostics network, together with the Plant Biosecurity Toolbox and Pest Diseases Image Library, was leading the world in providing timely and accessible information on outbreaks of exotic plant pests and diseases.

(from left) Plant Biosecurity Toolbox Project Leader Dr Gary Kong, Agri-Science Queensland Science Leader (Crop Protection Systems) Dr Emma Colson, and Remote Microscope Support Officer, Michael Thompson from CRC National Plant Biosecurity

“This important work strengthens our biosecurity preparedness and response capabilities – my congratulations to Gary Kong and all involved in winning this award,” Dr Colson said.

“The project puts Australia at the forefront of technology-based biosecurity support, enabling remote diagnosis of potential biosecurity pests from sites throughout Queensland and the rest of Australia.

“Early detection and accurate identification mean immediate steps can be taken to minimise the risk or impact of any disease or pest threat.”

The Plant Biosecurity Toolbox, with its online library of information and images of exotic plant pests, complements the Remote Microscope Network, which helps users rapidly identify a plant pest.

The technology was developed in 2009 by DEEDI, the Cooperative Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity and other partners.

To bolster Australia’s pre-border surveillance activities for exotic pests, the Remote Microscope Network has microscopes set up in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, East Timor, PNG and New Zealand.

Dr Gary Kong said the Toolkit contained comprehensive diagnostic information on emergency plant pests and would eventually contain details about all known pests of importance to Australia.

“Currently it includes details of pests, the symptoms and damage they cause, and links to information about diagnostic tests to confirm the identity of the pest,” Dr Kong said.

In late 2010, cotton crops in central Queensland were ravaged by a species of mealy bug thought to be new to Australia.

“Almost immediately, remote microscopy was used to send real-time images of the pest via the Internet to an expert in California, who was able to identify it as an exotic suspect. In any pest incursion, it is vital that a positive identification is made as quickly as possible. Using these cheap and simple technologies, remote microscopy has demonstrated its ability to quickly share information and images, connecting experts with non-experts in remote and isolated regions” Dr Kong said.

For more information call 13 25 23 or visit www.deedi.qld.gov.au or www.padil.gov.au

Video by Cassia Reynolds

From the filmmaker:

What kid doesn’t like ice cream? On the Lower East Side, one ice cream shop is using this frozen snack to teach underprivileged teens about the job world and keep them off the streets.

To learn more about this program visit alphabetscoopicecream.com

Video by: Tim Libeau

From the filmmaker:

Every October for the past 50+ years, my relatives have gathered together to make applebutter from scratch. It’s a great chance to catch up with family and the end product is always delicious. In 2008, I took a camera out to the family farm and captured the process while Rodney Shepherd, Dotty Keller, and a few others explained each step. I wanted to capture this cool family tradition for posterity and share it with those who have always wondered how it was done. We’ve sold the family farm since this video was recorded, but the applebutter tradition still lives on. Enjoy the show.

Video by: Gold Dust Farms

Here’s a video of the Odenberg Potato Sorter at work in the packing shed of Gold Dust Potato Processors. Aside from seeing the Odenberg in action, you can see the process of the chipping potatoes getting delivered from the cellar to being sorted, washed, checked for quality and loaded into totes or vans for delivery. It’s a lot of work to get potatoes from storage to the chipping plant!

For more information visit: Gold Dust Farms.com