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My school's kids join the environmental club. The teacher in charge Kieren teaches them to be green. Here is their worm farm "cafe". Food scraps from the classrooms and the staff room are collected daily to feed the worms. In return the worms produce yummy tea for the plants. This tea is organic fertiliser for the vegetables and fruit trees tended by the children.
Our school, Pt Chevelier school is in collaboration with WWF. All the children are allowed to harvest the crops whether or not if they have any input in the growing.
Pt Chevalier school has an organic garden. An old wheelbarrow is recycled to become a herb garden and rain is collected in the water tank. We are sponsored by the WWF, but this also mean that our crops can't be sold. Children are encouraged to harvest the vegetables when they are ready.
Food/vegetable grow organically, and brought to share during sales for Christchurch Earthquake victims.
These feijoas are not big like the supermarket ones, but the kids who brong them to the sale guarantee that no sprays been used on the fruit tree.
In Borneo, Singapore and Malaysia we call the deep purple ,long slim version of eggplant brinjal. I learnt it is also called aubergine. Since coming to New Zealand, and visiting the Auckland Winter Garden in the Domian, I found out that they come in various shapes and sizes and colour as well.
It is a spongy vegetable with lots of little seeds. You can make a casserole, bake, grill
in a curry, sautée and even a dip.
The best eggplants are firm and shiny with unbroken skin. Smaller eggplants also tend to be less bitter. Freshness is important, the skin gets wrinkled if you store them for very long.
Some times, you get worms in them. My aunty tells us that she will deliberately buy brinjals infested with worms. This gives her confidence that the brinjal is grown organically without the harmful pesticide. She added that she rather cut away the wormy part than to eat a beautiful brinjal full of hidden poison. My parents used to grow brinjal and they said it is the hardest vegetable to grow, and we had to go to the plant and catch the wriggly worms.
#About Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day. Our aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion around an important issue that impacts us all.
For 2011, our Blog Action Day coincides with World Food Day, so our topic of discussion for this year will be food. Take the first step now and sign-up your blog to Blog Action Day and then look at our suggested topics for some food flavoured inspiration to discuss.
Our Goal
First and last, the purpose of Blog Action Day is to create a discussion. We ask bloggers to take a single day out of their schedule and focus it on an important issue.
By doing so on the same day, the blogging community effectively changes the conversation on the web and focuses audiences around the globe on that issue. Our hope is that out of this discussion naturally flow ideas, advice, plans, and action.
10 comments:
Love the veggies!
You aunt's story is interesting. But I think I would rather buy produce labeled organic and trust that it is. There are very strict rules that have to be followed here to be classified organic. I do know that many things that are so pretty, like peppers and apples and cucumbers, are covered in wax.
That was an interesting idea about the worms and knowing the fruit is organic.. like a lightbulb went off in my head.. LOL
I like the idea of looking for aubergines with worms knowing they haven't got hidden poisons. So much goes on in the food industry that we aren't aware of.
I use lemon zest in cooking and getting unwaxed lemons is not easy and, believe it or not, the unwaxed ones are now more expensive in the supermarket. How's that for cheek!
Beautiful big eggplant. We enjoy ours in vegetable curry.
I so support your way of teaching children right from wrong.
Nutrition and water are basics. When imported apples do not rot, I will not eat them.
To get thorough healthy food is almost impossible, but we can each and everyone do our share and contribute to a healthier and better world, not only to us, but for our children's children too.
Every little bit count. I therefore only buy organic eggs, have my organic herb garden, grow berries, but no fruits. Every time I buy groceries I have to make elaborate choices.
And that's the least I can do.
No!!! I forgot about this... Great post!
I love fresh vegetables, but I draw the line at wormy. I've read that they put wax on some fruits and vegetables to make them look nicery.
As more and more conglomerates control our food, the less safe it will be to eat, Just saying.
Very interesting, Ann! I am working on a strange computer, so I read your post properly when I am home again. Have a great week.
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