Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Fall Planting
Here in the Northwest, our mild climate allows us to maintain some semblance of garden year-round.Except, in my case, during the spring. Or early summer, for that matter. I mean, we put plants in, but they just didn't take. Is it a garden when you have two cilantro plants and one six-foot purple fennel that wintered over?
So, here we are, green tomatoes in mid-August, the cilantro gone, the basil barely hanging on, strawberries still occasionally forming and rotting.
I mean, the zucchini hasn't even gotten going.
So to the left, a map I made of the replants done this past weekend. 'X' marks existing plants. Three days later, the lettuce, arugula, and basil have all sprouted. The rest gets two weeks, and then I'm going to start midnight-gardening with a bucket full of Miracle-Gro.
And yes I amended the soil. The whole thing is a little embarrassing.
Labels: food, gardening, Portland
Monday, August 04, 2008
The New Corner Grocers
A piece on corner groceries that I spent a few months researching finally ran on the cover of The Oregonian's weekly inPortland section, with lots of nice photos. If anyone can actually find the photos online...Pinkerton awaits your call.
The article looks at new ownership of a couple older stores...Cherry Sprout Produce Market, owned by two former employees of Big City Produce, and e.moreland market & kitchen, a neighborhood grocery since the 1920s.
The article also included a sidebar of other small groceries that run the gamut from for sale, to stable, to opening this fall.
It's been a longtime since , but if there's a time for the traditional neighborhood grocer to stage a comeback, it would appear to be now. Rising fuel, food, and shipping costs have undercut some price advantages by bigger stores. And, bigger chains are also looking to establish a 10,000 square foot model...with some even eyeballing the 3,000-5,000 s.f. range.
I don't think anyone I talked to relies exclusively on their corner market for all their goods, but I met a number of people who adapted their shopping behaviors to suit what was available locally--not just from farmers, but from their neighborhood grocer.
I had a photo of the Taylor Court Grocery, somewhere, but now can't find it.
The article looks at new ownership of a couple older stores...Cherry Sprout Produce Market, owned by two former employees of Big City Produce, and e.moreland market & kitchen, a neighborhood grocery since the 1920s.
The article also included a sidebar of other small groceries that run the gamut from for sale, to stable, to opening this fall.
It's been a longtime since , but if there's a time for the traditional neighborhood grocer to stage a comeback, it would appear to be now. Rising fuel, food, and shipping costs have undercut some price advantages by bigger stores. And, bigger chains are also looking to establish a 10,000 square foot model...with some even eyeballing the 3,000-5,000 s.f. range.
I don't think anyone I talked to relies exclusively on their corner market for all their goods, but I met a number of people who adapted their shopping behaviors to suit what was available locally--not just from farmers, but from their neighborhood grocer.
I had a photo of the Taylor Court Grocery, somewhere, but now can't find it.
Labels: groceries, journalism, neighborhoods, Oregonian, Portland
