How to start Sheep

From the Rural Living Handbook, Published by Mother Earth News. 115-116

It hardly pays to buy young lambs and feed them to adulthood for strong-flavored mutton. The trick, instead, is to raise your first lambs into adult breeders, then slaughter their offspring as fat, tender lambs. With an acre or two of pasture, a shade tree, a third of a ton of hay for winter and a handful of grain a day, a ewe lamb will mature in a year and, if bred, produce a lamb or two of her own, plus five to eight pounds of wool. After maturing on its mother’s milk and a little grain and graze, each of your new lambs will provide you with a wonderful fleece hide and around 50 pounds of delicious meat.

Torta Recipe

Found a sweet new recipe from http://blacksheepsays.com/ which I’ll include here. Breakfast recipe using local food woo!

Jessi’s Breakfast Torta
6-8 eggs
1 lb. bacon
1/2 medium red onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1/2 cup of mushrooms
1 ripe tomato, diced
a sprinkle of parmesan, salt & pepper to taste
mm, BACON. Go ahead and cook it however you like.
Sautee that onion and garlic (and some salt & pepper) in a pan.
Add diced tomato & mushrooms ’till they cook down a bit, creating sauce-y goodness.
Add that BACON!
Scramble 6-8 eggs in a small bowl and pour over all ingredients (some more salt & pepper here)
Cover and let simmer on low/medium. As the egg begins to cook, sprinkle some Parmesan over top for a tasty crust.

DONE. DEVOUR. ENJOY.

Economic Recessions

Economic Recessions Post 12/22/09
With the failure of Copenhagen (my MAPSBLOG post), it’s time to start thinking about serious depression, causes and strategies for when it gets worse. Click on, if you want. This may be my last post of this certain style as I’m considering changing the blog to be more real-time deadline appropriate. Hopefully a well-researched and justified account of the times we are living in as Americans right now, click:

The Next Globalization is Local:

Like any good Economics student, I start this article with a quote by Thomas Friedman in his definition in awkward-titled essay on “Glocalization”: “To absorb influences that naturally fit into and can enrich a culture: to resist those things that are truly alien and to compartmentalize those things that, while different, can be enjoyed and celebrated as different.” I now proceed to show the Economic justification for a more stable next generation of destructive free trade policies… [yes, it’s more than just a trend.]

A million little pieces: and building the art of perfection.

OH, BOSTON!

For those who can’t tell from the blog post history, I’m just about getting grounded here. Adjusting to Boston is hard, and adjusting to being [anonymous] again after a long sojourn in [Costa Rica] proved even harder. I came in lagging behind technology and friendships, which lost me the competitive edge at [Small Planet]. Most of my files for [Massachusetts Power Shift] are [lost in Panama], my [paid radio advertisements] there never returned results. But: despite technology, work, and communications failure, this has been one of my best semesters yet.

How? A hundred little failures means another year out of personal recession; another year avoided the mainstream dullness of small talk and classes, and a new resiliency that proceeds with the confidence of experience. Confidence, and decision making. Upon personal failure, one learns a perspective of infinite possibility and creativity. (as anyone who’s been [searching for a job] can attest.) Join me, for a post that is both revelatory and informing, revolutionary in a word and inspiring in its clarity.. What’s wrong and powerful reframes.

Paolo Coehlo: Ser como el rio que fluye

Hello,
Sorry for the long time without a post, the internet has been, *cough* inaccessible. Hopefully you will enjoy this today: some excerpts and ideas from Paolo Coehlo’s latest “Like a Flowing River.” I’ve been reading and rereading this over the last few weeks.

For the alchemist, visit: The Alchemist (Novel) by Paolo Coelho (EddieMill)
-Ed

The book is composed of short relations of Coehlo’s life, stories, moments and experiences. As one of the most famous authors in the world (he wrote The Alchemist) he has a good life view. A lot of his stories involve sudden realizations, human nature and vocation. And he is the best author at describing in words: hope : that I can imagine. As someone whose stories have been translated to 155 languages, it’s great to hear his perspective.

Family, Community

A successful follow-through to the school year. Class high final grade in Development Econ, pretty sure I aced the Environmental Econ final, and Sustainable development finished nicely. Funnily, my Spanish literature class remains the only outlier, gave me a C+. Psh, I kinda cared… 3.5 not bad. Thanks to everyone that made it possible.

On the Oberlin front, trying to incite a riot with home friends. This mainly involves late night food runs, dance parties, and ultimate frisbee in the rain. Oberlin makes one appreciate the advantages of a small-town community, with local shops and local people. It’s exactly the feeling that’s missing from Boston University, where we subsist on large networks of acquaintances. It’s not without drawbacks, but I think that community is really worth working and fighting for. Our lives are a collective.

I’ll be returning to Boston to finish up some things Friday 12/26 and 27th, let me know if you are still around and are interested in a holiday meet-up. Mara and I will probably be hanging out with a car.

On the virtual front, my World of Warcraft character is so bomb. It will be a good distraction while prepping for Costa Rica (now on a 7-month planned trip February-August! More about this later).

-Eddie
https://eddiemill.wordpress.com/

A Day in the Life

Saturday, 10/6/2008!

A day worth getting out of bed for:

First, the Greenpeace Project Hot Seat rally and march: Greenpeace rocks
Had a good turnout. Over one hundred people met at Quincy Market in downtown Boston for a large rally, speakers and music, followed by a march chanting down Devonshire St, through Downtown Crossing, and up to the State House. They had a large postcard message to deliver, all around the UN climate negotiations that day. (The picture is a link if you’re interested in the outcomes!)

UN Climate Negotiations towards Copenhagen 2010

The Spirit of Renaissance and the Current Global Crisis! Conference at Bentley.
The Boston Pledge put it on.
In turbulent times, new ideas produce revolutionary change. This conference was all about what the next round of people’s movement will be guided by, as compared to the Renaissance thinking in medieval times. Amaryta Sen was there, the world’s favorite development economist from Harvard. Snuck in for the workshops!

Imokalee Farmworker’s movement: rally and discussion.
Then took the T back in to the city to catch this gem. Imokalee is the international organization that works in US and Latin America for tomato picker wage and human rights. Conditions are pretty bad (check their flickr slideshow) and sometimes literally form slave rings where pickers cannot leave the premises. So they’re fighting. Targeting large buyers of tomatoes on three premises:
1) 1 penny/pound extra to directly benefit pickers of tomatoes. This is insignificant for restaurants but represents a 60% wage increase for these workers.
2) Code of conduct zero tolerance policy: no slave rings tolerated.
3) Agreement monitored and enforced by representatives in the coalition.

The campaign has recently been very successful. Through boycott they convinced Taco Bell to sign on, then McDonalds, Burger King, and just last week Subway who is the largest fast food buyer. Now they’re targeting Valu-foods (Shaw’s, Stop-and-shop)… interested in being involved for fair food? http://www.ciw-online.org/tools.html

Immortal Technique.
Was playing at the Middle East. As one of my all-time favorite hip-hop artists, I jumped at the opportunity to see him live. There were three of us, went pretty early to get a good spot. This is a good story:

The first acts were pretty awkward, local rap artists who really just had the materials for mixing and some kinda thug connections. Meh. I really just wanted a drink… so decided to take things into my own hands. I was in the bathroom when I realized that the X mark was coming off under water and soap, and with a little work… got it off. It wasn’t until I was walking out that I noticed the staffer watching for just that. I was escorted roughly out of the building, with O’s on my hand and told not to come back. Fuck.

Sarah and Jane come out, and there’s a touch of bitterness in their shouts. You what?
Plan: wash off the O’s, change clothes (I was layered), and walk back in for Immortal Technique.
This involved walking around Central Square for a while, finding the materials and buying a new magic marker. After some work, we managed a pretty good replica, but there was no way the stamp was coming back on. I left the circle on instead. Let’s do this…

The three of us walk back in as planned, and stop. I’m called back to the front…
Terrified, I think I’m about to get beat. It’s the same guy that kicked me out earlier and told me not to come back. He makes me show my hands, and then– get this– RESTAMPS my hand over the O. I just got back in. SOOOO WIN!

Immortal technique was awesome. Never fails to inspire the revolutionary in me. I actually got his signature on a book I’m reading: Nicaragua: What difference could a revolution make?. The night ended well (even though the last bus totally blew us off), up till almost 5:00 at my place talking.

Story of the night..
Solid Saturday! Total time at home between events the whole day: 8 minutes. Onward to finals!

-Eddie Miller
A Global Organic Mindset: https://eddiemill.wordpress.com/

Listening to hip-hop: buy. K’naan a new face to hip-hop.

A couple highlights

edit: pretty technical post, read at your own risk!

The last 72 hours have been a masterpiece. If opportunity were a horse, I’d have just spurred to a gallop.
Socially Responsible Investing, Guest Lectures, Special Events, Research…

Some highlights/thoughts/questions:
-Development challenge: If people will buy organic food with higher price and now nearly unlimited demand, what is the best way for small farmers to produce it to scale?
*AND does the organic/local movement have to give up any of its ideals to be able to do so?

-Organic Farming “could feed Africa”: UN Environment Programme just surveyed 114 projects in 24 African countries. They found that yields more than doubled with the techniques of irrigation, crop rotation, and input access. Contrary to Harvard keynoter Thursday Robert Paalberg‘s recommendations, the survey suggests that money for development is best spent in education of farmers rather than developing Genetically Modified seeds and selling chemicals. Full link: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/organic-farming-could-feed-africa-968641.html

-The food crisis- why?
The causes are many, but mainly, systemically, it has to stem from global overproduction-> trade liberalization-> smaller farmers without education can’t produce any more -> food dependence and FAMINE. Famine is one of the worst human conditions. As Eleanor Roosevelt put it: “The hunger of our world demands our sympathy.”

-Alberto Gomez-Flores, Frances Moore Lappe: The two keynote speakers at the Grassroots International 25th Anniversary celebration, these two serve as some of my prime influences in their work. Gomez Flores is chair of the North America La Via Campesina, the largest organization of small farmer’s rights in the world. He talked through a translator in succinct, clear Spanish about the work for his organizers to translate campesino knowledge into institutions and goals: “Our challenge and our daily work”. “Frankie” Moore Lappe is one of my idols, author of “Diet for a Small Planet,” “Hope’s Edge,” and creator of Food First, one of the best sustainable ag. think tanks in the country. Now she’s working on inspiring hope, conquering fear in a world where “the lens is cracking”. I got to talk with her for 15 minutes afterward about our planet, vision, and hope. Really an incredible experience.

-Costa Rica: I picked up an interesting book in the Boston Public Library about a new historical hypothesis for Costa Rica, which disputes the claim of the pre-coffee “rural democracy” that has permeated Costa Rican culture and even inspired social revolution. A rural society never existed, he claims, but rather a distinction plantation/underdevelopment and simple separated landholders. If true, this changes everything.

-Life: Feels good! Finally asked a girlfriend, Libby Glen of BU ’11: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1236840042&ref=ts Here’s to that!

Coming up: culture, life, the vision for this country, and Costa Rica.

Stay tuned.

-Eddie Miller
BU ’10
eddiemill@gmail.com

Reconnect

I offer you this challenge:
Whenever you can, go into the wild. Commune with nature, whether it is for a few hours, a day, or a week.
Breathe deeply. Listen intently. Let the wildness infuse you. Renew you. Sustain you. Go by yourself.
Take some friends. Share your stories with them around a campfire, under the starry sky. Listen intently
to their stories. Be open. Understanding will come. Strength will grow. Energy will multiply.

Whenever you can, go forth and interact with people. Spread joy. Greet strangers
you pass on the street. Smile often. Listen deeply when people speak. Start random
conversations. Or join ones already in progress. Meet new people. Those people
that you love, tell them. Give praise for a job well done. Thank people for being who
they are. Offer sincere compliments to those people that you have difficulty with.
Help people whenever possible. Be open. Treat people with loving kindness. Love
and joy will grow. Your world will get bigger and yet infinitely more intimate. The
impossible will become possible.

Is this a recipe for balance? No, it is a hint of possibilities.
It is glimpse of something beautiful. It is a piece of the puzzle; it is up to you to
finish putting it together as you see it. I hope this has given you a framework from
which to begin sourcing your flame, your greenfire, and keeping it alive.

SEAC Organizing Guide — Page 98

The full guide: Courtesy of SEAC open distribution