Yes, indeed Karen. We're a small independent news org. and all these stories take time - but, slow news is good news - and we're hugely grateful to our subscribers who support us to keep the Tripe+Drisheen machine running. Hope you're enjoying the articles.
Terrific article, thank you so much for your experiment, so insightful. We should all be trying this challenge.
Just one thought that came to mind, I’ve been reading a lot about nuts and their value as a protein, carbohydrate and mineral source. maybe consider adding a hazelnut cultivar to your garden or two?
On another note we (Green Spaces for Health, Cork Food Policy Council, Togher Tidy Towns + partners and Bishopstown Tidy Towns + partners) are trying to start two community food gardens, one in Bishopstown Murphy’s Farm and the second at Clashduv Park in Togher. They will be the first of their kind in Cork's public parks. The plan is to have eighteen raised beds in both, and a polytunnel, also an area of fruit and nut trees and fruit bushes. It’s very exciting and the gardens will be for the people living in those areas; young and old to come together to grow local food. Its early days yet but at the moment we are hoping to get the raised beds installed in Bishopstown by mid November and the same in Clashduv.
Thanks so much, Maria. I’d love to know more about those community gardens: my email address is on the T + D about page if you’d care to drop me a line. When it comes to hazels: I’d like to experiment with the practicalities of harvesting Irish nuts
That's fantastic, and a lovely story. The only thing I would say is a) price and b) you had a garden ... for those of us with two tomato plants and a lemon tree (I do have an avocado tree but it's a long way from producing avocados and I've heard that even if it does, they're unlikely to represent anything produced in the lush heat of the tropics), the chances of surviving as a locavore are limited indeed. Still I very much applaud the effort. I also thoroughly agree with your nuanced approach to diet. I tend to be 80-20, 80 p.c. vegan, and 20 pc let's break the rules. The main thing is awareness, isn't it? If more of us pay attention and make small shifts towards local when we can, that will have a cumulative effect. Like Paul McCartney's Meatless Monday, there could be a Full Irish Friday ... or something.
Yes, price, absolutely is a huge problem. And I think the answer to that comes from a broader social problem. We’ve seen this massive inversion over the course of decades where in the 1950s, housing used to be 25% of a person’s basic income while food was the bulk of their living costs: now, housing is 75% of a lot of Irish people’s expenditure. As Jack Crotty who founded Neighbourfood said to me, “if you told people that their rent was going to be halved but that they were going to have to spend a lot more on local food, wouldn’t most people love to do that?” Love the idea of a day of the week, but it might get a bit tough in winter! Lisa chose September for harvest/foraging reasons.
It is entirely possible to live well on Irish only produce, myself and my wife swapped to a plant based diet in February 2021 and since then, 95% of everything we eat is grown in our own garden which consists of 1/10 of an acre and three polytunnels. We have both shed weight, I have lost a massive 3 stone and more and we both have more energy. During this year, we have eaten peaches and almonds grown at home, we have feasted on Pak Choi, Chinese Cabbage, Kohl Rabi and a number of other things I never grew before. It is amazing what you can produce if you have a mind to do it.
Heard you with Ryan, brilliant and also read your great article. I too am so sick of asking in Dunnes for an Irish Apple!
As for the 49 cent avocados that never ripen.
We are finished with Avocado which need vast amounts of water to grow and have to come half way round the world to smash on our sourdough bread!!
Keep up the great writing !
Ps when are you doing an article about the massively talented and genuine Artist (from Bishopstown boy!) Conor Harrington??
Bang on, Karen. Lots I didn't get to cover there on d'Radio! RE: Conor....we may have a surprise in store for you quite soon :)
Yes, indeed Karen. We're a small independent news org. and all these stories take time - but, slow news is good news - and we're hugely grateful to our subscribers who support us to keep the Tripe+Drisheen machine running. Hope you're enjoying the articles.
Terrific article, thank you so much for your experiment, so insightful. We should all be trying this challenge.
Just one thought that came to mind, I’ve been reading a lot about nuts and their value as a protein, carbohydrate and mineral source. maybe consider adding a hazelnut cultivar to your garden or two?
On another note we (Green Spaces for Health, Cork Food Policy Council, Togher Tidy Towns + partners and Bishopstown Tidy Towns + partners) are trying to start two community food gardens, one in Bishopstown Murphy’s Farm and the second at Clashduv Park in Togher. They will be the first of their kind in Cork's public parks. The plan is to have eighteen raised beds in both, and a polytunnel, also an area of fruit and nut trees and fruit bushes. It’s very exciting and the gardens will be for the people living in those areas; young and old to come together to grow local food. Its early days yet but at the moment we are hoping to get the raised beds installed in Bishopstown by mid November and the same in Clashduv.
Thanks so much, Maria. I’d love to know more about those community gardens: my email address is on the T + D about page if you’d care to drop me a line. When it comes to hazels: I’d like to experiment with the practicalities of harvesting Irish nuts
That's fantastic, and a lovely story. The only thing I would say is a) price and b) you had a garden ... for those of us with two tomato plants and a lemon tree (I do have an avocado tree but it's a long way from producing avocados and I've heard that even if it does, they're unlikely to represent anything produced in the lush heat of the tropics), the chances of surviving as a locavore are limited indeed. Still I very much applaud the effort. I also thoroughly agree with your nuanced approach to diet. I tend to be 80-20, 80 p.c. vegan, and 20 pc let's break the rules. The main thing is awareness, isn't it? If more of us pay attention and make small shifts towards local when we can, that will have a cumulative effect. Like Paul McCartney's Meatless Monday, there could be a Full Irish Friday ... or something.
Yes, price, absolutely is a huge problem. And I think the answer to that comes from a broader social problem. We’ve seen this massive inversion over the course of decades where in the 1950s, housing used to be 25% of a person’s basic income while food was the bulk of their living costs: now, housing is 75% of a lot of Irish people’s expenditure. As Jack Crotty who founded Neighbourfood said to me, “if you told people that their rent was going to be halved but that they were going to have to spend a lot more on local food, wouldn’t most people love to do that?” Love the idea of a day of the week, but it might get a bit tough in winter! Lisa chose September for harvest/foraging reasons.
It is entirely possible to live well on Irish only produce, myself and my wife swapped to a plant based diet in February 2021 and since then, 95% of everything we eat is grown in our own garden which consists of 1/10 of an acre and three polytunnels. We have both shed weight, I have lost a massive 3 stone and more and we both have more energy. During this year, we have eaten peaches and almonds grown at home, we have feasted on Pak Choi, Chinese Cabbage, Kohl Rabi and a number of other things I never grew before. It is amazing what you can produce if you have a mind to do it.