In the heart of Union Sq. in Somerville, MA around a corner, down an alley is a small storefront, Relish that uniquely caters to the needs and desires of an urban farmer, be it a small container garden, bee keeping or even backyard chickens.
You can sign up for classes to learn how to make beeswax candles and how to can sweet or savory items. What I love about Relish is that it opens a conversation about what is possible agriculturally even when you live in an urban environment. I have had container gardens and some things thrive while others falter but until now it was just a grand experiment. I am excited to have found a resource that I can turn to this coming spring when it will be time again to fill up my containers out on my patio to see what I can produce.
I have also been reading the compilation of articles and stories in "Best Food Writing, 2013" and thus far there has been a lot of chatter about the concept of eating local and if it is just a fad or if it truly is and should be a sustained way of looking at our food consumption. I would say for the most part the slow food movement is still being lauded as a strong and vibrant way to embrace our diets and I for one am mostly inclined to agree however there are still things that I cave for and purchase even if they are grossly out of season such as my son's love for strawberries and my guilty please of sweet raspberries. If they look tasty and they are organic they seem to magically jump into my shopping cart, guilty as charged.
So I know personally just because of the fact that we live in a city I will never cultivate a vast quantity of goods but I am happy to have a strong, community based store like Relish that can help me pave a way to a more vivacious urban garden.
images via Relish