Any weekend is good that starts on Friday and this one was very good. We spent two days in Athens at the annual Georgia Organics conference. And just like last year, it was excellent. 1,100 people attend and these are some smart, progressive folks who are rewriting the rules on growing food.
This year we learned about growing Shitake mushrooms, fighting insects with natural predators, and planting fruit trees and shrubs. Perhaps the best and most impressive session was one on natural herbs taught by Patricia Kyritsi Howell. She has a book titled
Medicinal Plants of the Southern Appalachians and teaches at her school
BotanoLogos School for Herbal Studies in Mountain city GA.
We also heard the closing keynote speech from Carlo Petrini, the founder of the Slow Foods movement. I think I know where the 'Slow' in Slow Foods comes from after listening to his ramble.
These Georgia Organics folks are really impressive. Quite an event; we've really learned a lot both this year and last. Congratulations on a GREAT show!
And Sunday was another highlight! An afternoon of working on the coolest treehouse I've ever seen. Mark Fockele was brave enough to let me help him work on part of a two-level treehouse connected by a skywalk ladder. It was terrific fun. Mark and Mildred's daughter Emma is both the beneficiary of the project as well as its straw boss. Don't let him slack off now Emma - you're almost there...
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