The Annual 2015 Kale Festival at San Diego Peace Gardens Featured Much More Than Just Kale!

I admit that Kale isn’t my favorite vegetable. I love the nutrients, but it’s a little bitter. So for me it needs to be mixed in with salads, steamed with garlic and olive oil or baked in vegan lasagna. Luckily the Kale Festival at the San Diego Peace Garden offers much more than just kale. There were farm and gardening workshops, craft zones for children, music, vendors selling everything from books and moisturizer to promoting healthier lifestyles and food choices.

They also offered a complimentary lunch with a delicious kale salad, vegan egg salad, and steamed rice with veggies. There was thirst-quenching citrus-ade, and the volunteers at the vegan booth handed out free scrumptious vegan banana bread and vegan cookies. There were plenty of free oranges to eat so I left feeling SATISFIED! They provided utensils that were later collected to be cleaned and reused and placed compost buckets around the festival for food waste and napkins. If only all festivals could be so sustainable.

I attended a fun workshop on growing in containers. Most of my gardening experience is on small country farms and urban gardens so it was neat to learn about growing in confined spaces. I learned that you can’t casually compost in your indoor planting containers unless you want bugs. I’m used to throwing ends of veggies in the yard or garden to compost on their own so this was important. I also learned that you can use cloth bags to grow strawberries and cut a gallon jug in half and use it is a planter and saucer.

Cut a water jug in half for a planter that drains into a matching “saucer”.

Grow strawberries vertically in a biodegradable cloth bag to get more plants in a small space.

Sprout greens in truly biodegradable eggshell planters or use an old saucer cup for sunflower sprouts.

On the bus to the festival I met a friendly couple who told me about the previous years they had been at Kale Fest and shared their experiences with the local organic farms and potlucks and they introduced me to the hosts at the entrance tent. Attendees at the festival were all friendly and I met a lot of neat people.

I learned that we have a Cacao Fest in San Diego! Cacaofest.com. If you are thinking of going vegan check out LCAsanDiego.org. Personally I try to limit my intake of dairy products to once a week. When you choose to eat less(or eliminate) meat and dairy we will all have a healthier environment, you will have a healthier body, and create better lives for animals. Think about it.

Monarch butterflies are on the decline, but we depend on these fantastic morphing creatures for pollination. Just like bees, butterflies are important. Monarchs love Milkweed so there were free milkweed seed packets handed out for anyone wishing to create a more hospitable habitat for our fluttery friends.

Are you interested in community gardening or getting food from a CSA(Community Supported Agriculture)? Check out the San Diego Community Garden Network, SDCGN.org.

Gardening is good for youth and the Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center visits local schools and gives students a chance to be immersed in urban agriculture thus spurring a love of healthy food and a sustainable environment. Check it out at OlivewoodGardens.org.

The Second Chance Youth Gardens prove that gardening is way to empower and EMPLOY youth with their gardening and local CSA program. Learn more at UrbanLifeFarms.com.

I highly recommend attending next year. Sdpeacegarden.org/Peace_Garden/kale_festival_2015.html

If you’ve been following my blog you know that I’m active in creating a sustainable world and that means taking care of the environment. All the neat information from Kale Fest include ways that you can get involved in a more sustainable world. What are you waiting for?

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