Fresh Sheet

ROCKY MOUNTAIN FLATBREAD CO. Fresh Sheet Spring 2009 Earth Hour: Bright Ideas Shine In The Dark Who would have thought that something as simple as turning off the lights could spark such a good idea – and on a global platform? Earth Hour, slated this year for Saturday, March 28th, 2009 at 8:30 PM, will once again unite millions of Canadians, and countless more abroad, in support of action on climate change. By simply turning off the lights for an hour, you can make this year’s Earth Hour even more meaningful than the last. What started as an awareness-raising event in Sydney, Australia in 2007, grew to include an astounding 371 cities across 35 countries in 2008. Now with more than 500 cities participating in over 75 countries, this year is going to help create a platform for an unprecedented global mandate for action on climate change. Along with the great metropolises of the world, Earth Hour 2009 will also see the lights go out on some of the most recognized landmarks on the planet, including Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Table Mountain in Cape Town, Merlion in Singapore, Sydney Opera House, Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, and the CN Tower in Toronto. Here in Vancouver, the Lions Gate Bridge, one of the most recognizable bridges in Canada, Reflect and Refresh With Rocky Mountain We are living in an exciting time. Over the next few months, millions around the world will join in raising awareness about how we can take better care of our shared home: Mother Earth. Earth Day is on April 22nd and Earth Hour rings in at 8:30 PM on March 28th this year. With the welcome change in season, this really is the ideal time to reflect on how we might grow in the coming months. The exciting thing is that there are so many easy and enjoyable ways to get involved in Vancouver and Canmore. In Vancouver we can start composting for a better garden (www.cityfarmer.info), ethically dispose of our computers at Free Geek Vancouver (www.freegeekvancouver.org) or simply fill our bellies with real goodness and great taste by supporting local growers at our local farmers markets (www.eatlocal.org) and the restaurants which support them too! As Rocky Mountain Flatbread founders, we are continuing to work towards a zero-footprint. You fuel our ambition every time we see you! At present we are challenging the way we package our frozen pizzas. As a family we are looking to expand the amount of food we grow in our back garden. Our daughter Lauren is very excited; ever since the new city by-law was passed, she wants us to buy chickens. We’re not sure if we’re ready for that commitment! On a personal note, we are also committed to getting on our bikes – we just might need a small wagon to carry our dirty aprons to and from work. The great thing is: these actions will not only help our planet, but improve our quality of life. We’ve already made good progress; there is nothing more satisfying to us than growing our own delicious veggies. Biking to work will allow us to take a few moments for reflection in our busy lives! We invite you to join in Earth Day celebrations in your own way. By all means reflect upon the difference you might make, but more importantly, put a few simple dreams into action. Let your inspiration lead you where it will, and have some fun in the process. A word to our online readers. While this issue of the Rocky Mountain Fresh Sheet is filled with plenty of inspiring stories, recipes and recommended reads, it continues online. With a huge note of thanks to our team’s editorial support, particularly your friendly host Mr. Ryan Kowalczyk, the Fresh Sheet has grown beyond the page and leapt online. While it’s a work in progress, it’s already growing nicely with plenty of untold tales, tips, photos and links at www.rockymountainflatbread.ca. Sincerely, Dominic & Suzanne Fielden Founders, Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co. will be turning off for Earth Hour. So will many other businesses and homes across the Lower Mainland. For our part, the Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co. will be bringing in the candles and serving up a slice of romantic effect for diners while switching off for two hours between 8:30 and 10:30 PM. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has confirmed that all 56 of Fairmont's world-class hotels and resorts from Dallas to Dubai will go dark by turning off their lights for one hour on Earth Hour. In Canada alone, more than 50 cities and municipalities have agreed to flick the switch on Earth Hour. This is a critical year for action on climate change, as the world’s leaders are preparing to meet at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December to establish a new deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012. Join the millions around the world and here in Vancouver to better our future. Flick the switch. Ryan Kowalczyk Take It Easy In The Garden beans) now to harvest in June or so. Fava beans are not related to regular green beans which can’t bear cold soil. They have lovely fragrant pea-type flowers to attract beneficial insects. Onion sets in pots is another thing you can do. In a few weeks the little green tips will be 2” long and you can start to harvest them for salads and stir fries. You can then transplant to the garden when soil is a little warmer. It’s almost OK to plant peas in the ground. (It’s fine in raised beds where the soil warms quicker). You should use inoculants because the peas need microbial activity around them in order to sprout and grow. Inoculants are a dark powder which you shake up with the pea seeds and water just before planting. You can also put one or two seed potatoes per one-gallon black pot in potting mix with a bit of peat added if you aren’t opposed to using it. (Potatoes prefer soil to be on the acidic side). Water them, and keep in an unheated greenhouse or on a sunny porch. You’ll see leaves in a month or so, and the potatoes can be transplanted into larger containers or into the garden in mid-April. Avoid starting tomatoes indoors until about the third week of March unless you are clairvoyant and you know it’s going to be very warm in April or you’ve a proper setup (including fans, lights, etc.) indoors or a heated greenhouse. Avoid rushing to sow ANYTHING too early, indoors. You’ll have better results and less problems if you wait • until light levels are higher outside. When temperatures warm, you’ll be able to put pots of seeds on the porch or sow in a cold frame, or sow seeds directly in the garden. When you do start sowing, make sure you do not skimp on starter mix in pots! Fill the soil to the top. Seeds sown low in the pot are vulnerable to fungal diseases and damping off especially if air circulation is poor. Seedlings should sit high in their pots. Baby seedlings need very little water. Keep the soil surface on the dry side and don’t add until you can almost notice them getting too relaxed-looking. Overwatering is the #1 cause of seedling death for novice gardeners. Lastly you can spend some time getting your compost ready for spring as it is “black gold” to gardeners. To compost FAST, run kitchen waste through an old food processor or blender set aside for that purpose before adding. Don’t forget to keep layering your compost – a layer of nitrogen:green waste,kitchen waste, grass, then carbon: dried leaves, shredded newsprint but not too much, hay, straw.To get your compost going in early spring,you can add a layer of clean animal manure (you know where it’s been). Seaweed is great too – just rinse it with a hose lightly. And get hold of a compost turner – a long metal stick with a butterfly flap on one end. This saves your back, saves the worms from being cut in half, and makes compost happen twice as fast. Happy Spring! Sharon Hanna, Hotbeds growsomefood.ca Bernd Rohde Brings Rocky Mountain Family to North Shore The rumour is true – there is a new Rocky Mountain Flatbread set to open on the North Shore. Franchisee, Bernd Rohde, is opening a Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co. in Lynn Valley come May. A strong supporter of the Rocky Mountain ethos, Bernd believes the new location in the Lynn Valley is a perfect fit with the surrounding community. After all, a great many people live in Lynn Valley because it is close to the mountains and the ocean and value a healthy lifestyle. When asked why he chose to open a Rocky Mountain his answer was clear: “Whatever you do in life should represent your values and be something that your kids are proud of. Rocky Mountain Flatbread does just this through the community leadership work they do in schools, offering families healthy ‘fast food’ options made with local produce and a space for families where kids can be kids – play, eat and laugh. To be able to see kids playing, while their parents are sharing a glass of wine is an amazing thing. You can often see over three generations sharing a meal at Rocky Mountain - that’s not only looking out for one, but looking out for all generations.” And while the doors are yet to open, business is already brisk as the Rocky Mountain team continues to forge partnerships with the community and local growers. Build out is moving nicely towards completion at the Lynn Valley District’s Leed Certified complex on Lynn Valley Road and Bernd looks forward to welcoming you soon. Come May, he will be opening the doors to welcome all with the good food and vibes of Rocky Mountain Flatbread’s first franchise location. Ryan Kowalczyk It’s spring again and enthusiastic gardeners are chomping at the bit to start digging, weeding and planting, but it’s been a colder-than-normal winter. So, take it easy. Make a cup of tea or have a piece of RMF pizza and a glass of BC Riesling instead. You still have plenty of time. It will pay off to NOT dig until "the soil can be worked." More and more, gardeners prefer to interfere minimally with the soil – I am one of those. Critters you cannot see have been labouring for weeks, months – even years, layering the soil perfectly, like a lasagna, so I loathe plunging a shovel in. You will know when it’s time to plant when the soil stops clumping in muddy clods and little seedlings of Kale, Arugula, Mache and Chives poke through. Instead of digging, why not remove some early weeds and add a topdressing, a couple of centimetres of rich organic material like SeaSoil. Now, wait some more until the soil gets cozy. Here are some ideas of things you can start early. You can plant Fava beans (AKA broad • • • • • LOCATIONS: COMING SOON Vancouver, Kits 1876 W 1st Avenue. T 604.7 30.0321 Canmore, Alberta 838 10th Street T 403.609.5508 North Vancouver, Lynn Valley 1255 Lynn Valley Road Reuse the Past, Recycle the Present, Save the Future: Earth Day 2009 While Earth Hour is a relatively new creation, Earth Day on April 22nd has been growing in awareness since the 1970s, and now represents the world’s largest, most celebrated environmental event. From humble humanitarian roots, Earth Day has encouraged people all over the world to unite their efforts in championing environmental change. Earth Day 2000 sent the message loud and clear that citizens the world around wanted quick and decisive action on clean energy. Earth Day 2007 was one of the largest Earth Days to date, with an estimated billion people participating in the activities in thousands of places in every corner of the world. Every year nearly every school child in Canada takes part in Earth Day activities. More than 6 million Canadians join countless others worldwide in over 180 countries in staging events and projects to address local environmental issues. This year, Vancouver will become a hotbed for clean Earth futures: Vancouver Earth Day Events Saturday April 18 Evergreen at Jericho Park for native species planting, ecological restoration activities and fun educational opportunities for the whole family. http://www.evergreen.ca/earthdayvancouver Sunday April 19th 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM Join us in celebrating Earth Day by helping clean up Quadra’s beaches after the high tides and storms of winter have dumped another year’s worth of plastic and Styrofoam on our shores. http://www.harbourliving.ca/event/the-12th-annual-earthday-beach-cleanup/2009-04-19 Wednesday April 29th. Everett Crowley Park Come enjoy a day of free live entertainment and education, dig you hands into the soil and have a wonderful day in the park. Educational booths offer information on how each of us can make small changes in our daily lives to help protect our environment for today and for future generations. Come out, have some fun and support a better tomorrow. For more info: http://www.vcn.bc.ca/ecpc/ Tuesdays throughout May and June Come on out to Rocky Mountains Green Talks. Get all the latest info from all the best. http://campaign4realpizza.blogspot.com Ryan Kowalczyk Rocky Mountain Education in Action Active young minds have been keeping the Rocky Mountain Education Society busy! With the help of Katrina Natale and Lisa Rosvold from Rocky Mountain Flatbread, students are continuing to develop sustainable business initiatives. Students at Lord Tennyson Elementary in Vancouver recently created ‘Eco Eats’ a healthy snack bar that feeds healthy brains. This came about as a result of their learning about the sad state of so many popular snacks: high sodium, sugar and MSG contents with little or no nutritional value. In short, very poor brain food! Duly informed, they took on the challenge to find healthy and delicious snacks for their fellow classmates. The guidelines for their pursuit were simple: good taste, good health. In addition to the Eco Eats bar, they developed a good eats menu which includes 100% fruit & yogurt smoothies, as well as dairy-free banana bread made with organic flours and small amounts of unrefined organic sugar. Visit the Rocky Mountain Flatbread website to delve further into their inspired recipes! Over in Canmore, Alberta, students at Elizabeth Rummel Elementary school are busy transforming used bike tires into trendy eco-cases for classmates’ iPods. These important projects give students a positive experience in both responsible business and community leadership. Through setting up a business which addresses important community issues such as nutrition and reducing and reusing waste, they are demonstrating that it is possible for businesses to make profits which are GOOD for their pockets, GOOD for the planet and GOOD for their community. A huge thank you to our partners at Vancity, Alberta EcoTrust and diners of Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co who make a carbon contribution to the Education Society’s ongoing community outreach – this work could not continue without their generous financial support. Farewell French Fries: YAM I AM! Almost every kid nowadays loves French fries. Unfortunately, French fries are one of the unhealthiest snacks your kids can eat, so rather than giving in to requests for this deep fried snack, create a healthy alternative that kids will love just as much. Yams, high in vitamin A, C and E, are more nutritionally dense that white potatoes, and with a basic bake taste great – while retaining a larger quotient of goodness than in the fryer. Feel free to add a touch of cinnamon; this not only gives the yam fries a great added flavour, but also helps to balance blood sugar. Follow this easy recipe with your kids for a fun activity and a delicious snack. Baked Yam Fries 3-5 2-3 1 medium yams tbsp olive oil tsp sea salt Paprika and cinnamon, to taste Sea salt and pepper, to taste Preheat oven to 350F. Slice the yams lengthwise into wedges about 3/4” thick. Place the yams in a large bowl and coat with oil. Sprinkle on the sea salt, pepper, paprika and cinnamon . Stir well, making sure all the yam slices are coated. Spread out the yams on a cookie sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Nutritional tips by Julia O Loughlin from Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co. Directions: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Readily Digestible Reads Green For Life by Victoria Boutenko Canada’s best resource for practical tips and products that help you do your bit for the Earth. It is a cheeky and eye opening guide to all of l i f e ’s greenest predicaments. Balanced by equal measures of insight, wit and wisdoms, Ecoholic offers a wealth of readily applied solutions. The Gort Cloud by Richard Seireeni "Green" has gone mainstream, and for many companies caring for the environment is not just a philosophy, it's a marketing strategy. So how does a company that's genuinely committed to green principles differentiate itself from greenwashing competitors? In Richard Seireeni ‘s book ‘The Gort Cloud’ you can find out just how green everyone really is. David Suzuki’s Green Guide by David Suzuki Everyone knows that human actions affect our natural environment. With this indispensable guide, readers will learn to consume fewer resources and become part of the solution as stewards of the planet. This book recommends actions for individuals to be more green in all sorts of ways: in our homes, what we buy, and how we eat and travel. It also describes how we can help ensure that governments support sustainable lifestyles.