My Sweet Natalie Rose

Natalie Rose is an Italian Buttercup with enormous amounts of pluck and mettle. If the door is left open, she makes a bee line into the house to eat the cat's food. While resting under the ramada, Natalie Rose always jumps into my lap to see what I am doing and proceeds to preen my clothes, freeing them of any lint or soil particles.
Her favorite organic food are pill bugs fresh from the compost. She always dresses up for the holidays and red is her favorite color of nail polish.
An unfortunate accident happened to Natalie Rose on Sunday. While scratching in the worm bin, intense wind blew a sheet of ply wood on top of her. She was not discovered until the next day. Natalie Rose was flattened and in great shock. As she limped away from the 15+ hour ordeal, a dangling egg dropped... she never misses a day no matter what.
After a rubdown of Rescue Remedy, water, melon seeds, and quinoa, Natalie Rose has almost fully recovered. She managed to get on the top perch the same day after her rescue. She never ceases to amaze me. Her determination and tenacity, even on her bad days, is a good reminder for me not to let a heavy board smash my spirit.

The board that trapped Natalie Rose but not her pluck or cluck for life!



















Jack and Natalie Rose

Dinner at the Mercado St. Augustines

Amy Schwemm, owner of Mano Y Matate,
prepares mole dulce, a favorite of customers.

Happiness is a plate of local food and a local appetite.

Tucson's Community Supported Agriculture

Many thanks to everyone from Tucson's Community Supported Agriculture for their love and support! A special shout-out to Phillip, Sarah, and Amy.. you peeps are the best! Every kilometer I pedal, every local farmer I meet and all the beautiful food I eat will be done in honor of my food lovers at home in Tucson. Thank you to all who donated toward Kim Fox Food Trek! Donations will go toward much needed equipment for reporting stories along my journey. Keep eating local!

Chicken Revolutionists

During chicken workshops, participants are encouraged to handle and hug a chicken.

Olives and Olive Oil

Olives are abundant in Tucson, a sustainable source of cooking oil. During my trek, I will seek out a small-scale farm that produces olive oil to observe and report on.

Thank you Cafe Passe!!!!

Many thanks to Sabine Blaese, owner of Cafe Passe and her lovely staff for making Friday night's fundraiser a success. Poets Jennifer Columbus and TC Tolbert rocked while Sweat Pea and the Bean finished the fundraiser with their funky music... a perfect kick off toward my trek. Thank you all who attended and your donations!

Emmer wheat

Here is emmer growing in downtown Tucson. Emmer is an ancient wheat whose wild version has been found in Israel's Rift Valley and radiocarbon dated at 17,000 BC. This relic crop is grown mainly in Italy, Spain, Turkey, Albania, Switzerland, and in the Czech Republic. It gives good yields in poor soils, resistant to fungal diseases, and is much higher in fiber than common wheat. Growing emmer in the Tucson basin for bread, pasta, beer, and animal feed has merit.