Realtime Goodtime Food

Image courtesy Ewan M Flickr

Recently I've found a run of realtime searches integrating Twitter that incorporate local search and food search but of course with the added dimension of community. Food and community, that's a tasty combo!

• I've introduced the Locavore iphone/ipod app already so instead here are;
• @Locavore who Twitter resources/ideas for sustainance and sustainability.
• Aperitweat a Realtime Twitter search community for lovers of Italian food living in London.
• Realtime search results on Google? A Firefox add-on uses the Greasemonkey script to include Twitter results. This is highly relevant for local and specialised search. To install follow link above and download Greasemonkey first as a Firefox add-on. This sits under your Tools tab in 'Add-ons'. Secondly use this link to install the Twitter/Google search script. The two synchronise automatically by installing the combined search results after you restart your Firefox Browser. Works well on Flock browser too.
  

Some questions

• What does community add to Realtime Food Search?
• What Twitter app can you envision related to food? How would you go about designing it/having it designed? By whom?
• Why is local connected to Realtime Search? Whats useful about it? What's not?
• How are you using Realtime search?
  

Locavore Lifestyle

• What other trends does the Locavore Lifestyle connect to?
• Why is a trainload of produce possibly more environmentally sustainable than a truckload?
  
• Name 10 local foods-meat/fish/dairy/grain/veg/fruit within a 100 mile radius to you?
• Compare the cost of each to your supermarket?
• Eat 3 locally grown foods this week and compare with an equivalent supermarket product? Describe and contrast the texture, smell, colour, flavour, look, feel, cost of each?
• Why would you not engage in Locavore activities?
• Why would you?
• Can you see one aspect of your habitual shopping becoming local that isn't already?
• Have you thanked a farmer/producer recently?
  

Locavore Locates Local Fresh Food

Image courtesy of Ron1478 Flickr

Enjoymentland » Locavore 1.0 is now available!

Buster McLeod recently released Locavore a "powerful but simple application for iPhone and iPod" that uses built in GPS to find the freshest in season produce nearest to you. This app merges health consciousness, local, and mobile trends with the trend for Real Time Search ensuring access to the freshest information. See also previous post about BakerTweet. It also links in with the Frugality trend.

Locavore partners with LocalHarvest.org, the Natural Resources Defense Council and "will continue to improve and be updated over time."

"Connects users to recipes from Epicurious and links to Wikipedia through a simple to use and intuitive interface... features fruits and vegetables with beautiful full-color images of each."

Some Questions

• How might this app be of use to you? Who else is it assisting? Why?How?
  
• When would you likely use it?
• What other devices could it be integrated with?
• What difference does it make to eat seasonal fruit and vegetables?
  
• Why is 'local' important at this time?
• What is Real Time Search? Why is it significant and why is it trending now?
• What other iPhone app could be useful for Realtime food search?
  

BakerTweet Piped Hot!

BakerTweet broadcasts a local baker's freshly baked produce to their nearby hungry followers using a (bakery proof) box that transmits wirelessly to Twitter. Some like it hot!

clipped from www.bakertweet.com Baker Tweet Lovely, layered bloomers, french baguettes, sourdough, traditional bridge, and many more breads, still steaming 17 minutes ago from Albion's oven It was made by Poke. We're a digital creative agency based across the road from the Albion and, perhaps selfishly, we wanted a way to get the freshest baked stuff first. Then we realised it could be a great tool for bakers everywhere.

Edible Gardens

Ann Cooper's essential TED Talk for all of the whys to get nutrition into schools, but significantly why gardens need to be a part of the school lunch agenda.

Community food gardens are flourishing as people the world over link food, climate and economic chain reactions, and where better than schools to implement these? For schools 'Edible' gardens are an immersible learning opportunity, linking health, relaxation, community and fun-for life. 'Victory' gardens such as promoted by Michelle Obama recently at the White House, were originally grown by citizens of the USA,UK, Canada and Germany during World Wars I and II.

My own local playgroup have recently successfully won a grant to create a 'sensory' garden for our young children while the neighborhood centre further up the road are also planning a community garden. We're thinking fruit trees including quince (hardy as) and scented herbaceous borders being careful not to attract the bees! But vegies will be a fully sensual experience. We'll start planting May.

• The Department of Education in Tasmania are promoting a series of kitchen/garden workshops for teachers entitled From Seed to Plate.

• Setting up and running a school garden

• Schools 'Kitchen Garden Program'-Run by Australian Chef Stephanie Alexander

• Edible Schoolyard

• video inspiration

ps Here's a link to a couple of gourmet vegetable recipes inspired by Michelle Obama's Victory garden.