Next Wednesday, March 30, at 6pm, Buffalo ReUse will be part of a discussion at Medaille College about “Leadership in WNY”.

Some points of discussion:

• What goals for community improvement do you and your organization(s) work to achieve? How do these help contribute to building a civic and sustainable future for Buffalo and the region?
• Why do you work toward these goals? What is it about Buffalo’s history that makes these goals important? What is it about Buffalo’s history that makes these goals achievable?
• What perceptions of (or stories about) Buffalo and the region can sometimes be obstacles or barriers to reaching these goals?
• What opportunities and conditions exist to help you and your organization(s) realize these goals?
• Why should students learn to “read” and “engage” in writing the story of their community? What can they do to contribute to the long, hard work of building civic and sustainable communities? In what ways is personal success only meaningful in the context of community?
• What are the personal challenges and rewards of actively engaging in your community and working to make it a better place?

Medaille Website

Probably one of the more unique things we’ve set aside for the auction is this pair of towel bars. I didn’t even know we had milk glass anything and then Ian opened up the china cabinet like a magician opening a forbidden closet–the only thing missing was his silk cape!  “Wow!” I said and then Ian pulled out 2 white wands–which turned out to be the hanging bars for a short face-towel and longer hand-towel bar.  The bar is milk glass and the mounting brackets are white porcelain.  They are flawless.  A similar one on-line is currently selling for over $100.  These pieces would be perfect in a baby’s nursery or to display small quilts.  If you attached enamel s-hooks from them you could even use them to hang several towels, coats or other clothes.
We also have a candy bowl with a grape motif for the auction and Ian says there are milk glass lamp globes in the china cabinet at the store too–just ask for them.
According to wiki, milk glass was originally made in Venice and most popular at the turn of the century.  The white opaque glass was achieved by adding a tin dioxide or bone ash.

You could add to your collection if you’re the winning bidder at the Talent & Treasure Auction Saturday night!  View the other pieces here.  Join us at the Buffalo Bar & Grille at 307 Louisiana St. from 8-10pm

Saturday, September 25th you’ll have the opportunity to bid on several types of special knobs at our Talent & Treasure Auction! Ian and Kevin have set aside a beautiful complete lock set for you–it has an amber glass knob, an art deco face plate and even the matching skeleton key!
They found a knob set that has an arabic motif and another small crystal french door knob with fluting? flutes? flutations? (idk–it’s just super fancy!)  Ian says, “Like the true crystal knobs they are very clear due to the high magnesium content in the glass and slow cooling rates. These are especially unique because we do not often see knobs so small and finely patterned as these.”

Different strokes for different folks–we’re also offering a studded metal knob and face plate set and a set of HUGE Harvard hinges!  ALSO, you can win a tour of Dr Dale Sponaugle’s impressive doorknob collection, known as, “THE best collection of doorknobs and Victorian door hardware in
the United States!”
Aside from the auction pieces, it will be a very amusing night. I hope you can bring a friend!

If you’d like to help with the Auction, we’ll need folks to help us transport and display the pieces, greeters and other general helpers–please email Danielle volunteer {at} buffaloreuse(.)org

Ladies & Gentlemen,
Buffalo ReUse invites you to our first-ever live auction!  Join us Saturday, September 25th from 8-10pm as folks bid on treasures from our inventory and talents of our staff and volunteers!

You could win a french toast breakfast in bed, a photographer for you Gramma’s 100th birthday party, a night with Olaf, a potpurri of pickles, a massage, a reprieve from laundry, a cat-sitter, a week of dog walking, a chance to entertain guests with cherries jubilee, wine making lessons, soap making lessons, coffee roasting fresh before your eyes, free car washes from BARB, installation of that rain barrel you bought 2months ago and more!

There’s already over a dozen treasures we’ve set aside.  You could win a kooky attic find like a Wyoming license plate from 1937, antiques, a piece of local history and some architectural gems!  Click on the flyer to see more.  We’ll be sharing details and stories for each piece.
Let’s start with Lot#213…
This case of antique, painted label “Oscar’s Beverages” Pop Bottles.
Brewed and bottled in downtown Buffalo – this is a case of antique, painted label, Oscar’s Beverages bottles, many with their flavor caps (Cola, Gingerale, Grapefruit) and in a matching wooden case. These were retrieved from an attic during salvage operations. Oscar Beverages was founded by Oscar Greenberg, a Russian immigrant who came to Buffalo in 1911. He founded Oscar’s beverages in the late 1920s. These bottles seem to date from the 1930’s or 1940’s. What’s really special is that the frugal person who stored these away so long ago had no idea they were preserving Buffalo history.

Buffalo Bar & Grille
307 Louisiana St
cash bar & light refreshments

Don’t miss this unique opportunity.
All proceeds go toward Buffalo ReUse’s Community Programs.  Our goal is to raise at least $6,000 so that we can continue our community efforts and pay the remainder of our Americorps stipend for 2010.

Thank you for your support.
btw IF YOU have a talent we can auction off, please contact Danielle or Caesandra at volunteer {at} buffaloreuse(.)org

Summer harvest is here — the tomatoes are ripening, squash is in endless supply, and you’re wondering what you’re going to do to keep up with the hoard of fresh vegetables that are growing in your garden.  Preserve the bounty that you put so much time and effort into!  That’s what you’re going to do.  Rather than sending highly nutritional food (that you’ve worked so hard to produce) to the compost pile simply because you have too much to eat, you can devote a little bit more time to preserve your harvest, and enjoy what you’ve grown for months to come.  Growing a surplus of food in the summer and preserving it creates food security for the winter months.  Doing it yourself creates the feeling of accomplishment, and the assurance of safety and quality.  Preserving food is a tradition that dates back centuries, but in the last half century has lost its appeal and necessity as modernized commerce and global food availability have made eating much easier (imagine trying to find a banana in January in Buffalo, 300 years ago…)  Canning, freezing, and dehydrating are excellent ways to preserve food — as well as the nutrients and flavor it holds.

Freezing Vegetables

Freezing your harvest (or part of your harvest, unless you have a really big freezer) is a very easy and effective way to preserve food.  A common preparation to freeze vegetables is blanching, but vegetables can be prepared to freeze in many ways (depends on the recipe).  Blanching works well for most vegetables, and is a technique used for canning as well.  Blanching removes bacteria and dirt, etc. from the surface of your veggies, and more importantly, stops the process of enzymes inside the vegetable that would cause it to toughen, lose flavor and nutrients, and change color.  Blanching is done by putting fresh, prepared vegetables into boiling water for a short amount of time (amount of time varies from vegetable to vegetable), and then immediately moving the produce to ice-cold water to stop the cooking process.  Typically, vegetables should be cooled in ice-water for the same amount of time that they were cooked in hot water, unless a recipe notes otherwise.  Guidelines for freezing and blanching are easily accessible online, and can also be found in cookbooks and books on preserving food.  Here are some guidelines for freezing beets, tomatoes, and zucchini:

Beets

Select young, tender beets, 2 – 3 inches across.  Wash carefully.  Cook in boiling water until tender,  from 60 – 90 minutes.  Cool in cold water, skins peel off easily.  Slice.  When cool, transfer to containers.  Label.  Freeze.  Keeps for 6 months.

Zucchini

Slice into 1-inch pieces, do not peel.  Saute in melted butter until barely tender.  Cool, pack into plastic containers, leaving headspace at the top.  Label.  Freeze.  Keeps for 3 months.

Tomatoes

Dip into boiling water 1 minute.  Remove, and dip into cold water for 1 minute.  Remove and peel.  Place on a tray and freeze for 30 minutes.  Place in plastic bags, remove air, seal and label.  Keeps up to 6 months.

There are many resources and guides for freezing vegetables from A to Z, whether online, or in a book.  Check out GardenGuides and PickYourOwn for online guides to preserving vegetables.  Extend your season, and eat your home-grown foods until they start growing again next year.  Please join us, as we are holding a Tomato Canning Workshop on September 1st @ 3pm in our gardens @ 320 Northampton.  If it rains, we will hold the workshop indoors @ 158 Eaton St.

Join Us for Food Matters: A Four Film Series

Film has become a powerful medium when exploring controversial topics or when making a point about a particular subject. For the last several years those concerned with the state of our food supply in this country have done well in exploring, exposing, and initiating dialogue on this critical subject. The Lexington Cooperative Market and Edible Buffalo have joined together to present Food Matters: A Four Film Series. The films selected for the series are some of the most critically acclaimed on the topic of food production, food supply and the overall state of our food economy. The series includes the following films; King Corn, The Real Dirt on Farmer John, Dirt! The Movie, and FRESH. Each screening will take place at Hallwalls ContemporaryArt Center in Buffalo.

King Corn was first released in 2007 and explores the tenuous topic of corn production in the United States. As America’s most subsidized crop, this film follows to young gentleman as they try to follow their corn crop as it enters our food system. What they learn is both troubling and eye-opening as it raises many questions about how we eat and how we farm. As more and more industrial food companies are coming under fire for their prevalent use of high fructose corn syrup in their products, this film continues to be timely and relevant. The screening date for this film is May 27, 2010 at HallwallsContemporaryArtCenter at 341 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo. Doors open at 6:30pm with the film beginning promptly at 7pm.
The Real Dirt on Farmer John is the true story of third-generation Illinois farmer John Peterson and how he struggles to stay afloat as family farms decline. His story is one that parallels the history of American farming. His family farm eventually hits rock bottom but Peterson is able to turn things around and become one of the leaders in the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) movement as head of Angelic Organics. The screening date for this film is June 30, 2010 at HallwallsContemporaryArtCenter at 341 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo. Doors open at 6:30pm with the film beginning promptly at 7pm.
Dirt! The Movie takes on the unlikely subject of soil. This film tells the story of Earth’s most valuable and underappreciated resource. Through modern industrial pursuits and the clamoring for both profit and natural resources, our human connection to dirt has been disrupted. The film makes the case that drought, climate change, even war all directly related to how we are treating our soils. The only remedy is to reconnect with this precious natural resource. The screening date for this film is July 28, 2010 at HallwallsContemporaryArtCenter at 341 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo. Doors open at 6:30pm with the film beginning promptly at 7pm.
The Food Matters film series concludes with an encore screening of FRESH. As films like Food Inc. and Super Size Me expose the pitfalls and wrong doings of our industrial food system, FRESH goes in the direction of looking at solutions to our ailing food supply by celebrating the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Among several main characters, FRESH features urban farmer and activist, Will Allen, a 2008 MacArthur’s “Genius Award” fellow; sustainable farmer and entrepreneur, Joel Salatin, made famous by Michael Pollan’s book, the Omnivore’s Dilemma; and supermarket owner, David Ball, who is creating a new market model for our family farmers. FRESH’s focus on these inspiring individuals and their initiatives around the US provides the audience with actionable solutions. The screening date for this film is September 30, 2010 at HallwallsContemporaryArtCenter at 341 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo. Doors open at 6:30pm with the film beginning promptly at 7pm.

Each film is approximately 85 minutes in length and will be followed by an audience discussion. Tickets for each film are $8.00 for general admission and $6.00 for Lexington Cooperative Market members, Edible Buffalo subscribers, seniors and students. There is also a series pass available for $20.00 which provides you admission to all four films. Tickets are available at the Lexington Cooperative Market at 807 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo or online at www.ediblebuffalo.com. The net proceeds from the film series will benefit Field & Fork Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting local consumers and food industry professionals with area farmers and artisan food producers.

The ReSource has many customers with fine old homes across the City of Buffalo and its suburbs. A fair number live on Linwood Avenue, just across Main Street from our store. If you don’t know this street, check it out – it’s a continuation of Franklin Street at the south end and runs up to Delavan Avenue at Forest Lawn Cemetery. From end to end, it’s graced with an amazing collection of mostly 19th century houses, some of them mansions, but all quite distinctive and each a little different.

So, I thought I’d pass along this invitation from some Linwood Avenue folks, announcing their Tour of Homes:

The Historic Linwood Preservation District & Friends Association are once again proud to announce the 4th bi-annual 2010 Tour of Homes, Saturday April 25, starting at 12 noon.

All tickets and guidebooks will be available for pickup at Art Dialogue Gallery- 1 Linwood Ave on Tour Day.

This past Saturday, the 27th of March was the annual tradition of Earth Hour.  For the past three years since its inception, at 8:30pm hundreds of millions of people and structures have chosen to turn off their lights in a call for action on climate change by doing something quite simple for one hour. 

Earth Hour was started in 2007, and as each year passes more and more are getting involved on the last saturday during the month of March.  Earth Hour was initially conceived by the World Wildlife Fund, when 2.2 million residents of Sydney participated by turning off all non-essential lights. 

Following Sydney’s lead, many other cities around the world adopted the event in 2008.   Just a few of the many famous structures that have participated have been the Brooklyn Bridge, Eiffel Tower, Las Vegas Strip, Pryamids of Giza, Golden Gate Bridge and most importantly our Niagara Falls.

In 2009, reports show that the United States topped the Earth Hour participation with an estimated 80,000,000 people, 318 cities and 8 states participating.  87 countries among all of the continents were active in this global initiative.  Every year this day is getting bigger and its sure to continue to get larger over the years with all of our help.

Earth Hour 2010 was reportedly the biggest Earth Hour yet, aiming to garner more than the one billion participant goal of 2009′s Earth Hour.  126 countries signed up for Earth Hour 2010.  With everyones contribution, small or large we can go a far way together towards facing climate change.  Its not to early to plan ahead for 2011′s earth hour.

Last night I watched Michael Moore’s Capitalism: A Love Story. I have seen most of his films and I always think there are a ton of though-provoking points that somehow get glossed over or ignored by the movie reviewers and pundits. I heard almost nothing about this movie when it came out, except the usual critics dismissing Moore as a crackpot.  Moore even used a recent incident in Buffalo to drive home one of his examples of capitalism’s failures that resulted in tragedy. But Moore made me aware of something that I never learned in school. You may be saying, “Big surprise, you missed something in school–textbooks are notorious for sanitizing or omitting or altering facts in history” True, but I took all my History and Civics classes seriously and even took AP Government and AP US History and no one ever mentioned anything to me about the 2nd Bill of Rights. Most of us remember the tenets of our first Bill of Rights, namely, “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” but this other suggested set were completely new to me.
Since my involvement in the nonprofit world, I have come to know about them through networking with other nonprofit groups and learning the ways in which our missions overlap, especially in the areas of social justice (CEJ & PUSH & PPG), but no one has ever specifically mentioned them in context of a Bill of Rights.

I remember very little about FDR. I remember that he was our longest running president, he died in office and he created jobs for artists and others in a time where no jobs existed, he got through the Great Depression.  In that historical context, FDR drafting another set of rights–an Economic Bill of Rights made perfect sense.  Here they are:

• The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;
• The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;
• The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;
• The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;
• The right of every family to a decent home;
• The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;
• The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;
• The right to a good education.

Wow.  These seem so simple, why do they sound so revolutionary?  Don’t these seem like rights we already believe we are entitled to? and this was six decades ago.  If our government did actually work toward securing these basic rights for citizens–how different would our nation be?  Roosevelt drafted these to ensure equality in our individual pursuits of happiness–because people who are desperately trying to survive–are not truly free.