LAGOM - September 2024
Onion risotto, a list of microfarms proving big is not always better, how much clothing is really being landfilled, plus some clean skincare favourites.
Hello, hello!
In this (late) September missive, we are discussing alternatives to big business with new figures and insights detailing irresponsible clothing production and sharing the micro-farms proving that corporate farming is not the only viable solution to feeding everyone. We also have a new risotto recipe that’s super easy, and delicious, featuring few ingredients, alongside some clean skin care curation, also discussing how some science-vulgarisation influencers are now manipulating their followers into synthetic chemical acceptance.
This month, we know many of you will be feeling the pull, but accepting some stillness finds us again rooting in our long-term goals and aspirations. Sometimes, this space [email, the Internet more broadly] gets filled with fluff. We’re leaning into how our skills can manifest change in the world. Our platform has always been where we can share ideas for living healthier, for our personal ecosystems and the ones we inhabit.
We heard that many of you want more meal ideas tips to improve your personal health, and so we will be sharing more regular updates on Instagram and Substack Notes, what we are cooking, eating, the foods that heal and ideas for maximising our diets, hydrating, and the habits we are committed to. If you have burning questions, our Substack and inbox hotline is always welcome.
Creamy onion risotto
This risotto was really what felt like the first real meal Tracey made in her new home once all the between moving boxes were removed, and all her things were in their new spots. And ever since she has been making this recipe on repeat, her boyfriend loves it. To keep this risotto dish vegan, Trace used oat cream and vegan parmesan. These ingredients add a tonne of flavour and richness to the risotto without the dairy. And not part of the recipe, but always at the table, a huge green salad drizzled with flaxseed oil and a big squeeze of lemon really open it up. A perfect dinner.
Micro-farms can feed people
We co-wrote this article on micro urban farm Organic Market Auckland (OMG), including comments from his then-lead farmer, Levi Brinsdon Hall, in 2021. Much has changed since; OMG has grown, and Levi left. However, three years after, following the closure announcement of For The Love of Bees, the not-for-profit trust behind OMG, Levi is back on board to manage the garden, which will continue to live through his organisation Delicious Revolution. It felt like an apt time to refresh our piece and share the places and work of the people in Aotearoa, New Zealand and worldwide, who are literally planting the seeds of the future of food, demonstrating that agroecology and permaculture farming is a tangible solution to secure and produce pesticide-free, nutrient-dense, resilient food for all, in and outside cities—a realistic alternative to the mono-crops, corporate farming that is poisoning people and the land.
You wear clothes so you need to read this
It is wild how much unworn, unsold clothing is landfilled and that there are tax incentives to do this. This article shares Trace’s work experience, some recent research, and figures reaffirming that trying to keep things out of landfills—and actually not producing (and consuming) these things in the first place is the only viable solution to addressing textile waste. Of course, alongside an Extended Producer Responsibility scheme. The piece takes a deep dive into hyper-consumerism, how mass production ruined clothing for most of us, why op-shops are full of trash (so much that councils are paying tens of thousands of dollars to landfill it) and how social media resellers ruined shopping second hand. I hope this article will leave you asking questions.
Amandine’s clean skincare must-haves
This evergreen piece is a curation of clean beauty skincare products that Amandine has re-purchased over the years and will be helpful for anyone with a similar skin type but also those feeling lost in an ocean of offerings or looking for clean beauty skincare brands and useful grooming tools in general. The article also includes a personal reflection on the difficulty of navigating the clean-beauty claims and counter-claims in favour of synthetic chemicals in skincare that are currently quite popular online.
Amandine's edit
I like finding silly things on the internet that teach me something, like this little website Is my blue your blue? confirming that we don't all see colours the same way. Try it, send it to your friends and compare the results.
Our built environment and urban systems impact culture, habits or mindset much more than we could think of. In What Adults Lost When Kids Stopped Playing In The Street, published in The Atlantic, author Stephanie H. Murray goes over the negative impacts of car domination in our cities, which impacted children's behaviour and ultimately adult's, resulting in significant loss of community building—food for thoughts for the car obsessed.
Some men in suits are sacking our beautiful planet, still, humanity barely knows all the wonders she shelters. A late example to date is these new species discovered in the Bounty Trough, an underwater geological formation off the coast of Aotearoa, New Zealand's South Island. This world is amazing, and I still haven't grasped why protecting it isn't a political priority.
Trace's edit
Where recycling makes so much sense. I have a glass fridge container that I use for my butter, but now I have seen the Oli box, and I want Ferm Living’s Oli Box! Made from 100% recycled glass, this multifunctional container is both practical and aesthetically pleasing. Available from Ferm Living and your regional retailer.
I have not used a face mask in months, but the GLEAMIN 10-Minute Vitamin C Clay Mask is my next purchase. Vitamin C is a hard-working active, and GLEAMIN is saying, ‘clearer, brighter skin or your money back’. Here, they’ve combined kakadu plum, finger lime caviar and dessert lime—all abundant in Vitamin C with aloe, clay and turmeric root—an ancient healer to fade hyperpigmentation, even skin tone, detoxify and prevent future breakouts. Fast shipping is available worldwide. Added to cart.
If you are not super committed to your serums and looking to try new things, here’s a potential candidate. DARL’ Serum is formulated with a trio of supportive prebiotics working to re-establish and fortify your microbiome. Niacinamide, Aloe and Hyaluronic acid plump and protect against environmental hyperpigmentation while seaweed extracts aids in skin regeneration and hydration. And they are making environmental efforts, exploring water conservation, referred to as water-ethical products which are also more compact, requiring less packaging, lower carbon costs to transport. They also work alongside Re Purpose to fund the recovery of twice as much nature-bound plastic waste. All DARL’ products are vegan, cruelty-free, palm oil-free, water-free, and ethically made in Australia.
Thoughts, questions, you can always direct reply to these emails. We look forward to hearing from you!
Tracey Creed & Amandine Paniagua