Creativity Lab Report #4: Mother Earth, heritage grains and banana peel
We start this Creativity Lab email with a slight modification. To avoid limiting ourselves to a calendar, we'll start identifying each issue with a number instead of a date. So welcome to our Creativity Lab Report Number 4 created exclusively for all of you, our super awesome lab members!
Earth Day every day!
It is official! We partnered with One Tree Planted and Bullfrog Power to offset some of our carbon footprint. We will plant ten trees for every hour of photography billed and one tree for every product sold through our website. We are also investing in the growth of renewable energy in Canada while we keep learning and dreaming about one day moving into a property where we can design a more sustainable studio for ourselves–to grow our own food, manage our water and power our lights with the power of the sun.
“Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.” – James Baldwin
Hamaka Sessions #4: Avani
We had another birthday to celebrate, so this session is all about Carl! His journey started as a classical musician, then moved into electronic music, and he is currently doing sound design. We're very proud of everything he has accomplished so far and are keen to see what the future holds for his career!
Our latest playlist covers his early days in the Drum n' Bass scene and combines some of his old-and-new favourite tunes, including one of his own!
Hamaka News
We took a little 4-week break from the cookbook because we had some client projects to focus on, with some of our favourite people: Heeman’s, Garlics of London, The Really Nice Sauce and Pulp and Press. And Shauna had a virtual race to organize! If any of you ran the Forest City Road Races this year, you probably know she was your race director! :)
However, we managed to cover some ground and finished planning the food and prop styling for the entire book! We made drafts for each recipe and chose which props we’ll use.
Book(s)
1. Pasta, pizza, bread, crackers, pies, pastries, doughnuts, cakes, beer, baked goods, cereal, you name it. There are endless things made with wheat that we consume daily. But how much do we actually know about the industry, history and different seeds? Grain by Grain explores the renaissance of Kings Tut’s Wheat, also know as Kamut, and shares the story of how Bob Quinn managed to bring back an ancient wheat and turn it into a multimillion dollar organic-only heirloom grain company.
2. We also recommend Locavore by Sara Elton, which beautifully lays down general topics of concern within the food industry. “Locavore describes how foodies,100-milers, urbanites, farmers, gardeners and chefs across Canada are creating a new local food order that has the potential to fight climate change and feed us all.”
There is a 7-min video by TED that talks about the farms of the future: Can we create the "perfect" farm? - Brent Loken
3. It feels nice when big mainstream companies use their resources to spread positive messages. Ikea just released a free Scraps Cookbook that includes recipes to reduce food waste at home.
Our first recipe to try was a version of their watermelon rim jam. We added cardamom, spices and chia and left the apples out this time. We were surprised about how many things can be done with banana peels, so we will certainly try making those at home this weekend! You can always send us an email to share your cooking adventures with us! :)
Local Biz: Loco Fields
We used to be obsessed with Loco Fields' microgreens, sunchokes, root veggies and fresh produce while they had their booth at the Western Fair Market. It took us a while, but we finally tried their Loco Deliveries service to continue enjoying their produce now from the farm straight to our door! We must say that they grow some of the most beautiful and tasty produce we've ever seen and tried!
“It’s fun to try”
It's impossible to lead a totally ethical life—but it's fun to try. Depending on how much time you dedicate to reflect on your decisions, you may find yourself overwhelmed with simple dilemmas that can become complex ethical conundrums, like what to wear, where to live, how to run your business or what to eat.
We're lucky to have the opportunity to consider the effects of our actions on others and do the right thing when we can. It doesn't mean we have to feel guilty about failing to live a perfectly ethical life. "The best way to live an ethical life isn't to find all the answers but to be willing to wrestle with difficult questions."
In the face of climate change, "we need not only responsible consumption but significantly reduced consumption." And, like Anne-Marie Bonneau once said: "We don't need a handful of people doing Zero Waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly." So do what you can, when you can, and feel good about it!
Quote
“We must be a beacon of hope, because if you tell people there's nothing they can do, they will do worse than nothing.” – Margaret Atwood
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