More than 150 San Antonians raised money for the San Antonio Public Library Foundation (SAPFL) by trekking through more than a dozen countries … all in one evening.

There's no denying that home gardens are popular right now. Seed sales are up... make that waaay up right now... as spring meets the recession.

At the same time, there's rising interest in community gardens, especially in urban areas. San Antonio is no exception, and the San Antonio Food Bank created a new, five-acre garden last fall designed to both feed the poor and teach residents how to cultivate their own food. With the help of generous sponsors and donors, the food bank hopes to see the garden flourish.

Let’s talk rainfall. It’s on many people’s minds these days, what with the drought that has hit parts of the state hard. We modern creatures get seduced by the ease of turning on a tap into thinking that water is cheap and unlimited. But we here in the Great State ought to know better than that. It hasn’t been all that long since our ancestors hauled water, bucket by bucket, from the river up the hill to the house. Those people probably didn’t take it for granted.

This short video (9 minutes) from Send A Cow demonstrates how to construct a keyhole garden. Given our ongoing drought, the concept may have some applications here in Central Texas. 

By  Angela Thiel, Guest Blogger

How many of you helped your parents, grandparents or elderly neighbor in the garden as a child?  My first summer job, I was 10 years old. It was a brisk walk up the hill from our home, reach the top, and turn left a quarter mile down an old dirt road, crossing a bridge with two ponds on either side covered in water lilies, bullfrogs and snakes. I always hesitated when crossing that bridge; the bridge was in need of a diamond-shaped sign with a stark yellow background featuring a slithering silhouette of a serpent accompanied by one word: RUN. My reluctance in crossing could not be entertained, for there was an elderly no-nonsense woman waiting for me on the other side of the bridge. I hurried on for the last segment of my journey ignoring the magnificent gardenias or grand oaks as not to be scolded for my tardiness.  

By Becky Lane, Guest Blogger

One of my greatest delights since moving to the Texas Hill Country has been discovering the local food scene.  I’ve been a woman on a mission, seeking out every restaurant claiming to have a seasonal menu featuring local ingredients.  I’ve visited wineries, olive growers, cheese- and tamale-makers, and I’ve alternated between farmers’ markets in Austin, Blanco, Wimberley and San Marcos.  It has been glorious!  My only concern has been the amount of fuel I’ve burned in the process.  Then came The Bountiful Sprout.

By Pamela Price

This jar is a garage sale find. It's not exactly Limoges, but it held ample lemonade to satisfy thirsty neighbor kids at a couple of block parties last summer.

Garage sales, thrifts shops and consignment stores are popular again. No surprise given the economic downturn, I guess. Much as our forebears opted to reduce waste through salvage and what we now call "adaptive reuse," my friends are recycling more than just cans and newspapers these days.

By Pamela Price

With my maternal grandparents having passed away before I turned 4, my mother helped me forge a deeply rewarding relationship with an older couple, Bert and Frances Jamison, who were long-term friends of Mom's family. Although I called them "uncle" and "aunt", they functioned as surrogate grandparents. And they were wonderful human beings who helped instill in me a deep and abiding appreciation for farm life, determination, good food and a great story. Oh, and it's thanks to them that I keep an eager eye out for roadside fruit stands and mom-and-pop bakeries.

By Pamela Price

It's a few days before Christmas, and I've fallen off the sustainable food system bandwagon.

Most of 2008, I spent heaps of time considering how to feed my family well by focusing on foods grown in a 500-mile radius. Why? Because I believe that local food is fresher and more nutritious. We even have a small victory garden out back that, thanks to the fact that I blog about it regularly, has generated a smattering of regional and national press interest.

But when the holidays roll in, I invariably find myself lured by the pretty promises--and artful photos--made on the lemon bar box or a package of hot chocolate. 

This year, I fell for both. And a packet of marshmallows. Ouch.

By Pamela Price

Whether you've got a pack of your own or are expecting pint-sized visitors for the holidays, keeping kids busy is a great way to keep them out of trouble--and away from your china cabinet. Plus, you needn't spend a bundle to get them started with simple projects like these.