Wednesday, January 26, 2011

DIY Snow Tires for Your Bike

Photo Caption: Studded snow tires cost upwards of $65 apiece!


Winter 2011 in St. Louis is less than halfway over and it's already been the snowiest winter on record. Ok, that's a lie, but it sure as hail feels like it. Even the hardiest all-weather cyclists seem to take snow days or even snow weeks from cycling due to the snow- and ice-covered roads. Thanks to the DIY ethic of hipster cyclists, we are proud to bring you a low-cost solution to transform your bike into a snow machine.

The folks at the Dutch Bike Company blogged about how they transformed their bikes into all-weather monsters with nothing but a package of zip ties, a pair of scissors, and a beer (optional).


Photo Credit: Dutch Bike Company


Aside from the great how-to photos on their blog, my favorite part of the post was the authors admission that he didn't invent the technique:

It pains me to admit this not because my ego suffers, but because the zip-tie-DIY-bicycle-snow-chains idea appears to have originated with my favorite bicycle industry whipping boy: fixed gear hipster culture. Several years ago, I'm sure, some bright child with extremely tight pants and an asymmetrical haircut had a genius-caliber idea, and I hate that it wasn't me. So here it is: Fixed gear street bike hipster guys, I'm sorry for the things I've said over the years. It's not true that the only drink you like is 4Loko. It's also not true that you're not allowed to wear shoes that don't match your bikes. You can wear whatever you want. And finally, you
have come up with a good idea besides brightly colored deep-section rims.

Check out the full post and photos here:
http://www.dutchbikeco.com/_blog/Dutch_Bike_Co_Weblog/post/Seattle_Snowpocalypse/

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Another Reason to Eat Fresh Foods

Photo Caption: Meat or not meat -- THAT is the question. Photo from Gizmodo


According to the folks at Gizmodo, Taco Bell's "beef" taco filling is actually only 36% beef. The remaining 64% is not beef or anything even remotely related to a cow. Taco Bell's website refers to this 36% beef product as "seasoned ground beef". When barely a third of the substance is beef, wouldn't it be more accurate to describe it as "beef flavored seasoning"?

This realization is thanks to a class action lawsuit against Taco Bell by an Alabama law firm.

Read more on Gizmodo's website, including the suggestion that USDA rules may not even allow Taco Bell's taco filling to be referred to as "meat":

http://gizmodo.com/5742413/this-is-what-really-hides-in-taco-bells-beef

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Missouri Farm to School Workshops Announced

Learn how to connect your schools to healthy, fresh and local foods.


The Missouri Farm to Institution Project is pleased to announce that registration is now open for four Farm to School workshops. Please join us to help build the Farm to School movement in Missouri. The dates and locations are listed below:

Friday, January 21

Truman State University, Kirksville, MO (Snow date: January 28)
8:30 am to 4:00 pm (Registration opens at 8:00 am)

Wednesday, February 16
St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO
8:30 am to 4:00 pm (Registration opens at 8:00 am)

Wednesday, March 2

This workshop will be broadcast to TeleCenters in Maryville, Trenton (tentative), Independence, Columbia, Salem, and Poplar Bluff. Addresses to be provided upon registration.
8:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Wednesday, March 30

Springfield-Greene Co. Botanical Center, Nathaniel Greene-Close Memorial Parks, 2400 South Scenic, Springfield, MO
8:30 am to 4:00 pm (Registration opens at 8:00 am)

All workshops will follow a similar format and feature presentations in the morning by farmers, distributors, food service directors, and others who are making farm to school happen. The afternoon will include breakout sessions geared toward either farmers or school food services to provide more in-depth information about starting and sustaining farm to school programs.

Workshops are free and lunch is included. Registration is required. Contact Stacy Colley at 573-882-5114 or ColleyS@missouri.edu to register for a workshop. Please indicate the location that you will be attending, whether you will be in the Farmer or School Food Service afternoon breakout session, and if you have a dietary/meal consideration.

For more information, email Bill McKelvey: mckelveywa@umsystem.edu