People assume things about others and their lifestyles all the time. One common assumption might be that those who have barns, live off the land and raise animals tend to shun technology. Another one might be that those who have their iPods attached to their hands at all times wouldn't even consider stepping foot in

From foodinjars.comMarisa McClellan, Grid contributor and food blogger extraordinaire, scored a starring roll in a recent Los Angeles Times story on the canning renaissance: Canning is having a moment. So is pickling, preserving, jam making and all around “putting up,” as they used to say — and now do once more — of the season’s

These turned deep purple when braised with wine, onions and garlic. Embrace the slime!Headhouse Farmers’ Market was simply stunning yesterday. There were funky peppers, eclectic squash and quirky eggplants as far as the eye could see. And then there were the tomatoes—little ones, big ones, stripey ones and gnarly ones. (I sometimes lament the fact

Casey Spacht of Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-opLancaster gets some serious love as a foodie destination in this month’s Bon Appetit. The City Paper has the full scoop over at Meal Ticket where Adam Erace also offers his own thoughts: For a long time, the Lancaster I knew was the Lancaster of outlet shopping and praise-the-lawd

Fred R. Conrad/The New York TimesOctober’s Grid will be choc full of local, sustainable fashion. To wet your whistle, here’s a story from yesterday’s New York Times Sunday Styles section on the rise of zero waste design: Zero-waste design strives to create clothing patterns that leave not so much as a scrap of fabric on

Jodi Hilton for The New York TimesYesterday, the New York Times published a story detailing an innovative pilot program designed to reduce obesity and improve health of low-income Boston residents: Doctors at three health centers in Massachusetts have begun advising patients to eat “prescription produce” from local farmers’ markets, in an effort to fight obesity in children of

A few bits of good news from the folks at Philly Brownstoner: -More renderings of the Race Street Pier, something PB has no trouble calling “The Most Exciting Public Space Project in The City of Philadelphia.” -Meanwhile, bike lane mania in West Philly.

Kirk Irwin for The New York TimesThere has been some small but significant progress made in the effort to rein in the worst impulses of factory-farmed livestock. Ohio farmers recently reached an agreement with animal rights activists to change the way they raise chickens, veal and pork. From the New York Times: Hoping to avoid

About 2 1/2 years ago I went hiking for the first time in my life. My girlfriend—an avid hiker—got me climbing little cliffs and trekking ten miles through the Wissahickon. I'll admit to wearing long pants and sleeves. There are myths you hear about the outdoors. Bugs. Poisonous plants. More bugs. It's enough to make any

Grid contributor Julie Lorch (of “Along for the Ride” fame) is hard at work drafting a new guidebook on cycling in Philadelphia called…wait for it…Where to Bike Philadelphia. The guide is the latest installment in an international series published by an Australian company. Before publication, the Where to Bike team is hosting a photo contest: