The skinny on a month off grid eating locally in Quebec

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:26:00 GMT

Ten Revelations from Living Off the Grid and Eating Locally in Quebec If you EVER try going off grid completely and eating strictly locally here are our 10 beat do's & don'ts. Don'ts Don't try to carry more than one bottle of wine per panier on your bike (La Route des VIins) , unless of course you live in Saskatchewan. Don't be in a rush: making fundamental life changes takes time and so does making fires and slow cooking. Don't expect clean clothes unless you can find a washboard or a hand/pedal-operated washing machine. Don't expect uninterrupted internet access unless your solar panel is better than ours! Don't worry about your waistline; you are sure to lose weight whether you need to or not. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Off the Grid & Eating Locally - What's It All About?

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:45:00 GMT

Both Deane and Don expected that it would have been harder to do, both the off-grid experience and the local eating. We learned that food is available if you look around you and the internet is a big help in the research. In Sherbrooke there is the Marche de Solidarite promoted by Les Amies de la Terre de l'Estrie (Les Amies de la Terre) You order on-line and then pick up local produce and products at a spot on King Street. A similar set-up, Les Amies de la Terre du Voisinage de Waterloo, is being developed in Waterloo, Quebec (atvwaterloo.com). With a little creativity (sometimes a lot!), foods that are currently available can be made interesting in different forms. For example, once strawberries were ripe we ate them raw with yoghurt, with granola, in oatmeal with rhubarb, with pancakes, cooked in an up-side down cake on the top of the wood stove and finally mashed with mint for a refreshing tea! ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Off-Grid Living Means Solar-Powered Blogging, Even With a Lack of Sunshine

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:48:00 GMT

Prepping for off-grid, locavore living Prior to the month of June, we had some preparations to make before we moved our home off the grid and became locavores. A hose was attached to the pond and brought downhill to the house. A small "room heater" wood stove with a precarious home-made chimney was erected near the house. A solar panel and back-up battery was ordered and on the way. The fridge was emptied; we ate the contents or gave them to friends.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

How Hard Is It to Go Off the Grid and Eat Locally in Quebec?

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:41:11 GMT

This is the first post in an occasional series by Deane Brebner and Don Bissonnette, who will be guest blogging about living of the grid. The Challenge During a lull in the conversation on a road trip, Don suggested to Deane that we go off the grid for a month. A long silence ensued and then Deane said, "That's not hard enough. We should also eat locally." The challenge was taken up and the month of June chosen to begin. June is not the best month for the vegetables grown in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, but a summer birth and fall wedding limited our choices. As preparation during the winter we read The 100 Mile Diet, by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon, The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, by Barbara Kingsolver. The Rules No electricity (no use of electrical appliances, hot water, lights etc.), no propane (no bar-b-q), no gas (so, no car, no tractor, no lawn mower). No foods to be eaten other than those grown in a hundred kilometer radius (so, no salt or spices, no tea or coffee).... Read the full story on TreeHugger

TH Welcomes Deane Brebner and Don Bissonnette

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 14:10:59 GMT

Deane is a retired psychology professor at Champlain Regional College, Lennoxville, Quebec. She is the mother of four: her eldest son is the founder of TH, Graham Hill. Don is a retired Quebec Court judge and the father of two. Together they have five grandchildren with another due in August and enjoy spending time with them whenever they can. Deane and Don's passions include back-country skiing, biking, canoeing, camping, hiking or whatever else keeps them outside. Don also makes maple syrup and plays with his tractors. Deane is an avid quilter. They live on 85 acres in Sutton, Quebec, plenty of land to cut their own wood for heat and grow a lot of their own vegetables. In an effort to reduce their carbon imprint they have owned a Prius for the last four years, upgraded their wood stove to reduce emissions and they are currently looking into solar/wind generation.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Recent Posts by TreeHugger's Deane Brebner and Don Bissonnette, Sutton, Quebec

The skinny on a month off grid eating locally in Quebec

Off the Grid & Eating Locally - What's It All About?

Off-Grid Living Means Solar-Powered Blogging, Even With a Lack of Sunshine

How Hard Is It to Go Off the Grid and Eat Locally in Quebec?

TH Welcomes Deane Brebner and Don Bissonnette