THE VEGAN NEWS
THE VEGAN NEWS
The Vegan News is written and edited by P M Lloyd. Please e-mail your contributions to the editor at: paulinelloyd1@btinternet.com or fill in the form provided.
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Winter RecipesCompletely sugar-free, these carob balls would make a nice Christmas present. Place them in a pretty box if you have one. Keep refrigerated. Nomi says that her balls will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks, but mine are usually eaten within four days so I am not able to confirm this!
Pineapple Le Beau makes an interesting alternative to a traditional Christmas cake. It is made from natural ingredients and does not contain any added fat or sugar. A further advantage is that it does not need to be cooked! Other raw cakes that would be nice at Christmas include: Carob and Apple Cake and Mark Anthony Carrot Cake. But if you prefer a more traditional cake, then try out my vegan Christmas Cake recipe.
Winter Product ReviewLush make a wide range of cosmetic products based on ingredients such as fruit, fresh fruit juice, vegetables, cold-pressed organic oils, wheatgrass, seaweed and flower petals. Lush products are handmade and they are tested on humans, not on animals. All Lush products are suitable for vegetarians and a high proportion of Lush products are suitable for vegans. In addition, Lush use smaller quantities of preservatives in their products than many other cosmetic companies.
I tested out the following
Lush products, which are all suitable for vegans:
A 200g Florabundance bath ballistic costs £1.95. At the time of writing all of the bath ballistics listed in Lush Times were suitable for vegans and containing glitter, spices, seaweed or flower petals, they certainly liven up bath time!
Lush products can be ordered online worldwide. They can also be purchased by mail order, or from a Lush shop. Lush shops are located all over the world, so it is likely that you have a branch near you. You can find out where your nearest branch is at the Lush website. (Follow the shops link on the home page.) Do visit a Lush shop, if you get the chance. You won't be disappointed: most Lush products look good enough to eat and the smell inside a Lush shop is heavenly! To find out more about Lush products, pick up a copy of Lush Times while you're in the shop.
What's Happening in the Veganic Garden this Winter?If you would like more detailed information on what to plant in your garden this season, then please consult an appropriate back issue of Vegan News.
Looking for Unusual Christmas Gifts?
Organisation Review
Vegan organics is a system of cultivation that
avoids the use of artificial chemicals and sprays, livestock manures
and slaughterhouse products. Fertility is maintained sustainably
by means of vegetable composts and green manures and by using techniques
such as crop rotation and mulching.
The Vegan Organic Trust produces the following publications:
If you would like to support the Vegan Organic
Trust's work by joining the Vegan Organic Network, then please
contact:
Sue Fox, Membership Secretary, 30 Helvellyn Road,
Wigan, Lancs WN5 9RU. Tel: 01942 214660 or email: nicsuefox@btopenworld.com.
Membership currently costs: £12 Individual/Joint
£16.00/Overseas (in sterling please) £15.00.
The Vegan Organic Trust have
their own web site where it is possible to view a selection of
articles from the magazine and to find out more about this organisation.
There is also a vegan organic forum, allowing members to exchange
ideas.
Demonstration Centre AppealThe Vegan Organic Trust is a registered charity. Number 1080847.
In the Compost Heap
Vegetable compost is a natural fertiliser, containing all the nutrients that plants need. It is easy to make and its goodness revitalises the soil. Many different materials can be composted including grass cuttings, torn up newspapers, fruit and vegetable peelings, pea, bean and sunflower haulms, tea leaves/coffee grounds, hay and straw, young weeds, clean sawdust, cardboard (including empty loo roll tubes), leaves, human hair and even the contents of your vacumn bag! Local councils often supply composters and many offer free advice on the subject to help you get started. As well as gaining an excellent garden fertiliser at minimal cost, by composting your household and garden wastes you will also be helping to reduce the pressure on our rapidly filling landfill sites and to reduce the amount of waste material that needs to be transported about.
Right, you have obtained a composter, added your waste materials and replaced the lid. Soon your composter should be filled with a nice, friable, clean-smelling substance that resembles soil. But have you ever wondered how this happens? How all those bits of cardboard, grass cuttings and carrot peelings are magically transformed into this great, free resource known as compost? Well inside your compost bin there are many small, hard-working creatures who spend their days dragging materials around, chewing and grinding them and tearing them up into smaller pieces. Allow me introduce you to some of the workers! First of all there are the ants. Ants help to move materials around inside the compost heap, so that the compost doesn't need so much tossing. If you have ants living in your compost heap this usually indicates that it is too dry. Ants don't like water, so water your compost well the day before you want to use it and the ants should leave.
Earthworms also live in composters and in mature compost you often find masses of small, red worms with yellow bands. These are known as tiger worms or brandlings (Eisenia foetida). They feed on vegetable remains, converting them into worm casts, which are high in humus and have a fine crumbly texture. Wormcasts are a good souce of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Look out for flat worms (platyhelminthes) too. These usually live on the edge of the compost heap and it is thought that their slime may help in the decomposition of vegetation. Woodlice (slaters) also play their part in the breakdown of vegetable matter by working over the yeasts and fungi. Their presence indicates that the moisture content of your heap is just right. So if you have plenty of woodlice in your heap, then well done!
You will probably also get plenty
of slugs living in your composter. 
Although much maligned, slugs are vital to the composting
process and should be treated with respect! Their rows of sharp
teeth, or radulae, rasp away at the vegetable materials and cardboard
in your composter, breaking down the cellulose. The large leopard
slug is especially useful in the heap, eating well wilted material,
dead vegetation and paper and other types of slugs eat fungi and decaying
leaves. Mice sometimes take up residence in composters too, but their
presence usually indicates that the heap is too cold. Try adding more
grass cuttings in order to produce more heat and they should go elsewhere
to live. Other decomposing organisms to look out for in your compost
heap include mites, centipedes, millipedes, springtails, beetles and
various flies. It is not uncommon for fruit flies to take up residence
in composters. I can only recommend that if you do get fruit flies living
in your composter that you stand well back when you take off the lid in
order to avoid getting clouds of them in your hair! All of these creatures
work well together in a team, breaking down the compost into smaller pieces
so that the micro-organisms - the bacteria and fungi - have a large surface
area on which to do their work.
There are three main types of bacteria, which live in compost heaps. Firstly, there are the psychrophiles - these work at temperatures below 15 degrees C. Then as the heap heats up to between 15 and 40 degrees C they die off and the mesophiles take over. Finally as temperatures go over 40 degrees, the thermophiles are left to do all the work. Bacteria use their enzymes to digest the organic materials, releasing heat, carbon dioxide and ammonia in the process. Anaerobic bacteria will be present in the heap if there is no air and these also heat up the heap. They form sulphur compounds that smell like rotten eggs.
The characteristic earthy smell, present in well-made compost, is produced by actinomycetes bacteria. Actinomycetes bacteria look like cobwebby fibres in the heap and produce antibiotics that inhibit bacterial growth. Finally in the last stages of decomposition, the fungi take over from the bacteria. The fungi look like white threads in the compost and play a vital role in the break down of plant residues. Certain toadstools and mushrooms also live in compost heaps.
Other Interesting WebsitesAn excellent site and a particularly good source of information for the those who are new to veganism, or anyone who is thinking of going vegan. You can now also shop or become a member online.
Meet Olga and Amy, two women who grow their own vegan organic vegetables and herbs on this five acre farm. Be sure to read about the work of the Center for Vegan Organic Education. This site also has sections on community supported agriculture, vegan organic farming methods and you can also make an online donation to support their work.
This is an interesting and useful site, full of information on animal ingredients and ingredients that may be derived from animals. Check it out if you are trying to locate whether an ingredient is vegan or not. There is also a nice section on the nutrients vegans need and some helpful information on alcoholic beverages. Could do without the irritating pop-up windows though!
All Natural Health and Beauty produces organic/wildcrafted nutritional supplements and herbal preparations. Their products are produced without any chemical/ animal/petroleum/synthetic by-products. Check out the health and beauty articles here too.
Living Tree Community Foods sells mainly organic living foods, including almond butter, various nuts and dried fruits and olive oil. There's also a raw recipe section and you can meet the growers.
A web site covering many aspects of composting, including home composting, worm composting and composting toilets. Don't miss the Composter's Forum, an interactive bulletin board with lively discussions on composting and don't forget to check out poetry corner!
Price £19.99.
ISBN 0-85532-983-1.
I was most impressed with this book on wildlife
gardening. The colour photos are superb and the text is clearly
written and inspiring. Incidentally, you don't necessarily need
a large garden to take part in wildlife conservation - a mere window
box or container can be attractive to wildlife, provided it is planted
up carefully. A woodland habitat in a container? This sounds incredible
I know, but Josie Briggs reveals exactly how this can be done. And
why stop there? In containers next to your woodland (complete, of course,
with its woodland flowers) you could have a pond, a marsh, a flowery
meadow and a seaside habitat. And all of these wildlife habitats could
fit onto your patio, or balcony, if you don't have a garden. However,
I must emphasise that this book isn't just for the container gardener,
anyone who is interested in creating wildlife habitats on a small
scale would find it invaluable. Covering woodland, wetland, grassland
and rockland habitats, it also contains garden plans, lists of wildlife
plants, advice on which containers and compost to use, a glossary, a
further reading list and a list of useful addresses. If you would like
to order a copy of this book, then it's available from Eco-Logic
Books who also stock many other books on
the subject of wildlife and sustainable gardening. Ring them on 01225
484472 for a free catalogue or to place your order.
This book can also be purchased from the Natural
Collection by ringing 0870 331 3333. Price £12.95.
ISBN 1-86108-188-X.
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Copyright © Pauline Lloyd 2002/2003
Winter Book Reviews
If you are thinking of creating
a new woodland or hedgerow, then it is well worth consulting
a copy of this book before you start planting. Beautifully illustrated
and a pleasure to read, this book contains many useful hints to help
you with the planning and planting of your woodland area. It's a complete
guide to our native woodland species, offering advice on their propagation
from seed and giving some indication of their expected final size,
as well as many other interesting snippets of information about each
species. There's also an interesting chapter on the forest floor, which
provides a glimpse of the many attractive native woodland plants and
the kinds of mosses, lichens and fungi that will thrive in woodland conditions.
So if you are too impatient to wait for your woodland floor to be colonised
naturally, you will know exactly what to plant beneath your trees! A
list of tree organisations and suppliers is given at the back of the
book.