Rosemary Hill Farm Market has been around for two years. They're trying something slightly new as of this weekend, with a focus on family and food. They're also moving the market to Friday evenings in order to accommodate this.

Rosemary Hill is just that, a hill on a stretch of gorgeous organic farmland only 10 minutes outside Pretoria, or 45 minutes from Sandton (considering it takes at least that to get across Jo'burg, it isn't far).

The farm has been organic since 1978 and grows African potato, sutherlandia, rosemary, lavender, artemisia, lippia, spearmint, eucalyptus and other plants from which they distill essential oils. They have a herd of Nguni cattle and grow other crops like pecan nuts, as well as vegetables. Next door to them is the Max Stibbe Waldorf School.

As part of the HumanEarth exhibition showing at Wessel Snyman Creative, the group of young artists is putting on a performance art event on Thursday evening, 20 January, from 6pm.

The theme is human interaction with nature, the ways that we either harm or help the natural environment, and the exhibition as well as the event is aimed at promoting and initiating conversation and dialogue around this.

What you can expect to see:

6pm - see painters Thabiso Phepeng and Atang Tshikare in action

6.30pm - experience Danny Shorkend's work in sound, motion and action and find out how your futurre entertwines with that of the planet, with Janet Ranson's environmental art tarot cards

7pm - join for Land Art and poetry in an urban setting with Janet Botes

WHEN: Thursday 20 January
WHERE: Wessel Snyman Creative, 17 Bree Street, Cape Town

Pic: funny-for-funny.blogspot.comFeasting and drinking has become symbolic of family gatherings at Christmas time. Bonds with family and friends are strengthened at this time of year. Or so the story goes... the planning and cooking of the meal can often be a source of huge stress and a time of family feuds too!

This year we are aiming for casual dining at home on Christmas Eve where everyone gets involved in the preparation of the meal.

The most important element when choosing your Christmas meal is to know where your food comes from. Support local, organic food. When it comes to deciding between an imported organic item, and its local non-organic counterpart it's an individual choice - each of us needs to weigh up the health benefits versus the cost to the environment.

Boar's head or nut bake? Or something in between?

Green your gifts
Not done your Christmas shopping yet? Or want to direct some merry gift-givers to your wishlist of green Christmas goodies. In part 2 of our Green your Christmas guide we take a look at some green gift ideas for greenies with a special interest.

DIY / GIY Enthusiast
Know that someone special who likes a project? Your Green-it-yourself enthusiast will leap at the opportunity to lower their eco-footprint themselves.
Geyser blankets and pipe insulation, CFL's, LED downlighters, low-flow showerheads & tap aerators would fill the stocking of the greenie comfortable with a shifting spanner. See the eco building and homes section of our directory for more details.

Low cost option? Gift a used tyre with instructions to turn it into a mini garden pond.
High end? Solar Photovoltaic (PV) panel and batteries. Or a home-sized wind turbine.

Eco Fashionista
Hemp is still eco-chic and a more sustainable natural fibre than cotton as it requires no pesticides, herbicides and little fertiliser. Organic cotton is becoming

Petrina Roberts gives an account of the conference in Turin:

As a result of our work in South Africa supporting local food gardens in Khayelitsha, Mfuleni and the Eastern Cape, I was invited to attend the recent Terra Madre Conference in Italy, funded by the Slow Food International Movement.

It was a life-changing event!

I arrived after a long flight having worked till 5am the morning of the 19th October to a wonderful welcome at the airport in Milan. Thereafter we travelled to the venue where the opening ceremony was taking place.

2009 itownship wine festivalThe 3rd Annual iTownship Wine Festival is happening from the 3rd to the 5th of December 2010 at the Gugulethu Square Mall. The festival starts with the Winemakers Township Dinner on the Friday night. On Saturday and Sunday the Spur parking on NY1 will be transformed into a wine lover’s paradise, with live music.

For the third year in a row, the iTownship Wine Festival opens its door to both wine connoisseurs and wine curious with the aim of celebrating South African wines, encouraging linkages with an emerging wine market and investing in the economic development of the Gugulethu eKasi. The Wine Festival was founded in 2008, by Mother Africa Uncorked, a not for profit organization set up to unlock emerging markets for the wine industry, and educate them about wine.

Join Car-free Friday and pledge that on 03 December 2010 (that's tomorrow) you will get to work and back without your car!

In Cape Town there is a scooter rally tomorrow morning at 7.30 am at the Vespa parking lot on Dock Road by the V&A Ends at Greenpoint Vida.

If you want to rent a scooter, Scoot Dr is offering a deal of 50% off a rental (R125 for the day - pick-up the night before).

visit www.pureplanet.co.za for further details.

Anyone know of other events, contact us to let us know - sprouts[at]urbansprout.co.za

ps: have a look at how Seth is getting to work on the 2 Oceans Vibe blog - for some light-hearted relief...

infirmia, the smell (fragrance?) of consumptionThis Saturday features a triple bill of cool events for those interested in a bit of planet preservation. We've posted about two already: The Hout Bay Green Faire and 350.org's solar picnic in Khayelitsha.

The third is less of an event and more of a non-event (at least it should be). Buy Nothing Day is about keeping out of the malls and refraining from consumptive behaviour. Step away from that shopping bag. All the more difficult given that it's Saturday and that Christmas shopping list is looming...

Whilst overseas BND are events planned, here in SA it will seemingly be more of an

24th Nov 2010 – just be still.

Fall still and be silent. Be part of the wave of stillness.

Our world is busy and in turmoil
we forget we all share the same space.
Go beyond nationality, religious belief or difference
and remember the still, silent present where everything is united.
That space is the same.
In cities or fields. Up mountains or in valleys.
In work, study or play. In fortune or adversity.
In peace or conflict.
In fact wherever you are.
It belongs to us all.

Fall still for a few moments, and remember, your self...

Just this Day is in its fourth year, its main event in the UK is at St Martin in the Fields where people will join together today to both discover and celebrate stillness and silence.

For more visit www.justthisday.org

Hout Bay Green FaireThere are three mucho importanto events going down this Saturday, 27th November, details of the others will follow...

The Hout Bay Green Faire is one of my favourite green events on the calendar and it is now in its fourth incarnation! There is always something new to checkout and it gets bigger and better each time. It's in the open air, away from fluorescent lighting, and is a great community initiative to support. Hout Bay is firmly in the lead when it comes to green initiatives happening on the ground, thanks to the hard work of Envirochild, Green peas and others.

Last year I took