Hipster Hangout

Urban homesteaders have new reason to haunt hip Gecko Hardware

Gecko Hardware is Lakewood's resource for urban homesteaders.
White Rock Local Market/Facebook
On February 8, Noble Coyote's Marta Sprague and her husband, Kevin, talk coffeeroasting at Gecko Hardware.
Photo by Spencer Jay
Learn how to pickle that at Gecko Hardware on February 15.
24 Carrot Health/Facebook

Urban homesteaders who like to make their own stuff will want to make room in February for a series of classes on cheese, coffee, canning, gardening and garbage. Organized by White Rock Local Market, the classes take place at Gecko Hardware, the hipster farm supply store in Lakewood.

The series begins on February 1, with a cheese demonstration by BethAnn Hooley of Rosey Ridge Farm, from 10 am to 1 pm. Hooley shares techniques and recipes on how to make feta, cheddar and mozzarella. Rosey Ridge Farm is a dairy farm south of Fort Worth that sells raw milk and raw cheese. The class is $40 per person and includes light snack and refreshments.

On February 8, the topic is coffee roasting. From 10 to 11:30 am, Marta and Kevin Sprague from Noble Coyote Coffee Roasters demonstrate how to roast beans in a small home roaster, cast iron skillet or popcorn popper. Cost is $20 per person and includes Noble Coyote coffee beans roasted in class to brew at home.

February 15, it's pickling and preserving. From 10 am to noon, Kathy Neumuller, of JJ&B Jellies Jams and Butters, and Lisa Staffelbach, from 24 Carrot Health, share their expertise in hot bath canning, making fruit preserves and shelf-safe pickling. Cost is $30 per person and includes JJ&B preserves and quick pickles made in class.

On February 22, the class covers garbage. Texas Worm Ranch's Heather Rinaldi instructs students to "love thy garbage" with a presentation on the benefits of vermi-composting, how to set up and care for worm bins, and how to use worm castings to improve organic and landscaping success. The class is from 10 to 11 am, and it costs $20 per person.

An additional class, called Keyhole Gardening with Garden Inspirations, takes place on February 23 at White Rock Local Garden, 10222 Galway Dr. Mother and daughter Marilyn and Donelle Simmons describe how to grow the maximum amount of food in a small space, as well as how to use refuse to create a "hot bed" of biological activity. The day-long class (9 am to 3 pm) is $50 per person and includes snacks and refreshments.

To purchase tickets, go to the White Rock Local Market website.

unspecified

Weed News

Texas Rep. Jessica González of Dallas files bill to legalize marijuana

Redheaded Blackbelt

undefined

Texas Rep. Jessica González of Dallas has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistent and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

politics marijuana