Planting Time: Concerned about food standards, more people are growing their own vegetables
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By Christina Gillham 

Yvette Roman and Fred Davis’s 1,300-square-foot front yard stands out from the grass lawns that are typical of their suburban Los Angeles neighborhood. Two large raised vegetable beds that contain colored rows of bell peppers, basil, parsley, purple cauliflower, two kinds of broccoli, onions, leeks, beets, four kinds of potatoes and three kinds of tomato plants dominate the yard. Climbing up a trellis are concord grapes, melons and pole beans. Near the driveway, there is another bed that holds tomatoes, tomatillos and Swiss chard, and Meyer lemon, tangerine and lime trees.

Roman, 43, and Davis, 44, started the vegetable garden just over a year ago (the backyard is reserved for their dogs and barbecuing) as a way to reduce their carbon footprint by eating locally and to ensure that their food supply was as healthy (read: pesticide-free) and as safe as possible. “Growing organically is super important to us,” says Roman. To read more about the Roman/Davis garden, log onto their blog.

Long a hobby among retirees, vegetable gardening is gaining popularity with a younger set of green thumbs. Many home growers are concerned about recent salmonella and E. coli outbreaks in store-bought produce and the widespread use of pesticides. “As we’ve gone toward a global food chain and away from local farming, a lot of people have become concerned about food standards,” says Robert LaGasse, executive director of the Garden Writers Association (gardenwriters.org).

By Paul Tolme 

Bicycle touring, a European obsession, is growing in popularity in the United States as more vacationers look for healthier getaways. “It’s a great way to explore the country,” says Dan Nidey, a 56-year-old Iowan and touring fanatic who plans to pedal from San Diego to Austin, Texas, later this year. “You smell the air, see the sights and feel the breeze.” Some tips for touring stateside:

The Adventure Cycling Association (adventurecycling .org) offers information and detailed maps for 21 rides, including the Green Mountains loop, which covers 373 miles through rural Vermont.

By Tina Peng 

Summer gymnastics and swim camps across the country are full of tomorrow’s Shawn Johnsons and Margaret Hoelzers, but where do future Olympic hopefuls go to train for the somewhat more exotic track and field disciplines, such as javelin and shot put? You might have to look a little harder, but there are clinics and coaches that offer beginners an introduction to these sports, too.

Javelin coach Erik Bernstein (erikbernstein.com) gives private lessons and group clinics throughout New Jersey. Bernstein, who usually has about 40 clients, says some of his students are high-school athletes who see the underrepresented sport as a shot at scoring an athletic scholarship to college. But he thinks interest in javelin is likely to surge after the Olympics air on television. “A lot of high-school kids aren’t aware of the event,” he says.

You’re an avid runner, and now Junior has decided he’d like to start, too. Is it OK? Sure, with a few caveats.

• Factor in age. Kids who run too much too soon can burn out. There’s no hard and fast rule, but try a mile or so for kids 9 to 13, one to three miles in junior high and three to five miles in high school, says Dr. Rebecca Demorest of the American Academy of Pediatrics (aap.org).

• Beware of overheating. Kids heat up faster than adults and don’t sweat as efficiently. Make sure they hydrate every 15 to 20 minutes.

• Don’t overdo it. Overuse injuries are common in repetitive sports. It’s not clear whether excessive running can harm growth plates, but use common sense.

Visit the Harley-Davidson Museum. Located on 20 acres in Milwaukee, the newly opened facility celebrates the cultural icon of the H-D motorcycle through exhibits, displays of vintage bikes and a life-size still-action re-creation of a 1920s board track (h-dmuseum.com).

Rent “Mon Oncle Antoine.” Often cited as the greatest Canadian film ever made, Claude Jutra’s 1971 marvel is a bittersweet coming-of-age story set at Christmastime in a snowy Quebec mining town. Criterion’s double-disc edition offers a restored, high-definition digital transfer. Not to be missed.

Surf BabyCenter, which has launched a new social-networking site for parents (community.baby center.com) that lets you share photos, blog, keep up with old pre-natal yoga buddies and meet new families with common interests.