Spice in Seattle

I just read this article about how cardamon cultivation can be blamed for some deforestation. I believe that I use cardamon and cinnamon more than I should.

Just like with coffee and tea there are fairly traded spices. Check out more information at Fair Trade International. I really like what Mountain Rose Herbs - based out of Eugene, OR - is doing with their "Fair Trade For Life" products. (They've got cardamon covered!)

Or you can grow what you can grow in your own backyard. And which exactly are those spices? I found an article by Oregon State University regarding herbs and spices that may be produced in these parts. Coriander comes from Cilantro. Others include Anise, Caraway, and Cumin.

In one Seed Savers Exchange online forum, the difference between herbs and spices is discussed. The herb is the leafy part of a plant and spice is derived from the other parts, such as seed or root. Cardamon is actually in the ginger family, and I guess that's a spice, and can be grown here. So it just depends on how your stretch the definition of a spice.

I just read about a spice farm in Pt Townsend! Run by Charlie Bodony. I need to start asking gardeners about what spices they love and grow.