Is Growing Food In Car Tyres Toxic?

"I've never met a potato I didn't like." - Irish traditional saying.

Permaculture is about closing loops, removing waste from profligate systems and finding innovative ways to reuse things. We throw away lots of car tyres every year, so finding things to do with them must be good.

One food-growing technique that seems to embody this principle of reusing waste is using old tyres as a container to grow potatoes and other vegetables in, but is it a good idea? Academic research into shredded tyres suggests that there maybe a problem. This article explores the practice of growing vegetables in used tyres.

Why grow food with tyres?

The Germination Process

A beginner's guide to recognising new shoots in plants.

A cucumber seed will take less than 10 days to germinate. If placed in a greenhouse or a conservatory, you'll end up with looking something like this. A new baby plant with delicate roots and young leaves.

8 Leadership Lessons From A Shepherd's Life

I am a shepherd, and my students are my flock. Lessons from being a shepherd (Ra'ee) of sheep and people.

At the mosque I'm teaching at with my sister, we held an outdoor lesson in the park. It was titled Green Prophets Of Islam. We looked at Ibn Kathir's biography (Seerah) of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and more specifically, the various lessons taught from the prophets' shepherding duties prior to being given prophethood (Risalah).

“All of you are shepherds and each of you is responsible for [your] flock. An Imam is a shepherd and he is responsible for those in his care. A man is a shepherd in respect of his family and is responsible for those in his care. The woman is a shepherd in respect of her husband’s house and is responsible for those in her care. The servant is a shepherd in respect of his master’s property and is responsible for what is in his care. All of you are shepherds and each of you is responsible for his flock.”

Agreed upon – From Riyad Al-Saliheen of Imam al-Nawawi.
Reported by Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him.

Video: How You Can Become Greener Muslims

London based organisation, Inclusive Mosque Initiative (MI), invited me to their 'Nature In Qur'an' event in April. As a small-time eco-Muslim living 250 miles up north, it was quite a feat getting there. But I was very humbled to attend a small congregation of listeners. I gave a short presentation on what it means to me, to be a more nature loving Muslimah. (Videos below)

USA Halal Food Tour By 'Sameer's Eats'

Like Food Network's Man vs Food series, Sameer's Eats' YouTube episodes have become an online hit  for showcasing the best of Halal dining across the states. 

On his YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/sameerseats) Sameer, from Chicago, takes a camera to some of his favourite eateries and shares a meal with Imams, Muslim chefs and friends to review the highs and lows of Muslim eating - a real halalified experience.

This year, Sameer has been and will be visiting 5 major US states on a grand Halal Food Tour (Los Angeles, New York, D.C., Chicago, Houston).

With awesome faces such as Yvonne Maffei from My Halal Kitchen, Aman Ali, Preacher Moss, chef Abdul Eldeib, and Baba Ali, The Halal Food Tour is where you want to be this summer.


Video link + http://youtu.be/JEBE9pTFkEk

+ The Halal Food Tour