on the need to change farming and animal raising practices, please share it with your children too.
Category Archives: Green
Video: Seeds of progress: How urban farming is changing Detroit’s future | Need to Know
Posted in Food Security, Green, Living, Nutrition, Urban Garden
Gardening the Community: Lessons From Youth Leaders | Simple, Good and Tasty
Posted in Green, Living, Nutrition, Urban Garden
Online Tool Gives Sustainable Farmers Competitive Advantage
MarketMaker is a free online tool designed to link agricultural supply chain players. The tool gives small and midsize producers access to geographic and demographic information that allows them to connect with buyers and find new markets for goods. Sustainable farmers have a “competitive advantage” on MarketMaker because buyers can single out growers based on specific agricultural practices.
via Online Tool Gives Sustainable Farmers Competitive Advantage.
Posted in Farm Technology, Green, Uncategorized
The Face of Sustainable Farming
A tour of the Polyface Farm in Virginia…..a whole different way of growing our food.
Posted in Farm Technology, Green, Living, Nutrition
Small is Beautiful
Urban gardens have become synonymous with urban renewal but massive urban overhaul programs are a difficult option for municipalities in these tough times. “Urban acupuncture” which relies on small efforts rooted in the community may fit the moment better. A planter that provides blooms and a relief from the cityscape is low on investment and brings together the community that takes care of it instead of relying on a big government project. Case in point: San Fransisco’s Pavement to Parks initiative which is turning street parking spaces into miniature parks.
So while we nurture our own yards, flower beds, planters or window boxes let’s take a moment to see how we can spread a little green in our urban neighbourhoods.
Wanted: Organic Seed
According to a 2010 nationwide survey conducted by the Organic Seed Alliance (OSA), organic farmers are faced with a seed market that neither possesses sufficient available quantities of certified organic seed to meet demand nor the specific varieties of organic seed that they desire. As a result, many organic farmers have had to compensate by using conventionally bred seed varieties selected for use in high-input chemical farming systems in lieu of those specifically adapted to organic farming systems.
via Wanted: Organic Seed.
Posted in Farm Technology, Food Policy, Green, Living
Tagged food policy, Green, Living, Technology
How Does Your Garden Grow?
If you are in Boston, your city is going to come alive with fruit trees! This is a great scheme, brings together the community as it nurtures and shares the fruit from the trees which will transform their urban landscape. Now, you may be thinking that a whole, big tree is somewhat intimidating, so here are easy instructions to grow herbs in a yogurt container. So you recycle the container, grow your own herbs and bring some green into the city: perfect!
And if you happen to be enjoying the summer in Paris (we can dream!), you might stop by the elevated railway which was turned into a park, La Promenade Plantee, the inspiration for New York’s High Line.
Make sure you take lost of pictures as we will be hosting a virtual Garden Party at the end of summer!
Wholesome or not?
Whole Foods has a wholesome aura. When we walk in, we tend to suspend our skepticism and give in to the idea that we are surrounded by sustainable, local produce from a family farm. The reality is that Whole Foods carries conventional produce as well as organic and some of it may even have arrived on it’s shelves from a different continent altogether. This article brings out some of the questions that we all struggle with as we try to eat healthy, respect the environment and balance our budget! One important consideration that will help make these decisions is to eat seasonal produce. It is summer, blueberries are growing all around us so they are local, and we can even pick our own organic ones at a nearby farm. If it is winter and you are looking at blueberries, they have traveled a long way, will cost more and not taste as good; so vote with your feet and your wallet, do not buy any and the store will not be motivated to stock them. Small actions can have a big impact.
Posted in Climate Change, Green, Living, Nutrition
Tagged climate change, Green, Living, nutrition
Food and (Virtual) Community
It is almost dinnertime. You are staring at the green beans and thinking, “not again”.How do you think up a fresh, new dish with the same old beans? Check out the Internet, of course! It is positively bursting with blogs and websites where you can learn to cook just about anything. But for some people who wanted to grow their own food, in an apartment ,no less, a quick search was not always enough. Thus , grew the online community of Windowfarms. An initial model for growing plants indoors in a hydroponic system was set up online and users from all over the world could use this model and bring in their own input based in their experience of using the model. A great way to share and grow knowledge! Windowfarms is also the subject of a research project at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute which aims to study how online communities work. One of their conclusions was that the community members were motivated to join because “it was fun to do”. If the project involves growing basil in a wine glass, fun describes it really well.
Posted in Food Security, Green, Living, Nutrition
Tagged food security, Green, Living, nutrition
Thought + Food 