Last Thoughts

As I look back on this semester I think of how I have learned so much about the food industry and farming techniques but when it comes to the problems addressed in these cases I still have some many questions. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in this class this semester and look forward to implementing the knowledged I learned in this class to my life and everyday activities.

There's a little farmer in all of us

So in light of the season, end of classes and conveniently gorgeous weather, I thought I'd provide a little bit of home-grown love. This is such a great time of year to go pick delicious fruit from (basically) your backyard with family and friends. ...Unless you're Zach. Then you really CAN get it from your backyard. But real-estate jealousy aside! This really is the perfect time of year for "pick it yourself" stuff. You wanna go? Do ya? Good, because otherwise this post would be worthless. Here's where you can go and what you can pick:

Hickory Bluff Nursery and Berry Farm
Located in Holly Hill, SC; it's a bit of a drive up I-26 but you can get strawberries, blueberries and blackberries, and even peas and tomatoes! Owned by two of the cutest people you've ever seen.














Ambrose Family Farm
Also a bit of a drive out on Wadmalaw Island--but aren't delicious, fresh strawberries worth a little drive? :)

Boone Hall Farms
A closer option with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and tomatoes available for picking. Make sure "U-pick" is open before you go, though!

Champney's Blueberry Farm
4492 Rose Drive, Ravenel, SC 29470
No website available for this one, but obviously it's a blueberry farm. Again, a little drive to get there but totally worth it for hand-picked blueberries!

Of course there are lots of places to pick fresh produce all over the Southeast right now so if you're going home for the summer and you live nearby, check it out. This website might be helpful, though it's not regularly updated or an exhaustive list by any means.
"Pick your own"

Happy picking! :)

As I Reminisce

As I look back on all the times we shared in this course conversing on how awful our government and gardening with the babies :), I realized I have gained a lot of take home experience, and I say take home experience because its actually something that I can use in my day to day life. I have now learn from my fellow students and also my professor useful ways to maintain healthy living without burning a hole in my pocket, which has allowed me to be a more self sufficient person and more aware of the changes environmental changes around me by opening my eyes to research areas. Through this class I am proud to say that my hometown of Greenwood SC is now starting to open a local food market (mostly veggies) by the end of July. This local market will no longer be open on just Saturday , but also Monday - Friday, which I fought long and hard for. I would like to thank my class for giving me something to look forward to on Wednesdays. :~)

The First Few Moments

I have been working the past few weeks as a “Naturalist” on lower Johns Island and Kiawah Island and as you might assume, I have been working in close proximity with the natural world. As a biology student who spends a lot of time in lab and classes, it becomes easy to forget what it all about in the end. However the past few weeks have begun to remind me why I became a biology student and why I joined the environmental studies program in an effort to conserve/preserve just that. What I’ve found in the field is that there is something absolutely mesmerizing about something I’ve begun to call the “first few moments.” As I began to work in the field on Kiawah, I will often move small alligators out of roadways or backyards move sunning snakes out of busy roads, or identify all different types of trees and insects. Each time I hold an alligator in my hands or spend time gazing at the intricate beauty of an American Sycamore, I am completely engrossed in the intricacy of the natural world for a few moments until my science background begins to explain and identify what it is I am seeing and the moment is gone. I am not alone, many times I work with kids who are visiting the island and putting a diamondback terrapin in their hands, you can see the “first few moments” in their eyes as they are completely riveted by a living creature outside of themselves. Shortly after their attention spans are spent and they are on to another thing but still they had that moment that we all share with regard to the natural world. A Henry Miller quote I often think of comes to mind, “The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.” It is this moment that I have recently been attempting to spend more time in and explore. It is this moment that brought me into the sciences and it is this moment, which I will continue to protect and share with generations to come.

Humility & Sustainability

The act of being sustainable is difficult. It’s become too easy not to be. But for those who have chosen to, the practice has become increasingly complicated by the cognitive dissonance that is a result of the disparity between their own viewpoint and that of the larger social context. Practicing an ideal as a lifestyle in what seems to be the early stages of a larger movement must always be difficult because you are by definition you are on the front lines. It is even more difficult to practice and spread the ideas of sustainability without appearing to be holier than thou. Say for instance, you abstain the use of pesticides on your lawn but Joe Neighbor does not share your perspective or maybe even conviction, how does one explain ones own decision to forgo those pesticides without condemning the man who brings in your mail while your on vacation? How can one disseminate an ideal while maintaining an essential humility? Because really it is humility that lies at the heart of the beginning of sustainability, it is accepting what we have done in the past is wrong and moving forward having learned from our mistakes. However telling someone they’ve been in the wrong and now they need to be humble about it, the delivery loses a certain amount of effectiveness off the bat. Now it’s socially taboo to discuss religion and politics, so I’ll leave religion alone. At this point unfortunately, both ends of the political spectrum have not fully adopted the ideals of sustainability. So when one prescribes to those ideals, most people believe that you must also buy into the sum total of tenants of the Left. However, sustainability is much more important than political allegiance and one of the problems with the early movement is that it has not yet been separated from this. Some people that I speak with about the issue believe whole-heartedly that adopting sustainability as a practice is admitting defeat to Democrats and they simply cannot separate the two.

Green Fees, not just for Golf

Today, I attended the College of Charleston’s open session for Dr. David Liptak, from Yale University, a candidate for the campus Sustainability Director position. After eliminating over 60 applicants, he is one of five possible candidates competing for this job. Although, I could not find the job description on the College of Charleston’s website, I did find that this position is not a new concept for other colleges around the world and the directors’ responsibility is to maintain a green campus, including: recycling incentives, new environmental technology and most importantly, engaging all students. The College of Charleston will also start administering an additional $10 per semester Green Fee which will go towards the CofC’s Sustainability Committee. The money will help with long term projects to reduce the college’s footprint. Dr. Liptak had plenty to say about the economics of this green fee, he suggested having alumni, community members, and families match the funds because “sustainable teamwork does not just include the college”. People and students alike investing in this Green Fee are going to want to see changes, almost immediately. This will be a problem for anyone taking this position considering they will most likely be new to Charleston and new to the college and will need time for a learning curve to see who is involved and what support they will receive from the school and community. Another challenge is going to be incorporating the Historic Buildings in any green ideas. There are strict codes for historically significant buildings and keeping the building as authentic as possible may be difficult. My suggestion is to make sure all clubs, organization, classes, students and professors are all aware of a goal, such as a mission statement set by the Sustainability Director and have everyone work towards that goal. When Dr. Liptak was asked what sustainability meant to him his response included “because it’s the right thing to do”. After hearing today’s candidate, I am somewhat indifferent if the College needs a Sustainability Director or if that extra $40 a semester will make a significant noticeable difference to the college. Tomorrow’s last candidate is having an open session in RHSC, Room 123 at 1:00pm.

Indestructible Tomatoes

In the fall semester of 2009 I took the Nature, Technology, and Society course to fulfill both humanities and minor requirements. One of the readings from this course that really stuck with me was “The Ruination of the Tomato” by Mark Kramer which focused on genetically modified tomatoes. The article explained the reason for why the tomato needed such an overhaul from its natural form. The gm tomatoes lacked the flavor and texture of natural tomatoes but they were easier to process. The tomatoes were modified to be more round, have tougher skin and be more resilient to possible bruising. All of these modifications were meant to make harvesting and processing easier and cheaper. The consumer really does not benefit from these modifications. Most of the GM tomatoes were destined to be canned and made into sauces and pastes and therefore go through a lot of processing. If you were to ask a consumer if they prefer round, lack luster flavor tomatoes to misshapen , juicy, delicious tomatoes, the choice is not hard. These actions are “justified” by lower cost for the consumer.
Genetically modified tomatoes also have a longer shelf life than natural tomatoes. According to Discover Magazines webpage, researchers in India have found an enzyme that could potentially extend tomatoes’ shelf to 45 days!!!! A harvested tomato potentially lasting 45 days before going mushy is disturbing to say the least. Enzymes currently used in gm tomatoes only increase shelf life by 2 days. This technology will most likely be applied to other fruits in the near future. It has been seen that gm tomatoes lose the taste factor of natural tomatoes, why would we want to extend this to other foods?

http://www.nyu.edu/projects/nissenbaum/papers/Kramer.pdf

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/02/02/genetically-modified-tomatoes-can-last-45-days-on-the-shelf/