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/

This Class

 I am sure that we all have benefited from this class in some way.  I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about the indiscretions of the American food industry and the extravagance that we live in.  I had known for quite some time that the way we eat is different from others but I did not realize the expanse of poor decisions that we as a society make.  I think that if more classes like this existed then more Americans would try to change the way we farm, process and eat food.  I know that seeing Zach farm and reading about authors that had taken steps to change their own life style was very inspirational.  I always wanted to have an herb garden but now I wish for a vegetable garden (let me get a house first).  Still, despite the constant hammering we have done at undermining the way Americans eat I still have to be hopeful that the going green movement will expand.  My mother has started a garden and constantly discusses the fact that subsidies are causing the "corn syrup sin."  Today on our hamburgers we had ketchup with a "no corn syrup" sign on it and ingredients I understood in it.  I have been constantly on the search for healthier granola bars and I found one with no chemicals at all. even Oprah has started to think green in the kitchen by getting her viewers to buy recycled kitchen utensils. I think if we can get more famous people or more people in general listening the green disease will spread like wild fire until then good luck Zach, I'll think of you when I start my own garden and maybe I'll get some neighbors to start one too.
 

Oprah's kitchen tools aren't these hilarious

...Cars greener than people?

I recently read an article in scientific american that was quite interesting. Hybrid cars have become so eco-friendly they now trump at least one form of human locomotion. Alberto E. Minetti, professor of physiology at the University of Milan, along with his master’s student Gaspare Pavei, compared the CO₂ emissions of four men walking, running and biking with the emissions of a hybrid vehicle carrying those same four men. The scientists found that four men would release more CO₂ by jogging than if they boarded a hybrid car. (On average, four women jogging would release less CO₂ than if they rode in a car because of their lower body mass.) Maybe next time I will take a cab home instead of running?

Real Food Fellowship

http://realfoodfellowship.weebly.com/index.html

Meet Your Meat

Here's that video (or at least part of it) that I was talking about in class last week entitled "Meet your Meat"

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7276091529608936316&hl=en#

After watching this deeply moving video there's no way you'll ever want to go back to eating meat. Every day, millions of animals are brutally killed for food in the United States. Their lives are cut short as they are crammed into factory farms, forced to live in their own filth, never to feel the sun of their back or grass beneath their feet. As they are drugged to grow so fast in such a short period of time, many animals will die before they even reach the slaughterhouse, the victims of their own misfortune.

Alec Baldwin narrates this piece and shows such cruelties of our world today. After coming face to face with such horrors, you'll want to know more about the true tragedies of factory farming. So, the next time you sit down to eat dinner, take a good look at what's on your plate. Is it comforting to know your dinner may have once had a face?

No Noodle Turkey Lasagna

I made this recipe when I went home earlier this semester and wanted to share it with everyone because it is amazing.

Ingredients

Mozzarella cheese

2 Medium Zucchinis

1 Large Eggplant

1lb Extra lean ground turkey

1 jar of garlic and basil tomato sauce

1 onion diced

1 1/2 cups of low fat ricotta cheese

1/2 cup parmesan

1 tsp Italian seasoning

olive oil

salt and pepper for seasoning

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Put some olive oil in a large skillet and cook the turkey meet and diced onions until it browns. Continue by adding your tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Cut the eggplants into long stripped pieces and add olive oil, salt, and pepper over them. Cook these while in the oven till browned while turkey is cooking in your skillet.

From here its just like traditional lasagna. Line the bottom with the ground turkey, layer of zuchinni and eggplant, ricotta layer, mozzarella. You keep doing this until you are out of stuff. Cover top with mozzarella and parmesan and let it cook about 20 minutes.

This is a healthier alternative to your traditional lasagna dish that tastes amazing.

Ocean Drilling- Effects on Corals and Sea Life

There is a current dilemma going on in our government about drilling in the ocean for oil in the Atlantic Ocean off of our coast (This does not include BP spill, currently it is still banned from the Obama administration) . Do the benefits outweigh the losses? Exactly like ocean drilling projects in the past, there will always be severe negative side effects to drilling again. Oil spills and leaks have been one of the main killers of local fish and life in drilling areas. Not to mention the damage to the deep sea coral reefs is detrimental. These deep sea coral reefs have provided habitats for many deep water dwelling species for longer then we have been drilling for oil. Destroying the coral reefs will have a domino effect in the food webs of these deep sea organisms, and in the end it will hit humans. It will start by killing the living coral reefs, and this will cause algae to die off slowly. The urchins and jellyfish who feed on these algae will slow begin to disappear, and this will leave their predators with no source of nutrition (they now die). It will be possible to map the eventual death of all organisms that depended on these reefs for feeding in these particular areas. In turn as humans, we will see a steep decline in the economics of the fishing industry. If we continue to drill, over years there will not be any notable sea life left in these areas, and we will lose a major source of nutrition. Deep sea drilling may be positive to some by keeping money in our pockets, but ecological the effects can be devastating. Don’t Drill!!!

The Bt Potato

In an effort reduce the use of chemical pesticides while still controlling the pests, the EPA allowed the introduction of a gene that produces the protein endotoxin of soil bacteria known as Bt protein. Researchers at the UC Vegetable Research and Information Center made a thorough report on the introduction of the protein for human consumption, toxin resistance, and other such implications.
One of the big opposing arguments is that we do not yet know wheat the consequences of eating Bt protein will be on humans. However, the EPA has been allowing the protein to be acceptable for human consumption since the 1960's because it does not cause us any harm, and does not act like an allergen. Since the introduction, there have been no reported illnesses or allergies due to the Bt protein.
The biggest concern is the possible and effectively demonstrated fast adaptation to resist the Bt toxin by insects. One species of worm that fed on the protein were found to have a 1 in 350 resistance rate. Not to mention, the transfer of any of these genes between crops (especially organic) could ruin the neighboring farmers crops as they would like them.
The question is; is messing with our foods genetics worth a few years of no pests? Also, what will come next if we allow this to continue to happen?

http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/filelibrary/5283/2196.pdf

Intervention

This blog pertains to an article I read recently about the truth behind the Katrina flooding in New Orleans. I was shocked to find out that the levy's, as well as the hurricane, were not the biggest problems leading up to the actual storm. I have spoken to some friends I have from New Orleans and they said that the government has staged a small "intervention" of the the animal said to have destroyed the coastal marshes. Myocastor Coypus, also know as Nutria, have been devastating and destroying coastlines on a global level by eating indigenous vegetations which include marshes, farm crops, and wetlands. This invasive species is part of the rodent family, is a herbivore, semi-aquatic (they swim), and are very commonly compared to beavers from their physical appearance M. Coypus were brought to the United States to be farmed for their fur, but subsequently escaped after a large hurricane. Others claim that they were simply released from failing fur farms, and spread quickly through the southeast region of the United States coastline. As a global economy we have finally recognized melting polar icecaps and rising sea levels, and which aids in the destruction of any coastline This now raises an enormous ethical issue because these areas create safety buffers between the land and sea in many areas.

Typically marshes and wetlands act like barrier islands, as well as a habitat for thousands of different species. M. Coypus have destroyed so much of the Louisiana coastline that they had a significant role in the flooding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. M. Coypus is tend to be easy to locate because they tend to stay in one localized spot their entire life, and will very rarely travel more than a few hundred yards away. I believe serious action needs to be taken to eliminate this problem since they are easy to locate. These invasive species serve no positive purpose to their environments.

Pro Football Looks into Renewable Energy Sources

First of all, yes I am a Philadelphia Eagles fan and will gladly argue about why they are one of the greatest teams in the NFL. haha.

Late in fall 2010 the NFL team had announced that they are going to be switching to on-site renewable energy. This will be the first sports stadium in the world that will be self sufficient, and I personally believe that this is an amazing stepping stone in the works. They plan to save over 60 million dollars in energy costs yearly, and have claimed to have enough to sell some back to the local electric grids. They will be having 80 20 foot spiral wind turbines on the top of the stadium, 2500 solar panels, and a 7.6 megawatt onsite dual fuel cogeneration plant that will be monitored. I have read that the energy that will come from this project is comparable to the annual electricity usage of 26,000 homes.

Hopefully the rest of sports franchises around the world can fall in line with this idea. The amount of money that will be saved for them each year will be profound, as well as the positive affects on the local economy and environment.

Here is a link to the original article after the announcement.

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/article-1/Lincoln-Financial-Field-Will-Be-Powered-With-On-Site-Renewable-Energy-By-September-2011/BE589D30-B0FD-4EED-BF22-4B1D9DA131D4

Prime Time Food Revolution

I just watched an episode of the ABC show Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. The premise of the show is a chef, formerly on Food Network, bringing attention to poor food choices and options in schools and the community. During the second season of this show, Jamie Oliver is attempting to transform L.A county school’s menus to be healthier. So far he has been completely banned from all county school lunchrooms and kitchens and is banned from speaking to students about their opinions about food options. It is unclear whether the school board is concerned about having a T.V crew interfering with education or has something they don’t want to be publicized.

An important theme from this program that has been emphasized in both of our reading this semester is that healthier food isn’t necessarily more expensive. Small additional costs are always worth the benefit. All over the country though there are budget cuts to schools and it’s hard to determine priorities when fine arts and extracurricular are being cut completely. Completely changing a school’s menu requires planning and funding that won’t be achieved without strong support from parents and community members. Growing up, I always had a packed lunch because it was more economical and healthy. This might be a good idea for many parents concerned about their children’s health but it can’t be the solution for everyone. In many school systems, including mine, free or discounted lunches are provided to students from low income families. Both of our reading have also pointed out that these lowest income families typically have the unhealthiest diets. This fact makes it even more important to provide healthy meals at schools. Resources to start petitions and contact local school boards are available on the “Food Revolution” website.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/us/foundation/jamies-food-revolution/school-food

New P's

Marketing is classically focused on the 4 P’s: Product, Price, Promotion and Place. With a now “green demand”, marketing for sustainable businesses now focuses on the “new” 4 P’s: People, Planet, Profit and Progress. We’ve all seen the Domino’s commercial advertising their fresh ingredients, where costumers are in a tomato field seeing the fresh ingredients picked first hand. Obviously, a lot can be said about this commercial but positively we can credit Domino’s for recognizing the demand for fresh produce and the farm to table movement. Wendy’s is also now advertising their “natural” ingredients. I anticipate future commercials and advertising similar to the Domino's commercial. Green marketing encourages responsible consumption and ethical responsibility; if consumers and producers work together not on consuming less but consuming better, responsible consumption and ethical responsibility will follow.

Food Industry just that: An Industry

As environmental studies students we have learned the negative impact our food industry has had on our crops, livestock, and even our own health. It seems so obvious that we should change our ways or else we will continue to see local farmers go out of business and processed foods become a larger part of our diet. However, the later is what seems to be taking place. Our culture, and the norms we are comfortable with, tell us that certain foods are acceptable and certain are not. Because our food is a part of the capitalist system it is treated practically the same as the clothing industry; make as much product for as cheap as possible and sell as much as you can.

To sell these "products" marketers will do nearly anything and much like the media's objectification of women, food is also made into something needed, wanted, and prized . Sometimes, the two are even done together:

As humans, we see a beautiful woman eating one of the most unhealthy things humanly created and connect the two. I would guess that she hasn't eaten many of these before or after she made this ad ( or even during the ad) but if we connect Hardees with Padma and brussle sprouts with the food every kid in the movies hates, its pretty easy to see why the average college student prefers a burger to a salad with brussle sprouts.

While I was watching travel channel earlier, Andrew Zimmern travelled to some place in NJ where this guy eats and sells all kinds of bug dishes and is trying to turn peoples way of thinking away from the idea of nasty gross insects to healthy, abundant sources of protein. However, getting people to put large spiders and cockroaches into their mouths willingly is hard. The interesting thing is, these insects are arthropods and very closely related to crabs and lobsters; food most consider delicacies. Andrew Zimmern even said the spiders tasted somewhat like parts of crabs he had tried before.

For some reason, this:

Looks more appetizing to most than this:

My point in all of this is that while we keep debating whether or not there should be subsidies for this that or the other, and whether or not local or organic or both should be focused on, we should take a step back and realize thins are not going to change fast enough if the mentalities behind the food we eat are not changed. Until then Arby's will be "good mood food", we will still "badababa baaa love it" and be able to "have it our way"...

Change starts with your underwear.

As much as I love food and could blab endlessly about my recent local food excursion at SNOB, I've decided to do a post on something else I'm interested in. And you should be, too.

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
(and the profound degree to which coal sucks)

In light of the recent radiation scares in Japan, alternative forms of energy production have been hotly debated. While the disastrous effects of the earthquake should never be discounted, the situation has created a unique opportunity for Japan to install new and environmentally friendlier energy. The estimated cost of repair in Fukushima is $310 billion, with a sizable portion of that going to the repair and rebuilding of the nuclear reactors. Instead of investing that money in a technology that can be potentially harmful, officials could choose to back other alternative energy sources such as solar or wind. Even still, nuclear power will be reestablished due to the extensive power needs of the area. While my opinion doesn't really matter, I think nuclear power has its place in the green, environmentally friendly future. Granted, its waste creates an issue, but that's what science is for, right? Unfortunately, the disaster in Japan has given nuclear energy a bad reputation again after a short-lived moment in the positive spotlight (think post-3MI&Chernobyl, pre-Fukushima) which coal execs the world over are LOVING.

With that said, I bring the issue to our own backyard and our own awesome coal-fired power plants. I think it's safe to say we all understand the epic awfulness of coal? If not, type in "disadvantages of coal power" into google and ignore anything that has "advantages" in the title. If you think nuclear is "bad," coal is like...baddd.er.

Anyway, I have a solution. This solution starts with change. And change...starts with our underwear. Watch this:

Why college is awesome.

So I mean, my college career is almost up. I've never run around the city of Charleston in my undies. I think this should change. Let me know if you want to run around half-naked with me!

Article: College activists strip down

Sea Food

Ok, so you know what your eating...but the question is should you be eating it? How about eating not only local food but also sustainably harvested seafood? Easier said than done. For instance clams and oysters cannot be sustainably harvested in the summer, yet are two of the most popular summer foods. Turn the calendar to fall and winter, how many people are prepared to give up mahi-mahi, grouper, shrimp, king & spanish mackerel, and wreckfish during this time period? Shrimp is one of the most popular seafood in the United States. Ok so what can you eat? Local and sustainable options available year-round include blue crab, swordfish (thanks to conservation efforts), and locally farm raised striped bass. For more information go to scaquarium.org/ssi for more information on local and imported fish as well as local restaurants serving sustainably caught seafood.

Underwater Kites: Harnessing Tidal Energy

Minesto, the company behind that under-sea kite project called "Deep Green," has announced they've received over $560,000 from The Carbon Trust to dive forward with deploying a prototype of their technology. If successful, the company says it would generate enough electricity to power all of the homes in a city the size of Newcastle (population 189,863) by 2020.

These under-sea kites harness the power of oceanic forces in much the same way that land-based kites capture wind energy. As this article from SmartPlanet illustrates, a rudder-controlled kite "flies" through the deep ocean in a figure eight pattern, capturing and magnifying wave energy as water passes through, then channels it through a turbine which sends the power to a generator located below on the sea floor. Because the motion of the kite against the current can intensify the power of the ocean current by a magnitude of 10, this device can work effectively, even in less-than-vigorous waters. That enhances its potential globally and makes it a serious contender in the race for sustainable, renewable energy.

http://www.smartplanet.com/business/blog/intelligent-energy/tidal-energy-gives/5104/

April showers

So the rains have come and we are loving it. Everything weve put in so far is coming up and we are starting to see the fruits of our labors. Below is some Holy basil (Tulsi) we put in a few weeks ago and its just now coming up. Its got a great flavor and makes for a very refreshing tea.

The peppers we started from seed are now in the ground and looking good. As are the ones that came from Sea Island, they are coming up quickly and have handled the transplant well. They are also interspersed with marigolds to curb the bugs
We cheated here and got some eggplant seedlings since the ones we started from seed are still a bit behind. But they wont fruit until the soil is fairly warm, so it will be a while till we are eating fresh eggplant parmesan.
Our herbs are coming along really well and have taken the transplant like champs, weve got some dill coming up in the back too. The green onions are delicious and do not taste like anything you can get in the store.
All of our leafy greens are looking great too, the rain that we had has really done them well. it might be hard to wait and let them grow up before i make myself a nice salad.
This was our biggest project, although it doesn't look like it. 35 tomato seedlings, 6 different varieties. The transplant has been a bit rough, mostly because we waited so long to get them in the ground. It was a bit too cold last week for them so we put it off and they go root bound, im hoping between the mushroom compost and the sun they will come back quickly and be fruiting soon. There are also about 100 onions interspersed among the tomatoes as well, as they compliment each other well in the nutrients they require.
We've also completed the chicken coop and need to get off our butts and buy some chickens. we think we will be going with rhode island reds. The total cost of our coop was $23.00 shows you how cheaply you can do it if you put your mind to it. On that note, we tabulated the total cost of our garden so far and its less than $400. Its not expensive, just lots of work.
Our friend Andrea down the street traded us some tomatoes for some beans she raised and they are already reaching out and grabbing the trelace.
We have also branched out and gotten some fruits, we now have blueberries and pomegranate as well as strawberries and my friend Daniel has offered us some raspberry seedlings as well.
The only thing we really have left to do besides planting okra and potatoes and laying down mulch. We will be using pine straw mulch as its cheap and will help the soil as it degrades. We are still on the look out for a larger water catchment system as the 50 gallons we capture each rain doesnt last very long. Thats all weve got for now.

Eat this Not That!!!

I have recently started reading the book entitled "Eat This Not That", which clams to be a supermarket survival guide. In the beginning of this book it explains the little bonus ingredients that the FDA allows in you food. For example, canned pineapples are allowed to have 20% of moldy fruit, canned tomatoes can have up to 5 fly eggs or 2 maggots per 500 grams, frozen broccoli can have up to 60 mites per 100 grams, Popcorn( which is considered to be on of the healthy snack foods) is allowed to have 1 rodent pellet in one sample or 2 rodent hairs per pound, and so on. I don't know about you but I never seen this in any type of advertisement or on any packages when buying these types of food. I thought this was interesting because people including me in our society freak out when we see a piece of hair in our food and the government will not allow unlicensed cooks and bakers to sale food out of a none certified kitchen, but its okay if industries let a couple of maggots slide through. WHAT ?!? They say that these amounts are not harmful to you health but who's to say they are not going to make you sick. I have now started reading the calorie portion of this book where they express false listed calories on packaged food and compare different "Low calorie" meals.

The James Beard Foundation is a non-profit located in NYC that exists for the preservation, development, and celebration of culinary excellence in the USA. Generally, the foundation invites chefs and restaurants from around the country to cook for celebrity audiences (anything ranging from Hollywood stars to politicians). OAK Steakhouse, for example, has been invited for the past 4 years.

I was researching Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and found that Barbara Kingsolver was actually given a James Beard Award for her innovative depiction and advocacy of sustainable agriculture and good, healthy, domestic food sources. I find this very interesting because I truly believe it indicates a culture shift (kind of like the fact that Subway now outnumbers McDonalds!). You'd expect a prestigious culinary institution to support the most sophisticated and complex of food creations, no matter where they are from; now, it seems as though such institutions are hopping on board the simple agricultural sustainable food movement.

This is mirrored by all the supporters of "Lowcountry Local First," which happen to be the fanciest restaurants in Charleston. Soon, our definition of delectable may be raw and straight from the farm!

while we are discussing new farming techniques

Recent blogs have been discussing new techniques for farming.  This reminded me of the first time I was introduced to the idea of hydroponics and other farming techniques that do not use excess water, land or nutrients.  And I found out about these techniques in the weirdest place possible.  

Thats right Walt Disney World. 

pumpkin mickey...still kinda creepy

The "Living in the land ride" and the "behind the seeds" tour actually show some of the different ways that Disney is trying  to make "the world a healthier place to live in." The ride and tour show you Disney's steps in Aeroponics,Nutrient film technique, inter crop techniques, vertical growing techniques, aquaculture, Biotechnology Lab, integrated Pest Management Lab.  In fact their "tomato tree" has been named the most productive tomato plant because of their innovative way of making a tomato plant grow taller and then rest on an constructed net so that it can grow outward.  Weird right? And they grow some plants (mostly melons or anything that can easily hold a shape) to look like mickey mouse heads.  That way when you order something at a restaurant you can act like you beheaded Mickey. 

Tour guides make hilarious candid photo expressions

eggplant tree

hydroponic growth of lettuce and cabbage, quite useful if your soil sucks and you have the water/nutrients for it. It also maximizes space use

a system where they spray the roots of plants with water and nutrients.  It decreases waste water  because the plant is not sitting in the water

the crops all use different nutrients so they can safely use the water, not kill each other off and save space

once again the entire point is no soil and maximum use of space

The most productive tomato plant in the world according to Guinness book of world records

pumpkin trees

use of sand to efficiently plant very large radishes

The plants grow really large due to the excess of nutrients in the water

Their hydroponic systems and their call to not use pesticides on their crops is very pleasing.  They lessened their impact on the environment by growing indoors and decreasing water use.  They could even help countries with poor soil by spreading these practices or finding ways to reduce the costs.  It also pleases me that the food they grow in these greenhouses (that mimic the different habitats of the world to make the ride cooler) goes to the restaurants in Epcot.  In fact when you leave they suggest eating at those restaurants so that you can know where your food went.  The aquaculture was even interesting because they had an alligator area meant to help restore the alligators developing Disney wiped out (even though the tanks were kind of dirty, but that's the marine biologist in me).  
It was just nice to remember, after all our readings, that not all big corporations are completely heartless (although Disney has many transgressions). Although these techniques don't replace good old fashioned farming techniques and the increase need for nutrients/creepily big vegetables  is a difficult hurdle.  These practices could be helpful around the world and I applaud the idea.
So Dr. Burkett you can feel less dirty about taking your children to Walt Disney world as long as you only ate fish and hung out in Epcot mostly.  :  )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_with_the_Land
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot/attractions/living-with-the-land/ 
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/tours-and-experiences/behind-the-seeds/ 

Aquaponic Farming Technology

"Farming on water: Stackable, sustainable, in the city"

Aquaponic Farming is a cool new sustainable food production system that combines a traditional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as fish, shrimp, or crayfish in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants with water) in a symbiotic environment. In the aquaculture, effluents accumulate in the water, increasing the toxicity for fish. This water has led to a hydroponic system where the by-products from the aquaculture are filtered out by plants as vital nutrients, after which the cleansed water is recirculated back to the animals.

John Edel is turning a former meatpacking plant in Chicago into one of these sustainable indoor farms. In the basement, microorganisms are eating tilapia waste, converting it into fertilizer for the lettuce, kale and wheatgrass growing in a shallow pool of water nearby. This technology essentially minimizes water use while allowing year-round harvests. This is an incredible way to turn an otherwise urban and unproductive area into a perfectly sustainable little ecosystem. Currently Edel is trying to expand this concept across multiple floors of the building - a vertical system like the one I read in a previous blog.

But within a few years, Edel says a complex food-production system will be in place, the key to which is a $1 million, yet-to-be-bought anaerobic digester. Everything, will be fed into it, from rotting tomatoes and meat, to brown and yellow grease. Edel anticipates receiving 2.1 million gallons a year of "beefy, sludge bioproduct" from a local food-flavoring maker. Once the farm is in place, it will likely be able to feed a vast majority of the local population.

Fresh food in an urban environment, who could want more?!

Check it out: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0410-confidential-edel-20110410,0,3210069.column?page=1

How Is This A New Regulation?!?!?!?

The US Department of Agriculture has proposed a new regulation that will require meat processors to wait for test results (regarding foodbourne pathogens) to come back before sending the meat. That's right as of right now, meat processors can allow meat to come to your local grocery store without knowing whether the meat is carrying any pathogens. While the USDA claims that most big processors do wait for the test results, it also claims that the lack of meats that waited for test results was responsible for about 44 class 1 recalls in a two year span. This new proposal would specifically target E coli, Listeria and Salmonella. While I am by no means saying this is a bad proposal, I am just simply shocked that it took so long for this to be proposed...

Our visit to Dixie

Next Friday, April 15, we will be heading out to Dixie. If everything goes according to plan, we will be broadcasting oats on the plowed field and raking out the soil to create a smooth surface. Please be prepared to be outside for the duration. I would recommend wearing boots or tennis shoes, a hat, sunscreen, and bugspray. Please also bring water. Again, if you have any tools you would like to bring, we would appreciate it. Also, please consider carpooling with your classmates. It's about a 30 minute drive, so plan accordingly. I am not sure that there is a time set for the trip yet, but I am confident that it will be midafternoon sometime. We'll set firm plans next Wednesday in class. Thanks for your help!

In effort to deal with potential food and water shortage, many cities, including New York City, are conceptualizing the idea of Vertical Farming. The multiple floor building, think sky scraper, would have the ability to grow typical crops and sustain a community. The idea of the Vertical Farm is similar to “multiple green houses stacked upon one another”. This allows it to be monitored and maintained for climate, water, and pest control. The possibilities and outcomes of Vertical Farming are endless; it would be an ecofriendly practice that could potentially save space, decrease food miles, and support the local economy.

www.verticalfarm.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1clRcxZS52s&feature=player_embedded

Artificial Food Dyes and ADHD

Since the 1970s there has been concern over the connection between artificial food dyes and hyperactive activity. Since the 1990, use of these dyes has increased by half. Many parents give testimonials about how removing artificial dyes from their children’s diets has had a dramatic effect on their attention span and focus. Consumer concerns about food dyes are significant enough for major companies like Kraft to provide artificial dye free options and for websites like “The Red Dye Free Store” to be successful. There is even an iPhone app that can help people decode ingredients labels; “Don’t Eat That”. Some consumer groups are pushing for artificial dyes to be banned from food completely. Although a ban is unlikely, these groups are at least hoping for a warning label to be added to these foods. An advisory panel to the FDA has recommended a study to figure out if there is a link between food coloring and childhood hyperactivity (ADHD). The same panel also decided that products containing these artificial food dyes don’t need any warning labels. They are still required to list the food colorings as ingredients. At this time there is not enough evidence to prove food dyes increase hyperactivity in all children, but the panel agrees that diets eliminating dyes may help some children. Banning or adding warning labels would be harmful only to major food manufactures and dye producers. They argue the dyes restore products natural colors that they lose during processing. http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2011/apr/01/fda-panel-votes-study-food-dyes-hyperactivity-ar-440140/ http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42359720/ns/today-today_health/42355829

Child Nutrition Act

The act was passed last year to improve child nutrition standards in school cafeterias, but now it's time to implement this legislation. Send your comments to the USDA:
http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/slow_food/blog_post/tell_usda_how_you_feel_about_school_lunch#howto

Here they come!

So things are coming along quickly, weve missed a weekend so we had a lot to do. We planted most of our seeds last week and things are starting to come up. Here is a yellow golden squash mixed among our sweet corn:

Our strawberries are starting to come along nicely too:

Herbs: we were short on herb seeds so i gave my friend Allston a call, he works for Sea Island Savory Herbs, we traded him an old laptop battery for a flat of herbs and quite a few leafy greens for the side bed.

The beets are coming along quickly and strongly. We grew 4 different types and the "early beet" blend is getting close already!

Our peas were getting quite large so we went ahead and put in the fence for them to grow on. we planted two rows a few weeks apart to give us a gap between productions so we could keep it coming.

Our big project this weekend is our chicken coop. We had to break down and buy our 2x4's for this project. we needed about 13 of them and picked them up from Lowes :(. But with a little hard labor we got the frame done in one day. The day after this we put the wire and roof on the house. now all we have left is to put some wheels on it so it can be easliy moved about the yard and to buy some chickens.

Well this is all we have for now. Ill post some pics of the chickens when we get them going.

Shady Gardening

Many aspects of a smaller scale garden can be adjusted to meet the needs of plants. If your space has low soil nutrients you can add compost, manure or other fertilizers. If there is a drought you can simply water your garden with a hose. One limitation that is harder to remediate is shady areas. Buildings are unlikely to disappear and neighbors are often unwilling to cut down their trees (nor should they be asked to). Growing up, my family used to always grow a garden with a variety of fruits and vegetables including corn, strawberries, melons, broccoli, squash and much more. Overtime the neighboring trees grew taller and out gardening space was reduced to partial sunlight. The garden was no as successful and eventually my parents gave up on it completely. Now they usually only plant tomatoes and zucchini in the last remaining full sun areas of our yard. The once garden is now just an empty space covered in wood chips. In hopes of revitalizing the area, I have looked into plants that do well in shady conditions. Leafy vegetables are the most shade tolerant. This includes delicious lettuce, spinach and arugula. Herb gardens are also perfect fillers a shady spot. Leafy greens and herbs are wonderful plants to have on hand because they can be picked and enjoyed at almost any stage of their life, they don't need to ripen. These leafy plants can struggle in the heat of the summer, so planting them in the shade is important for their summer success. Root vegetables can be productive with partial sun. Fruits and vegetables that would not be well suited for this space are ones whose fruits come from a flower. These varieties require full sun. http://www.colostate.edu/Dept/CoopExt/4dmg/VegFruit/vegsshady.htm

A global food crisis?

Farmers respond to increased prices for cotton, planting less corn and soy:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/29/business/29cotton.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha25

Common Everday Grocery Store Shopper's Worst Nightmare

Several Environmental and Food Safety activists have filed a lawsuit over the USDA allowing for unrestricted growing of a genetically modified alfalfa engineered by none other than, that's right Monsanto. Why is this a big deal? Alfalfa is one of the key parts of the domestic cow's diet, and with the effects of wind and cross pollination eventually almost all alfalfa will contain at least some amounts of genetically modified material. This could put an end potentially to the organic dairy industry as no food or drink can be labeled "organic" if it contains any traces of genetically modified material. This decision will also cause an increase in the use of herbicide. While alfalfa is not normally treated with herbicide, this new Monsanto breed can withstand a large amount of their brand of herbicide, leading to more potential use of the toxic chemicals. Yet this may not even be the biggest issue. As your Common Everday Grocery Store Shopper, this is my worst nightmare. As if shopping at a grocery store and determining what exactly is in my food wasn't already tough, with the implementation of this USDA plan it will be all but impossible....

Getting closer

So things are moving along in the garden. Its been a ton of work. But things are starting to come in. Fritz and I drove up to north charleston and picked up a load of manure compost for free from the horse shed on the weapons base. Its so rich and dark, the plants will be very happy.

So far we have lots of veggies so we decided to mix it up a bit so we put in 25 strawberry plants last week:

And last night we put in the corn and beans next to it. ( on the left)/ We decided to plant squash at the base of the corn. it will act as a mulch and help keep the weeds down. it also allows us to produce more calories in a smaller amount of space and with less water. This is the kind of arrangements that permacultre are made of.



Are seedlings are coming along well, so well in fact that we have had to move the lights up a few inches to accommodate the new growth. We have started leaving the marigolds outside now to harden them. Marigolds are very good insect repellent and with all the gnats and mosquitoes in the garden, we sure need it.

We are just now starting to see our first sprouts from the species weve planted outside. So far we've got beets, kohlrabi,carrots, spinach, green onions, radishes, peas and strawberries as well a few common herbs. Here is some of the 4 varieties of mint that we are growing:

The peas are coming up quickly and will soon need something to grow on. I found some 1inch stakes in the construction dumpster around the corner and will be putting them up with some twine for the peas and beans to grow on. Weve also used an organic compound that helps fix nitrogen for the beans.

So next we are putting in the melons, but we have to wait a bit. I feel that a lot of this is a waiting game. But it should be well worth the wait.

First Lady's Book

Michelle Obama is planning to write a book with the subject matter of her organic garden on the South Lawn of the White House. The garden was began in 2009 with the help of local elementary school students. The last vegetable garden at the White House was Eleanor Roosevelt’s garden during World War II. The untitled book is scheduled for release in spring 2012. First Lady Obama will donate the proceeds to charity, undetermined now. Her anti-obesity campaign, “Let’s Move!”, which was launched in February 2010, offers five initiatives:

1. Creating a healthy start for children
2. Empowering parents and caregivers
3. Providing healthy food in schools
4. Improving access to healthy, affordable foods
5. Increasing physical activity

All of these aspects are expected to be included in her book in addition to urban, community gardens and even family recipes. Since First Lady Obama is a highly respected woman perhaps the publication of this book will have more people aware, concerned, educated and involved in food issues, including other political leaders and policy makers.

-M

http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/4357483-418/first-lady-writing--book-about-garden.html
http://www.letsmove.gov

Killing 2 Birds with 1 Stoner: Marijuana Legalization Could Repair the Economy and our Environment

At the risk of sounding like a studious stoner, I would like to expound on the marijuana/cannabis/hemp situation we discussed in class. Yes, I have lumped “hemp” and “marijuana” together because -- although they are genetically and functionally distinguished -- the US government puts both under Schedule I of the most dangerous controlled substances known to man (Thank you feds for making it possible to describe the two simultaneously.). After completing a 50 page thesis on the topic last year (entitled Fiscal Fuel: Marijuana Legalization and the United States Economy), I feel I can add some useful new knowledge to what Katz wrote about. In the end, prohibition of this plant is concurrently an environmental and economic burden.

Basically, I’m going to list some facts...the syllogism is implicit:

1. fossil fuel dependence and consumption are the leading sources of political turmoil abroad, foreign manipulation of our domestic economy, and GHGs that facilitate global warming; forests are the number one source of photosynthesis that helps to counter these greenhouse gases [GHGs] that enhance global warming
2. the paper industry is the number one cause of deforestation, which in turn is the number one cause of habitat loss worldwide
3. the paper industry is also the number one source of sulfites, sulfides, and sulfates in the atmosphere, which in turn are the number one cause of acid rain
4. acid rain pollutes water systems and soil, ultimately being biomagnified and incorporated into future plants and trees
5. 1 acre of hemp yields as much paper as 4 acres of trees in the same amount of time
6. the sulfur concentration needed to process hemp pulp into paper is MUCH less than that needed for tree pulp
7. Biofuel (or fuels derived from plant biomass) is derived from plant cellulose, which is why corn is a good candidate (relatively high cellulose)...hemp has the highest known average cellulose composition of any plant, upwards of 6X that of corn
8. In a horticultural sense, hemp is superior to cotton in terms of required pesticides, upkeep, rotation, and soil damage (This is why it’s called “weed”--it can grow in virtually any environment on earth!). In a textile sense, hemp has proven superiority to cotton in terms of potential softness, durability, thermal quality, and ventilation
9. the USDA owns some 90 million acres of vacant and arable land in the continental United States called the “Soil Bank”

What about pollution associated with biofuel combustion?

If we grew enough plants to ultimately satisfy our thirst for fuel, the sheer amount of photosynthesis would theoretically surpass that of pollution

What about algae for biofuel? After all, it is even easier to cultivate and convert to fuel...

Cannabis/marijuana/hemp is still the winner in an economic (and arguably environmental) sense; can we clothe the world in algae? Does algae reduce air pollution to the same extent? Can we make algae paper? Would “highly efficient” algae demand the creation of as many farming jobs? Finally, can you get high off algae and tax it as a legal intoxicant?

Did you know that non-biodegradable plastics and polymers are also from petroleum and could instead be made by natural hemp cellulose, just like with fuel (=implications in the plastic industry)? That the hempseed is one of the highest known sources of crucial Omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids (=implications in the food industry)? That oil from cannabis (due to the three omega’s) actually penetrates and hydrates human skin whereas modern toiletries and cosmetics at large merely coat the skin(=implications in the cosmetics industry)?

Some sociopolitical things to ponder...

The US jails proportionately more of its own citizens than any other country in the world. Roughly 70% of those are there solely on drug charges, the majority of which are from marijuana. In essence, we pay tax money to support institutions that often mentally and physically devolve “criminals” into even less productive and therefore more costly citizens if/when released; we pay money to lose money. If decriminalized or legalized, more law enforcement resources would go toward violent crime and we’d be paying less tax money to do a better job at containing the particularly harmful criminals.

Not only do our marijuana laws affect us domestically, but there are severe foreign implications as well. To finish my rant, our marijuana laws hurt other countries (namely Mexico) which in turn hurt us. The best way I can describe the situation is by recapping a conversation I had with my friend Greg last week...

Me: If we regulated or decriminalized or legalized marijuana, significant funding of the cartel-infused Mexican government would be eliminated and the crime problem in Mexico (and the crime that spills over here i.e. kidnapping) would be assuaged. By eliminating or reducing government corruption in Mexico, we would also be reducing a driving force behind illegal immigration (they wouldn’t need to immigrate in the first place if our laws didn’t inherently support the black markets that fund their corrupt government).

Greg: Yeah, but it would be easier if we just sent some troops down there to kick some ass and enforce legitimacy and democracy. It would take too long for us to change laws and let the change slowly happen.

Me: But why do we fund these cartels in the first place?

Greg: Because Americans love weed.

Me: Won’t they still want it after the cartels who supply it are gone?

Greg: Sure, they’ll just find it somewhere else or grow even more here.

Me: But marijuana would still be illegal, so--given the fact that drug demand is inelastic and that the rest of the supply would be moved to the US if we cut off foreign suppliers--crime rates would drastically rise in the United States.

Greg: So we’d legalize it and the criminals wouldn’t have the chance to grow from it.

Me: So why don’t we skip all that crap before and legalize it to begin with, like I said?

Greg: Oh.

Basically y’all, prohibition is ignorant and regulation is realistic. Like communism, prohibition works only in theory; it fails in practice because it clashes with human nature, the laws of supply and demand.