Hoping for a Sustainable Future,

New Entry Summer Class!

Just the thing for those summer kids. This is what I'm going to be recommending: Spend summer vacation growing food. Importance of concept? Eliot Coleman: "Rediscovering the immutable value of the small farm, is the first step towards a new agriculture for the 21st century, and possibly a new world of the Twenty-first century".

http://visitor.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=0019SXlHaK_7KBmIKld14YayA%3D%3D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaDEBFq5HWI Try growing in Winter? email McKenzie Boehoelder, mboekholder@comteam.org

Considered ag!

*Check back soon to find information from the workshop, and on the next NewEntry project!

Much thanks the the New Entry (twitter, Facebook follow?) team for the fantastic workshop this Thursday! McKenzie Boehelder successfully convinced me and 11 other students, a professor and community members from around Boston that farming is the way to go!

Did you know.. :

1 Acre of Hoophouse farms growing greens for local markets can gross $400,000 a year?

2 The average age of a farmer in the US is 57 years old?

3 Local farming creates more jobs, and grosses more revenue, even at a smaller scale?

Local food is "multi-tiered": it takes everyone growing a part and participating in a small scale to make it work. To be successful at it, you must work creatively, be passionate about what you do, be resilient and able to work hard long hours and weeks! But who doesn't want a full-time job? If you're not settled, consider $7,000 to buy or lease a 2-acre CSA farm.If you're settled, consider ag in small ways like backyard gardening (a little more work to establish than you think it will be) or growing potted plants.

During our workshop, we went over the time commitment of farming at different scales, expected income and budgeting for costs (seed around $200, and you want to buy a rototill),markets, and how to find more formal training-- which in short doesn't really exist. In order to fully educate our new farmers, means must be unconventional: a two-season apprenticeship will work! 

How much does it take to feed a family of four? One acre, according to Barbara Kingsolver.

Here are the notes from the workshop:

I. Some resource options that came up at Explore Farming! ;)
http://nofamass.org/ ;The Northeast Organic Farmers Association for Massachusetts. There are Organic farmers coalitions for other states, but this is ours. 
http://attra.org/ Attra has got to be the best farm extension resource online right now (other than the forums?). Just ask anyone who's been there.
http://nesfp.org/The New Entry Sustainable Farm Project. Designed for low-income interested in the Northeast, farmers who are already farming, and students who've just graduated or are interested in helping out. The next step after this workshop we hosted= Farm Business planning in the fall.

<Hint: If you want to start a garden and think you have a space that's good for it: get the soil tested! A land grant university or the New England Small Farm Institute (nesfi.org) will do the trick!>

II. Farmers to youtube:
Joel Salatin - mobile chicken tractor and open-air processing
Eliot Coleman - "the farm that won't run out" in Maine!

Organic Small Grains from Attra: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5k6gKSJiJk

III. Misc:
- Explore synergies, plant combinations, and new markets.
- 1 Hoophouse can produce all year round, $3000 unheated greenhouse you can build yourself.
- OGreenhouse @ BU should grow a year-round winter greens mix "salad bar": Alistar mash, spinach, tie (sp?) varieties from Johnnie's seed catalog.
- Next event: Helping McKenzie with her garden at the Fens, Sat April 24th (Earth day Sat).
- Next event at OGC: Potluck this next Thursday! Bring something! 

Peace, happy spring #agchat #foodchat #gardening at BU Oberlin, OH, Rooftop or a backyard near you!
-EM

Newentry on facebook (100 members!):
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=105352129232

Register for the next Explore Farming!:  http://nesfp.nutrition.tufts.edu/training/explorefarm.html

Twitter: http://twitter.com/

#Foodchat #Agchat

Partial harvest from this day's work. 3/17

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jan/31/food-industry-environment

http://edibleintelligence.blogspot.com/

http://eddiemill.wordpress.com/

http://delicious.com/lovemytacobell

http://causematters.wordpress.com/ag-social-media/

Anyone want to share recipes on #foodchat?

--back to twitter?

--create your own microblog at http://typepad.com/micro

Ag & Social Media « Gate to Plate ft. Michele Payn-Knoper

Why should agriculture care about social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube?  It’s really quite simple.  Because the rest of the universe does and there certainly is a face being put on the agrifood business.  If you’re not at the table, you can’t be a part of constructing that face – nor can you counter the misinformation campaigns.  My research clearly shows HSUS, PETA, Sierra Club, Greenpeace and other activists working against ag are growing their communities nearly 40-fold in a year’s time. I believe we have a responsibility to provide perspective to counter the misinformation and be a voice in the conversation.

via causematters.wordpress.com

Like ag and social media? This site's just for you, check out Cause Matters blog or on Facebook.

Weekly #foodchat and #agchat 's are not to miss. Always find the coolest things online. Every Tuesday, 8-10EST.

#Interesting:

The "Deep Web" is sites that the search engine crawlers don't go into: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-search-engines-explore-deep-invisible-web/

Dune, Arrakis, the Desert Planet

Overview

Dune is a series started by Frank Herbert, over twenty years ago. After the original three, it trailed off into a journey of feuding houses that lasted 7 sequels. The series is now revitalized with "Winds of Dune," by Herbert's son. Full of mystery, intrigue, and treachery, it's a thrilling read. For a synopsis of the book, I found a fellow blogger on AC: my analysis will work out the relevance of Dune, Arrakis, and the quest for more money.

Commentary

Reading dune, winds of dune is not just about how a galaxy could be run and organized. It's about the  power interplays between noble families. Status, respect, and jihad might actually be what rules the universe. It's such an effort in the hypothetical, that although my vision might differ from those who made the 1984 movie interpretation, the universe WOULD swing in big and predictable ways. Paul "Muad Dib" Atriedes is a great character, who visions and controls it's motions. The coolest editorial part is the blue eyes!

 

more incoming: Love, Nobility, TV..

Resources for Oberlin

Great, so you're interested in starting a garden, eh? Here's to life!

I've found some of the map here around Oberlin that's going to support anyone to start. (Every locality has a farmer support network of resources information, land/funds/seeds, tools and people) these are the ones for Oberlin. FYI. All the contact info you need is here. 

Resources for Oberlin	Role	Direction
David Miller	Land	David.h.miller@oberlin.net
Zion	Land	Noremberg, Severs, Wright
Gardening with Jerry?	Land	??
George Jones Farm	Soil Amenities	44333 E. Lorain St. Oberlin
East Oberlin Nursery	Seeds	43974 State Route 511, 775-2151
Watson’s Hardware	Seeds	775-1731
Green Side Up (Locke's)	Trees and ornamentals	http://bit.ly/d4uuW2
Green Circle Growers, Inc	Seeds and starts	51051 US Hwy 20, greencirclegrowers.com
OGROW	Partnerships
City Council Clerk’s Office	Funding and information	775-1531; 775-1751
The New Agrarian Center	Food Policy and Perma	http://gotthenac.org
Ohio State Extension Office	Gardening and Compost	42110 Russia Road
COLLEGE Gardening	Labor!	Contact glenngall@gmail.com

My workshop today is on the basics of home gardening, community gardening, compost, organic farming, and carbon regenerative agriculture. These components (plus forestry?) = the keystone of agriculture in Oberlin, OH. Oberlin Public Library, 2:00.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=342235862636

Powerpoint from today. Download Explore Agriculture!.ppt

The Cleveland 'Dealer

Plants native to Northeast Ohio can improve the health of your garden

By Debbi Snook, The Plain Dealer

http://www.cleveland.com/insideout/index.ssf/2010/03/native_plants_thrive_in_northe.html

Foamflower- Virginia Spiderwort - Purple Coneflower - Black-Eyed Susan - Directions inside!

Our Ohio- Grow and Know!

Farming on Five to Fifty 
April 17 – Malabar Farm | Lucas

If you’ve got a few extra acres, but you’re not really sure what to do with it, attend this Grow & Know Day for several ideas!  The sessions are designed to help you in growing your own food – for you, your family and friends. 

http://ourohio.org/resources/grow-and-know/farming-on-five-to-fifty/

Follow them on http://twitter.com/OurOhio, http://www.facebook.com/OurOhio?ref=ts or get the magazine? Buying local directory, events and more on the website http://ourohio.org/

Cleveland MetroParks Buys Land

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Metroparks commissioners are expected to complete the purchase of 62 acres in North Royalton, protecting nearly a half-mile of the Rocky River's east branch.

The acquisition, to be approved today, means another addition to the 22,000-acre Emerald Necklace. The new land purchase is the first of eight, totaling 168 acres, that are expected to be made this year at a cost of $2.6 million.

The parks system already owns land bordering 30 miles of the Rocky River, the longest single stretch of publicly held river habitat in the state.

--There's a map and more details at link, have you ever been to the Mill Streams Run reservation?

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/03/cleveland_metroparks_adds_62_a.html

Guerrilla Gardening LA Article

This story is sort-of a sensation, I even found it covered in my Midwest Airlines magazine! They meet late at night and all bring seeds of perennial plants to public places. Once you have a location and interest in caretaking it, you're halfway set..

    "Scott is a guerrilla gardener, a member of a burgeoning movement of green enthusiasts who plant without approval on land that's not theirs. In London, Berlin, Miami, San Francisco and Southern California, these free-range tillers are sowing a new kind of flower power. In nighttime planting parties or solo "seed bombing" runs, they aim to turn neglected public space and vacant lots into floral or food outposts..."

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/may/29/home/hm-guerrilla29

I found their website of the group, http://www.laguerrillagardening.org/

Oscars

Avatar wins three Oscars - did not win best picture, The Hurt Locker did. Did anyone see Hurt Locker? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GxSDZc8etg

The Cove wins best documentary, highlighting the lighter aspects of food. Since it's about Japanese dolphin fishing, the food community will forgive it for beating Food, Inc. I still prefer FRESH, Food Fight, The End of the Line, King Korn, Supersize Me. All #ProFood. All informative. (via @JamButter)

Up won music and featured animated film - deserves it

Shortest summary of the Oscars this year: ! > $

The list of winners summarized on the Avatar site: http://bit.ly/bh0RgB , best place's far's I can tell or on ABC at http://oscar.go.com/oscar-night/winners. On twitter: hashtag #oscars

Peace!

yawwwwn

yawwwwn

contented chewing sounds