tagged w/ Sustainable Agriculture
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Finally, we get to the wily turnip root. When you've done all you can with the leafy tops, which don't keep very well, it's time to turn to the roots, which might very well have been around for months in cold storage. Or, in my case, on the stoop outside.Finally, we get to the wily turnip root. When you've done all you can with the... more
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Do you ever stop to think about where your food comes from? This World Food Day, FairFood International's new video campaign ‘Face Your Food’ brings together a global online community to fight for a more sustainable food industry. Be sure to visit the campaign on Facebook and share info on Twitter using the hashtag: #FaceYourFood.Do you ever stop to think about where your food comes from? This World Food Day,... more
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A new city is being developed in the desert on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, Masdar City will be the first zero carbon, zero waste city, investing in a range of new energy technologies, that will be a model for the world.A new city is being developed in the desert on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, Masdar City... more
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Ryan Farr couldn’t find his ribs. Basically an entire side of beef — grass-fed and dry-aged Highland beef courtesy of Long Meadow Ranch — either hadn’t arrived or had gone missing. Farr, of 4505 Meats, was preparing to demonstrate long-rib butchering at Primal Napa (the double meaning of the name refers to the obvious as well as the primal cuts, which comprise every animal), a day-long celebration of open fire cooking, sustainable meat production, whole-animal utilization, and bacon. A ridiculous amount of bacon.
http://thebutcherblog.com/playing-with-fire-primal-cooking-in-napa/Ryan Farr couldn’t find his ribs. Basically an entire side of beef —... more
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Is this happening in your Locale? Find out at www.KYF2.com
"Is the produce you buy at your local farmers’ market really grown locally?"
"A surprising investigation by the local NBC affiliate in Los Angeles discovered several examples of false claims at various Southern California farmers’ markets, including a vendor who purchased boxes of produce from wholesale produce warehouses, including items grown on big commercial farms as far away as Mexico."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39319593/ns/local_news-los_angeles_ca
KYF2.comIs this happening in your Locale? Find out at www.KYF2.com
"Is the produce... more
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By Sarah Laskow, Media Consortium Blogger
Maybe it’s time for environmentalists prioritize do-it-yourself climate fixes instead of looking to politicians. There are all sorts of options, including, for those dedicated enough, switching to an insect-based diet, as Change.org reports.
But in the private sector, inventors, corporations, and small businesses — farmers in particular — are finding more palatable ways to scale down their environmental impact. In short, politicians aren’t the only ones with the power to make high-profile statements and strong choices on climate change.
No solar on the White House
Environmental crusader Bill McKibben had already given up on Congress; now the White House has disappointed, too. McKibben and other leaders in the climate change movement are eschewing lobbying on legislation in favor of pushing for more visible, direct action on climate issues. To that end, McKibben, along with three students, asked the White House last week to reinstall one of Jimmy Carter’s solar panels on the roof. The answer was no.
McKibben describes the Obama administration’s response to his request as “uncool…Asked to do something easy and symbolic to rekindle a little of the joy that had turned out so many of us as volunteers for Obama in 2008, they point blank said no,” according to Truthout.
The administration officials that they met with, though, wanted to make sure that the climate activists knew something was being done to improve the country’s environment. They touted the president’s initiative to green the federal government—federal buildings in particular. One official, McKibben says, spoke more than once about a Portland, Ore., building that would soon have a “green curtain,” likely a hanging garden.
It’s not that McKibben disapproved. “Actually, it’s kind of great,” he wrote. “Still, I doubt many people are going to build their own vegetated fins.”
The talking cure
That’s the ultimate question: What will people build on their own? Solar panels could be one answer, although they haven’t quite caught on yet. There are all sorts of technologies, though, that could help us minimize our carbon footprint. Grist’s Ashley Braun checks out one new idea: drawing energy from sound waves:
Using that standby found in sunscreen, zinc oxide, to turn sound waves into electricity, these scientists have heard the bells of success starting to ring in their ears. Similar to other technologies aimed at harvesting energy from walking or dancing, this concept could also turn the roar of traffic into the hum of low-carbon electrons. How sweet the sound of renewable energy.
Scientists are considering using this technology in cell phones, creating, ideally, a device that would never have be plugged in, assuming, of course, that its owner used it frequently enough, and used it as a phone, rather than an e-mail/web-surfing/GPS device.
Go private?
Another option for climate reformers could be focusing on the private sector. Corporations have gotten the message that consumers buy green products, and more are churning out sustainable, climate-friendly offerings.
Care2’s Emily Logan points to Nestle, eBay, and Sunny D as three companies that have heard the green gospel. Nestle is investing in sustainable coffee; eBay is pushing out reusable shipping boxes; and Sunny D, the beverage company, met its zero-waste goal three years ahead of schedule.
“Of course, like most large corporations who are making efforts toward sustainability, some of these companies have a long way to go,” Logan writes. “But giving credit where credit is due is increasingly important when it comes to the environment.”
You are what you eat
The farm sector is one private industry that deserves more scrutiny and pressure. Recall that agriculture interests ran one of the most successful campaigns to be exempted from the cap-and-trade bill, when it was working its way through the House. Even among liberals, the industry has its defenders: local, sustainable agriculture just won’t work to feed the masses, the argument goes.
The problem with that line of reasoning is that we still haven’t seen how large sustainable farms can grow. Take Joel Salatin, the crusading farmer made famous by Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Salatin has been running a successful operation, Polyface Farm, for years while relying on organic and sustainable methods. As David E. Gumport reports at Chelsea Green, Salatin’s farm has only grown:
Standing in front of a group of about 50 romping pigs, [Salatin] proudly revealed that Polyface has hit the the $2 million annual sales level, while sticking to Salatin’s policy of not shipping food outside a 100-mile radius. The effect, he says, has been to strengthen local businesses–everything from a local breakfast diner serving visitors to his farm to local feed and supply companies.
Salatin is convinced his methods can be used to feed the entire population. What’s certain is that there is room for more of this sort of growth in the agricultural system.
Here, too, would-be reformers run back into politicians: Salatin’s food safety practices are not exactly FDA-approved, and to reseed his methods elsewhere, the government would need to relax safety standards for smaller, alternatives operations.
But for now, this sort of effort, and others outside of Washington seem to be making the largest impact.
This post features links to the best independent, progressive reporting about the environment by members of The Media Consortium. It is free to reprint. Visit the Mulch for a complete list of articles on environmental issues, or follow us on Twitter. And for the best progressive reporting on critical economy, health care and immigration issues, check out The Audit, The Pulse, and The Diaspora. This is a project of The Media Consortium, a network of leading independent media outlets.By Sarah Laskow, Media Consortium Blogger
Maybe it’s time for... more
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Mission Pie is an organic bakery and neighborhood café in the Mission District of San Francisco. They make savory and sweet pies all year round using fresh, seasonal ingredients. By forming strategic partnerships with local farms like Pie Ranch, they can source large quantities of produce and even organic wheat. Mission Pie also collaborates with local youth advocacy organizations to provide a positive work environment to disadvantaged teenagers in the San Francisco area.
For more information, please visit: http://www.missionpie.com/
Video produced by Dorothée Royal-Hedinger and Mark Andrew Boyer
Music by Latché Swing
For more videos, watch: http://www.OrganicNation.tvMission Pie is an organic bakery and neighborhood café in the Mission District... more
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The financially transparent open collaborative approach to social enterprise the Campus TV is founded upon extends to its second physical location.
The Earthship Florida property is located in Manatee County, about a 15 minute drive from Sarasota.
The 10 acre site will be home to a number of educational and sustainable business models. The evolution of this project is the subject of this show on the Campus TV.
You are invited to PARTICIPATE if you have ideas to contribute. ALL money invested and earned will be reported on the show with full financial transparency - specifically the value of "outside" contributions.
We represent a new way of doing business. We believe most of the current problems we face can be addressed by financially transparent social enterprise. We enable new innovative ideas to get commercialized by plugging into real world ongoing projects - eliminating the need for traditional venture capital.
Interested?
www.facebook.com/thecampusTV
www.facebook.com/earthship.florida
thecampustv@gmail.comThe financially transparent open collaborative approach to social enterprise the... more
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The best video for why consumers need to join the family farmers' fight now:
“We’re not big, we know we are small...we are David...and there is an army of Goliaths against us.” - Neil Young
http://www.ourlocale.com/video/farm-aid-neil-young-powerfulThe best video for why consumers need to join the family farmers' fight now:... more
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Please buzz this up so we can get a large number of responses.
Please VOTE. Do you want to know your farmer?
How much more would you pay to know your farmer?
Nothing 3.8% (2 votes)
1-5% 15.4% (8 votes)
6-10% 42.3% (22 votes)
11-15% 25% (13 votes)
May I see a picture of my farmer before answering? 13.5% (7 votes)
Total Votes: 52
If you want to vote go to http://www.ourlocale.com
http://www.ourlocale.com/photo/support-locale-farms?context=featuredPlease buzz this up so we can get a large number of responses.
Please VOTE. Do... more
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A city that produces at least some of the food that its people eat will be better able to withstand changes and breakdowns in global food supply, according to post-doctoral researcher Tara Moreau.A city that produces at least some of the food that its people eat will be better able... more
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Kurt Nimmo at infowars. June 25, 2010.
"Yobie Benjamin writing for The San Francisco Chronicle, is reporting what nobody else in the corporate media is reporting — a mysterious disease has stricken crops in Mississippi and it may be connected to the BP oil gusher. “It seems like damage brought by the oil gusher has spread way beyond the ocean, coastal areas and beaches. Collateral damage now appears to include agricultural damage way inland Mississippi,” writes Benjamin. The disease has caused widespread damage to plants from weeds to farmed organic and conventionally grown crops.
Benjamin believes the disease is the result of BP spraying the oil dispersant Corexit 9500 in the Gulf of Mexico. Corexit 9500 is believed to be responsible for widespread reports of oil cleanup crews reporting various injuries including respiratory distress, dizziness and headaches.
“Dispersants have never been applied on this scale, leaving environmental scientists guessing about the consequences. Corexit may have caused seven cleanup workers to be admitted to the hospital with shortness of breath and nausea,” reports Popular Science.
"Many have focused their concerns about Corexit… on what it’s doing under the water. But as we know, the oceans are part of a larger precipitation cycle, and scientists are worried that soon the consequences of using dispersants could be falling from the sky,” writes Beth Buczynski for Care2, an environmental website.
The EPA asked BP to stop using Corexit, which is banned in 18 countries due to its toxicity, but the oil transnational has refused."Kurt Nimmo at infowars. June 25, 2010.
"Yobie Benjamin writing for The San... more
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The Real Truth About BP and What is Happening in the Gulf
Kurt Nimmo
Infowars.com
June 26, 2010
BP is engaged in criminal negligence. It only pretends to clean-up its mess when government officials arrive for photo-ops. BP and its employees have given more than $3.5 million to federal candidates over the past 20 years, with the largest chunk of their money going to Obama.
(VIDEO) The Real Truth About the BP Oil Spill and What is “Gulf of Mexico Syndrome”…Plus Shocking (NASA VIDEO)...http://ctpatriot1970.wordpress.com/2010/06/27/nasa-video-the-real-truth-about-the-bp-oil-spill-and-what-is-gulf-of-mexico-syndrome/
Small people. Expendable people. The woman in this video tells us what is really happening in Louisiana. BP, Obama, and Congress — all beholden to large corporations and bankers — are sacrificing thousand of people and keeping it hidden.The Real Truth About BP and What is Happening in the Gulf
Kurt Nimmo... more
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Our Locale is a social networking site dedicated to Local food run by 100% Volunteers. State administrators still needed in 43 states. One or two hours commitment per month max. The picture of of a cell phone that you can use to scan food items to check if they are local.
All are Welcome to join us.
http://www.ourlocale.comOur Locale is a social networking site dedicated to Local food run by 100% Volunteers.... more
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A revealing article about the status of agriculture in Guatemala, and the potential for change. Written by the founder of a sustainable agriculture NGO. http://bit.ly/cKvecF moreA revealing article about the status of agriculture in Guatemala, and the potential... more
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While producing a video about SAME Café, the pay-what-you-can restaurant on Denver's Northwest Side, co-owner Libby Birky suggested that we check out Granata Farms, which provides a lot of the fresh, organic vegetables served at SAME Café. So while we were in Denver, we met up with Elaine Granata at her one-acre plot on Clarkson Street.
Elaine told us that she started the urban farm, which is made up of three city plots in different locations, after she lost her own farm in the country. Remarkably, she runs the farm by herself, growing a diverse mix of greens, herbs, tomatoes, beans and squash. She sells her produce to multiple restaurants in Denver as well as her fourteen-member CSA.
Elaine uses organic farming techniques, including mulching and fabric row covers, and does not use any chemicals on her plants. She's considering applying for organic certification next year.
Urban farming hasn't come without it's challenges. Elaine deals with vandalism in her plots; recently she's had her wheelbarrow stolen and her carrots dug up. But she's optimistic about the renewed interest in organic farming among city dwellers and hopes to continue her work for a long time to come.While producing a video about SAME Café, the pay-what-you-can restaurant on... more
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