Permaculture the Pioneer Valley

Permaculture at UMass Amherst

2010-10-13T11:03:00.002-04:00

This is a blog entry from the UMass Amherst Permaculture Blog. I would strongly recommend following this blog, which takes you on a journey from the perspective of 9 individuals, whose job is to create one of the first student led permaculture gardens on a major university campus in the country. A link to the blog site can be found here: http://UMassPermaculture.wordpress.com

You'll like this, I promise!

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Dear Eco-Conscious Reader,

Welcome to the University of Massachusetts Amherst permaculture blog site. My name is Ryan Harb and I was recently hired as the Auxiliary Services Sustainabilty Specialist at UMass Amherst. In September, 2010, eight passionate and hard-working students were selected to serve on the UMass Permaculture Planning Committee. Together, the nine of us have quite the story to tell you.

Our job is considerable: to implement one of the first permaculture gardens on a public university campus in the country. UMass Amherst fully supports and funds this project as it is part of the campus-wide sustainability initiative to raise awareness about a more holistic and ecologically conscious way of growing food.

The Franklin Dining Common Permaculture Garden will supply UMass Amherst Auxiliary Services with fresh, local and organic produce to serve to its students. Please read on to learn how students, outside volunteers, and the campus community transform a conventional, unproductive grass lawn into a highly progressive, aesthetically pleasing, and socially responsible garden directly on campus.

What is Permaculture?

Permaculture is a merger of the words permanent and agriculture and was created to mitigate environmental degradation while helping to solve issues associated with modern agriculture. Its approach is simple: to restore ecosystem health by mimicking natural processes. Permaculture gardens are ecologically designed, require minimal maintenance, and provide an abundance of food and resources. The principles of permaculture include observing patterns in nature, catching and storing energy, using renewable resources, producing no waste, and valuing diversity. These principles can be applied to economic systems, land access strategies, and legal systems for businesses and communities. UMass Amherst, in its commitment to sustainability, has adopted permaculture strategies to provide food and education for the campus community.

Read more about permaculture here in a more recent blog entry.

Project History:

The Franklin Permaculture Garden was first conceived in the fall of 2009 by a group of students in Dr. John Gerber's Sustainable Agriculture class. The lawn adjacent to Franklin Dining Common was chosen with the intention of producing food for UMass Auxiliary Services. After much planning and numerous meetings with administrators, the project was given the green light.

Then something unfortunate happened. The project was halted when news arose of a proposed temporary parking lot on the exact site of the garden. Students voiced their concerns that this would delay the permaculture project for years and adversely affect the UMass Amherst Sustainability Initiative. The permaculture garden seemed defeated.

Fortunately, the administration listened to student concerns. The project regained some momentum during the Spring 2010 semester when the proposed parking lot fell through. Ken Toong, Director of Auxiliary Services, began talking with Ryan Harb, a certified permaculture designer and M.S. in Green Building, about overseeing the project that Dr. Gerber's students had proposed. Ryan had recently transformed his Amherst lawn into a yard-sized permaculture garden for his graduate thesis project. His "yarden" served as a model for what the Franklin Garden could be.

In the fall of 2010, Ryan was hired for the job and began interviewing for a committee of eight students with the determination and inspiration to assist him with the project. Thus began the UMass Permaculture Planning Committee and the Franklin Permaculture Garden.

What's Coming Next?

We, the UMass Permaculture Planning Committee, are responsible for transforming the ¼ acre grass landscape into a highly productive and low maintenance garden using no fossil fuels on-site. During October and November 2010, we will be moving over 100,000 pounds of organic matter by hand, with help from many other students and community volunteers.

We will hold educational permaculture workshops for the surrounding community throughout the year, and will partner with organizations such as Big Brother Big Sisters and G.A.A.P.E (Global Action Against Poverty Everywhere) to inspire future generations about the need for sustainability.

Subscribe to our blog! We will be posting twice weekly throughout the year with pictures, stories and video footage to document our progress.

Thanks for reading!
-The UMass Amherst Permaculture Planning Committee

Contact:

Ryan Harb
Auxiliary Services Sustainability Specialist
University of Massachusetts Amherst

• Email: UMassPermaculture@gmail.com
• Phone: (978) 314-1176

Facebook: http://groups.to/UMassPermaculture
Blog: http://UMassPermaculture.wordpress.com

Amherst Man turns Car into Permaculture Garden

2010-10-13T08:23:00.006-04:00

Today, I opened my backseat and surprisingly saw something green. It looked like sprouts, but I had just vacuumed my car. Something must gotten attached to my bag earlier in the day, I thought. Upon closer examination, I noticed it had roots.

Background:

All summer I had been hauling 5 gallon buckets of wood chips, cardboard, and compost in my car, as I was in the midst of 4 separate permaculture garden projects. Needless to say, some of the compost and wood chips spilled on my floor, in my seats, etc.

About 4 weeks ago, I transported some buckwheat seeds in my car, to my garden at 3 Willow Lane in Amherst, Massachusetts. Can you guess where this is going?

Now:

Apparently some of the compost had found its way down in my backseat seat-belt-buckle. Apparently some of the buckwheat seed had also found its way down there. Some moisture, perhaps from the hot days and cool nights we've been experiencing lately, added to form the perfect storm.

I now have buckwheat growing out of my backseat seat belt buckle!

Thank you for reading,
Ryan

Amherst man turns yard into permaculture garden

2010-09-23T00:55:00.011-04:00

I haven't posted in quite a while. Here is an article that came out today, Thursday, September 23, 2010 in the Daily Hampshire Gazette. The current project I'm working on is one of the first highly visible permaculture gardens being implemented on a mainstream college campus - The University of Massachusetts Amherst. It will be co-designed by students. The article below briefly mentions this project. Stay tuned for more updates!

-Ryan

Link to article here, but may not work without a login account: http://www.gazettenet.com/2010/09/23/amherst-man-turns-yard-permaculture-garden?SESS0078d2a1ada0ce5504905f43d3918cce=gnews

Amherst man turns yard into permaculture garden

By CHERYL B. WILSON
Gazette Contributing Writer

As with all organic gardening, permaculture starts with the soil. But it goes far beyond just eschewing pesticides and building a compost pile.

"Permaculture is an ecological design system that involves edible perennial landscaping," said Ryan Harb, the first green building graduate of the University of Massachusetts, who has transformed his Amherst front yard into a beautiful garden of edibles.

"There is no one definition of permaculture," he added. The concept is meant to minimize effort and concentrate on a low-maintenance system.

Harb taught a course in permaculture at UMass as part of his graduate program. He needed a master's thesis project in the green building program and decided that a garden in his front yard was his best bet.

"My project had to be something big. It had to be something that would get people talking," he said. "Most of all it had to be educational, something that people would actually want to learn about which would benefit both the individual and the planet as a whole."

A year ago Harb and his friends sheet mulched his front yard, about 6,000 square feet that was previously lawn.

"We mowed the grass very short and then took digging forks and aerated it," he said.

Next they amended the soil, following the dictates of a soil test from UMass, adding needed minerals. Finally they covered the area with good compost.

"It was grass, white powder, then black compost, 3 inches deep," he said. Cardboard then covered the entire area and was itself covered with wood chips.

Five months later, in the spring, there was incredibly deep soil ready to plant. However, Harb and his friends knew they couldn't quickly maintain a 6,000-square-foot garden, so they laid out garden beds edged with sapling logs accompanied by wood chip pathways. Half of the beds were seeded with white clover, a nitrogen-fixing legume that builds up the soil.

They kept costs down by applying for grants, begging for free compost and wood chips and bartering for perennial plants from Tripple Brook Farm in Southampton, Sirius Community in Shutesbury and Eric Toensmeier in Holyoke.

They planted several hazelnut bushes plus a pawpaw tree and beach plums along the street (because they tolerate salt), Nanking cherry and two very small peach trees. Some of these form focal points at the axis of the beds and paths in a simple landscape design.

They also planted perennial vegetables like arugula and kale and five kinds of alliums (onions): chives, Chinese chives, walking onion, wild leeks and regular onion. All of the perennials did well, Harb reported.

Among the annual vegetables that thrive were the heat-loving cucumbers and squash. They have a nice crop of pumpkins and cherry tomatoes that flourished. Fava beans, an unusual crop suggested by Llani Davidson of the Sirius Community, were great, Harb said. They ate them cooked and raw. The only vegetable that didn't do well was potatoes, he admitted. The dread potato beetles just couldn't be controlled with the compost tea with which he drenched them.

Harb was away much of the summer, but his tenant, Alex Kermond, kept the garden going, watering frequently during the drought. When Harb taught a permaculture course at the Sirius Community early in the summer the class made a field trip to his garden and spent an hour weeding.

Harb bought his seeds from Fedco, an organic company in Maine. "We spent $100. It was like a Christmas present," Harb said with a laugh.

Soon they will be pulling up the annual plants and composting them. Then they will put down a cover crop, either winter rye or buckwheat. Each year they will add more compost. They have applied for an innovation grant from the Timothy Harkness Innovation Program at Hampshire College.

"We call our project Yardening, replacing a yard with a garden," Harb said. Next spring they will plant more fruit trees and bushes and continue to build up the soil.

Harb is renting his house to four UMass students, most of the them in the university's plant, soil and insect science department and one in the landscape architecture program. All of the students took his permaculture course last year.

Meanwhile, Harb is working on a new project at UMass - a permaculture vegetable garden outside Franklin Dining Commons, which will feed some of the UMass students.

"It's in the very, very, very beginning stages," he cautioned.

In October Harb and his friends plan to sheet mulch a 10,000-square-foot area on the west side of the dining commons. In the spring they will plant crops, salad items and herbs close to the building so the chefs can step outside and harvest them for cooking.

"The whole idea is opening eyes up to having a designed landscape to be useful as well as ornamental," Harb explained.

"Someday I envision people walking down a street and reaching up to pick an apple or a peach right off the tree," he said.

Cheryl Wilson can be reached at valleygardens@comcast.net

JERREY ROBERTS

Harb inspects the squash in his permaculture garden in Amherst.

JERREY ROBERTS

Ryan Harb in his garden at 3 Willow Lane.

JERREY ROBERTS

Clover growing in Harb's garden. Harb said he likes using clover as a ground cover because it helps improve the soil.

Summer Updates

2010-06-22T22:59:00.003-04:00

Greetings all,

The garden is in full-swing and I am now officially moved out of 3 Willow Lane. The goal of the project was to create an ideal living situation for environmentally conscious college students in Amherst, MA. The house is now on it's way to being the model sustainable and educational residence that I envision. Lot's of side projects are going on including energy efficient measures (tightening the building envelope), and permaculture activities like shiitake mushroom log inoculation, backyard composting and indoor vermicomposting, rainwater catchment, and the highlight of it all - an entire yard edible forest garden (yarden).

Currently I am at Sirius Community in Shutesbury, Massachusetts. For the next 3 weeks I will be finishing co-teaching a course called Sustainable Design and Construction. 16 students from around the country have traveled to western Massachusetts to learn about green and natural building and participate in hands-on activities related to building environmentally beneficial structures. We are thinking beyond sustainability in this course and focusing our efforts on regenerating the global ecosystem that we are all a part of.

The planet is dealing with a lot of abuse right now - and a lot of it is directly related to how humans are living (but not all - mostly it stems from the lifestyles that people in "developed" countries are living). We are having some incredible discussions in this SDC course, which is set up by Living Routes - a non-profit organization that focuses on sending students abroad to ecovillages to learn about sustainability.

If you want to follow our time here at Sirius and get a glimpse of what we are doing each day, there is a course blog set up which has the following description:

"USA 2010 - Sustainable Design and Construction Course Blog

A thoughtful account of student and faculty experiences at the USA 2010 Sustainable Design and Construction course at Sirius Community located in Shutesbury, Massachusetts. One student is asked to start blogging on Day 1 (June 20, 2010) and his/her experience is read on day 2 by another student - who will pick up the story where the previous student left off. This continues throughout the course and each student and faculty member will post at least once during the course (approximately 19 entries will be written between June 21 - July 11, 2010). Get ready to take a journey with the USA 2010 SDC Group - a story told by 19 individuals who will share experiences together for 3 weeks and live in community at the beautiful Sirius Ecovillage in scenic western Massachusetts."

Today's entry by Joe features pictures from a primitive shelter building exercise. Check it out if you get a chance http://bit.ly/d6IVCj

I might not be posting much again this summer due to a very busy schedule. I'm here at Sirius until July 11 then immediately head to Holmes, New York to begin working with teens and raising awareness about green building and permaculture at Omega Institute Teen Camp.

That's all for tonight. Good night everyone.
Ryan

[Part 2] Slideshow - June 5 - Permaculture Edible Forest Garden -

2010-06-06T10:43:00.002-04:00

[Slideshow] Transform Your Yard into a Permaculture Edible Forest Garden (Yarden)

2010-06-06T09:39:00.002-04:00

Permaculture Garden in Amherst, MA - May 28, 2010

2010-05-29T20:33:00.007-04:00

I've been slacking on the blog posts as of late. It's been a big transitionary period in my life and my attention has been spread thin, but I want to update you all on the status of the garden. Planting began in early April. The weather has been extremely cooperative this spring, aside from two violent but quick-to-pass wind/rain storms.

Observing the garden has been quite a lesson. Many things have worked better than I imagined they would. Many things didn't fare quite as well. I've made mistakes and learned heaps by undertaking this project - it started 9 months ago in September, 2009. Now, I'd like to share with you some pictures. I'll show a few before/afters because it's remarkable how much the ecosystem has shifted here at 3 Willow Lane. Whether or not this a positive transformation is up for you to decide.

April 2, 2010 - sheet mulching the remainder of our lawn. The goal: to make a pathway from the sidewalk of Willow Lane (Amherst, MA) that is inviting and encourages people to enter. It was intentionally shaped as a tree, with the wide base at the sidewalk and the branches opening up to different beds of the garden.

Fresh wood chips (about 3") were laid on top of one layer of corrugated cardboard for the pathways. The darker you see is a mixture of decomposted wood chips (raked from other beds of the garden (these chips decomposed during late fall - early spring) and compost, both atop of cardboard to prevent grass from taking over.

White clover was seeded into this mix of wood chips and compost and watered each day. This was about after 1 week of seeding. The white clover fixes nitrogen (which can be tied up due to the wood chips breaking down) and acts as a beautiful ground cover and place-holder until other plants are transplanted.

About 4 weeks later, the green clover carpet has formed quite nicely.

Here's how the tree path looks now.

Personally, I believe that yard transformations - Grass to Gardens - is great on so many levels. For one, it simply feels great harvesting from your own garden. Most people get a sense of pride, I certainly do, when they see plants that they've cared for are healthy and growing. Why fight nature (mowing your grass - it's a vicious cycle!) when you can be more connected to the micro-ecosystem in which you live.

Here we were in September, 2009.

And here we are now:

Edibles and beautiful flowers growing where grass was dominant just last fall.

Edible forest gardens - mimicking a forest ecosystem (think layers) and being intentional about species selection.

Salad bowl lettuce growing alongside fava beans. Both are doing excellent.

Potatoes on the left and favas on the right.

Lots of garlic...

... and chives!

The daisies are blooming.

And sweet williams flower is beginning to show its head. Stay tuned for more updates... and maybe even begin asking yourself "what else can my lawn be used for?"

I'll be working in the yarden all this week. If anyone in the Amherst area wants to come and help, we have a lot of fun projects going on. They are (including, but not limited to) building a rainwater catchment system, some bed prepping and planting, and digging out some beautiful and gigantic flat granite stones that have been grown over by grass since we bought the property 4 years ago! Hope to see some of you soon.

Peace,
Ryan

Update on Cape Wind Project!

2010-04-28T16:36:00.004-04:00

Today is a great day! I received a message from my friend, James Burns, telling me to check out the latest news about the Cape Wind Project which I was following very closely back in the fall, 2008.

Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the Cape Wind Project is approved by the Obama administration. This is BIG news considering the project was proposed TEN years ago...and more than 25 million dollars has been spent trying to get it built. On the other side, 25 million was spent trying to prevent it from being built. Check out the video of it being approved on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY87nknT_1Y

I researched and wrote about this project for my natural resource policy and social conflict course - I uploaded it for anyone who is interested in reading about the project's background:

http://umass.academia.edu/documents/0011/1604/Cape_Wind_Conflict.doc

Below is an article taken from Reuters talking about the approval. You'll be able to find lots of other links about this in the coming days. This puts a big smile on my face and is a really big step for clean renewable energy in the U.S.

Cape Wind, first U.S. offshore wind farm, approved

A power-generating windmill turbine operates in a wind farm on Backbone Mountain near Thomas, West Virginia August 28, 2006. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

A power-generating windmill turbine operates in a wind farm on Backbone Mountain near Thomas, West Virginia August 28, 2006.

Credit: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

BOSTON (Reuters) - The first U.S. offshore wind farm, a giant project 5 miles/8 km off the Massachusetts coast, was approved on Wednesday after years of opposition involving everyone from local Indian tribes to the Kennedy family.

U.S. | Green Business | COP15

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar gave the green light for the historic 130-turbine, 420-megawatt Cape Wind project in Horseshoe Shoal, Nantucket Sound, in what supporters considered a huge step forward for renewable energy in the United States.

"This project fits with the tradition of sustainable development in the area," Salazar said in Boston.

Although small in terms of its production -- the facility would produce enough electricity to power 400,000 houses -- its approval was encouraging to other offshore wind projects already proposed for the East Coast and Great Lakes.

The turbines, more than 400 feet high, will dot an area of about 24 square miles (62 square km), larger than Manhattan, and be visible low on the horizon from parts of Cape Cod. The site is tucked between the mainland of the cape and the islands of Martha's Vineyard, an exclusive celebrity vacation destination, and Nantucket.

German conglomerate Siemens AG will provide the turbines. Construction is expected to begin before the end of the year, said Jim Gordon, president of Cape Wind Associates. Power generation could begin by 2012.

The decision to approve Cape Wind, subject to certain conditions designed to protect offshore waters from damage and reduce visibility, is expected to face legal challenges, but Salazar said he was confident the approval would stand.

Supporters say wind farms represent a giant push for renewable energy efforts and reducing dependence on foreign oil, and fit well with the Obama administration's strategy.

"Greenpeace has been campaigning to get the Cape Wind project built for nearly a decade, and today's victory is worth celebrating. It is long overdue," said Kert Davies, research director at the environmental group.

YEARS OF REVIEW

Cape Wind was subject to years of environmental review and political maneuvering, including adamant opposition from the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, whose six-acre (2.4 hectare) family compound in Hyannis Port overlooks Nantucket Sound.

A final ruling was near in 2009, but delayed again after two Wampanoag Indian tribes complained that the giant turbines would disturb spiritual sun greetings and possibly ancestral artifacts and burial grounds on the seabed.

Opponents have deemed the project an eyesore, and raised issues ranging from a detrimental effect on property values in the popular vacation area south of Boston, to possible damage to birds, whales, fishing, aviation, and historic sites.

U.S. Senator Scott Brown, the Republican elected this year to fill Kennedy's seat, criticized Wednesday's decision and said the project was a threat to regional tourism and fishing.

The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, a federal agency in charge of safeguarding historic landmarks, recommended this month that the project be rejected.

The governors of six eastern U.S. states shot back in a letter to Salazar, arguing that other offshore projects will likely be abandoned if the Cape Wind project was rejected.

Salazar cited that letter as part of his decision. "We believe there is huge potential for offshore wind along the Atlantic. We don't want to be second to anyone," he said.

U.S. wind generation increased by 27 percent last year, accounting for 2 percent of total electricity supplies, according to the Energy Department. Wind power supports about 85,000 American jobs.

"Renewable energy projects like these not only help fight climate change, they can create jobs and play a central role in our economic recovery," said Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Several countries have achieved much higher levels of wind power generation, often with large government subsidies, including Denmark, Spain and Portugal.

Less than 2 percent of wind energy is offshore, but turbine makers see it as an area of huge growth potential.

Siemens rival General Electric Co expects to increase its offshore business to generate $3 billion to $5 billion a year over the next few years, chief executive Jeff Immelt said at the company's annual meeting in Houston on Wednesday.

Tom King, president of the power company National Grid US, said talks with Cape Wind about purchasing its output are continuing.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63R42X20100428?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

Local PDC Course May 10-21 (All-Star Lineup!)

2010-04-28T00:02:00.001-04:00

G'evening y'all,

I just received notice that there will be a permaculture design certificate (PDC) course taught at Hampshire College from May 10-21. It is being taught by local permaculture instructors Mai Frank and Ned Phillips-Jones (with guest instructors including Dave Jacke, Jono Neiger, and Eric Toensmeier). That's an All-Star lineup for those of you who aren't familiar with the names.

This is an awesome opportunity to gain your PDC and it probably the least expensive PDC course I have ever seen. I highly recommend making an inquiry if you are at all interested in permaculture. The last I heard about half the spots were filled.

Check out the flyer and e-mail HCPermacultureDesignCourse@gmail.com for more info. Also, please pass this e-mail along to anyone you think might be interested.

Hope everyone is doing well and your end of the semesters aren't too overwhelming. Good luck - the semester's almost over!

Peace,
Ryan

Work-Day at 3 Willow Lane this Saturday, 4/24!

2010-04-22T10:57:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

This is a rather impersonal message since I'm trying to send it out to many people and not spend all day on the computer! This Saturday I'm inviting lot's of folks over to help with the project I've been working on for the last 6+ months - turning my yard into an edible forest garden - a yarden. Here's the e-mail I've been sending around.

--

I'm writing to inform everyone about a project that I'm currently working on and incredibly passionate about. I'm in the process of converting my single-family home in Amherst, MA into a model residence for ecological living. A large portion of the project entails transforming the entire grass front yard into an edible forest garden. This project was started back in September, 2009 and there is almost no grass left! Perennial fruits, vegetables, berries and roots have already begun growing and we are trying to make this project as inspiring as possible, in hopes that others will want to do this to their yards!

We'll be having an informal work-day with tours this Saturday, April 24, starting at 8:30am and lasting until 5:00pm. Some food will be provided but please bring a lunch if you plan on coming early and staying throughout the day. Please bring any of the mentioned tools if you have them (more pitch forks, digging forks, shovels, rakes and hammers will be needed if lot's of people show up!)

The main goal of this project is to save energy and this Saturday we will be setting up a clothes line made from all recycled materials (minimize dryer use), an outdoor compost bin (less trash to landfills) a trellis or two for our vegetables, and we will be sheet mulching some pathways and inoculating certain areas of wood chips with white clover (to fix nitrogen, minimize the work that is lawn mowing, and improve soil health.) Maybe some planting, too.

It is expected to be another gorgeous day this Saturday, so please come help us out at 3 Willow Lane, in Amherst, MA. Call or e-mail Ryan Harb if you have questions / for directions. (978) 314-1176.

I hope to see some of you on Saturday!
-Ryan

Permaculture Design Course in Peru

2010-04-17T11:02:00.002-04:00

Happy spring, y'all. Below is an e-mail I received from my friend Cynthia, who is co-teaching a permaculture design course in Peru! This sounds like a fantastic opportunity and I wish I could go! Two friends of mine from Growing Power will be heading south to stay in Peru for a year or so... if you do decide to go on this please let me know as I'll be wanting to hear all about it!

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Permaculture Design Certificate Course
in the Peruvian Amazon
Healing the Land & Healing our Bodies
through Permaculture & Shamanism
Bilingual: English and Spanish
June 22nd – July 6th 2010

www.PlanetPeoplePassion.com

Planet People Passion is thrilled to offer a very special opportunity to partake in our inaugural Permaculture Design Certificate Course at The Amazonian Institute for the Preservation of the Rainforest & Indigenous Traditions.

The objective of the project is to establish a Permaculture education and information base that will empower the community and provide models for sustainable agriculture alternatives to slash and burn practices, soil remediation, reforestation, effective use of water resources, recycling and waste management.

Guided by lead instructor Andrew Jones, and assistant instructors Shenaqua Sookhoo-Jones and Cynthia Robinson, students in this intensive two week Design Certificate Course will have an opportunity to play a hands on role in the real life design planning and implementation of this Permaculture site located on 40 acres of previously clear cut forest in the Peruvian Amazon 60 kilometer from Iquitos, Peru.

In the course we will be studying a holistic approach to Permaculture incorporating:
• Multiple meetings with many local villages and tribes in order to learn of the history, culture, resources, and current challenges these indigenous communities face. It is important that we truly understand the problems in order to design relevant solutions.
• Explore the symbiotic relationship between nurturing the land and nurturing our own bodies.
• Work with indigenous Shamans in order to explore the medicinal and sacred plants of this incredibly bio-diverse and magical region.

For more information visit www.PlanetPeoplePassion.com
To learn more about Permaculture and the specific topics covered visit HERE

Cost:
$2000 regular
$1800 early bird registration (by April 21st)
$1600 student (early registration discount does not apply)

Price includes room, instruction, meals, activities and transportation once in Iquitos (everything except airfare).

Questions, contact Cynthia Robinson:
cynthia@PlanetPeoplePassion.com
917.297.6696

In Gratitude,

The PPP Team
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Green Building and Sustainable Design - Summer Course

2010-04-08T07:58:00.000-04:00

Greetings all,

Do you want to know more about green building? Are you feeling the need to gain some hands-on natural building experience this summer?

My name is Ryan Harb. For those of you who don't know me, I'm a finishing graduate student from UMass and in May I will become the first person in the country to receive a MS in Green Building. I have a strong interest in ecological design and for 4 years I have been transforming my single-family home in Amherst, a college rental property, into a model sustainable residence. One project I'm working on now is a front yard transformation – creating a 5000s.f. highly productive, food producing, permaculture garden at my home. Designing sustainable (food and other) systems is one of many aspects of green building.

This summer I will be co-teaching a 3-week Sustainable Design and Construction course at Sirius Community - a model educational and sustainable ecovillage in scenic western Massachusetts. This is one of the few opportunities in the country to receive college credit while learning experientially about sustainable design and construction. All students will receive natural building certification upon completion of this course.

The spots to this class are filling up fast and we would love to see more representation from UMass. This course takes place literally 20 minutes down the road in Shutesbury, MA

Course Topics:

What is Green Building?
We will take you on an ecological journey through the entire green building process: from site selection and laying the foundation to selecting appropriate materials and conducting a life cycle analysis.

Green Structures: Simple to Complex
Green building at its simplest form: primitive shelter building, site analysis, passive solar architecture, patterning for energy efficiency, renewable energy technologies.

Natural Building:
Exploration of natural building materials, their properties and their 'roles' as structural components. Students gain experience in timber frame, straw bale and cob construction.

Community Strategies:
Eco-village and community design; master plans and how they evolve over time. Group design project and presentation.

Course Dates: June 21 – July 11

Apply before April 15th! The deadline is soon approaching.
Contact Living Routes today: http://www.livingroutes.com/programs/p_greenbuilding.htm

I hope to see some of you this summer.

Happy Spring,
Ryan Harb

Please pass this e-mail along to others who may be interested in this great opportunity.

Donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization!

2010-04-05T11:32:00.002-04:00

Hi Everyone,

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful weather! Life is extremely hectic right now and because of that I haven't gotten to post on the blog very much recently. I'm in the process of transforming my yard into a garden (or a 'yarden'), finishing up graduate school, and doing numerous other outside of academia activities. I will write again when life calms down some!

Next Sunday (April 11) I will be bowling for the Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization with Sam, my little brother of 2 years! Last year we were the number 2 fundraising team in Hampshire County - totaling around $1250! This year I've been away for most of the fundraising-season and because of that I'm getting a VERY late start!

Many of you donated last year and I thank you so much for that. This year our goal this year is $500 and we are going to try and do that in a week! Here's how you can help:

Go to the following link: http://bit.ly/bUeBOX
Donate to our team: A couple of "Sirs"!

Or if that link doesn't bring you directly to our page: do the following

www.bowlathon.kintera.org/hampshirecounty/2010
Clink the link on the right that says "more" (it's underneath "Team Rank")
Our team name is the top one - A Couple of "Sirs" - with me listed as the captain.

If you are willing/able to donate, I ask that you do it sometime this week, as the event starts on Saturday and we will be bowling on Sunday. Thank you SO much for your help - this is truly a great cause and everything you pitch in will help the organization make future big/little matches and hold other fun events like this.

Be well, everyone!

Ryan

Slideshow from Friday workshop

2010-04-04T23:10:00.002-04:00

Companion-Planting Workshop in Amherst - Friday (April 2) at 9:00am!

2010-03-30T23:05:00.002-04:00

Hey y'all

Come by 3 Willow Lane in Amherst, MA this Friday to learn about companion-planting! Llani Davidson from Sirius Community will be facilitating a FREE companion-planting workshop... teaching people what annuals go next to what for maximum benefit!

I have recently received over 50 varieties of seeds from Fedco and they are all going in the ground this Friday (April 2) starting at 9am! If you can come by and help, it will be greatly appreciated! Some of our activities include raking mulch off the recently sheet-mulched beds closest to the house (zone 1 for permaculturalists!), adding some more compost to the already raised beds, and laying down some cardboard and wood chips on the paths (slowly and surely, there will be just FOOD not a LAWN on this parcel of land!) I couldn't have gotten this far without all of your help, and now I'm asking for it again. One day I will return the favor - I am all for Propogating these edible forest gardens for All… if you need help with yours, please let me know.

The planting-party will last until probably 2:00ish depending on how many people show up (and the amount of cardboard people bring!) If you can come, it would be helpful to bring:

-Shovels,

-and lots (and lots!) of cardboard for sheet mulching a few paths!

Feel free to bring others if you can make it - and a head count would be helpful for coordinating all of this. E-mail me at iamharb@gmail.com or call: (978) 314-1176. Looking forward to seeing / meeting lots of you this Friday.

Peace!

Ryan

Please pass this message along to others.

Ordering Seeds from Fedco!

2010-03-09T10:17:00.003-05:00

Good morning -

Wow, this weather we've had the past 4-5 days has been unbelievable! Everything is coming to life.. though I hope a deep frost doesn't come in and set everyone/everything back! Not to be pessimistic, but I have a feeling that might happen.

Spring is around the corner regardless and it is almost time to start planting! It's a little sad not having a greenhouse / the infrastructure to start sprouting on my own, but in time... This year I'll have to buy a few starters (peppers, eggplant, tomatos to name a few) to go along with the $100 worth of seeds I just purchased from fedco. This is in addition to the $1000+ I'll be spending at Tripple Brook.

Here's a list of the seeds that will be coming in the mail within two weeks:

299WI-Windsor Fava Bean (B=8oz) 1 x $4.00= $4.00
307KO-Black Kabouli Garbanzo Bean OG (A=2oz) 1 x $1.60= $1.60
335TO-Tiger Eye Bean OG (A=2oz) 1 x $1.80= $1.80
540BD-Bodacious Yellow Sweet Corn (A=2oz) 1 x $2.20= $2.20
818GT-Oregon Giant Snow Pea (B=8oz) 1 x $4.00= $4.00
888CA-Cascadia Snap Pea (B=8oz) 1 x $4.00= $4.00
925GO-Golden Gopher Muskmelon OG (A=1/16oz) 1 x $1.60= $1.60
940DL-Delicious 51 PMR Muskmelon (A=1/16oz) 1 x $1.00= $1.00
1226NL-National Pickling Cucumber (C=1/2oz) 1 x $2.20= $2.20
1312MM-Marketmore 76 Slicing Cucumber (B=1/4oz) 2 x $1.40= $2.80
1372LM-Lemon Slicing Cucumber (C=1/2oz) 1 x $2.20= $2.20
1411BZ-Black Zucchini (C=1/2oz) 1 x $2.50= $2.50
1434CZ-Cocozelle Zucchini (C=1/2oz) 1 x $2.50= $2.50
1504SF-Saffron Summer Squash (D=1oz) 1 x $5.00= $5.00
1611ZO-Zeppelin Delicata Winter Squash OG (A=1/8oz) 1 x $1.60= $1.60
1622BU-Bush Buttercup Emerald strain Winter Squash (A=1/4oz) 1 x $1.20= $1.20
1628BB-Burgess Buttercup Winter Squash (A=1/4oz) 1 x $1.10= $1.10
1655BH-Blue Hubbard New England strain Winter Squash (A=1/4oz) 1 x $1.10= $1.10
2042SN-Scarlet Nantes Carrot (B=1/2oz) 1 x $2.50= $2.50
2121RO-Red Ace Beet OG (A=1/8oz) 1 x $1.30= $1.30
2186BB-Bulls Blood Beet (A=1/8oz) 1 x $1.00= $1.00
2214CB-Cherry Belle Radish (C=1oz) 1 x $1.80= $1.80
2224EE-Easter Egg Radish (C=1oz) 1 x $3.50= $3.50
2234CH-Champion Radish (C=1oz) 1 x $1.80= $1.80
2310HA-Harris Model Parsnip (A=1/8oz) 1 x $0.70= $0.70
2377TR-Oasis Turnip (B=1/4oz) 1 x $5.50= $5.50
2439EV-Evergreen Hardy White Scallion (B=1/8oz) 1 x $2.20= $2.20
2540LS-Bloomsdale Spinach (D=4oz) 1 x $3.50= $3.50
2722SB-Salad Bowl Lettuce (A=2g) 1 x $0.70= $0.70
2738AO-Antares Lettuce OG (A=1g) 1 x $1.30= $1.30
3008HO-Hopi Red Dye Amaranth OG (B=1/8oz) 1 x $2.00= $2.00
3049CL-Claytonia (B=1g) 1 x $2.20= $2.20
3096KH-Good King Henry Chenopodium or Goosefoot (A=0.5g) 1 x $1.30= $1.30
3644DC-Diamante Celeriac (A=0.2g) 1 x $2.40= $2.40-replaced with Brilliant
4412TO-Astragalus OG (B=3g) 1 x $3.00= $3.00
4481WO-Wild Bergamot OG (A=0.1g) 1 x $1.10= $1.10
4491BO-Borage OG (A=0.5g) 1 x $1.10= $1.10
4509NP-Catnip (B=7g) 1 x $2.50= $2.50
4510LC-Lemony Catnip (A=0.5g) 1 x $1.10= $1.10
4517RO-Caribe Cilantro OG (A=1g) 1 x $1.00= $1.00
4584LM-Ladys Mantle (A=0.05g) 1 x $1.10= $1.10
4651PR-Pennyroyal (A=0.2g) 1 x $1.30= $1.30
4657RM-Rosemary (A=0.2g) 1 x $1.30= $1.30
4681BS-Baikal Skullcap (A=0.1g) 1 x $2.00= $2.00
4686TS-Topas St Johnswort (A=0.1g) 1 x $1.10= $1.10
4698SW-Sweet Woodruff (C=2.4g) 1 x $5.50= $5.50
5011CH-Copperhead Amaranth (A=0.2g) 1 x $1.30= $1.30
5746PG-Purple Globe Amaranth (A=0.1g) 1 x $1.20= $1.20
6055YP-Yellow Prairie Coneflower (A=1g) 1 x $0.90= $0.90
6126FN-Forget-Me-Not (A=0.1g) 1 x $0.90= $0.90


Subtotal: = $102.50
Maine Sales Tax: + $0.00
Adjusted Total: = $102.50
Volume Discount: - $10.25
Seed School Discount: - $0.00
Organic Growers Discount: - $0.00
Handling Charge: + $0.00
Shipping: + $0.00
Grand Total: = $92.25

More updates to come.. I've been very busy with work lately
and haven't been posting much. But lots of pictures to come
this spring! Stay tuned...

Peace,
Ryan

Tripple Brook Farm - Sat. Feb 20 Recap!

2010-02-22T11:54:00.004-05:00

Happy Monday,

This weekend I went to Southampton to work with Steve Breyer at Tripple Brook Farm. My classmates Alex, Emerson and Marty came along, and my roommate James also met us there. We all worked in the greenhouse for a bit, did some grafting and helped with the cleanup work (removing the unproductive plants and making room for others just getting started.)

Alex and Marty admiring a cactus plant!

Mysterious!

All of us brought home a mulberry root stalk in addition to the plant credit we're all building! It's a great system... Steve is extremely appreciative to have people working for plants rather than cash and he usually has plenty of work to do and plants to barter with. For people into permaculture... what an ingenius way of working in community (helping Steve by doing a work-trade) and taking care of earth by planting perennial polycultures!

Here are some pictures showing what we accomplished!

This is another woman who was working for plant credit at Tripple Brook, Kate.

Starting the grafting, after learning some stone sharpening!

We were grafting 'Szukis' (variety) scions onto the american persimmon rootstocks.

We accomplished quite a bit in the 5+ hours we stayed. I'll begin posting regularly each week (on Monday or Tuesday) stating which organization I'll be volunteering at on which day. I'd love for more of you to join, so please e-mail me if interested in permaculture, perennial plants, natural building, straw bale construction, intentional community living, ecovillages, (keyword plugging!), compost, nuestras raices, sirius community, tripple brook farm!

Enjoy your days,
-Ryan

Volunteer Opportunities in the Pioneer Valley area

2010-02-18T12:51:00.004-05:00

I've been spending a lot of my days working with some great organizations: Sirius Community, Tripple Brook Farm (plant nursery) and soon, Nuestras Raices.

Nuestras Raíces Farm is an urban community farm that supports beginning immigrant and refugee farmers, grows small businesses, and celebrates the Latino community of Holyoke MA. We have compost on site, and plan to construct a larger compost area in the future, and we are seeking a volunteer compost manager to increase our capacity to manage and use our compost effectively.

If anyone in the area is looking for some great permaculture-related projects to get involved with, please contact me! I'm willing and able to drive (I will be driving myself anyway, so it is no problem!) and can introduce you since it is sometimes intimidating to go to new places by yourself.

Here is an e-mail I just sent out to some folks about the Nuestras Raices compost management volunteer opportunity:

Hey fellow volunteers,

I'm writing this message because Nuestras Raices is looking for a few people to help create a compost management plan. See the attached description.

I spent a bunch of time working with compost during the month of January - volunteering at Growing Power (Will Allen) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Amy sent out a message about Will speaking at the White House last week.) Their organization picks up about 6 million pounds of food waste each year and turns it into soil for the farms! We're certainly not trying to collect THAT much right away at Nuestras Raices, but there is certainly some small-scale local restaurants, schools, churches that we can partner with.

Even if you don't have composting experience but are interested in helping, please send Amy or myself an e-mail. This could be a really fun and rewarding project - thinking in terms of the environmental and social action issues of our time and how closely they are related. So let's turn some "waste" into something useful, help heal the land, and build community simultaneously. And then eventually, you will learn to love compost as much as I do!

Other projects happening right now include finishing construction of a straw bale garage (being turned into a studio for future living space!) at Sirius Community in Shutesbury, MA. Here are a few pictures of our progress so far. I usually go on Thursday mornings, or Friday / Saturdays.

Finally, Tripple Brook farm is a plant nursey in Southampton, MA that pays in plant credit! If you are in need of plants (which also make great gifts for people in the spring) or just want to feel more connected to nature during these cold winter months, e-mail me (iamharb@gmail.com). I have A LOT of yard to fill for the upcoming spring, so I will be at Tripple Brook every Saturday and/or Sunday from now until spring.

Link to my previous post about Tripple Brook.

That's all for now, hope to hear from some of you awesome people soon!

-Ryan

Will Allen with Michele Obama fighting childhood obesity

2010-02-09T08:54:00.004-05:00

My friend Katie, who I met working at Growing Power, just sent me the following article. It's Will Allen's birthday today and I think he's going ot enjoy being at the white house for it. Wouldn't you???

Growing Power founder on hand to help launch childhood obesity initiative

By Karen Herzog of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Feb. 8, 2010 |(0) Comments

Milwaukee urban farmer Will Allen will share a podium with first lady Michelle Obama at the White House on Tuesday.

The Growing Power founder and CEO is to be one of three featured speakers helping Obama officially launch a national initiative to fight childhood obesity.

Allen will join Judith Palfrey, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and Willis "Chip" Johnson, mayor of Hernando, Miss., as they formally announce efforts to raise awareness of the need for children to have healthier schools, more exercise, access to affordable healthy food, and the knowledge to make healthier choices on their own.

The campaign was first broached publicly last month in Michelle Obama's keynote speech to the National Council of Mayors. President Barack Obama also mentioned the initiative in his State of the Union address.

Allen, whose Growing Power urban farm and food systems training center at 5500 W. Silver Spring Drive, operates in an underserved area of Milwaukee, plans to speak about the need to increase access to affordable healthy food. He will talk about creating new infrastructure to grow food in cities and new networks to channel food from diversified local farms into communities.

Allen said Monday that he also plans to invite the first lady and other national leaders gathered for the Tuesday announcement to visit Milwaukee and to see Growing Power in action.

"We have to institutionalize good food in our schools, and not only in the cafeteria, but in our teaching every day," Allen said in a phone interview.

"We also need to be able to grow food year-round where it's needed, despite the climate, the way we are doing it here at Growing Power in Milwaukee. We need to scale up these efforts, growing good soil, growing good food, growing the relationships necessary to distribute and deliver this food to people."

Ditch Your Bank for a Credit Union

2010-02-07T22:10:00.003-05:00

I'm doing some research right now about credit unions for the discussion I'll be leading during Wednesday's permaculture class. The discussion will be about money and in one part of the class we'll be talking about where we store our money.

Permaculture is a lifestyle and it's important to keep your hard-earned money in a safe and reliable place. (from Are Credit Unions Foolish) According to the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), a credit union "is a cooperative financial institution, owned and controlled by the people who use its services. These people are members. Credit unions serve groups that share something in common, such as where they work, live, or go to church. Credit unions are not-for-profit, and exist to provide a safe, convenient place for members to save money and to get loans at reasonable rates." Essentially, credit unions are collectives of people brought together to loan each other money at fair rates. Pretty simple, actually.

I stumbled upon this interesting article called "Ditch Your Bank for a Credit Union"

By Liz Pulliam Weston
A lot of you are really and truly sick of your banks.
You're sick of getting socked with fees, or tripped by hidden penalties, or earning lousy interest rates. You're tired of being treated like a nuisance rather than a customer. And yet you have little hope that the bank down the street is any better.
But who says you have to settle for a bank? Relief could be as close as the nearest credit union.
Because so many people are fuzzy about the differences between banks and credit unions, I'll highlight the three most important distinctions:
Credit unions are member-owned. If you have an account at a credit union, you're a part owner in the enterprise. That may not entitle you to use the executive washroom -- your CU probably doesn't even have an executive washroom -- but you're likely to be seen as a person rather than as a "cost center."
Credit unions are not-for-profit. This status helps explain why interest rates tend to be significantly better, and fees fewer and smaller, at credit unions than at banks. Any profits credit unions do make are distributed as dividends to their members. Contrast that with banks, which continually invent new fees and policies to boost profits (and to pay those stunning executive salaries).
Banks hate -- hate -- credit unions. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Federal Credit Union Act into law in 1934 to "promote thrift and thwart usury," and banks have been gunning for them pretty much ever since.
Because of their not-for-profit, cooperative structures, credit unions are exempted from most state and federal taxes. Banks have convinced themselves this is an unfair advantage and have spent a lot of effort, plus a fortune in lobbying fees, trying to legislate credit unions out of existence, or at least limit who can join. (I guess they thought the money was better spent there than on, say, improving their interest rates, reducing their fees or slashing their telephone hold times.)
Are you eligible? Almost certainly
Fortunately for you, banks have failed pretty miserably in their efforts to contain the competition. That's why the Credit Union National Association, the CUs' trade group, can brag that virtually everyone in the U.S. can belong to a credit union, thanks to where they live, where they work or the associations to which they belong.
Average interest rates at credit unions vs. banks
Consumer loans Credit unions Banks
Credit card
11.64%
12.76%
48-month new car
5.46%
6.91%
48-month used car
5.72%
7.50%
36-month unsecured
10.60%
12.47%
Mortgage loans

HELOC
4.70%
4.90%
Five-year ARM
5.54%
5.71%
30-year fixed
5.44%
5.58%
Savings

Regular savings
0.68%
0.44%
Interest checking
0.48%
0.36%
Money market
1.22%
0.62%
One-Year CD
2.93%
2.26%
Source: Datatrac, December 2008

The nation's credit unions count 90 million members, and their trade association estimates members save $8 billion a year thanks to better interest rates and reduced fees. Credit-union-issued credit cards, for example, tend not to have annual fees or to charge punitive interest rates for a single late payment. Most credit unions offer free checking accounts, and penalties for overdrawing those accounts tend to be lower: a $20 or $25 fee is typical, compared with up to $39 a pop charged by banks.

Average interest rates at credit unions vs. banks
Consumer loans	Credit unions	Banks
Credit card	11.64%	12.76%
48-month new car	5.46%	6.91%
48-month used car	5.72%	7.50%
36-month unsecured	10.60%	12.47%
Mortgage loans
HELOC	4.70%	4.90%
Five-year ARM	5.54%	5.71%
30-year fixed	5.44%	5.58%
Savings
Regular savings	0.68%	0.44%
Interest checking	0.48%	0.36%
Money market	1.22%	0.62%
One-Year CD	2.93%	2.26%

Also, (from Consumer Savy Tips) "Because credit unions tend to be smaller and cater to a select group of people, there is more personalization between the staff and the members."

Larger banks (not naming names but you can guess) will invest more regularly in some environmentally harmful practices, like coal-mining, because their number 1 mission is to make money for shareholders, plain and simple.

Are you convinced? Who's taking their money out of a big-bank tomorrow and putting it in a local credit-union? Comments encouraged!

Grafting Persimmons at Tripple Brook Farm

2010-02-06T23:12:00.006-05:00

G'evening -

Today was great. I woke up rather early and departed for Southampton to go work for Steve Breyer at Tripple Brook Farm. I arrived at 10am and the day began by walking outside with Steve to his persimmon trees. We cut some branches from an on-site persimmon tree (variety 'yates') and brought the cuttings inside to the greenhouse, which is attached to his house. A description of the Yates persimmon:

"Introduced by Edward Yates of Cincinnati, OH, the original tree was discovered in a pasture in southern Indiana. Bears large, yellow, sweet fruit with fine flavor. Hardy, prolific and very early ripening, the fruit ripens here during October. Very unusual for an American persimmon, the mature but still green and firm fruit will ripen well off the tree; this suggests commercial marketing possibilities. Also, in areas where the growing season is too short to allow ripening the fruit on the tree, the mature fruit can be picked before freezing damages it and it can then be ripened indoors. It is said that this cultivar will bear seedless fruit if grown without a pollinator, so growing it without a pollinator may be advantageous."

Steve brought out some American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) sapplings that he purchased from a plant nursery in Montana and then we began bench-grafting.

The American persimmon sapplings, packaged in a trash bag with wet newspaper for moisture and humidity control.

Healthy looking roots.

First, the area was sterilyzed with some rubbing alcohol. This is done to decrease the chances of pathogens affecting the newly grafted trees. We sterilyzed our hands, the razors, sissors and desk we were working on. We then sharpened the razors so that we could make the cleanest possible slices (increasing the likelihood of a successful graft.)

Here are some pictures of our work:

Looking proud after hours of grafting. I learned from a very knowledgable and experienced grafter - more than 7 hours was spent doing whip-grafting today, which is different from splicing.

Images taken from: http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/hortcult/treeshru/whipgrftg.htm

More persimmon grafting, but of a different variety, "szoukis."

I left Tripple Brook around 6:15pm with some witchhazel branches (soon will be flowering red in my kitchen) and a bunch of black walnuts that Steve harvested in the fall and gave to me. I also made about $15/hour in plant credit. Tripple Brook has a great system where anyone can go and work there in exchange for plants. Labor is so appreciated in the nursery business, says Steve, that he is thrilled when anyone takes him up on that offer. Myself, being in the position I am with 5000 square feet of unplanted garden (a bit overwhelming at times!)... I need all the plant credit I can! Therefore, I'll continue to work at Tripple Brook Farm for the next few months - at least one day per week - accumulating credit and eventually bringing home a car-full of plants for the 3 Willow Lane permaculture edible forest garden.

Isn't it great when everyone benefits? Humans are definitely social beings that work much better together, in community, than separate from one another.

It's great being surrounded by plants in the coldness of winter.

Especially when there's fig trees...

...and some hardy banana trees as well!

UMass Permaculture at Sirius Community - A Huge Success

2010-02-04T11:16:00.003-05:00

Hey y'all,

Just a quick entry to say how yesterday's field trip to Sirius Community went. It's hard to put into words... let's just say that this UMass permaculture class is full of amazing people. Nobody would have guessed that about 75% of the class had never been to Sirius before. It felt so natural being there - everyone seemed so comfortable and the energy was just plain awesome.

We arrived about 30 minutes later than planned - it is extremely difficult getting 9 or 10 cars from one place to another! Leaving someone behind I could not let happen... but eventually we made it.

We circled up in the Octagon, did a breath, a brief check-in / announcements, then went on a mind-journey through the woods to a permaculture garden. Our discussion was getting pretty heavy by the end (global problems that permaculture seeks to solve.)

After class, half the students went on a tour of Sirius while the other half began dinner preparations. We had a FEAST of a meal at 6:00 - about 45 of us total - we could have easily fed 15 more with all the food we had!

After dinner the music playing began... and it didn't stop for hours. It was amazing seeing people become so close in such a short time-span. I couldn't believe this was only our second meeting as a class. People were singing, playing music and being their true selves, which is sometimes a rare thing in our society. All in all, an absolutely amazing time at Sirius Community. When you bring great people together in a great setting (the Sirius Community Center has amazing energy) magic happens. I feel truly blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people and having the life that I do. I'm able to do so much and yet many others around the world are so limited in their options.

Check out the movie Poto Mitan about the women in Haiti if you can.

Thanks for being yourselves, everyone.

Vermicompost at 3 Willow Lane

2010-02-01T16:14:00.002-05:00

Picture of the day - from S.P. Sullivan's blog:

Hydroponics at Swartz Family Farm in Amherst

2010-01-30T18:29:00.002-05:00

Check this out:

Compliments of my housemate, S.P. Sullivan - mobile journalist (mojo) extraordinaire.

UMass Permaculture Class Visits Sirius Community

2010-01-30T09:56:00.016-05:00

It's been a good transition back from Milwaukee to Amherst. The worms are happy and well fed, the house is looking great and gearing up for an eventful (planting) spring and I've begun teaching the first UMass permaculture class.

The course is currently over-enrolled by 3 (only 25 students can officially sign up, but 28 is OK) and because of this, I'm having to turn people away, which is difficult for me. This class should continue to run each semester (I'm going to try, believe me) and I believe permaculture is a subject that should be taught more regularly at academic institutions...as there are so many young people looking to make this world a better place. Permaculture, a very broad term, incorporates this entire way of living - beyond sustainable - to regenerating the land and our planet.

This coming week I am taking the class to Sirius Community - an educational and sustainable ecovillage in Shutesbury, Massachusetts. We will be leaving UMass campus at 1:30 and arriving in Shutesbury a little before 2:00. Class will be held from 2:00 - 4:00 and then we will split up into groups and begin cooking dinner. There will be over 30 of us from UMass (including me, my TA Sam Billings, and former students of Sirius) and close to 20 others from the community. Our class split up into groups of approximately 5 students and each group took one of the following dishes (see event flyer below!)

After dinner, I will be showing the movie "FRESH" (description on the flyer.) If you would like to attend and are not in the class / coming to dinner, please e-mail me at: iamharb@gmail.com

More updates to come!

Join Us for HK Dinner on Feb. 3rd

A Fresh Feast
Cooked by the UMass Permaculture Students

IN THIS INVITE

The Menu

About the Chef

Other Exciting Events - Sparkle Yoga & The movie "Fresh"

Just for Fun

Partners of HK Dinners

Dear Friends,

This coming HK Meal on February 3rd is a special meal by Ryan Harb and UMass students in the permaculture course. Ryan received his PDC at Sirius in July 2009. He is now teaching permaculture at UMass and would like to give his students a glimpse of community living at the Sirius.

We hope you will be there to enjoy the scrumptious feast followed by the movie "Fresh" and also to welcome Ryan and UMass students to our community.

The Meal begins at 6:00pm
Sirius Community Center
72 Baker Rd.

$9-10/adult; kids under 13 eat at 1/2-age (rounded down)
(Please let us know if you would like to volunteer for cleaning or childcare in lieu of paying for the meal)

RSVP shalini@iam-bc.com by Monday evening.

Please note that in case you cannot make it to the meal after RSVPing, please inform me in order to avoid a personal loss to the cook or any wastage.

In community,

Shalini Bahl Milne, PhD
Founder iAM Business Consulting
218 Baker Road
Amherst, MA 01002
shalini@iam-bc.com
http://iam-bc.com/

The Menu

(25 UMass students are breaking into groups of 4 - 5 and each group is taking on one of the following dishes. Complete ingredients list may be subject to slight change!)

Fresh salad with a medley of vegetables.
Hugh Stew, but not made by Hugh!
Rice, bean and vegetable deliciousness.
Stirfry with tamari, fresh vegetables and a variety of spices!
Multiple freshly baked whole wheat breads (a banana loaf, cinnamon raisin, walnut, and more!)
Dessert (you will be delightfully surprised!)

Smaller, sampling, side dishes may include:

South Moroccan Vege Tahini
Squash soup concoction
Brazilian Black bean soup

About the Cooks

The UMass permaculture course is similar to the PDC course offered at Sirius during the summer. There are 28 students enrolled and the course is taught by Ryan Harb who received his PDC at Sirius in July, 2009. The course focuses on the ethics of permaculture: people care, earth care, and resource share, and it will culminate with the design and implementation of a permaculture edible forest garden at a single-family home in Amherst, MA. It is important to develop a strong sense of community before undertaking a huge project such as this. I can't think of a better local place to learn about community than at Sirius.

After HK Dinner

The movie "FRESH" will be shown upstairs in the Octagon, starting at 7:45pm.

FRESH Synopsis

FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet.

Among several main characters, FRESH features urban farmer and activist, Will Allen, the recipient of MacArthur's 2008 Genius Award; sustainable farmer and entrepreneur, Joel Salatin, made famous by Michael Pollan's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma; and supermarket owner, David Ball, challenging our Wal-Mart dominated economy.

FRESH Details
Total running time: 72 minutes
Production Year: 2009
Produced and Directed by: Ana Sofia Joanes

Partners of HK Dinners

Dagen Julty
Daniel Greenberg
Mara Kaplan Hahn
Shalini Bahl Milne
Sirius Community

Come and join us for a wonder-full evening of celebration in community. RSVP shalini@iam-bc.com

Comment from last post

2010-01-25T22:14:00.002-05:00

It's not letting me post a comment on my last entry, so this will be just a short response.

I don't think that Will is expanding Growing Power for money – not at all. I think he's expanding it for more to see, and to inspire more people. Spreading his message for a more equal and healthy world is his main prerogative, from my observation. He is a true healer and an amazing human being. But like you said, it would be much better if he shared some of his control and brought others (mainly his employees) closer in to his circle. - Ryan

Day 21 – Internship (In)Complete?

2010-01-24T20:53:00.006-05:00

My three week stint at Growing Power has finished and I am back home in Amherst, MA. But I did not come alone… 5 pounds of red wigglers decided to crawl into checked luggage. Imagine that... so now there's vermicomposting happening my kitchen!

They are under the compost right now, eating away the bananas, apples, orange peels and newspaper we fed them. We'll be adding tea and coffee grinds, sweet potatoes, other citrus fruits (they like all this stuff best) and then some other kitchen wastes / cardboard that they will also eat.

We became friends at Growing Power.

Our truly "Sustainable Kitchen" in Amherst, MA.

The remainder entry is going to focus on my entire time at Growing Power and the lasting impressions it had on me. I'll start with the people. Growing Power attracts such a diverse group of individuals: local volunteers of all ages, races and backgrounds – and long-stay interns from all over the country. People come to support their community, to learn how urban farming works and because they are interested in affordable sustainable food production for low-income areas ("food deserts".) I made some incredible friendships during my short stay that will last me a lifetime: I am so thankful to have met all of you.

I am leaving Growing Power with a head full of knowledge and a heart full of inspiration. One focus of mine will be collecting food wastes, coffee / tea grounds and other "waste" materials in the local community – thinking of starting of a composting business. I will begin forming relationships with grocery stores, coffee shops, breweries and restaurants – collecting their wastes on a weekly basis. Some things I'm going to need include:

5 gallon buckets! Buckets used for bulk food storage (pickle buckets) with lids – I need A LOT of! I'll be checking craigslist and freecycle… or if anyone has any or knows of a company that has excess and throws them away - please let me know!
A plot of land (nearby) where I can do my large-scale composting. If anyone has some land in/around Amherst that they are willing to donate / lease for cheap, please let me know!
Along with the land, it would help enormously if there was a bobcat on-site that could be used weekly to turn the pile.
A truck – I'm going to be trading in my Chevy Lumina for a used pickup truck. It's probably going to get beat up with all of the loads I'll be carrying – something cheap is what I'm looking for (any leads, let me know!)
Possibly a dump truck, but not right away. This will depend completely on the quantity of waste I'm dealing with. Growing Power hauls away over 15,000 pounds of beer mash per month… which would be way too much for one person to handle shoveling!
Also, I'm very interested in starting up a small-scale urban farm - a smaller, local Growing Power... who knows what the future beholds. If anyone else wants to exchange ideas, contact me: iamharb@gmail.com

Although excited to be home, I'm already missing those 15 greenhouses, the chickens, goats, turkeys, ducks and worms (but some came along), and all the great people working there. The great food, the routine, the lifestyle and even the shoveling manure and chipping. I learned a lot at Growing Power and it is an experience that I will never forget. Unfortunately I did not get to see much in terms of education and school partnerships during my 3 weeks at Growing Power. The other interns got to teach composting workshops to schools, but I wasn't there long enough.

And lastly... Will, you are a great man, but there is frustration among your staff. I have to be careful with what I say, because I don't want to get anyone at Growing Power in trouble. People come to Growing Power because they are interested in ending racism, fixing social inequity and for educating and feeding low-income urban communitites. The employees need to be more involved with the behind-the-scenes activities, and know more than 20% of what's going on. Please let this happen.

I'm going to stop there for tonight. I wish I had only positive things to say about Growing Power, but even the most progressive, do-only-good organizations have imperfections. To sum things up, my overall feeling is that any organization, once it gets successful, will begin to expand and will keep on expanding to get on-top. Then things start declining little by little. I think this might be in the beginning stages of happening at Growing Power. The un-seen things, such as employee moral, are being overlooked due to the bigger, visionary plans. A good practice is to keep things small and manageable (if that means stay small, then stay small) – things only get more complicated as you get larger. Why expand anyway? Money is one reason. Spreading your message to more people is another. I think my intern-housemate, Chris, sums things up well with this statement:

The best way to live life is to live simply, be compassionate and be generous. My addition is to love yourself for who you are and how you use your energy.

Day 17 - An Honest Critique of Growing Power

2010-01-20T00:55:00.002-05:00

This is an entry I've wanted to write for a while. It's difficult to critique an organization that is doing such great things, especially after being here for only 2 weeks. I'm going to try and be as honest as I can instead of keeping these thoughts inside me. I always try to speak from my heart and that's exactly what I'm going to do now.

Ever since I arrived at Growing Power, I've tried my best to ask as many questions as possible to every single staff member. I've been asking about logistics, financials, greenhouse construction, plant-related questions and also how all the employees feel; are they feel satisfied working here. This is where it gets difficult for me to be honest... as it may mean that I'm never allowed back to Growing Power.

Some of the employees here are frustrated with how things are run. (My opinion should be taken with a grain of salt as my time here has been so short, just 2 weeks) What it seems like to me is that Growing Power is growing super-fast and the organization is in way over its head. Again, this is solely from a short-term intern's perspective - I'm not at all qualified to be stating these things as fact.

But here are a few examples of why I say this:

A woman came in yesterday morning to Growing Power. She was a frustrated teacher from the Milwaukee Public Schools system who has been contacting Growing Power countless times for weeks. Everytime she calls and leaves a message, nobody gets back to her. And it's because nobody has time to.
Growing Power got a $150,000 check recently from Chase to partner with the Milwaukee Public School system. This is great except the person who sets up these partnerships is completely swamped with on-site work. And she is also in charge of these outreach programs, which is way too much for one person to handle.
Last Saturday there were about 40 volunteers who came to Growing Power... people from Americore and other local school groups. That was a larger than usual turnout, but every single day there are volunteers coming here to work for free. It's incredible and totally inspiring. Will Allen's name is getting so big that he is getting calls to speak at different places every single day. How can an organization with 40 staff members handle that kind of fame? Obviously, they need to grow. And that is what's happening right now; the organization is growing super fast and it's very hard to manage it all. Growing Power needs some outside help, but that's probably not going to happen...

Now, wouldn't you say this is a marketers dream come true? People calling you, coming to your place of business, reaching out to you... without hardly having to advertise. Will Allen is a brilliant marketer - it's obvious to anyone who observes how Growing Power is run.

I wrote something similar to all of this (including the employee frustration part) to Will. I tried my best not to come across as arrogant, knowing it all, egotistical... but I guess I did, being as I've only been here 2 weeks and he is the one who created it all. Will didn't exactly take my letter in a positive fashion. He was very unhappy about what I wrote, and he explained that to me personally for about 45 minutes. And I don't blame him - my letter probably did come across as an arrogant intern being here 2 weeks and thinking he knows how to change things for the better. But I truly feel that my concerns are valid.

Each staff member I spoke with had very similar concerns and therefore it made sense to bring these to the attention of Will. Everyone here knows that all decisions go through Will. He has been brilliant with just about everything thus far - please don't let me come off as bashing him in any way - but now his name is exploding in popularity and I just think he should be more open to some restructuring.

Maybe I should have waited to write this until Friday night, my last night here, but this is what I feel. I'm not trying to make Growing Power look bad, because they are doing so much good for the community, both local and global. They do have faults but this is by far the best best large-scale urban farm in the world, and that's why they are so popular. But unless things change, it will not stay this way. There needs to be more inside people who stay with Growing Power long-term, not just the two main managers and Will. People seem to burn-out from here in less than 2 years.

I don't know if I'll come back here for a full 3-month internship next fall/winter or summer. It's certainly a possibility and I would gladly stay that length of time now had I not committed myself to other things back home in Amherst. However, I can't see myself staying here long-term if the structure / unspecific job roles were to remain the same. I love Growing Power for what it has accomplished and how inspiring it is... but it can also be brought to other communities and have more organization (the other communities will not be as famous, but can be more successful locally.)

That's all for tonight - I feel like a weight has just be lifted off of my shoulders. I did not plan on writing this on my blog, only in my journal. But as I said, this is all coming from my heart, and everything I've said is my opinion and nobody elses. I love where I am, despite its imperfections, and I think Will Allen is a true planetary healer. He will go down in the history books as one of the greatest and most influential people of the 21st century. I feel so honored to be here, to have sat down with Will on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a day to honor another healer who is a big reason why I'm here in Milwaukee and surrounded by diversity today.

I am so thankful for all of these experiences I've had thus far in life - I am truly blessed for the existence I was given and I try to remind myself of how fortunate I am each day. My purpose in this life is to be a healer and share what information I gather with those who's paths I cross. Thank you for reading and I hope you gained a little more about me from this entry. Goodnight everyone.

Ryan

Day 15ish - Something Bigger...

2010-01-16T10:03:00.003-05:00

Hey y'all,

Last night / today turned out much different than expected. I was on my way to Chicago to hear Will Allen speak when we got word he wasn't feeling well. His daughter, Erika, spoke on his behalf but we really wanted to see Will. So we turned the car around and came back to Milwaukee, vowing to see him speak at a later time. Instead of spending the day in Chicago, I'm here in the intern house reflecting on these past two weeks, as well as something larger. It's nice having an actual day-off regardless of where it's spent.

Since I'm not working, today's post will be about something entirely different; the disaster relief effort in Haiti. I've been in sort of a bubble here at Growing Power - internet is very shotty and we don't watch TV - therefore it's very hard to know what's going on outside these doors. But I've done a lot of reading this morning and I'm collaborating with a good friend back home to start fundraising for the Haiti relief effort. Our goal is to eventually get down there and do some volunteering - but right now it is only experienced disaster relief workers and medical personell who are being allowed in.

Haiti needs a lot of outside help to rebuild their community and for now, the most we can do is donate. I'm ususally hesitant to give money to most organizations (even reputable ones like Red Cross) since I'm never sure where my money goes after leaving my hands. I've done some research and came across a small organization based out of Portland, OR.

Mercy Corps is sending a team of emergency responders to assess damage, and seek to fulfill immediate needs of quake survivors. The agency aided families after earthquakes in Peru in 2007, China and Pakistan in 2008, and Indonesia last year.

I'm going to continue researching different organizations that are completely transparent with the handling of their funds and who also lead groups of volunteers. In the meantime, I'm going to open a bank account strictly for collecting donations, while this event is still on people's minds. We will select an organization that allows us to follow the money to Haiti and see first-hand what is being done with it. A group of us will go down to Haiti, maybe as soon as June, to help with the rebuilding. If this sounds like a cause you feel like donating to, please leave a comment below, or send a check to:

Ryan Harb
3 Willow Lane
Amherst, MA 01002

I will be updating this blog with our progress so please keep checking back. Today is just the beginning and our plans will further develop and become more organized in the coming weeks and months. I have a good feeling that a lot of UMass students will jump on board with this and together we can do a lot of good. Thoughts, suggestions and questions are all encouraged.

Thanks for reading - I can't help but think how fortunate we all are for what we have, where we are and the cards that life dealt us. I thank the universe each day for this existance.

Day 13 - Picture and Videos

2010-01-15T00:05:00.005-05:00

Lot's of the same at Growing Power today. I'm just going to post a couple of videos for y'all instead of writing much. Tomorrow I leave for Chicago to hear Will speak at a special MLK day event. The tentative plan is to stay in Chicago for the night and to perhaps couchsurf. Pictures of Chicago to come later this weekend! Here's some of what today entailed:

This is Baiwan and Jeremy, my roommate.

Oakley

So much compost...

This is Valentine...

... and this heart on his back is why.

Day 12 - Valentine the Goat

2010-01-13T19:13:00.003-05:00

I spent the morning shoveling seven tons of compost (14,000 pounds) out of a big refrigerator truck. Jon and I had great conversations – I've made some awesome friendships here at Growing Power – it's going to be sad leaving this place. It's nice to know that I can come back next fall or winter (not summer since I have commitments through August) and do an entire 3 month internship, or volunteer and have friends in Milwaukee to stay with.

I also spent a lot of time with the goats today. This afternoon was a bit troubling: a man came inquiring about purchasing one of our goats, which meant slaughtering it for food. This doesn’t happen on-site, but apparently the same man came before insisting we do it for him in the barn. When we said no, he said he would do it himself in his car. I didn't know all this until after he left, but the goat that he did want today ended up being Valentine; the most friendly goat with the liveliest personality of the bunch. His fur is white with a brown spot on his back in the shape of a heart.

It was a terribly anxious scene: about 8 of us stood around the goat pen while this man stood inside tugging Valentine by the leg, then twisting the goat's ear. None of us would tie up Valentine because nobody wants that goat to go. The entire staff loves that goat and there are many who are extremely attached to Valentine. I observed the 7 Growing Power employees looking very tense and feeling extremely anxious. Everyone there was clearly being so protective… and in the end the man didn't end up buying Valentine. He argued with the staff about the goat's weight, age and didn't think he was worth $100. It was an eye-opening experience watching this scene unfold as it did. The rollercoaster of emotions that everyone felt – I could literally see it in the air.

This post was dedicated to Valentine, who will live at least one more day… though I think many of us were considering buying that goat ourselves and maybe housing it in the intern house for safe keeping! At least until that man disappears for awhile…

Peace,
Ryan

Day 11 - Daily Routine and the Growing Power Livestock

2010-01-12T23:26:00.004-05:00

We're at the point now where we've gotten into this routine at Growing Power: Each morning us interns wake up around 7:00 – 7:15, get ready / eat breakfast together, walk out the door at 8, and the first thing we do is take care of the animals. There are chickens, goats, turkeys and ducks here on-site (and fish but we aren't assigned to them.) Personally, I've taken a liking to feeding the chickens and collecting their eggs (we put them on the refrigerator truck which is constantly running outside, which is plugged in so it doesn't use gasoline). The goats are also really fun to have on-site, though we don't milk them so they don't produce anything to sell. It seems kind of odd that Growing Power has them, since they require a lot of input and only sell for ~$100 after years of maintenance (hours of manual labor.) But then again, the goats in the middle of a city are a great marketing piece, and draw a lot of volunteers / interest to the organization.

There are six of us living in the intern house right now. Today was a typical day except it started off a little sad when we discovered one of the chickens died during the night. It was a first experience for me having to pick up a dead animal and dispose of it. Regardless, it is still a great experience feeding 100 or so chickens, gathering 5-6 dozen eggs per day – all in the middle of a city

The day got better as I spent more time indoors than I ever had before. It was a day spent reordering and checking on the plants in the aquaponics systems. We had to remove the underproductive pots for re-seedeing and move the others around so that the tallest pots were on the north side, and the shortest on the south side, so that all the plants get as much sunlight as possible. I feel very connected with plants, more so than animals even, and learned a lot by being silent and listening to / observing them. I felt the compactedness of the soil in some of the pots inhibiting the plant's growth as well as the moisture content being low, high or just right. I tasted many leaves of both the underproductive and highly productive plants and looked deeply into their cell structure.

This whole place is magical and draws so many great people here. There are many aspects of permaculture present here at Growing Power. The permaculture ethics: earth care, people care and resource share - food comes in and an abundance is produced… things getting shared among the staff and interns - earth care with the making of compost from food waste / plant waste – people care in building the local community.

Growing Power Workshop!

2010-01-10T19:41:00.008-05:00

Hey y'all.

It's been a crazy weekend here at Growing Power. There was a conference here beewhich 80 or so people attended...from all over the country. The group was pretty well diversed - a whole mix of people interested in urban farming, starting their own non-profit similar to Growing Power, wanting to learn about different sustainable (permaculture.esk) activities: composting, vermaculture, aquaponics, hoop.houses, sprouts / marketing and bee keeping. The two workshops I attended were composting and hoop house construction.

Will Allen's composting workshop at Growing Power.

That's a farmers arm... Will never works out...

Fortunately they let us interns participate in the breakout sessions rather than spending the day shoveling and mulching and other hard-labor activities. But I actually crave shoveling a little each day...even in this sub freezing weather. I thought I'd be much colder than I am... but we're moving around so much that we actually break a sweat! That and I live right on-site, so I can go home on any one of my breaks and have a warm stew from the crock pot waiting to warm me up / re-energize me.

Composting / vermiculture was the workshop I participated in today, led by Will Allen himself. We had a great group activity talking about starting up a business in our local communities and having no money to start whatsoever. We had to take into account it was a poor area, with high crime rate, and we want to help ex-offenders get jobs and also help out the children. What would we do? We talked about fund raising to get some initial startup capital, then making composting using all free/cheap local community waste-resources. It starts by collecting high carbon material such as wood chips, hay, newspaper and cardboard then layering it in a bin with high nitrogen materials (food waste, manure, grass clippings.) The bin should not be sealed because you want it to be an aerobic (not anaerobic) process. 50/50 is a good ratio of carbon to nitrogen material, although Growing Power uses and recommends 75/25% ratio (more carbon than nitrogen) as this decreases the smell, flies and rodents. The more carbon in the winter will also help retain the heat better.

Here are some pictures from the composting workshop.

Digging for worms!

Compacting the compost bins. Awesome.

Then I did a hoop house construction session yesterday…which is great as I plan on building a few this spring in Holyoke. Here's some pictures of that:

We bent those steel poles using a simple jig that we made using 2x4s and flat pieces of wood.

Katie and Jordan - great people - Growing Power staff and new friends

One of the workshop attendees...it was freezing cold so none of us wanted to take our gloves off to do this part.

I thought this picture summed up the day pretty nicely.

Jon being Jon.

Vermiculture and aquaponics to come later! Hope everyone had as good a weekend as I. 2010 is looking to be a year of eventfulness! I came home tonight super inspired from today's workshop. Keep asking questions and writing comments – I'm thoroughly enjoying them!

Days 6 - 7 Growing Power's Competition

2010-01-07T14:25:00.005-05:00

It seems like Growing Power has some up and coming competition. The company's name is Sweet Water Organics. They are a recent startup that focuses on aquaponics, even more so than Growing Power. They don't use any soil whatsoever…because all of what they grow (fish and plants) don't need soil. Sweet Water is much smaller than GP but they are very ambitious… their headquarters is an old warehouse that was originally used for fixing traincars. Apparently have a lot of influential people as board members, have a lot of money invested and are already creating contracts with local businesses, schools, etc. (supplying them fish and fresh greens.)

Today was a crazy day. There was a lot of shoveling (it snowed and currently still is), we did re-mulching of paths (outside and in greenhouses), wheel-barreling compost to the sides of hoop houses (it acts as insulation and a heat source!), and lots and lots of cleaning. Tomorrow the weekend workshop begins – the commercial urban agriculture session is once a month for 5 months while the individual breakout sessions (compost, vermicompost, aquaponics, hoop houses, etc.) are just on Saturday and Sunday (but they get repeated once a month for whoever is interested.

Blogging is becoming harder and harder with the limited time that I have. I won't have a chance to write again until probably Monday, but please keep checking in! I hope all is well back home – things are great here and I will talk more about what I said – that Growing Power is going through some growing-pains – in a later entry!

Cheers,

Ryan

Day 5 - Aquaponics, Compost and New Intern

2010-01-07T01:29:00.007-05:00

I thought I'd get to sleep without blogging but I finally got internet to work right as I'm heading to sleep… I'll be quick with this entry. Today we all but finished building the aquaponics system, which has been a pretty awesome experience. Here are some pictures of it:

Today also involved some sifting of worm castings, taking care of the farm animals and covering the beds in the hoop houses.

After work we made dinner (not as elaborate as previous days) and then went to the organic market to get some things. Katie, a previous intern and now office assistant drove Jeremy and I to the store and also to the airport to pick up our new roommate, Trisha. We got some beer and cheese and had our other roommate Jon, make a loaf of bread for the occasion. Trish seems awesome – coming from Portland, Oregon and having a lot of similarities.

Here's a few more pictures of the compost at Growing Power's headquarters. I'll note my first problem tonight with this organization which is the amount they charge for compost. Maybe it's not so bad of a price for what people pay around here…but what they charge per yard is $75 compared to $30 in Amherst! I was stunned when I heard that figure. An organization that is trying to bring change to the community, combat classism and racism should definitely charge a whole lot less for their soil.

Ending things on a better note, we are gearing up for this weekend's conference which is expected to bring together a group of nearly 100 folks from around the country. I'll hopefully be sitting-in / helping with the hoop-house building workshop, as I'll be building some with Nuestras Raices in March.

Night y'all.

Ryan

Day 4 - Growing Power's Distribution System, Going Off-Site, and FOOD!

2010-01-05T22:22:00.005-05:00

Today was very eventful (everyday has been…), but in a different way. I spent a lot of time off-site. Growing Power has 4 sites total in Milwaukee:

The main site / headquarters at Silver Springs,
Will's Farm - about 5 minutes away from his house, where most of Growing Power's produce comes from during the summer months
A place called Merdan
And then a cemetery which has greenhouses that Growing Power uses… yes a cemetery!

We went to The Forest Home Cemetery and brought some plants/pots over from Growing Power's headquarters (where I live and work most days.) They grow lots and lots of salad greens in these 4 greenhouses, just like the 14 at the headquarters.

As we were loading the plants out of the truck, a van next to us was unloading a body box (which was a cardboard box with a dead body in it!) and bringing it to the incinerator. You'll see smoke coming out of the chimney on some days – luckily not today!

Anyway, here's a little bit more info about the Growing Power distribution system. All the salad greens and sprouts that Growing Power grows are harvested each week and put into individual bags. Some are sold in the storefront, but most go into what's called "market baskets." These market baskets are distributed to anyone who wants them and there are 3 different sizes: a "senior basket" for $9 (called a senior basket because they intentionally leave out things that some senior citizens can't have, like oranges which have a lot of acids in them), then there's another basket for $17 which is approximately a week's supply of vegetables for a family of 2-3, and the largest basket is for $28 which is approximately a week's supply of vegetables for a family of 4.

Some of the food that's included in these market baskets right now (during winter) include: sweet potatoes, potatoes, oranges, apples, bananas, garlic, onions, sprouts, salad greens, spinach, bell peppers, and sometimes celery, carrots and a bag of mixed nuts (peanuts, brazil nuts, hazelnuts and walnuts.) People are able to purchase a "market basket" whenever they please. They don't need to buy one every week, but some people do. There are different "pickup points"… so everyone who buys this market basket doesn't need to come to Growing Power headquarters (they can, if it's convenient for them.) They can also pick it up at a school that's partnered with Growing Power, a conservatory (in Chicago they do this) or at the local farmers market. One thing to note is that this time of year, Growing Power does not grow a majority of the food in these baskets. Rather, it's from a farmers coop; a group of farmers that come together to sell their produce, and they split the profits. I'm not sure how many of these baskets get sold per week, but it's a lot (well over 100 to my knowledge.)

There's no meat in these baskets, but people can also purchase high-quality meat (grass-fed cattle that had a good life, as well as chickens and pigs... all are local.)

I'm getting tired tonight and this blog takes a lot of my limited free time while I'm here in the intern house – I haven't got a chance to read much since I've been here, or write in my journal since we're always doing something (working 8am-5pm and then cooking as a house usually after.) So I'm not going to rant as I was planning on doing tonight. I'll tell you what I was going to rant about and then you can ponder it for yourself.

I had a conversation with another roommate, named Chris, who volunteers here many days a week. Chris is great – he doesn't get paid at all, he usually sleeps in the small shed, but since it's very cold now he sleeps in the intern house. Chris used to own a book store for 33 years, he is an avid gardner and is a great conversationalist. We talked a lot about how America has so much food waste, and there are so many people around the world who don't have anything. We have such an abundance of food here at Growing Power… but not just here – it's everywhere. America has so much and places like Africa have so little.

Today we had an entire 18-wheeler full of food that was given to use by local supermarkets. All of the food wasn't able to be sold...it was considered "old" and no-good... so they were going to throw it all away. Growing Power takes it and composts it all…which is certainly better than throwing it away (it gets turned into soil and then regenerates the land to grow more food) yet there are so many starving people who would/need to eat this food to survive. The way the world works is beyond my comprehension sometimes… it really is sad how uneven the playing field is. It happens in this country, too.

A video of my roommate Jon talking about compost!

That's all I'm going to say for tonight. But I wish I had taken my camera with me to show you all a visual of how much food was being thrown away in ONE WEEK…from just a couple of grocery stores. Thousands of pounds…

…And some of it was still good! So me being me, put 4 boxes aside and brought it back to the intern house. We have about 50 red-bell peppers that were not going to be sold or eaten by anyone. So what is one to do with re

d-bell peppers? Stuff them of course.

Here's a visual of what our after-work (tonight) entailed. So much abundance! Yet this is about 1/1000th of the food we threw away today. I want to leave you with some goodness after talking about something that may anger/sadden some people.

Now we are stuffed! We did this with apples last night (about 30 apples that were unable to be sold... we made apple sauce out of them.)

Tip of the day: just do the best you can with what you have, live as positive a life as one can, treat others kindly and do not judge. We are all one and the same, we are all beings on this planet and we all deserve to be happy. Food is something that brings everyone together, no matter what your background, nationality, skin color or religion.

Cheers,

Ryan

Day 3 - Sift worm castings, "official" tour, build outdoor aquaponics system...

2010-01-04T20:32:00.005-05:00

Today was hard work! This past month I haven't done much manual labor... not since the sheet-mulching was finished at the end of November. I guess you can say, I've been hibernating. But there is certainly no hibernating here... there is ALWAYS something to do at Growing Power. So if you are caught just standing around, well, they'd kick my ass out!

It was the first formal workday for Jon and I, today. As a potential intern, you are invited for two "trial days" to see whether or not you are fit for the work here. Today and tomorrow are those days. If they deem us not suitable to work here, then we pack up and have to head home. That means if I slack off, you all will be seeing me a lot sooner than expected. So if you don't see a blog entry on Wednesday night / Thursday, you'll know why..!

In the morning we did shoveling upon shoveling of worm castings into the mechanical sifter. How it works is the sprouts (which are part of the winter green salad mix) are grown in a mixture of 3 parts coir and 1 part worm castings. Coir is ground up coconut shells, which gets delivered in big dry rectangle blocks to Growing Power. Coir is a growing medium (like peat moss) but it is incredibly good at holding moisture and nutrients... and it can be reused over and over again. Peat cannot - it can only be used a few times at best.

The sprouts get harvested (cut, washed and put in bags for distribution to the local community) then the soil mixture, sprout roots and stems, are put in a big transformer. This breaks down for one month and then it is sifted (we did this today) and put into plastic trays which are also reused. The trays are planted with sprout seeds, then they are harvested, then composted, then it all gets reused... it's a cycle that never ends and produces sprouts for the salad mix every single week of the year. A brilliant system.

Red wriggler worms break down the food waste at an incredible speed. Apparently they are an unusual species of worms that eat horizontally rather than vertically - making them very unique. I will talk more about vermicomposting in a later entry.

After lunch we got an official tour (we have a big crock pot full of stew, which we make the night before, all vegetables grown locally.) Then after that we helped build an outdoor aquaponics system. Again, something else I will talk about later.

Our yummy stew, almost overflowing the crock.

It's getting late so I'm just going to post some more picture and wrap up this entry. I still have 17 more days of work before I leave... so plenty more information to share with y'all. Hope you are enjoying this so far... please keep the comments coming - they motivate me to write more.

So much food... good food... and all of us enjoying it!

Me - From Amherst, MA

Jon - Minneapolis, MN

Jeremy - Chicago, IL

A GREAT OMLETTE, made by Chef Jeremy... but really...

...this is who made the omlette!

Peace,
Ryan

Day 2 - The day before formal training

2010-01-03T17:40:00.005-05:00

Today we didn't have to be at the greenhouses very early. It was a day to relax before the real work begins (8:00am tomorrow.) Jon and I spent the morning reading, writing and making the intern house feel like home. The house is extremely warm (in terms of temperature and cozyness)... here are some pictures of our corridors:

The outside of our house, called "The Intern House." There are 3 houses on site: House 1) the director, Karen, lives at. House 2) Our house (for interns and long-stay volunteers). House 3) Being made into another intern house.

The upstairs bedroom that Jon and I share.

Our kitchen.

The living room from which I'm typing in now.

The office / other living room / dining room (multifunction room!)

Today's entry won't be as eventful as future ones. We are still getting settled, after only being here one day and most of the staff is on vacation until Monday. I'll devote the rest of this blog entry to answering some of the questions I've received thus far.

Some of you have inquired why the hell I'm in Milwaukee in the dead of winter working on a farm. Seems kind of counterintuitive, right? Well, that's exactly it... if people are able to grow leafy green vegetables in below-zero weather, that's right where I want to be. I am here to learn, plain and simple. Yeah, I might freeze my ass off every single day but man, it's worth it. I've already had plenty of experiences that I wouldn't have had otherwise.

Another question I got is what am I planning on doing with the things that I learn here. I can't exactly answer that because I'm not sure what sort of long-term impact these three weeks will have on me. In the short-term, I'm going to be helping building a greenhouse in Shutesbury, MA at Sirius Community. We are in the planning and designing phase so coming here will provide me with some great ideas to take back home and perhaps implement. Will Allen is doing a workshop here next weekend and one of the sessions he'll be teaching is on greenhouse construction. I will definitely sit-in on that.

The most important aspect of this internship (that I can anticipate) is how I can bring this model of Will Allen's to other places that need it. His operation is absolutely stunning. It's unbelievable that a farm exists in the middle of a city... and in a cold-temperate climate like this. The temperature is -2 with wind chill... and there's green everywhere! If growing food can be done here, in these troublesome conditions, then it can be done anywhere. And this brings me to my passion, which I share with many others back home and around the world: Grow Food Everywhere and Think Globally, Act Locally. The implications of this are immense...

I'm going to talk about how Growing Power relates to / incorporates permaculture (or does it?) in a later entry. And also, there's such a huge social action piece of Growing Power that I haven't even touched upon yet. That is one of the main reasons I came here: to learn first hand how environmental issues relate to problems of social inequity - they are absolutely connected and thus Will Allen solves many problems at a time. But for now I'll leave you with a few pictures of the greenhouse:

Day 1 - Early Arrival, Immediately Working!

2010-01-02T20:34:00.003-05:00

Good evening y'all,

It's been quite a day: Awake at 3:15am in Andover, Logan airport at 4:15am... sleeping on and off then waking up in Milwaukee around 7:30. The temperature here read 1 degree F. The wind chill was around -14. Luckily a bus took me and my fellow intern Jon, right to Growing Power. We put our bags down and immediately went to work.

Since it's a holiday weekend, things were slow around here today (many employees are off until Monday). But myself, Jon, Jeremy and Chris spent much of the day sifting compost and wheeling the fine-grained soil to one of other 13 greenhouses (there are 14 total.) It's amazing what Will Allen has going:

There are plants everyone... every bit of space is utililized to its fullest potential (vertical growing! pictures to come soon)
Aquaponics - symbiotic cultivation of plants and aquatic animals in a re-circulating system. Growing Power uses Tilapia and Yellow Perch to fertilize a variety of crops and herbs.. I'll explain this in greater detail in a future entry
Vermicompost - the final product of the breakdown of organic material by worms..

Then there's the farm animals (turkeys, chickens, goats) - I had a great experience today feeding the chickens, harvesting their eggs, and now I'm about to go cook some! Nothing like local, freshly harvested eggs.

Some other observations I had on my first day:

The number of employees is around 15 or so for the Milwaukee branch... another 10 or so for the Chicago site.. I think the employees will work at both sites when needed
There are a TON of volunteers... on Saturday's the place is full of people in the community wanting to check out what's happening
There are tours once a day at 1pm, and they will pretty much give people tours whenever they show up. I think Will does one himself once per month.
Types of crops: lots of leafy greens in the winter (mustard greens, pea sprouts, sunflower sprouts, collard greens, arugula, watercrest)... they have a CSA that distributes the foods they can't grow in their greenhouses during winter to the local community (so this time of year they are getting potatoes, yams, celery, apples, , bell peppers, meat, etc. from local farms.)

I'll keep the daily updates coming.

Peace,
Ryan

Tomorrow I begin interning for Will Allen!

2010-01-01T14:50:00.003-05:00

Greetings, all. I am finishing packing and sending out last-minute e-mails but I want to start off my 2010 blog with an entry about Will Allen. I will be spending the next 3 weeks interning for Growing Power in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Hopefully there will be many people reading this blog as my hope is to raise awareness about what Will is doing over there and bring his concept to western Massachusetts and elsewhere!

Here is a short description of what Will Allen is doing (read back a few entries and there are some links to websites about his organization):

Will Allen, is doing very big things. As an urban farmer he is "Inspiring communities to build sustainable food systems that are equitable and ecologically sound, creating a just world, one food-secure community at a time."

Allen, who is 60, asserts that our industrial food system is depleting soil, poisoning water, gobbling fossil fuels and stuffing us with bad calories. Like others, he advocates eating locally grown food. But to Allen, local doesn’t mean a rolling pasture or even a suburban garden: it means 14 greenhouses crammed onto two acres in a working-class neighborhood on Milwaukee’s northwest side, less than half a mile from the city’s largest public-housing project.

In the last several years, he has become a darling of the foundation world. In 2005, he received a $100,000 Ford Foundation leadership grant. In 2008, the MacArthur Foundation honored Allen with a $500,000 “genius” award. And in May, the Kellogg Foundation gave Allen $400,000 to create jobs in urban agriculture. The Clinton Foundation has named Will their "hero" and wants his model to be brought to Africa.

Allen is the go-to expert on urban farming, and there is a hunger for his knowledge. "Growing food, growing minds, growing communities: that’s Will Allen's agenda. His organization, Growing Power, teaches inner-city children about the rewards, the challenges, and the science of growing your own food.

The White House Kitchen Garden, Ready for Winter...

2009-12-09T08:46:00.001-05:00

http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2009/12/white-house-kitchen-garden-ready-for.html

"First Lady Michelle Obama made international headlines when she hula hooped on the South Lawn of the White House in October, but now there's a different kind of South Lawn hooping going on. White House gardeners, led by chief horticulturalist Jim Adams, installed what are known as hoop houses in Mrs. Obama's White House Kitchen Garden at the end of last week, in order to ensure that crops can be grown through the winter. Fabric-covered aluminum hoops have been placed over the crop rows and these capture passive solar energy and boost the interior temperature dramatically, so the garden soil and air is warmed, and crops can flourish--even in winter. Hoop Houses are often tall enough to walk through, but the White House is using mini versions, about two feet tall, which some farmers and gardeners refer to as "low tunnels" or just simply "row covers." (Photo at top: The Kitchen Garden with the newly installed hoop houses, right before a weekend snowfall. Small photo is the First Lady, doing her own hooping)

Food Initiative Coordinator Sam Kass oversees the Kitchen Garden as the policy architect of the First Lady's health and nutrition agenda, and he intends the Kitchen Garden to be a "succession" garden, meaning that it will grow crops successively through the seasons, barring any prolonged freezes or deep enduring snows. The hoop houses ensure this, and were put in place just in time. It's been really cold in DC lately--over the weekend there was a storm that dumped enough snow to actually accumulate (!), and today there are black ice warnings for drivers, and in general the temperature has been between the low 30s and mid 40s f, with blowing winds. More snow is possible later in the week. But no matter: It's warm and cozy inside the covered beds in the 1,100 square foot Kitchen Garden, and the winter crops, which include lettuces, cabbage, winter radishes, onions, broccoli, turnips, and carrots, are easily accessible, because the covering fabric is held down with sandbags, and can easily be flipped back to weed, harvest, or water, if for some odd reason it doesn't rain (but it'd been raining a lot before it started to snow). (Photo above: The hoops in the garden, before the fabric coverings were put in place)

The latest estimate of total crop production for the garden since its first planting in April is about 1,000 pounds, which Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses announced during last week's Holiday Decoration preview, when he was showing off the adorable mini-marzipan replica of the Kitchen Garden that's a new addition to the White House Gingerbread House. Total costs for the Kitchen Garden--minus the incalculable sum for labor, which included weeding by kitchen staff and volunteers, as well as planting and harvesting by local elementary school groups--are estimated at $175.00. (Photo: The mini-marzipan Kitchen Garden)

Washington, DC is in what USDA identifies as "hardiness zone 7," a fairly temperate zone...although temperatures have varied wildly in the past three years (the -5 degree temperature at President Obama's inauguration last January was unprecedented, yet DC does seem to be getting colder. Thus one more reason for addressing climate change in Copenhagen...). Because the Kitchen Garden is situated on a part of the South Lawn that gets a lot of sun for much of the day, even in winter, with the hoop houses in place, the garden is expected to continue to provide healthy fresh and ultra local veggies for the White House with no problem--minus permafrost conditions. Home gardeners often use plastic as their hoop covering, but the White House is attempting to be a citadel of green modeling, thus the choice of eco-conscious fabric.

For the State Dinner menu on Nov. 24, Arugula harvested from the garden was used in the salads, and guest chef Marcus Samuelsson personally harvested fresh herbs for his dishes, including pineapple sage, dill, oregano and thyme. Yosses used lemon verbena and mint as garnish for his desserts, and he poached pears for one of the desserts in honey from the White House Beehive. The Beehive is now dormant for the winter. Just one month ago, on Oct. 30, at the Fall Kitchen Garden Harvest, Mrs. Obama, a team of elementary school helpers, and the White House chefs harvested 224 pounds of crops from the Kitchen Garden, to begin the process of preparing for the winter planting and the installation of the hoop houses. At that point, crops were knee- and shoulder high, depending on variety, and had to be cleared to make way for the latest planting. The Fall Harvest crops were donated to Miriam's Kitchen, the local social services agency that also received crops from the garden during its first harvest last spring. (Above: During the Fall Garden Harvest, the crops were lush and large. Mrs. Obama holds a huge sweet potato that weighed around 4 pounds; below, the Kitchen Garden moments before it was harvested for Fall)"

Ethical Omnivores: Think Twice Before Buying The Christmas Ham

2009-12-09T08:39:00.001-05:00

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121198102

First permaculture course at UMass

2009-12-09T08:31:00.003-05:00

Snowy morning outside. But to add a little brightness to the day, UMass has approved its first permaculture course!: "BMATWT 397P - 01 ST-Permaculture"

I'll be sharing some of my knowledge with 25 students (as well as getting help from local permaculture designers) starting in January.

HOME

2009-12-07T21:56:00.003-05:00

Take a watch

short description:

"In 200,000 years on Earth, humanity has upset the balance of the planet, established by nearly four billion years of evolution. The price to pay is high, but it's too late to be a pessimist: humanty has barely ten years to reverse the trend, become aware of the full extent of ts spollation of the Earth's riches and changes its patterns of consumption"

Will Allen: The "Go-to expert on urban farming"..

2009-12-05T10:20:00.007-05:00

I am feeling very excited today. I found out yesterday that I will be traveling to Milwaukee on January 4th and spending three full weeks with an organization called Growing Power. The founder, Will Allen, is doing very big things. He is an urban farmer that is (taken from his website) "Inspiring communities to build sustainable food systems that are equitable and ecologically sound, creating a just world, one food-secure community at a time."

"Growing Power is a national nonprofit organization and land trust supporting people from diverse backgrounds, and the environments in which they live, by helping to provide equal access to healthy, high-quality, safe and affordable food for people in all communities."

"Will isn't out to change the ways of multinational food producers or foreign governments. But he is spurring people to turn the weedy lot on the corner into a field of cucumbers and kale, and he's probably inspiring a few others to turn off the TV and make dinner for the family. Think globally; act locally."

- Debra Landwehr Engle

"Growing food, growing minds, growing communities: that’s the agenda of former basketball player Will Allen, whose organization, Growing Power, teaches inner-city children about the rewards, the challenges, and the science of farming."

- Michael Penn

Below is an article that I found about Will Allen written in the NY Times. The full article can be read, here

Street Farmer
By ELIZABETH ROYTE
Published: July 1, 2009

“Sitting in my office isn’t a very comfortable thing for me,” he told me later, seated in his office. “I want to be out there doing physical stuff.”

Like others in the so-called good-food movement, Allen, who is 60, asserts that our industrial food system is depleting soil, poisoning water, gobbling fossil fuels and stuffing us with bad calories. Like others, he advocates eating locally grown food. But to Allen, local doesn’t mean a rolling pasture or even a suburban garden: it means 14 greenhouses crammed onto two acres in a working-class neighborhood on Milwaukee’s northwest side, less than half a mile from the city’s largest public-housing project.

When you’re producing a quarter of a million dollars’ worth of food in such a small space, soil fertility is everything. Without microbe- and nutrient-rich worm castings (poop, that is), Allen’s Growing Power farm couldn’t provide healthful food to 10,000 urbanites — through his on-farm retail store, in schools and restaurants, at farmers’ markets and in low-cost market baskets delivered to neighborhood pickup points.

Allen studied the worms for five years, learning their food and shelter preferences (warned by experts that his red wrigglers would freeze during Milwaukee’s long winter), “I’d run my experiments over and over and over — just like an athlete operates” (he is a former professional basketball player in the ABA and in Belgium after graduating from the University of Miami). Then he worked out systems for procuring wood chips from the city and food scraps from markets and wholesalers. Last year, he took in six million pounds of spoiled food, which would otherwise rot in landfills and generate methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Every four months, he creates another 100,000 pounds of compost, of which he uses a quarter and sells the rest.

With seeds planted at quadruple density and nearly every inch of space maximized to generate exceptional bounty, Growing Power is an agricultural Mumbai, a supercity of upward-thrusting tendrils and duct-taped infrastructure. Allen pointed to five tiers of planters brimming with salad greens. “We’re growing in 25,000 pots,” he said. Ducking his 6-foot-7 frame under one of them, he pussyfooted down a leaf-crammed aisle. “We grow a thousand trays of sprouts a week; every square foot brings in $30.” He headed toward the in-ground fish tanks stocked with tens of thousands of tilapia and perch. Pumps send the dirty fish water up into beds of watercress, which filter pollutants and trickle the cleaner water back down to the fish — a symbiotic system called aquaponics.

Uncannily, Allen makes such efforts sound simple — fun even. When he mentions that animal waste attracts soldier flies, whose larvae make terrific fish and chicken feed, a dozen people start imagining that growing grubs in buckets of manure might be a good project for them too. “Will has a way of persuading people to do things,” Robert Pierce, a farmer in Madison, Wis., told me. “There’s a spirit in how he says things; you want to be part of his community.”

Suddenly, I got it: Allen was a genius at selling. He could push his greens into corporate cafeterias, persuade the governor to help finance the construction of an anaerobic digester, wheedle new composting sites from urban landlords, persuade Milwaukee’s school board to buy his produce for its public schools and charm the blind into growing sprouts. (“I was cutting sprouts in the dark one night,” Allen said, “and I realized you don’t need sight to do this.”)

His essential view is that people do the best they can: if they don’t have any better food choices than KFC, well, O.K. But let’s work on changing that. If they don’t know what to do with okra, Growing Power stands ready to help. And if their great-grandparents were sharecroppers and they have some bad feelings about the farming life, then Allen has something to offer there too: his personal example and workshops geared toward empowering minorities. “African-Americans need more help, and they’re often harder to work with because they’ve been abused and so forth,” Allen said. “But I can break through a lot of that very quickly because a lot of people of color are so proud, so happy to see me leading this kind of movement.”

Employing locals to grow food for the hungry on neglected land has an irresistible appeal, but it’s not clear yet whether Growing Power’s model can work elsewhere. “I know how to make money growing food,” Allen asserts. But he’s also got between 30 and 50 employees to pay, which makes those foundation grants — and a grant-writer — essential. Growing Power also relies on large numbers of volunteers. All of which perhaps explains why other urban farmers have not yet replicated Growing Power’s scale or its unique social achievements.

Growing Power isn’t self-sufficient. But neither is industrial agriculture, which relies on price supports and government subsidies. Moreover, industrial farming incurs costs that are paid by society as a whole: the health costs of eating highly processed foods, for example, or water pollution. Nor can Growing Power be compared to other small farms, because it provides so many intangible social benefits to those it reaches. “It’s not operated as a farm,” said Ian Marvy, executive director of Brooklyn’s Added Value farm, which shares many of Growing Power’s core values but produces less food. “It has a social, ecological and economic bottom line.” That said, Marvy says that anyone can replicate Allen’s technical systems — the worm composting and aquaponics — for relatively little money.

---

In the last several years, he has become a darling of the foundation world. In 2005, he received a $100,000 Ford Foundation leadership grant. In 2008, the MacArthur Foundation honored Allen with a $500,000 “genius” award. And in May, the Kellogg Foundation gave Allen $400,000 to create jobs in urban agriculture.

Today Allen is the go-to expert on urban farming, and there is a hunger for his knowledge. When I visited Growing Power, Allen was conducting a two-day workshop for 40 people: each paid $325 to learn worm composting, aquaponics construction and other farm skills. “We need 50 million more people growing food,” Allen told them, “on porches, in pots, in side yards.” The reasons are simple: as oil prices rise, cities expand and housing developments replace farmland, the ability to grow more food in less space becomes ever more important. As Allen can’t help reminding us, with a mischievous smile, “Chicago has 77,000 vacant lots.”

What if we literally "grew food everywhere?"

2009-11-22T15:41:00.005-05:00

Warning, this is a rant inspired by a meeting I attended last week. The following statement was said (name purposefully omitted) and I wrote it down for a future reflection:

Cultivating all land takes away from local farmers… and doesn't this go against sustainability?"

Picture this: what would it look like if we literally, "grew food everywhere?" For one, there wouldn't be as much grass. There also would be much less (or no) world hunger... and the world would be on path toward true sustainability. After imagining that world, shouldn't we all be asking ourselves, "why wouldn't we want to grow food everywhere?"

Economically, it makes sense [more so locally]. We would have to outsource far less food and our money could stay in the local economy. However, our current measure for economic growth [GDP] would be adversely affected. I will explain later why it's not necessarily a bad thing to have very low or near 0% growth (negative is bad, but so is the super growth like we've been having since the industrial revolution.)

Environmentally, local sustainable food production is sound (less transportation = less fossil fuels used, and less heavy machinery needed for large-scale production / distribution. More oxygen produced by plants and more carbon sequestration from trees. Also, more shade on asphault / concrete means less heat reflection and lower ground temperatures… plants will also absorb rainwater and decrease the amount of [polluted] runoff into nearby water sheds.

Socially, it gets people outside and working together toward a common goal: growing food (on the micro scale), and creating a sustainable world (on the macro level). Being outside has been found (in numerous studies) to help people's mental, emotional and physical health. For some, spiritual health as well. Therefore, the quality of life would improve as a whole.

Any community, town, university, city, etc. who implements this would have a sustainable model for the entire world to see... why would anyone not want this?

Richard Heinberg sums it up best when he describes our measurement of economic success (GDP) on a planet that has finite resources. Think about those two ideas and ask yourself can they realistically go hand-in-hand forever? No they can't – the two ideas are mutually exclusive. We cannot continually increase our GDP when our population keeps increasing and our resource levels do not. This system we are all living by is so completely flawed but it's the norm. And Everyone is following it.

It's going to take someone very ballsy and with very deep pockets to stand up against the current measurement of economic success (GDP)… to prove that the world can still function effectively with very little or even 0% economic growth. Or rather (and more realistically) it will take a collective movement among the people (it is happening now, but more support is needed) to really make this change happen.

I hypothesize that by decreasing our GDP (not have a negative GDP, but have a very low or near 0% growth figure) we will create other successes that are much more important to us as a species. These successes I speak of are human happiness, true sustainable living and an overall improved quality of life for all.

I'm not suggesting that everyone begins to grow all of their own food and strive for total self-sufficiency (this is nearly impossible to do, even on a large-scale.) That is completely the wrong goal to have - we are a social species that works much more efficiently together rather than separate. Instead, I'm suggesting that people grow all the food they can and buy/barter for the things they do not produce themselves. There will still be plenty of jobs if everyone grows their own food… however, the farmers who are currently growing food for the masses might have to restructure their approach of making money and begin to focus on other forms of income such as educating the general public on how to grow food responsibly.

No matter what positive actions you take in this world, there will be some unexpected or adverse affects. Farmers will lose part of their income stream if people have access to free food in their own yards and on local public spaces. That is the down side to an otherwise brilliant model. What we must do is help the farmers (not let them "starve", speaking in financial terms), for they have provided us with food that we needed to live for thousands of years. But the system we have in place is not working... and some unsustainable jobs will need to be eliminated in order to continue progressing as a species.

This transition will not be easy, and some people will be unhappy with the changes we must make. A community effort must take place (financial, emotional and loving support) to help the current large-scale farmers become integrated into this new world. We need to help our fellow brothers and sisters make a complete life restructuring if that's what it comes down to. I doubt that with the surplus amount of food being produced that farmers will be able to afford the huge chunks of land they currently have… it may need to be sold to local conservation groups or town/city governments…and then it can be reforested or used in some other responsible way.

What it all comes down to is if people are willing to make this change: meaning (1) live a community-based (2) less consumptive and (3) more [not completely] self-sufficient lifestyle - then this system could actually work. If you only take what you need, grow all you can and share in community with others… the world will transform into a better place for us all. And it wouldn't just be the future generations benefiting from our actions... we could actually see the results happening right before our eyes.

So get inspired people... and start small by planting your own garden. If enough of us do this - imagine the impacts... and if you want help, give me a call - I have a feeling this will be my life's work.

Grow food everywhere!

Contact:

Ryan Harb

Amherst, MA

rharb@nrc.umass.edu

"All the world's problems can be solved in a garden"

2009-11-21T17:24:00.005-05:00

I'm reading a fellow student's research proposal regarding the impacts humans are having on the Albertine Rift Watersheds in East Africa. It's extremely disturbing and has gotten me very upset. I feel the need to share a video that I watched last night entitled, "Greening the Desert II, Greening the Middle East."

Here is a link to the famous "Greening the Desert" Part 1 video on Youtube (this is what inspired me to become a permaculturalist.) Watch this first: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sohI6vnWZmk

Here is the link to the movie I watched last night (Part II) : http://vimeo.com/7658282

Here is my rant: We think we are so smart, so much more advanced than the generations before us who lived so "primitively." Yes, it is amazing what we have accomplished as a species over the last few centuries. We have made strides in technology that at one time seemed like science fiction. But where has it led us?

The world is dying. I'm an extremely positive person but there is no question that so much destruction is happening every second of every day on all parts of the planet. We are consuming resources much faster than can be replenished by the earth. We are the most unsustainable species to have ever walked the planet.

It takes in-depth scientific studies for people to even consider that what they are doing is wrong. Destroying nature is wrong. The indigenous people's knew this and most of them lived in accordance with the world. They understood "The web."

It blows my mind how stupid humans can be nowadays. If you deforest the land near a river basin, then yes... the fish in that water body will be affected. But the impacts go further than just that river basin... The indigenous people's knew that that hurting one part of our planet will hurt all other parts of the planet and all forms of life (it may not be noticable, but I believe wholeheartedly that everything is connected.) And they did this without scientific studies and advanced technology. Those who lived with the land believed in the "oneness" of all things.

The solution to many of the world's most severe problems is simple: take care of nature and you'll be taking care of yourself and all other living beings. And one way to do this is for everyone to grow food in their local communities (on land that is already cleared like grass lawns and greenspaces... not deforesting more land for agricultural purposes.)

It seems appropriate to post the first real poem I wrote this past summer.
It is called The Web:

The Web you see
is the key to it all.
For it is strong,
so strong
that even snakes are unable to escape.

But like all things, webs break.
They regenerate, and they vibrate.

The Web,
no matter how large, vast, tall or wide,
what happens on one end
is felt on the other side.
That's how Earth Mother designed.

Building With Whole Trees

2009-11-05T14:41:00.004-05:00

This article was sent to the W.MASS permaculture listserv by Dave Jacke. Pretty interesting stuff... this is the kind of thing that really interests me - much less embodied energy when materials don't need to be processed. Roald Gundersen is miles ahead of other architects, in my opinion:

ROALD GUNDERSEN, an architect who may revolutionize the building industry, shinnied up a slender white ash near his house here on a recent afternoon, hoisting himself higher and higher until the limber trunk began to bend slowly toward the forest floor.
“Look at Papa!” his life and business partner, Amelia Baxter, 31, called to their 3-year-old daughter, Estella, who was crouching in the leaves, reaching for a mushroom. Their son, Cameron, 9 months, was nestled in a sling across Ms. Baxter’s chest.
Wild mushrooms and watercress are among the treasures of this 134-acre forest, but its greatest resource is its small-diameter trees — thousands like the one Mr. Gundersen, 49, was hugging like a monkey.
“Whooh!” he said, jumping to the ground and gingerly rubbing his back. “This isn’t as easy as it used to be. But see how the tree holds the memory of the weight?”
The ash, no more than five inches thick, was still bent toward the ground. Mr. Gundersen will continue to work on it, bending and pruning it over the next few years in this forest which lies about 10 miles east of the Mississippi River and 150 miles northwest of Madison.
Loggers pass over such trees because they are too small to mill, but this forester-architect, who founded Gundersen Design in 1991 and built his first house here two years later, has made a career of working with them.
“Curves are stronger than straight lines,” he explained. “A single arch supporting a roof can laterally brace the building in all directions.”
The firm, recently renamed Whole Tree Architecture and Construction, is also owned by Ms. Baxter, a onetime urban farmer and community organizer with a knack for administration and fundraising. She also manages a community forest project modeled after a community-supported agriculture project, in which paying members harvest sustainable riches like mushrooms, firewood and watercress from these woods, and those who want to build a house can select from about 1,000 trees, inventoried according to species, size and shape, and located with global positioning system coordinates, a living inventory that was paid for with a $150,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture.
According to research by the Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, run by the USDA, a whole, unmilled tree can support 50 percent more weight than the largest piece of lumber milled from the same tree. So Mr. Gundersen uses small-diameter trees as rafters and framing in his airy structures, and big trees felled by wind, disease or insects as powerful columns and curving beams.
Taking small trees from a crowded stand in the forest is much like thinning carrots in a row: the remaining plants get more light, air and nutrients. Carrots grow longer and straighter; trees get bigger and healthier.
And when the trees are left whole, they sequester carbon. “For every ton of wood, a ton and a half of carbon dioxide is locked up,” he said, whereas producing a ton of steel releases two to five tons of carbon. So the more whole wood is used in place of steel, the less carbon is pumped into the air.
These passive solar structures also need very little or no supplemental heat.
Tom Spaulding, the executive director of Angelic Organics Learning Center, near Rockford, Ill., northwest of Chicago, knows about this because he commissioned Mr. Gundersen to build a 1,600-square-foot training center in 2003. He said: “In the middle of winter, on a 20-below day, we’re in shorts, with the windows and doors open. And we don’t burn a bit of petroleum.”
“It’s eminently more frugal and sustainable than milling trees,” he added. “These are weed trees, so when you take them out, you improve the forest stand and get a building out of it. You haven’t stripped an entire hillside out west to build it, or used a lot of oil to transport the lumber.”
Mr. Gundersen had a rough feeling for all of this 16 years ago, when he started building a simple A-frame house here for his first wife and their son, Ian, now 15. He wanted to encourage local farmers to use materials like wood and straw from their own farms to build low-cost, energy-efficient structures. So he used small aspens that were crowding out young oaks nearby.
“I would just carry them home and peel them,” said Mr. Gundersen, who later realized he could peel them while they were standing, making them “a lot lighter to haul and not so dangerous to fell.”
Mr. Gundersen, who built most of the house singlehandedly, also recognized the beauty of large trees downed by disease or wind, and used the peeled trunks, shorn of their central branches a few feet from the crook, as supporting columns in the house. “I thought they were beautiful, but I didn’t think how strong they were,” he said.

“In architecture, how materials come together and how they are connected is really the god in the details,” he continued. “The connection is where things will fall apart,” he said, adding that the crook of a tree “has been time-tested by environmental conditions for 200 million years.”

He refers to that first house — which cost $15,000 (for plumbing, electrical, septic and other basic amenities, as well as $4,000 in paid labor) and a year of his own labor — as his master’s degree in architecture. Divorced in 1997, he now lives there with Ms. Baxter and their two children.
After finishing the A-frame, Mr. Gundersen built a 100-by-20-foot solar greenhouse next door with thick straw-bale walls on three sides, banked into the north slope. He used small-diameter, rot-resistant black locust trees for the timber framing.
A wall of double-paned glass, positioned to optimize the low-angle winter light, faces south. Growing beds angled slightly toward the sun are planted with rows of mustard greens, kale, chard, arugula, lettuces and herbs. Hanging trays of micro-greens and a fig and bay tree promise fresh food for the fall and winter.
But it is the Book End — the little house attached to the greenhouse, which is home to the firm’s project manager and his wife — that quietly vibrates with the spirit of the forest.
“We used a lot of standing dead elm here,” Mr. Gundersen said, pointing out the delicate trails, or galleries, left by the beetles that killed the tree. Peeled of their bark and satiny smooth, these trees have a presence that seems to draw one’s arm around their trunks and invite a viewer to lean into them, to soak up strength from these powerful old souls.
In this quiet farming community, where people may not have a lot of money to spend, but do have plenty of wood and straw, word of the beauty and practicality of Mr. Gundersen’s structures has spread. Solar greenhouses made of local materials can extend the growing season through winter, even in a place where temperatures can drop to 30 or 40 below. In the last 18 years, Whole Trees has built 25 of them here.
It’s part of a vision Mr. Gundersen developed after spending three years as a project architect on Biosphere 2, the three-acre glass-enclosed miniature world constructed near Tucson in the 1980s, which tried to replicate the earth’s systems, but foundered on carbon dioxide, acidic seas, failed crops and internal intrigues. After that experience, he wanted to build something more basic to human needs.
Mr. Gundersen grew up in nearby LaCrosse, where his Norwegian great-grandfather, a doctor, founded a local institution, the Gundersen Clinic; he comes from a clan of doctors and tree lovers. “There are 23 doctors in the family,” he said, including his father and uncle and four great-uncles, but he seems to be wired more like his great-grandmother Helga, whose family still owns a tree farm in Norway. He and his grandmother would often picnic on this piece of wild land, where he remembers picking watercress and wildflowers and building tree forts.
Now, to be in his buildings is to be among the trees.
“It almost feels like we’re in a forest, the trees have such a presence,” said Marcia Halligan, a client who is a farmer and Reiki instructor, standing among the birch posts of her airy bedroom.
She and her partner, Steven Adams, who grows seed for organic seed companies, worked with Mr. Gundersen on a design that uses 22 different kinds of wood, most of it from their own land outside Viroqua, southeast of Stoddard.
The economic downturn has put commissions for several large buildings for nonprofits and a 4,600-square-foot residence on hold, Mr. Gundersen and Ms. Baxter say, but the demand for small houses like theirs is up.
“It’s remarkable how many people have called this last year asking for 1,000-square-foot houses,” Ms. Baxter said. “People are downsizing for their retirement homes, and even younger folks are thinking about energy costs, environmental awareness and simplicity.”
Whole Trees can keep construction costs as low as $100 a square foot, not including site preparation, if the client is willing to shop for secondhand fixtures and the like.
As people begin to see forests as a resource, they may begin to take care of them rather than cutting them down to make room for cornfields or pastures. And the forests keep giving back.
“I’ve taken 20 trees per year off one acre, for 12 buildings,” Mr. Gundersen said. “You can never tell that we’ve taken out that much wood.”

You can view the article here: You may need to register but it's free.

Finished sheet mulching!

2009-11-03T20:22:00.005-05:00

The very last bed of the season was completed this afternoon. I can make this post longer, but instead I'm just going to post some pictures that my roommate Sean took with his professional camera. Thanks, Sean, for helping document today...and James for helping finish before dark.

I felt like being slightly egotistical tonight

Biochar... a very interesting concept

2009-11-03T18:01:00.003-05:00

This article has me thinking of the incredible potential for biochar. This is a must read for gardeners and do-it-yourselfers.

A world movement in your own backyard

By Philippa Stasiuk, The Altamont Enterprise, October 8, 2009

www.carbon-negative.us/articles/BackyardBiochar.htm

VOORHEESVILLE, NY—How do you bridge the gap between thinking and acting locally?

Sept. 15, David Yarrow, a longtime grassroots activist from Syracuse, spoke to a crowd at Cornell Cooperative Extension about something that may make local gardeners part of an accelerating international movement: biochar

Biochar is a fine-grained porous charcoal made from biological material through pyrolysis—or low-oxygen burning—that is high in organic carbon. Making biochar is basically making charcoal. But the kicker comes when it’s used in the garden.

“When you add charcoal to the soil, it changes the soil dramatically,” said Yarrow. “The soil becomes nutrient dense. The charcoal absorbs water and nutrients, and with this kind of fully fertile soil, you can grow food that has complete nutrition.”

That may sound like another overblown advertisement I the back of a horticulture magazine, but the Internet is rife with websites of not-for-profits, science symposiums, and early published scientific results on biochar’s potential.

The Biochar Fund, in Belgium, published results Sept. 10 of a field test in Cameroon where 1,500 subsistence farmers participated in a study of yearly corn crop. Farmers with biochar soil yielded 40 to 50 percent greater biomass than farmers without it. Other studies around the world have shown that while adding biochar alone doesn’t increase crop yields significantly, adding biochar plus fertilizer increases yields up to 50 percent.

Scientists measure soil improvement with biochar in four ways. First, it increases cation exchange capacity (CEC) in soils, which measures soil fertility and its ability to protect groundwater. Char is also porous, so that microbes in soil attach to it like water to a sponge, and are less easily washed away by rainfall. This ultimately makes the soil nutrient dense.

Char also retains water, which means less water evaporates and less irrigation is needed. Finally, biochar increases the pH of acidic soils, similar to addition of lime to soil.

Local and global activism

Science, politics and not-for-profits see biochar’s potential to address issues like world hunger, erosion, water quality.

But, in addition to improving soil and subsequently food, biochar has another property that is tantalizing scientists: It is carbon-negative. In contrast to fossil fuels, which add carbon to the air, biochar retains a substantial portion of the carbon in the soil, where it stays potentially for thousands of years. The result is less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. With such prospects, science and business racing to find out if biochar can reduce carbon levels on a large scale, and how to go about it.

Again, global applications are many. At the August North American Biochar Conference in Colorado, which Yarrow attended, ideas such as specially plowing biochar into soil to reduce significant earth-warming carbon were discussed. Carbon-producing companies can buy pyrolytic stoves for farmers, who can produce biochar in a carbon exchange,

But sequestering carbon, says Yarrow, is not the way to think about biochar’s potential. “At the national conference, everyone talked about sequestering carbon,” he said. “No one pays attention to the sterilization of soil, which is a fundamental living component of the planet. Done properly, biochar will restore this living tissue that is soil. It needs to be rejuventated and revived to stabilize the atmosphere, to make a future.”

Yarrow explained that it is gratifying to see peoples’ reaction to his talks on biochar. “I get excited because it won’t be governments and corporations that get us out of this mess,” he said. “It will be the power of the people to make choices at the cash register and the voting booth.”

Making biochar

Part of Yarrow’s biochar talk includes a demonstration burn. While there are already pyrolytic stoves being developed and sold around the world, it is also possible to make a burner with refitted barrels of two different sizes, such as 30- and 50-gallon barrels.

Yarrow’s website shows the exact method, which entails filling a smaller barrel with biomass, such as wood or corn stover, cover it with a bigger barrel, and turn them upside down. Space between the two barrels is filled with wood, so the biomass burns with minimal oxygen. In less than two hours, biochar is made.

A photo account of the process can be found on Yarrow’s website: http://www.carbon-negative.us under “burners.”

Joseph Slezak, the Albany County field manager for soil and water conservation, attended Yarrow’s lecture in Voorheesville and spoke about its local applications.

“It’s something anybody that lives outside a suburban area—the Hilltowns, mostly—as long as people can burn outdoors, they can create biochar to put in their gardens,” he said. “They can cooperate with neighbors to do it on large scale, for agricultural fields. There’s potential. Enough people don’t know about it yet.”

Slezak also said composting facilities in the Capital District can benefit if they divert some biomass used for composting to biochar, which is used by local gardeners to improve soil quality.

Yarrow said new ideas generally take 50 years to be adopted by large populations, but the urgency of global warming and biochar’s potential to curb carbon-dioxide is speeding things up.

“It’s a new idea that is skyrocketing,” said Yarrow. “Now science is on our side, maybe things can happen quicker.”

Censorship by the food industry

2009-10-29T08:41:00.006-04:00

What's So Scary About Michael Pollan? Why Corporate Agriculture Tried to Censor His University Speech

Agribusiness is trying to combat Pollan's message of sustainable, healthy eating.

By Martha Rosenberg, AlterNet. Posted October 28, 2009.

Even if agribusiness could shut Michael Pollan up, the outspoken author of Omnivore's Dilemma and a journalism professor at University of California, Berkeley, it still has the Los Angeles Times to contend with.

Last week, the Times blasted California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo for downgrading a scheduled Pollan lecture because it received pressure from David E. Wood, a university donor who happens to be chairman of the Harris Ranch Beef Co.

"Agribusiness gets plenty of opportunities to preach its point of view at agriculture schools such as Cal Poly, where the likes of Monsanto and Cargill fund research," the Times wrote, calling the 800-acre Harris Ranch, near Coalinga, whose "smell assaults passersby long before the panorama of thousands of cattle packed atop layers of their own manure,"--"Cowschwitz." Ouch.

And agribusiness has the University of Wisconsin-Madison to deal with.

The land grant, ag-based university, in the middle of dairyland, clearly doesn't remember its roots. It gave Pollan's In Defense of Food, another anti-agbiz screed according to industry, free to all incoming freshmen as part of its common book read program where everyone reads the same book, Go Big Read, in August.

"I have not seen the students this excited about something in years," Irwin Goodman, horticulture professor and vice dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences told the Associated Press as the James Beard Award-winning book was discussed in French and political science classes and included in an exhibit on the history of food.

Protesting farmers who came to hear Pollan speak at the university's 17,000-seat Kohl Center in September wearing matching green T-shirts which said "In Defense of Farming: Eat Food. Be Healthy. Thank Farmers" were clearly outnumbered. So were bumper stickers reading No Food; No Farms and Don't Criticize Farmers With Your Mouth Full in the parking lot.

Students get all their facts from writers like Pollan, the farmers, who were bussed in by Madison-based feed company Vita Plus, told the Capital Times. They have never visited a farm for first-hand knowledge of food production and don't know what they're talking about.

But efforts to open farms to the public are not always successful.

This month United Egg Producers' "Opening the Barn Doors" media tour at Morning Fresh Farms in northern Colorado, for example, only confirmed the size of today's egg farm that make humane conditions impossible (36 barns; 23,000 birds each, 23 million dozen eggs a year) and raised further questions about environmental blight by showing the press wearing white HazMat suits to enter the barns. (See: You want us to eat WHAT?)

Last month the American Egg Board rolled out a kid-focused "The Good Egg" campaign which includes sponsorship of Sesame Street, a Cookie Monster product placement and a feel good virtual tour to soften public opinion about egg farms. But nowhere does the campaign address the daily grinding up of newborn males even as they hatch at the hatcheries which supply egg farms to provide the industry with only females--a practice that United Egg Producers confirms is routine. Does the Cookie Monster know about that?

Nor can all that crowding and all those chemicals be good for you, Pollan has written and many studies suggest.

But agribusiness is also combating last year's American Institute for Cancer Research and World Cancer Research Fund study that found the link between processed meats and colon cancer so strong, the organizations advised consumers to change their eating habits.

Trent Loos, an outspoken columnist with the agbiz weekly, Feedstuffs, says nitrosamines, found in processed or cured meat and widely believed carcinogenic, may actually be good for you, preventing and treating "cardiovascular and other diseases associated with nitric oxide insufficiency in the diet."

"Nitric oxide is an important signaling molecule in the human body to regulate numerous physiological functions including blood flow to tissues and organs," write Loos of research conducted by Dr. Nathan Bryan at the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University of Texas, Houston. "The regular intake of nitrite-containing food appears to ensure that blood and tissue levels of nitrite and nitric oxide pools in the body are maintained at adequate levels."

Some of the ag press has even picked up the theory--but don't expect a Pollan book called In Defense of Nitrites anytime soon.

Link here

Why Grow Food?

2009-10-29T08:22:00.007-04:00

The past week I've been reflecting on why I undertook this project in the first place. What's so important about growing your own food when we can just drive to the supermarket and get all the goodies and fresh produce that our hearts (and bellies) desire...and at all times of the year? If I grew my own food and in combination ate only locally, I would not be able to buy really anything from a big-chain supermarket. Why go through all this trouble when the easy thing to do is continue with the business as usual approach?

Meet Michael Pollan. He is a journalism professor at agricultural school Cal Poly (California Polytechnic State University) and author of many recently famous books, including 'The Omnivores Dilemma', 'Botany of Desire', and 'In Defense of Food'. The one I'm reading now is Omnivores Dilemma... and just 80 pages deep I've already been shocked by the images described.

What a disgusting and unnatural food system we have. Corn being fed (the main diet) to animals that never ate corn in their entire evolutionary existence... only being given this because it's cheaper, faster and gets them fatter than grass alone would (for cows). Chickens, hogs and now even fish are being forced to eat this diet of grains. But who cares, corn is good for you, right?

Let's toss in some antibiotics while we're at it. That will help the numerous sick animals that are sick because of the diet we're feeding them and the conditions they are living in. The mass production of meat is a horrible sight to see...

And then we eat these animals which ate the antibiotics we fed them. What's bad about that? Well, the diseases that we (humans) get are sometimes so powerful that we need antibiotics to help heal ourselves. Michael Pollan forecasts a frightening future where today's diseases are actually developing immunities to these antibiotics. And since we're ingesting the animals that eat these antibiotics regularly, there will come a time when the antibiotics will no longer work effectively. The common cold could end up killing us somewhere down the road...

Now, I'm not telling everyone to become vegetarians, but if you want to eat meat, I urge you to buy locally and buy organic. The other shit that's out there is so horrible for your body and for the planet... and don't get me started about the greedy corporate interests.

I've only given you a glimpse of the current system. I haven't even talked about Monsanto patenting seeds and sue-ing farmers for saving any to plant the following year (which is exactly what farmers did for the previous ten thousand years.)

I've gotten really fired up about this and I don't even remember the last time I really got angry. Greedy, greedy people have a frightening control over the food distribution system and the world as we know it. I urge everyone to go out there and plant their own garden, support your local economy, eat healthy, and to read one of Michael Pollan's books.

If you don't have time to read or are a movie person, go to the following link and watch the movie "FOOD INC." for free!

http://milledrive.com/videos/29660/Food_Inc._2009_Documentary.html

I hope that some of you will begin to do a little research on where your food comes from, or at least think twice about it. Honestly, I don't see how anyone could eat the same way after watching this video and reading Michael Pollan's words. Be prepared to be shocked...

Almost done with sheet mulching

2009-10-15T15:16:00.006-04:00

I haven't gotten a chance to post pictures of last weekend. Here they are. We are almost completely finished with the beds... just 2 to go (hopefully finishing before I leave Sunday). Right now I'm just waiting on some wood chips to arrive, and also taking out a few shrubs.

That was the rhododendrin last spring. Looks nice, but it was not very beneficial (shades most of that bed, is overgrown with prickers, and takes up lots of space)

We removed it (Scotty!) and put a "V" path in the middle, for easier harvesting.

With mulch, along with the rest of our yard...

The 9 large beds, which were just grass only a month ago.

A picture of the house from the start of the main path. It will look more aesthetically pleasing come spring, but for now it's just trying to get everything done before the ground becomes solid (frozen!)

That's probably all the pictures I'll post for awhile. But stay tuned! The best part has yet to come...

Master Healer & Shapeshifter Apprenticeship: Sacred Ground Part I

2009-10-15T14:53:00.006-04:00

I'm going away... again. Another week-long course has come up that will fill my head with an assortment of knowledge. This one may seem strange to some of you, but to others it won't seem strange at all. I honestly cannot give you a very lengthy description, because I don't know much about this course. A good friend of mine got me into the course last minute. Again, I cannot say thank you enough to everyone who is helping guide me on this path.

Website description:

This intensive, experiential shapeshifter training combines modern methods with ancient wisdom from cultures around the world—the Amazon basin, Asian steppe, the Himalayas, sacred Mayalands, deserts of Iran and Egypt, islands of Indonesia, and the high Andes—offering a comprehensive training unavailable anywhere else.

During the apprenticeship, those of all skill levels in shamanic work are initiated into powerful shapeshifting and transformational approaches, practice centuries-old healing forms and rituals from original cultures, and join a world-encompassing family of healers committed to individual and global balance.

In this unprecedented period of personal and global change, we are being urged to recognize that we and our planet are one living organism. This training cultivates the spiritual support, consciousness, and skills we need to help us navigate these times with clarity and compassion. Join with like-minded others as we heal, evolve, and manifest a new world dream.

Sacred Ground - Part 1

Shamans are the spiritual mediators for their communities, those who maintain the balance between spirit, humans, and the natural world. All of life is founded on these primary relationships, as well as the notions that everything is sacred and that our natural world is alive, sentient, and can be communicated with.

In Part 1 of the apprenticeship, we establish our shamanic connection to sacred ground, and are introduced to the foundations of the intensive healing forms and rituals that we learn in Part 2 of this training. As we open to sacred forces, we:

Practice energetic exercises that heighten awareness and evoke sacred space
Draw upon “clan wisdom” in a powerful community setting
Walk the shamanic “path of light,” initiated by ancient ceremonies and rites
Retrieve and receive huacas (sacred items) and spirit guides
Work intimately with the elements, helper spirits, and local guardians
Read “karmic winds” and the energy history of the lands, waters, locations, and events
Read the human energy profile utilizing candles, stone, and tobacco divination
Extract heavy, or disharmonious, energies from the body using eggs and plants
Cleanse shamanically with plants, tobacco, and water camaying (breath of spirit)
Get initiated and trained to channel fire into the Shapeshifter’s “breath of fire"

I feel extremely fortunate to be attending this course. Instructor, John Perkins wrote the book "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" and has an extensive knowledge about Shamanism. Llyn Roberts has also been studying Shamanism for many years. I have a good feeling that in this particular course, I will experience things unlike anything I've ever experienced before. Who knows what people I'm going to meet and how this next week will change me. I leave Sunday, Oct. 18 and return on Oct. 25. The course is at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York.

If you're interested in what was just explained, feel free to contact me and I'm sure we can have some very interesting conversations. Love and healing,

Ryan
iamharb@gmail.com

Sharing knowledge

2009-10-05T22:38:00.003-04:00

I spoke with a few people about how to make this project more known... in hopes of increasing awareness and inspiring people to undertake similar projects themselves. Because that is the most important thing with all of this permaculturing - getting more people interested and involved.

I always think about my ego when undertaking projects of this magnitude. I want to share this knowledge with others but I don't want to come off looking superior in any way - there's no point in that. But it's selfish not to bring forth this information to the public. As long as my heart is in the right place and I know deep down inside that I'm not doing promoting the project to boost my own ego, it's fine to make signs, fliers, and contact media outlets.

So that's what we did. Here's the sign that Kenzie and I made yesterday night.

Lot's of posing this morning in the yard - thanks Sean for taking pictures when you were in a rush for class!

Lots of love for the tree that's holding our sign.

And me being goofy, of course. I put up stand that has an information sheet about the project. Neighbors have been walking by and staring curiously at what we are doing. Now they can read a one-page handout about what's happening and why our yard looks the way it does. Below is a copy of the information sheet that neighbors have been reading (some of it is repeated what has already been said in past blog entries, so skim those parts if you want.) Happy reading!

Project description:

To all those who are concerned for our planet's future, who want to help heal the Earth in some way or another, here is an opportunity. My name is Ryan Harb I am 23 years old and I am a graduate student at UMass Amherst. The degree that I will be obtaining is in "green building," but more specifically, I am now focusing all of my energy toward the land.

To graduate with a M.S. in green building from UMass, one must complete a 6-credit practicum (internship) related to the field. I have always been a self-motivated person and decided from the start that I would create a project to serve as my practicum.

It had to be something big. It had to be something that would get people talking. Most of all it had to be educational; something that people would actually want to learn about which would benefit both the individual personal and the planet as a whole. The goals were clear and the project developed after months of consultation and exploration. 3 Willow Lane, will soon become model permaculture edible forest garden.

You might be wondering, "what is permaculture?" Originally the term was coined by an Australian named Bill Mollison (he merged the words permanent and agriculture). It involves "fixing" the soil, planting edible perennials (fruit trees, nut trees, berry bushes, and vegetables), utilizing the symbiotic relationships between certain plants, increasing the biodiversity and being low maintenance.

The process:

Currently we are in the process of sheet mulching, otherwise known as "lasagna gardening." Although it may look like we tilled (turned) the soil, we instead aerated the soil with digging forks (similar to pitch forks). On top of this is a 2-3 inch layer of compost which adds organic matter to the soil. The compost is then covered with a layer of cardboard. The cardboard prevents light from getting through and this prevents weed growth. Soon it decomposes which adds to the soil and attracts beneficial insects (worms especially love cardboard.) Wood chips are placed on the very top to hold in moisture and to weight down the cardboard.

Timeline:

Over the next few weeks, the remaining portion of the yard will be completed using the method described above. This yard will look like a bunch of wood chips for the next few months (or snow…) but when spring comes, the soil will be ready for planting. By late spring, the yard will be in full swing, with harvests coming as soon as next summer.

Want to help / learn?

Throughout October, myself and other students will be working diligently in the yard, making this transportation happen. If you would like to help, please join us! We have plenty of tools and work to be done. Call ahead if you would like, or if you have questions.

Questions?

Please contact Ryan Harb for any questions you might have.

E-mail: rharb@nrc.umass.edu

Cell: (978) 314-1176

Perma best day ever...

2009-10-04T21:40:00.008-04:00

Accomplishment is a great feeling. I had the goal of completing three more beds this weekend... which may seem like a manageable task but it's much more work than it sounds. Each bed takes about 15-20 wheel barrels full of compost and 15-20 pounds of mulch.

However, it's the cardboard that takes the most time: collecting it from dumpsters, peeling off all the tape / staples, and then laying it over the compost so that there are no holes showing (overlapping by 6 inches). It takes A LOT of cardboard to do one bed, and it has to be wet before the mulch is put on top. Since it was raining all of yesterday, I put out all of the cardboard so that the rain would do some of the work for me.

Here's some pictures from the day:

After all the cardboard had been laid...

...And then after the mulch was spread

Of the whole yard:

6 hours spent being productive...

My friend Kenzie, who I met in the permaculture course this summer stopped by and helped me finish.

Thank you, Kenzie!

...And pushups in the garden.

Progress being made!

2009-10-03T00:24:00.012-04:00

After a great initial work-day last Saturday, there was (is) still plenty of work to be done. As mentioned before, we ran completely out of compost. Therefore, we hired a dumptruck to grab 15 additional yards and deliver it to our driveway (the picture doesn't do it justice for how much it really is.) That's 30,000 pounds worth compost... in addition to the 10,000 pounds we already spread.

Rather than covering the entire yard with compost, a basic design (bed layout) for the yard was sketched out and marked with sticks.

Next, the soil-fixing minerals were placed directly onto the mowed-grass and compost was placed on top. The beds are complete when wet cardboard is placed over the compost and mulch on top of that.

7:30am on Friday before work - going at it.

The compost is so warm in the middle of the pile from the decomposition that's occurring. You can literally see the steam coming off of it and mixing with the cool morning air!

We're getting there... by October 10 we should have most or all of the yard complete, depending on how many people show for sheet-mulching part II.

I'm going to say this multiple times throughout these blog postings, but I cannot say thank you enough to all those who have helped me so far:

All my roommates for being out there with us last Saturday, and helping with the tedious tasks like removing the tape from all of the cardboard boxes.
The countless others who joined us for 4+ hours on a Saturday morning / afternoon.
Steve at Amherst Recycling for being so great and giving us heaps and heaps of free mulch, and delivering it, too!
Snowball for saving my butt when I was faced with shoveling the 10,000 pounds of compost into a Uhaul in under an hour.
UMass Waste Management for providing us with all of the compost and GardenShare for the tools
Sarah for helping get the mulch - so key!
Leah for coming by and keeping my spirits high - doing sheet mulching with others is highly preferable to doing it alone.

Ya'll are great - many more thank you's coming.

Thanks, James!

Sheet Mulching - First Try (And Asking for Help!)

2009-09-27T23:13:00.017-04:00

Saturday came and we couldn't have asked for better weather. The sun was beaming, the crickets chirping, no mosquitoes... it was near-perfect. The lawn was anxiously awaiting to be aerated and doused with beneficial minerals and organic matter (compost). Around 9:30am we started with some aeration weed clearing.

We had plenty of tools as I had no idea how many people would actually show. I was expecting around 20 and we got 15...not bad at all! These are the tools we borrowed from GardenShare at UMass:

... Then there was the UHaul Truck...filled with compost and cardboard, and tools. I got a story to tell about that one, but I'll save it for a later date.

The amount of cardboard we had was ridiculous...

(In the rafters of the garage, too)

And 10,000 pounds of compost...

But not nearly enough compost!

I have a lot of work left to do... in fact, we need about 30,000 more pounds of compost, which will cost around $400.. and that's a problem as I don't have that kind of money at this point in time. I am funding this project myself and it's costing me much more than I anticipated.

Here is my call for help to anyone who chooses to listen:

To all those who are concerned for our planet's future, who want to help heal the Earth in some way or another, here is an opportunity not to be overlooked.

My name is Ryan Harb. I am a 23 year old graduate student at UMass Amherst. The degree that I will be obtaining is in "green building," but more specifically, I am focusing all of my energy toward the regenerating the land.

To graduate with a M.S. in green building, students must complete a 6-credit practicum (internship) related to the field. I have always been a self-motivated person and I decided from the beginning that my project had to be unique...

Not only unique, it had to be something big. It had to be something that would get people talking. Most of all it had to be educational; something that people would actually want to learn about which would benefit both the individual and the planet as a whole. The goals were clear and the project developed after months of consultation and exploration.

(Read a few posts down about "permaculture" if you are interested.)

I am transforming my yard into a model permaculture edible forest garden that teaches tenants about sustainable living and having a minimal environmental impact. We started work this past Saturday which will help improve the soil before spring planting. UMass donated 5 cubic yards of compost, tools for our efforts and the local recycling yard is providing us mulch. However, my budget has already been surpassed as the cost of minerals (for regenerating the soil) and transportation is much greater than initially expected.

I am now searching for about $500 to keep my project alive. The university has helped me thus far, but now I am left to foot a bill that I cannot afford. Any donation you can spare, be it $10, $20, $50 or even 5 dollars… will all go toward bettering the planet.
If we can get this one garden finished, and have it be successful in the long-term... sky is the limit for how far this could spread. Imagine "Food Not Lawns" ... edible gardens that take very little to maintain rather than the constant battle with nature (humans mowing grass!)

I have the spare time and the energy to make this garden a success. Now I just need some financial resources to help achieve this vision of returning the land to a more wild and natural state while also benefiting insects, animals and humans alike.

Thank you for the consideration, and if anything that I said moved you, donations can be mailed to:

Ryan Harb
3 Willow Lane
Amherst, MA 01002.

I appreciate this more than you realize. Be well, everyone.

Ryan Harb

Thanks for reading this post all the way through. In Summary: Before yardwork began on Saturday...

And after...

With some mulch on top, she will be ready for the cold weather.. then the planting begins in spring! Stay tuned...

Sheet Mulching (This Saturday, Sept 26!)

2009-09-24T11:34:00.004-04:00

So I did not have a chance to write a reaction to the Tom Brown Tracker School course I just took. It's because I've been incredibly busy since I came back - organizing for this Saturday. That is when I'll be having anywhere between 15-30 people at my house doing yardwork... or in a more positive tone: we are having a sheet-mulching party!

What is sheet mulching?

I took this definition from the following website as I though it described it well: http://www.healthy-green-lifestyle.com/sheet-mulching.html

Sheet mulching is also known as lasagna gardening and no-till gardening. It
is a great way to get rid of grass and weeds without using chemicals and adds
nutrients to the soil. It also attracts beneficial critters such as worms.

How to do it:

This is the e-mail I've been sending out to students in all my classes and department. It describes what we will be doing on Saturday:

The goal of this Saturday is to prepare the yard for spring planting. We'll be spreading 500 lbs of minerals across all of the grass (thanks to Dan Kittredge and the Real Food Campaign for supplying), aerating the soil, then covering it with about 3 inches of compost, lots of cardboard, and some wood chips on top.

I was luckily able to get all of the compost (5000 lbs!) donated from UMass as this is going to be my 'practicum' research project. The Amherst recycling center is also donating 5 cubic yards of wood chips. I am renting a UHaul on Friday and to transport all of these materials from point A to point B (our yard).

The tools are donated by GardenShare - a UMass student organization that grows its own food for members.

And the cardboard has been collected over the past month via me going dumpster to dumpster in search of the largest boxes (which cover the most area) that have no glossy-ness to them (like beer boxes)... you want the nice brown or white ones with very little printing, tape, staples, etc.

Hopefully we'll have a big turn out on Saturday... the yard area is about 5000 s.f. so there is a lot of sheet mulching to do I will surely document the process and post pictures once I get some more time. And also will eventually post about my experience at Tom Brown, which was fantastic.

Tom Brown Jr. Survival Course (and Live Stream Sun. 9/13)

2009-09-05T00:21:00.006-04:00

In about one week I'll be heading down to southern New Jersey and beginning a 7 day course with Tom Brown Jr. For those of you who aren't familiar with him, he is a expert on how to survive in the wilderness. Tom spent 11 years when he was a kid with an Apache scout named Stalking Wolf, otherwise known as grandfather. Now, Tom teaches others what he learned over the years; locating water and wild medicinal plants, how to make shelter, building fire and tracking animals. It should be quite an amazing experience.

The first night I'm there, Sunday September 13, 2009, Tom is being broadcasted Live over the internet. He will be talking to us (the students in his class) about Awareness...and anyone sitting at home will be able to watch it as well.

Check it out, and try to tune in if you can. He has some pretty awesome spiritual beliefs from what I've read of his so far.

Free Awareness Live Stream!

Tom Brown Jr Live

Awareness

September 13^th, 2009

6pm-8pm ET

This broadcast is FREE, has no prerequisites and will take place on Sept 13th, 2009 at 6:00 PM ET and will go until 8pm ET. Please follow the following link to register today: http://www.trackerschool.com/class_template_details_new.asp?classid=881&tid=7&id=192

You must make an account with us to view the live stream. Please set up an account here: https://www.trackerschool.com/registration_account_new.asp

***To register put the class in your shopping cart and proceed with check out, as you normally would.

If you are only registering for the Awareness live stream, once the payment page comes up, you DON’T have to enter your credit card info, you only need to fill the required lines in with one character and then hit “Continue” and you will be registered.

If you have trouble logging on please contact us because you will need to logon to receive this live stream.

To make sure you have no issues before the Live Stream please see to it that:

1. You are able to log into your Tracker Account. You must be able to log into your account to view the live stream. Please make sure you can log on BEFORE the end of the day (5pm EST) on Friday September 11th!

2. You have the latest Adobe Flash Player installed on your computer. You can down load it here: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/. If you are having problems downloading Adobe Flash Player, please visit their support section here: http://www.adobe.com/support/flashplayer/.

3. Make sure your intent connection is at least 300kbps. If you are concerned about whether or not your internet speed is 300kbps or not, you can check it out here: http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/. Just follow the directions on the page (you are interested in the “download speed” number).

Late Blight... Tomato and Potato Killer

2009-08-12T17:17:00.005-04:00

Very interesting article in the NY Times. Farmers everywhere have been effected by Late Blight, which is a fungus that attacks tomato and potato plants. Prices are expected to go way up this year due to the lower supply (farmers will need these higher prices to survive... it's so terrible they are comparing this to what happened during the Irish Potato Famine).

Here is a link to the article, and I've also pasted it below. Comments welcome.

You Say Tomato, I Say Agricultural Disaster

IF the hardship of growing vegetables and fruits in the Northeast has made anything clear, it’s that the list of what can go wrong in the field is a very long one.

We wait all year for warmer weather and longer days. Once we get them, it seems new problems for farmers rise to the surface every week: overnight temperatures plunging close to freezing, early disease, aphid attacks. Another day, another problem.

The latest trouble is the explosion of late blight, a plant disease that attacks potatoes and tomatoes. Late blight appears innocent enough at first — a few brown spots here, some lesions there — but it spreads fast. Although the fungus isn’t harmful to humans, it has devastating effects on tomatoes and potatoes grown outdoors. Plants that appear relatively healthy one day, with abundant fruit and vibrant stems, can turn toxic within a few days. (See the Irish potato famine, caused by a strain of the fungus.)

Most farmers in the Northeast, accustomed to variable conditions, have come to expect it in some form or another. Like a sunburn or a mosquito bite, you’ll probably be hit by late blight sooner or later, and while there are steps farmers can take to minimize its damage and even avoid it completely, the disease is almost always present, if not active.

But this year is turning out to be different — quite different, according to farmers and plant scientists. For one thing, the disease appeared much earlier than usual. Late blight usually comes, well, late in the growing season, as fungal spores spread from plant to plant. So its early arrival caught just about everyone off guard.

And then there’s the perniciousness of the 2009 blight. The pace of the disease (it covered the Northeast in just a few days) and its strength (topical copper sprays, a convenient organic preventive, have been much less effective than in past years) have shocked even hardened Hudson Valley farmers.

Jack Algiere, head vegetable farmer at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture (where I have a restaurant that purchases from the farm), lost more than half his field tomatoes in three days. Other organic farmers were forced to make a brutal choice: spray their tomato plants with fungicides, and lose organic certification, or watch the crop disappear. Even for farmers who routinely spray, or who reluctantly spray precautionary amounts, this year’s blight lowered yields. (Fungicides work only to suppress the disease, not cure it.) As one plant pathologist told me, “Farmers are out there praying and spraying.”

Of course, farmers aren’t the only ones affected. If you love eating flavorful organic field tomatoes, good luck — they’ll be as rare this summer as a week without rain. And those that survive will cost you; we’re already seeing price increases of 20 percent over last year.

So what’s going on here? Plant physiologists use the term “disease triangle” to describe the conditions necessary for a disease outbreak. You need the pathogen to be present (that’s the late blight), you need a host (in this case tomatoes and potatoes) and you need a favorable environment for the disease — for late blight that’s lots of rain, moderate temperatures and high humidity.

Does that last bit sound familiar? It has been the weather report for the Northeast this summer, especially in June. Where we saw precipitation fit for Noah’s Ark, late blight found something akin to a four-star hotel. Those soggy fields and backyard vegetable plots? Inviting, and all too easy to check into.

But weather alone doesn’t explain the early severity of the disease this year. We’ve had wet, cool summers in the past, but it’s never been this bad. Instead we have to look at two other factors: the origin of the tomato plants many of us cultivate, and the renewed interest in gardening.

According to plant pathologists, this killer round of blight began with a widespread infiltration of the disease in tomato starter plants. Large retailers like Home Depot, Kmart, Lowe’s and Wal-Mart bought starter plants from industrial breeding operations in the South and distributed them throughout the Northeast. (Fungal spores, which can travel up to 40 miles, may also have been dispersed in transit.) Once those infected starter plants arrived at the stores, they were purchased and planted, transferring their pathogens like tiny Trojan horses into backyard and community gardens. Perhaps this is why the Northeast was hit so viciously: instead of being spread through large farms, the blight sneaked through lots of little gardens, enabling it to escape the attention of the people who track plant diseases.

It’s important to note, too, that this year there have been many more hosts than in the past as more and more Americans have taken to gardening. Credit the recession or Michelle Obama or both, but there’s been an increased awareness of the benefits of growing your own food. According to the National Gardening Association, 43 million households planned a backyard garden or put a stake in a share of a community garden in 2009, up from 36 million in 2008. That’s quite a few home gardeners who — given the popularity of the humble tomato — probably planted a starter or two this summer.

Here’s the unhappy twist: the explosion of home gardeners — the very people most conscious of buying local food and opting out of the conventional food chain — has paradoxically set the stage for the worst local tomato harvest in memory.

So what do we do?

For starters, if you’re planning a garden (and not growing from seed — the preferable, if less convenient, choice), then buy starter plants from a local grower or nursery. A tomato plant that travels 2,000 miles is no different from a tomato that has traveled 2,000 miles to your plate. It’s an effective way to help local growers, who rely on sales of these plants before the harvest arrives. It’s also a way to protect agriculture. If late blight occurs in a small nursery it’s relatively easy to recognize, as straightforward as being able to see the plant, recognize its symptoms and isolate it before it has a chance to spread.

This is less of an option on a farm that’s spread out over dozens of acres, nor is it likely once the plant gets to a large retailer. A plant pathologist from Cornell told me she visited one such store and noticed the tomato plants were infected with blight. She immediately reported it to the manager, who said he couldn’t remove the plants without approval from his superiors (which would take time). The pathologist returned a week later to find that the plants were still there.

In fact, this late blight outbreak appears to be a classic example of what Charles Perrow, a sociologist, calls a “tightly coupled” accident. With tight coupling — lots of tomatoes grown in one place, say, or distributed by one large retailer — failures in one part of the system can quickly multiply. The damage cannot be as readily controlled. The recent spike in food-borne illnesses is another example of the problems associated with an overly consolidated food chain. E. coli’s been around for a long time; what’s new is how quickly and widely it spreads when there are only a few big meat producers.

There’s another lesson here for the home gardener. When you start a garden, no matter how small, you become part of an agricultural network that binds you to other farmers and gardeners. Airborne late blight spores are a perfect illustration of agriculture’s web-like connections. The tomato plant on the windowsill, the backyard garden and the industrial tomato farm are, to be a bit reductive about it, one very large farm. As we begin to grow more of our own food, we need to reacquaint ourselves with plant pathology and understand that what we grow, and how we grow it, affects everyone else. (Potato farmers in the Andes, for example, plant disease-prone varieties at high altitudes where the cold keeps pathogens in check — to protect themselves and their neighbors. They don’t get as big a harvest, but they decrease the risk of an epidemic.)

Government can help. For all the new growers out there, what’s missing is not the inspiration, it’s the expertise, the agricultural wisdom and technical knowledge passed on from generation to generation. Congress recognized the need for this kind of support almost 100 years ago when it passed the Smith-Lever Act, creating a network of cooperative extension services in partnership with land-grant universities. Agricultural extension agents were sent to farms to share the latest technological advances, introducing new varieties of vegetables and, yes, checking the fields for disease.

The cooperative extension service is still active, but budget cuts have left it ill equipped to deal with a new generation of farmers. The emphasis now is on reaching farmers through mass e-mail messages and Web-based dialogues, with less hands-on observation. That’s like getting a doctor’s check-up over the phone. More agents in the field during those critical weeks in June might well have resulted in swifter, more effective protection of the plants: early detection of any disease requires a number of trained eyes.

The food community has a role to play, too — by taking another look at plant-breeding programs, another major fixture of our nation’s land-grant universities, and their efforts to develop new varieties of fruits and vegetables. To many advocates of sustainability, science, when it’s applied to agriculture, is considered suspect, a violation of the slow food aesthetic. It’s a nostalgia I’m guilty of promoting as a chef when I celebrate only heirloom tomatoes on my menus. These venerable tomato varieties are indeed important to preserve, and they’re often more flavorful than conventional varieties. But in our feverish pursuit of what’s old, we can marginalize the development of what could be new.

That includes the development of plants with natural resistance to blight and other diseases — plants like the Mountain Magic tomato, an experimental variety from Cornell that the Stone Barns Center is testing in a field trial. So far there’s been no evidence of disease in these plants, while more than 70 percent of the heirloom varieties of tomatoes have succumbed to the pathogen.

Mountain Magic is an example of regionalized breeding. For years, this kind of breeding has fallen by the wayside — the result of a food movement wary of science and an industrialized food chain that eschews differentiation in favor of uniformity. (Why develop and sell 20 different tomato varieties for 20 different microclimates when you can simply sell one?)

Breeders in regions vulnerable to late blight should be encouraged to select for characteristics that are resistant to it, in the same way that they select for, say, lower water demands in the Southwest. While they’re at it, breeders could be selecting for flavor and not for uniformity, shipping size and shelf life. The result will mean not just tastier tomatoes; it will translate into a food system with greater variety and better regional adaptation.

Healthy, natural systems abhor uniformity — just as a healthy society does. We need, then, to look to a system of food and agriculture that values and mimics natural diversity. The five-acre monoculture of tomato plants next door might be local, but it’s really no different from the 200-acre one across the country: both have sacrificed the ecological insurance that comes with biodiversity.

What does the resilient farm of the future look like? I saw it the other day. The farmer was growing 30 or so different crops, with several varieties of the same vegetable. Some were heirloom varieties, many weren’t. He showed me where he had pulled out his late blight-infected tomato plants and replaced them with beans and an extra crop of Brussels sprouts for the fall. He won’t make the same profit as he would have from the tomato harvest, but he wasn’t complaining, either.

Sometimes giving in to nature can be the biggest victory of all.