Green Communities

Pete sings “Turn, Turn, Turn” Video shot by John Rokosny and Andriette Redmon. Produced by WingFlix.Com Published on May 2, 2013 Happy 94th Birthday to Pete Seeger at the New York City Community Garden Coalition’s “Stand for the Land” Forum, April 27, 2013 at the Great Hall at Cooper Union. Pete is presented the Hammer of Justice by Haja Worley. Pete sings “Turn, Turn, Turn”, “Quite Early Morning” and “If I had a Hammer” with Morley, Stephan Said, and Pierce Turner with Sylvain Leroux on flute and the whole crowd. Then Pete teaches a little history lesson, past and future. See New York City Community Garden Coalition here.

1881 gardening catalogue. Will create clarity and predictability for urban farmers Boston Redevelopment Authority May 13, 2013 Since January 2012, the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), the Mayor’s Office of Food Initiatives, and the Mayor’s Urban Agriculture Rezoning Working Group have been meeting monthly to draft new zoning to open up new urban agriculture opportunities in Boston. Article 89 of the zoning code will create clarity and predictability for anyone interested in commercial food growing and creating farms in Boston. A draft of the new zoning article is now finalized and available online. Some highlights from the draft regulations as reported in JamaicaPlain Patch article: • Small and medium ground-level urban farms will be allowed in all city districts and subdistricts, while large ground-level farms—greater than one acre in size—are allowed only in industrial districts and as a conditional use, with special permit, in all other districts. • Rooftop farms of all sizes will be allowed by right in the city’s industrial and institutional districts, but rooftop farms of more than 5,000 sq. ft. are conditional in all other districts and subdistricts. • Most ground-level urban farms that are more than 10,000 sq. ft. in size must undergo a Comprehensive Farm Review process to make sure they are designed in a way that fits with the surrounding neighborhood. Rooftop farms larger than 5,000 sq. ft. must also go through the CFR process, with some exceptions for farms being placed in industrial and institutional districts. • Accessory composting will be allowed where any ground-level urban farm or rooftop urban farm is permitted. Ground-level composting structures must not exceed 10 feet in height and all must not cover more than 5 percent of the lot and must be enclosed and out of direct contact with flammable materials. • Article 89 does not regulate whether the keeping of bees or hens is allowed in certain districts—that is already outlined in the city’s Base Code. But the new document does set some rules for that use, including the prohibition of on-site slaughtering, a no-rooster policy and a limit of six hens and six non-egg-laying chickens per site. See article here. See Boston draft document here.

Farming on an incline poses challenges We didn’t move to Upstate New York to spew diesel fumes, nor do we want out little slice of heaven to be forever dependent on fossil fuels. Our plan was to build a “sustainable” family farm around pastured livestock. But now that I’ve lived here for a while, I can see that farming on an incline–such as the hillside on which most of our 30 acres are situated–poses special challenges. Do we need a tractor to accomplish our goals? First and foremost, water and feed need to be transported to animals on pasture. The feed part isn’t so critical during the growing season–the livestock will eating mostly grass. But in winter, when pastures are frozen, hay will need to be moved from one location to another. In a rotational pasturing scheme–moving livestock from paddock to paddock with portable electric fencing–water troughs need to be filled some distance from the source. Typically, the water is moved in large tanks that are extremely heavy. Similarly, there is timber around the property that needs to be cut and cleared. How does the wood make it back to the house in the form of firewood if not by some mechanical means? In winter, snow will need to be plowed from a driveway that is nearly the length of three football fields. How is this accomplished, if not by a large and capable vehicle? There’s quite a bit of heavy lifting that goes on even on a small family farm. In the age of industrial farming, hardly anyone questions to use of tractors to get the job done. After all, what is the alternative? Well, the alternative would be animal power, as in draft horses or oxen. Before there was fossil fuel farms were managed with draft animals. In fact, a few dedicated farmers in the name of sustainability have embraced the use of animal power over mechanical convenience. The question for us–and especially at our age–is whether this is even feasible. We shouldn’t kid ourselves about the role fossil fuels play in our lives as grass farmers. We can swear off confined feed lots and industrially produced grain fodder, but we still depend on a thousand other gas-fueled conveniences. How do we get to the lumber yard for materials to build our chicken coop? In a pickup truck. How do we get to the grocery store to buy the supplies we can’t grow? In a car. Where does the electricity come from that pumps water from the well and powers this computer I’m now typing on? How are mail-ordered seeds delivered from faraway sources? How are our tools made? Think about it for even a minute and you quickly realize that in most cases, “sustainable” farming would not be possible without a significant assist from the fossil fuel industry. Even “organic” vegetable farming in most cases relies on plastics made with petroleum products. Acres of tomatoes and squashes are mulched with black plastic; irrigation water traverses the fields in plastic pipes; greenhouses are covered with plastic sheeting. We could easily justify a tractor purchase to help manage our new farm. But we’re torn. I wonder what readers think. Can you see us going Amish? Is there a draft horse in our future? Or do we just close one eye, hold our noses and buy the damn tractor?

Farm Beginnings Program in Nebraska begins May 25, 2013 The Midwest Producer reports the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension will begin its first Farm Beginnings Program on May 25 at the Lincoln-Logan-McPherson Extension Office meeting room in North Platte. The program is a training and support program for people who want assistance evaluating and planning their [...]

2013 NOFA Summer Conference Workshops Announced Join NOFA for a weekend of learning, networking, and fun with people who are transforming the food system in the Northeast. Conference registration is now open, with early bird rates through July 9th  In addition to hundreds of practical skills and farming workshops, the conference features live entertainment, children’s [...]

Gardening, Gleaning, and Farming for Food Banks in the U.S. By Domenic Vitiello, Jeane Ann Grisso, Rebecca Fischman, and Leah Whiteside A report on research funded by the Penn Center for Public Health Initiatives 2013 Excerpt: Food banks have recently enlarged their distribution and promotion of fresh vegetables and fruit. Many food banks are accomplishing this through involvement in and connections to local agriculture, in a diverse range of gardening, farming, and eld gleaning programs. Many food banks are also playing expanded roles in building community food security, especially through programs that support gardeners and farmers. As more Americans need food assistance while, at the same time, state and federal funding for food relief is shrinking, scaling up and replicating programs that distribute and support production and consumption of fresh produce oers a vital opportunity to transform food relief systems. This report summarizes the results of research examining food banks’ engagement in and with local agriculture. e report documents how food banks grow, support production, and acquire fresh fruit and vegetables directly from local farms and gardens in cities and regions across the United States. We include information about the dierent ways that food banks do this as well as estimates of how much fresh, local produce they distribute to hungry people. e report consists of: a brief introduction; a description of our methods; basic summary analysis of our findings; sections on gleaning, gardening, and farming programs, with case studies of best practices at eleven food banks and partner organizations; followed by a brief discussion of some policy implications of their work. Read the complete report here.

Terrace gardening with the Indian pioneer, Dr B.N Viswanath Home and Decor 2013 Excerpt: What inspired you to start a movement of Organic farming, especially on the terrace? Dr. Vishwanath: It happened accidentally. I was travelling from Delhi to Bangalore in 1995, as the flight couldn’t land on time due to some technical reason and flew over Bangalore city for a while… that’s when I noticed immaculate terraces reflecting sunlight. That’s when the thought came in my mind, why the constant rise of temperatures in Bangalore? .Even though, Bangalore is known as “Air conditioned city” because of the pleasant weather. It disturbed me to realize that the Garden City of India, Bangalore, has become a concrete jungle day by day. I didn’t bury that thought in me; I discussed with like minded people and friends and realized that in Bangalore every one used to have an ornamental garden in the front and vegetable garden at the back side of their house. But on the contradictory now every inch of the property is use for construction as the land becomes highly priced commodity. So I decided to bring a change by finding space that we can use effectively for cultivation. In the city I could find space nowhere but on the terrace. Then we studied and developed efficient terrace gardening methodology. Carrying the movement ahead a workshop was organized at Institution of Agricultural Technologists (IAT) Bangalore in 1995. It was inspiring insightful for us to see the large number of participants, they really wanted to know the possibility of using terrace for gardening. There were around 100 people (majority women) including Kannada heroin Ms. Bharathi Vishnuvardhan. Read the complete article here.

Pastured pork chop, zesty greens, fresh asparagus The farmer’s market in Cambridge opened for the season in Railroad Park yesterday. They say  it’s the largest farmer’s market in Washington County. By D.C. standards, it’s rather small. Still, it’s not lacking. And the vendors are not just local farmers and artisans, they’re our neighbors. They all live and grow their food with a few miles radius. What you see in the photo above is a sample from three different farms: pastured pork chop, spring greens with lots of arugula and perhaps the freshest asparagus I’ve ever tasted that wasn’t still standing in the field. Not a big farmer’s market, maybe, but potent Of particular interest to me was a young couple–Jared and Shannon Woodcock–who recently left a 10-acre property to start a bigger farm on 40 acres just a few miles south of us. Jared grew up on a small family homestead and studied ornithology. Shannon, originally from Nebraska, taught kindergarten. On their farm, called Taproots, they raise pastured pork, pastured chicken and duck, free-range eggs, pastured rabbit, organic vegetables, and “coming soon,” grass-fed beef, raw milk and honey. The couple notes in their brochure that “all of the work on the farm is done by hand.” And they really mean by hand, because “we are currently retraining a small draft horse to help us out with the heavy work.” I only wish I had started doing the same thing 30 years ago. But then, 30 years ago you would have had to be Amish to think of farming by hand. As far as sustainable farming goes, people like Jared and Shannon are the wave of the future. I think they could be models for us oldsters as well.

Sustainable Agriculture News Mid-May 2013: Grant Opportunities, Crop Insurance, etc. USDA Taking Rural Business Opportunity Grant Applications: USDA has issued a notice that the Rural Development Agency is taking applications for Rural Business Opportunity Grants (RBOG).  RBOG funds feasibility studies, strategic planning, leadership training and other services and activities that can foster the creation of [...]

Fried pollack with sides of slaw and macaroni salad The lilacs are in glorious full bloom here in Washington County, adding great gobs of color to the roadside scene as I tooled my way to Salem on Friday and the Knights of Columbus’ annual “Moby Dick” fish fry. As you can see from the photo, the portions were more than generous for the $9 admission. Pollock was fried to perfection in a kitchen truck outside Holy Cross Church. The parish ladies set out of buffet of sides, including at least five interpretations of cole slaw and two macaroni salads, one with hard-boiled egg, the other without. I couldn’t help myself: I had two servings. And then dessert, a brownie with vanilla ice cream. Was there a rule that everyone in the basement dining hall had to be retirement age? Where were all the young people? Apparently, anyone under 70 has no idea where the good food is. I had a blast introducing myself as the new guy in town and chatting up the longtime residents. Owner Joe Messina give an evening tour of the vineyards Then it was a 25 mile drive in the pickup to Amorici Vineyards in Valley Falls and the kickoff event for the annual Cambridge hot air balloon festival in June. For the bargain price of $10 you got three glasses of wine from a choice of the vineyard’s product, plus an all-you-can-eat buffet of cheese, hors d’ouevres and desserts. I particularly liked the chocolate mousse-in-a-cup. I took home a bottle of Amorici’s excellent dry Riesling, as well as some rose and a bottle of “apple honey port.” Who knew they were making wine in Washington County? This is an important week coming up in these parts as voters across New York will be giving thumbs up or thumbs down to local school budgets. Here in Cambridge, the school district is seeking approval of an $18.8 million budget, up $1.5 million, one of the largest increases in the area. The district wants to add five teaching positions. The cost of health insurance is up $348,500 and pensions will cost an extra $324,000. Get out your checkbooks, taxpayers. Meanwhile, the federal budget “sequester” is making itself felt even here. Should the sequester continue, according to one report, Head Start services in New York State may be eliminated for as many as 4,300 children. In Washington County, Head Start has had to cut $201,370 from the budget. Meanwhile, all kinds of things are happening in our town of Cambridge. Local Brownie Girl Scout Troop 3627 recently visited the Second Chance Animal Shelter to donate collars, food bowls, pet food and other items purchased with proceeds from their cookie sales. The girls scouts would like to thank everyone who bought cookies this year. The Cambridge Food Pantry, on the first floor of handicap-accessible Embury United Methodist Church, will be open from 10 a.m. to noon each Saturday, and 1 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesdays, “with few exceptions.” Today is opening day of the Cambridge Farmer’s Market, which has moved back to its original location in Railroad Park across from the Cambridge Hotel. This is the largest farmer’s market in Washington County, open Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the growing season. You can win a hot air balloon ride, sponsored by the Cambridge Valley Chamber of Commerce, by making a purchase at any number of participating stores. In fact, I was entered after buying some decaf coffee at the food co-0p this week. The winning entry will be drawn by the balloon festival committee June 6. The winner should report to the chamber’s merchandise booth around 6 p.m., or well before the expected take off. On Wednesday, May 22, from 4 to 6 p.m., kids can “climb in, on and through” a variety of trucks and cars that work in the community. Light food and refreshments will be served at the event in Bob Durrin Memorial Park. Students at Cambridge Central School are engaged in a “read-a-thon” in which they raise a penn