Inside Urban Green

Gym Class In The Garden?

Physical education credit for gardening? "Hey, did you hear, I did 50 radish reps yesterday?"

This reads like a story from The Onion. It's prime time Daily Show and Colbert Report material.

Please...do not try this at home. I lived in Princeton at one time. This is high income, uber-liberal territory. Get your glasses and look in the sky for helicopter parents. More than likely, these kids all have cars. 

If sweating in the gym is to be avoided, how about teaching walking? It's "strangely enjoyable" and would stay with them as a healthy habit for a lifetime. As soon as I get new knees I'll be back doing it.

via greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com

Starting this week at Princeton Public High School, students can take gym class in the garden.

“I think it’s strangely enjoyable,” said Tim Vasseur, a Princeton sophomore, shovel in hand. “It’s definitely not easy to do or anything like that.”

Advocates for greener schools believe this is the first time public school students will receive physical education credit for garden work. The idea was conceived by Matt Wilkinson, a physical education teacher and a former wrestling coach who also has a background in horticulture.

U.S. Green Dreams Pricked By Tough International Realities

Green jobs? From what I observe here in New York City, most of what are being called green jobs are more brown, as in pick and shovel jobs. It may be work, but it is low paying work and no better than fast food jobs.

Dirt farming in the city has a place but surely doesn't qualify as a significant source of green jobs. In my view, nuevo victory gardeners and fantasy farmers are living in a dream world of a bygone America. 

There are some interesting points about green job hype raised in this post. I found it worth reading and agree that without a national manufacturing strategy, we have a very tough row to hoe.

via tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com

I don't know the figure myself but someone should compute how much of every federal $ committed to non-agricultural, non-nuclear renewable energy sticks inside the U.S. vs. how much leaks out to Germany, China, India, and Scandinavia.

An Extension Workshop Includes Sub-irrigation Planters

It was encouraging to see sub-irrigated planters (SIPs) like the EarthBox included in an extension program workshop. Although a small step, this is progress. I regularly read announcements of workshops like this and modern methods other than traditional in-ground or raised bed gardening are very rarely mentioned.

East Dubuque Register

Four Seasons gardening program continues with spring series

EarthBoxes Playing A Roll In Classroom Science Education

 

 

Science teacher Ann Cruickshank, in Bradenton Florida, has discovered that sub-irrigated planters like the EarthBox help her teach “good science”. She uses them as a teaching aid not just outdoors but in her classroom.

Unlike in-ground gardening, the EarthBoxes are portable so that they can be growing plants the year round regardless of the season.

Louise R. Johnson Middle School, Bradenton, Florida

I am a 6th grade science teacher and have been using the Earthboxes with my students for a number of years. The students have loved growing and harvesting the vegetables. This year, however, I used the Earthbox curriculum to supplement my teaching and it was wonderful.

It is based on good science and is very teacher friendly. I would highly recommend it to other teachers.

Ann Cruickshank, Teacher.

High Country Gardens: Digital Age Horticulture

via www.youtube.com

David Salman started his business before the full blossoming of the digital age but he has obviously grown with the times. High County Gardens is a greenhouse grower, garden center and online business based in New Mexico.

I found HCG and David online because he discovered the benefits of sub-irrigated planter (SIPs) and shares them with his customers by selling EarthBoxes.

Explore the HCG website and you will find that they conduct workshops, are on Facebook and as you see in this blog post are effectively using YouTube (more videos). David and his staff are obviously 21st century horticulturists. We need thousands more like them.

Tony Blair On Tomatoes And Food Miles

After the post about the James McWilliams BookTV video from the C-Span Video Library, perhaps you would be interested in what Tony Blair had to say about food miles back in 2007.

Click on the link to the video and enter the word "tomato" in the Transcript section search box, then click on the result.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Parliament - C-SPAN Video Library

EarthBox Garden Photos

The photo is from an excellent photo documentation and discussion on the EarthBox forum. The paved surface could be anywhere in America. All you need are sub-irrigated planters (SIPs), adequate sunlight and a little knowledge. You do not need to be a gardener, farmer or have a green thumb. 

This is simple, highly productive, water-saving, time-saving urban food production for everyone young or old.

See and read via: the EarthBox forum

Food Miles: More To The Story Than Just Low Miles

Are you sold on low food miles as a panacea for reforming food distribution? As is true with most green issues there is much more to the subject than meets the eyes and ears from sound bite news. 

Book TV on C-Span aired an interesting program on the subject. I learned a lot from listening to James McWilliams talk about food miles and other aspects of the local food movement. There's more to mileage than meets the eye.

Search the video for specific words or subjects.

A great feature of the C-Span video archive is the accompanying transcript of the video. If you don't have time to watch the entire video you can use the transcript to search the video for your specific interest.

I was interested in "food miles". You will see a search box in the transcript section. I entered "food miles" and got 8 hits. Clicking on each search result took me immediately to that section of the video. Very cool! Try it.

Watch the video: www.c-spanvideo.org

Making Sense Of "Organic" Choices

The debate about what "organic" means will most likely get resolved about as well as bipartisan support for healthcare reform.

This article may help you make up your own mind if you haven't already.

via featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com

The health benefits of organic food are one of the most intensely debated issues in the food industry. By definition, organically grown foods are produced without most conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge. Livestock aren't given antibiotics and growth hormones. And organic farmers emphasize renewable resources and conservation of soil and water.

Valcent Launches AlphaCrop, A Smaller Version Of The VertiCrop System.

My guess is that we will see one of these AlphaCrop systems here in NYC in the not too far distant future. This version of the system may be a little too much for a row house backyard, but there are many other potential homes for them.

Evidently there are also smaller versions of the AlphaCrop system on the way. Stay tuned. Maybe you can be the first one in your neighborhood to grow fresh food in a space age vertical garden with no need for dirt.

Via Valcent.eu Scroll down to the bottom for a preview video of the AlphaCrop prototype.

AlphaCrop™ offers the advantage of High Density Vertical Growing to a wide range of producers from smaller commercial growers, to amateur gardeners, smallholders, community co-operatives or allotment associations. Larger commercial growers may also employ AlphaCrop™ to compliment their VertiCrop™ systems and to produce a wider range of crops including baby carrots, salad potatoes and strawberries.

This innovative new system enhances yields and provides excellent returns for a moderate investment:

Read the press release via CNNMoney.com