Food & Water

Food & agriculture – Sept 17

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-Japan’s recession brings growing interest in fruit and vegetables
-Thoughts on the legacy of Norman Borlaug
-The Ultimate in Eating Local: My Adventures in Urban Foraging
-The Big Question: Should landowners be forced to give up space for allotments?
-Gardens launch own organic meat
-Feeding the future: Saving agricultural biodiversity
-Davenport man: Good time to plant food in public spaces
-USDA to unveil “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” initiative
-Feeding the world: which countries are most at risk?

The Thermodynamics of Local Foods

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I am going to make an argument I don’t see much. Reading the pros and cons on this subject is a bit like watching a pea roll around on a plate. My goal is to stick a fork in that pea and focus on something very fundamental. The point I will make is that one can say with high confidence bordering on certainty that only a predominantly local food system will ever be sustainable.

Deconstructing Dinner: Farming in the City XI (Nelson Urban Acres / Massachusetts Avenue Project)

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Nelson Urban Acres is bringing fresh produce closer to home. They are a multi-plot urban farm in Nelson, British Columbia that launched into operation in 2009 based on the SPIN farming model. Co-founders Paul Hoepfner-Homme and Christoph Martens are working backyard gardens within the city using low-impact, organic farming techniques to grow fresh produce. This year they have been growing a variety of vegetables throughout the season for Nelson’s community markets.

Peak Moment 151: Baked in Telluride: Making Dough in a Tough Economy

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Biting into a fresh-baked cookie from “Baked in Telluride” is a double treat — a yummy goody that also supports a local independent business. Owner Jerry Green has been going “green” for decades before it became fashionable. He shares the challenges of running an independent business in a tourist town while competing with bakeries thousands of miles away. While a town councilor, Jerry helped shape projects like affordable public housing and public transportation.

Start by Asking the Right Questions – Thinking About the Terms for the Debate on Local and Organic Food

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One of the reasons discussions of whether “organic” and “local” can “feed the world” often founder so badly is the whole set of presumptions that preceed such a discussion. So let’s talk about those – James McWilliams’ book _Just Food_ and others have stirred up a good bit of controversy on this subject, and lots of people seem to know the answers. But the real problem is that most people don’t really seem to understand what the questions are.

Solutions & sustainability – Sept 10

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-Transition Towns project helps kick oil addiction
-Cuban Ambassador visits Cloughjordan
-In a small patch of land, hope reborn for Sudanese refugees
-Community Supported Agriculture thrives around Osceola, Wis.
-Celebrating the abundant growth of the farmers market
-Algae biofuel propels a braves’ new world
-Transition towns