Archive for the ‘Education’ Category
Happy Imbolc!
Imbolc is an ancient holiday that falls half-way between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. You may know it better as St Brigid’s Day, Groundhog’s Day or Candlemas. It is a fire festival of home and hearth that celebrates impending spring, lengthening days and the promise of fresh milk and new greens; a time to focus intentions and plan for the coming year.
February City Fruit Update
From our friends at City Fruit here’s the latest:
“Life is an orchard where the seasons stroll.” (unknown)
That is a fitting entree, since orchards have been on my mind. There are now 19 — yes, 19 – orchards in the greater Seattle area that are currently being created, rescued, rehabilitated, restored, and/or renovated by community volunteers. Four years ago there were five (that I know of). Over these past several years, volunteers have whacked away ivy and blackberries to liberate apple trees on the Burke Gilman Trail and Amy Yee Park. Seattle Parks crews have brought cherry pickers into Martha Washington and Bradner Gardens to lower decades-old trees. Hundreds of pounds of heritage apples have been harvested from the Holy Cross Orchard for the food bank. An I-5 right-of-way is becoming an orchard and so is a corner of the campus at South Seattle Community College. Besides all these projects, four more orchards are coming down the pike — on land owned by Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Public Utilities, and the Seattle Housing Authority.
I’m hoping we can find a way to document all this work: it has to be a unique community phenomenon. City Fruit is working with volunteers at ten of orchards– Amy Yee Tennis Center, Bradner Gardens, Burke Gilman Trail, Jose Rizal Park, Kirke Park, Martha Washington Park, Meadowbrook Community Center, Meridian Park, Picardo P Patch and Queen Pea P Patch. Here are the others I know about: Community Orchard of West Seattle (South Seattle Community College); Danny Woo Community Garden (International District); Freeway Orchard (Greenlake neighborhood); Good Shepherd Center (Wallingford); Holy Cross Orchard (south Bellevue); Linden Orchard (north Seattle); Pipers Orchard (Carkeek Park); Queen Anne P Patch orchard; and SonJu Community Garden and Orchard, (Des Moines).
Fruit tree tip of the month: This is the month for winter — or dormant — pruning. You can see the structure of your tree and identify the ‘bad’ (dead, damaged, diseased, and de-ranged) branches. Take those out. Remember, though, that pruning stimulates new growth — especially at this time of year. (And check out the many pruning classes and work parties, below.)
Classes and Events
This year City Fruit offers tree care classes in partnership with City People’s Garden Store (Madison Park) and Swanson’s Nursery (Greenwood). All the classes are free — and both City People’s and Swansons offer discounts on merchandise (including plants) to City Fruit members. Besides these classes, there are opportunities to practice hands on pruning with experts at two workparties. Get the details on our Events calendar.
Feb 5 Winter Pruning talk, City People’s Garden Store
Feb 11 Skills Fair, Sustainable NE Seattle
Feb 11 Pruning Work Party, Pipers Orchard at Carkeek Park
Feb 18 Orchard Mason Bee class, Bradner Garden
Feb 25 Pruning Work Party, Holy Cross, Bellevue
Feb 25 Dormant Pruning workshop, WSU, Mt Vernon
Feb 25 Cidermaker’s Dinner, NW Cider Association
Want to support all this great work? Join City Fruit Today
Take care,
Gail
This white paper from the Center for Health Design summarizes well the current issues with our food system and why it results in poor health.
Over the last century, we have radically altered the way we produce and distribute food. This transformation of our food and agricultural system has fundamentally affected the health of our planet and its inhabitants. We are already experiencing significant impacts in the form of increased antibiotic-resistant bacteria, poisoned air and water, food-borne pathogens, and collapsing rural communities. We are at the brink of inability to provide future generations with fresh air, water, and food.
The current obesity crisis is receiving attention, yet lacks the context of food production and ecologic impacts. Poor nutrition is a risk factor for four of the six leading causes of death in the United States: heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. Our current food system favors the production of animal products and highly refined, calorie-dense foods, rather than the fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and other high-fiber foods important in prevention of these diseases. Hidden behind these nutritional imbalances is a food system reliant on and supported by methods of production and distribution that hurt our environment and us. Perversely, it is the obesity crisis that is providing the opportunity to re-examine our twenty-first century food and agriculture practices through a new health-conscious lens.
Do Japanese Apple Bags Prevent Pests?
Japanese Apple Bags, Made in China
Yes, they do.
Emphatically, yes. But they’re a pain to apply and probably contain trace amounts of old-school fungicides that ought to give you second thoughts. If anyone locates a bag that’s truly “organic,” I’ll be happy to use these bags every year without reservation.
Most people around here use nylon booties to protect their crops from apple maggots. But I’ve found coddling moths can still sometimes get through the booties. And during a cool summer, booties provide no protection from fungi. Apples grown West of the Cascades tend to be ug-ly, grizzled and scarred like the face of a war hero, and the booties don’t change that. On the bright side, booties let the sunshine through, so the apples have plenty of time to develop a nice blush, like someone who’s spent the summer gardening and now has a nice tan to show for it.
Bootie Failure
I had hoped I could use my nylon booties year after year, perhaps running through the washing machine to remove any fungal spores before reapplying them next year. But unfortunately, as the apple grew, the majority of the booties were scarred and ugly by the end of the year. Reluctantly, I threw the used ones away.
Though nylon booties are wonderful, they are imperfect. So many backyard orchardists are on the hunt for a perfect mechanical barrier – something that will keep out insects and fungi without resorting to chemicals. Enter the Japanese Apple Bag.
The Boy in the Plastic Bubble Essentially, Japanese Apple Bags are paper bags with a small wire twist tie inside that you use to cover your apples when they’re about the size of a quarter. Technically, they’re made in China now so we should probably just call them “Apple Bags.” But their origin as a Japanese product says something about their association with a culture that values perfect fruit. Inside the cozy envelope, the apple is protected, like The Boy in the Plastic Bubble.
You can imagine what the boy in the bubble looks like when he emerges from his protective shell, probably to get his first kiss: healthy, in an unblemished sort of way. But pale, almost vampiric in appearance. This description also fits my apples, after I removed the bags.
A few apples, like the one on the right in the picture at right, had some fungal damage. That’s because if you don’t close the bags properly, they let moisture in and actually encourage the apple to rot. But in general, the bags protected far more fruit than they harmed. Around October 1st, I removed all the bags to give the apples a few weeks to “blush up.” I don’t know if blushing effects flavor, but it does make the apples look better. 
My neighbors complimented my apples this year, saying this was the first year they looked big and beautiful. I was prepared to call the Japanese Apple Bags a complete success when I learned, almost accidentally, that the bags are laced with Captan and TPN - chemicals that are suspected carcinogens. I have to watch my language here – read the science links if you want data. Personally, I don’t want these chemicals in my garden. Although the presence of these chemicals is limited to the bags – it’s not as bad as spraying a whole tree – I don’t want to worry about having to wash my hands every time I handle these bags. And so my search continues for the perfect apple bag. Something that will last year after year, without chemicals. You can order Japanese Apple Bags from Wilson Orchard and Vineyard Supply. They’ve been a little inconsistent about their information regarding pesticides in the apple bags, but the manager tells me it’s true and he doesn’t carry truly organic bags. I see that as a call to action! I mean, really, how hard can it be? There are plenty of durable, breathable materials out there, many of them designed for the construction industry! Entrepreneurs, I’ll give you a hint:
Tyvek! In the meantime, I’ll go back to experimenting. Next year I may try ziploc sandwich baggies. But it feels like a shame to introduce all that plastic into the world.
What organic pest control have you tried on your apples? Let me know!
Joshua is co-author of the Urban Farm Handbook and a frequent writer on the blog Sustainable Eats where this post first appeared.
New Research Article Shows Benefits of Cooking and Gardening, Again!
J Am Diet Assoc. 2011 Aug;111(8):1224-30.LA Sprouts: a gardening, nutrition, and cooking intervention for Latino youth improves diet and reduces obesity.
Source
Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA. jaimieda@usc.edu
Abstract
Evidence demonstrates that a gardening and nutrition intervention improves dietary intake in children, although no study has evaluated the effect of this type of intervention on obesity measures. The objective of this pilot study was to develop and test the effects of a 12-week, after-school gardening, nutrition, and cooking program (called LA Sprouts) on dietary intake and obesity risk in Latino fourth- and fifth-grade students in Los Angeles, CA. One hundred four primarily Latino children (mean age 9.8±0.7 years), 52% boys and 59% overweight, completed the program (n=70 controls, n=34 LA Sprouts participants). Weight, height, body mass index, waist circumference, body fat (via bioelectrical impendence), blood pressure, and dietary intake (via food frequency screener) were obtained at baseline and postintervention. LA Sprouts participants received weekly 90-minute, culturally tailored, interactive classes for 12 consecutive weeks during spring 2010 at a nearby community garden, whereas control participants received an abbreviated delayed intervention. Compared to subjects in the control group, LA Sprouts participants had increased dietary fiber intake (+22% vs -12%; P=0.04) and decreased diastolic blood pressure (-5% vs -3%; P=0.04). For the overweight subsample, LA Sprouts participants had a significant change in dietary fiber intake (0% vs -29%; P=0.01), reduction in body mass index (-1% vs +1%; P=0.04) and less weight gain (+1% vs +4%; P=0.03) compared to those in the control group. We conclude that a gardening, nutrition, and cooking intervention is a promising approach to improve dietary intake and attenuate weight gain in Latino children, particularly in those who are overweight.
Copyright © 2011 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Rainier Beach Urban Farm Gets Matching Fund Money!
From Peter Masundire:
I am excited to share with you that last week, the Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands Project was one of twelve community organizations that received awards from Seattle Department of Neighborhoods” Neighborhood Matching Fund Program”.
I hope you can join us this coming Saturday to learn more about how this award will help us advance our goal of producing fresh food and feed our community and how you can contribute to this exciting adventure. Please come and join us at the next community gathering:
Saturday, August 13th
Time: 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Location: Rainier Beach Urban Farm & Wetlands at Atlantic City Nursery
915513 S Cloverdale St, Seattle WA 98118
After the meeting, you are invited to get your hands a little dirty by joining in with the team of community volunteera who will be working to help prepare the farm for planting. Please dress accordingly and don’t forget to bring some gardening gloves if you are able to stay for the work party!!
This will be an opportunity for all the family including children to get invoved – no farming or gardening experience is necessary!!
Sun!
By Robert Louis StevensonThrough empty heaven with repose;
And in the blue and glowing days
More thick than rain he showers his rays.
Though closer still the blinds we pull
To keep the shady parlour cool,
Yet he will find a chink or two
To slip his golden fingers through.
The dusty attic spider-clad
He, through the keyhole, maketh glad;
And through the broken edge of tiles
Into the laddered hay-loft smiles.
Meantime his golden face around
He bares to all the garden ground,
And sheds a warm and glittering look
Among the ivy’s inmost nook.
Above the hills, along the blue,
Round the bright air with footing true,
To please the child, to paint the rose,
The gardener of the World, he goes.
Landmark Labeling for GM Food
Regulators from more than 100 countries agreed on long overdue guidance on the labeling of genetically modified (GM) food on July 5, 2011. This is a landmark decision for the food we eat.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission, made up of the world’s food safety regulatory agencies, has been laboring for two decades to come up with consensus guidance on this topic.
In a striking reversal of their previous position, on Tuesday, during the annual Codex summit in Geneva, the US delegation dropped its opposition to the GM labeling guidance document, allowing it to move forward and become an official Codex text.
Read more from Consumers Union, one of the parties to the decision.
Sustainable Intensification of Small Crop Growing
Drip irrigation.
From the FAO here’s ways to save water and energy when growing food.
The Green Revolution in agriculture, which swept much of the developing world during the 1960s, saved an estimated one billion people from famine. Thanks to high-yielding crop varieties, irrigation, agrochemicals and modern management techniques, farmers in developing countries increased food production from 800 million tonnes to more than 2.2 billion tonnes between 1961 and 2000. Intensive crop production helped to reduce the number of undernourished, drive rural development and prevent the destruction of natural ecosystems to make way for extensive farming. Those achievements came at a cost. In many countries, decades of intensive cropping have degraded fertile land and depleted groundwater, provoked pest upsurges, eroded biodiversity, and polluted air, soil and water. As the world population rises to a projected 9.2 billion in 2050, we have no option but to further intensify crop production. But the yield growth rate of major cereals is declining, and farmers face a series of unprecedented, intersecting challenges: increasing competition for land and water, rising fuel and fertilizer prices, and the impact of climate change. More…
New Food and Environment Class at UW
A big thanks to Elaine for sending this on:
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