Author Archives: John S. Quarterman

The new colonialists and local agriculture to shape our own local economy

This sums up both Bill Gates’ sudden surge of agricultural land purchases and the fossil fuel industry’s sudden surge of fracked methane pipelines: “on a global scale, that the global problem, from the perspective of European colonialists and European entrepreneurs, is really how to transform the countryside.” In both cases, we here in the southeast are just peasants or backwards natives from the perspectives of the the new colonialists as they try to transform our countryside. So what if such transformation results in dust storms or leaks, explosions, or higher domestic natural gas prices? The new colonialists would profit!

Jonathan Shaw wrote for Harvard Magazine November-December 2014, The New Histories: Scholars pursue sweeping new interpretations of the human past. Continue reading

Dr. Elsie Quarterman, Champion of the Cedar Glades and Natural Areas –Brian Bowen

Thanks to Kim Sadler for sending this.

Brian Bowen, for Tennessee Conservationist Magazine, Sep-Oct 2014, Remembering Dr. Elsie Quarterman, Champion of the Cedar Glades and Natural Areas,

300x258 George Fell Lifetime Achievement Award 2008, in Tennessee Conservationist, by Brian Bowen, for OkraParadiseFarms.com, 1 September 2014 Dr. Quarterman was a longtime member of the Natural Areas Association, the professional organization representing the interests of natural area professionals in the US. She received the NAA George Fell Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008 at the 35th Annual Natural Areas Conference in Nashville. In receiving the award, she humbly said that there “is no greater honor than to be recognized by my peers.” Her most significant legacy will be the thousands of acres of natural areas she helped to protect in Tennessee including the cedar glades and the once endangered Tennessee Coneflower.

(Tennessee Natural Areas Program Administrator Brian Bowen works in the Department of Environment and Conservation in Nashville.)

There’s much more in the article.

-jsq

Elsie was more than a biology professor and ecologist –Jonathan Ertelt, Community

Saying what many students think: “Students of all ages are thankful that her appreciation of the plant kingdom and the world around her touched them and made their lives.”

Jonathan Ertelt, Vanderbilt Magazine, Summer 2014 issue, Quarterman Was More Than a Biology Professor and Ecologist, Continue reading

The whole ecosystem –Elsie Quarterman on Wild Side TV

300x184 People as well as plants and animals. Not just dogs youve got on a leash, but animals that live out there, are part of the whole ecosystem., in A Crusader for Conservation, by Wild Side TV, for OkraParadiseFarms.org, 19 September 2014 Here’s a video about Elsie, A Crusader for Conservation, 19 September 2014, by Tennessee’s Wild Side, “The Emmy Award winning show produced through the generosity of the Jackson Foundation, Tennessee State Parks, and the Tennessee Wildlife Federation.” Lots of good pictures, some video snippets of Elsie, and some narration by her nephew Patrick and by Biologist Tom Hemmerly, who reminds us of Elsie’s work at Radner Lake, in addition to her cedar glades work. Ranger Buddy Ingram explains her biggest contribution may have been in getting numerous different segments of society to cooperate in saving whole ecologies. Botanist Kim Sadler and others explain how inspiring all that is to generations of students.

As Elsie said in 2006:

300x168 The general public needs to know whats around them., in A Crusader for Conservation, by Wild Side TV, for OkraParadiseFarms.org, 19 September 2014 The general public needs to know what’s around them. They need to be learning that there’s a world that is not paved. There are lots of things that have life and function in the whole scheme, people as well as plants and animals. Not just dogs you’ve got on a leash, but animals that live out there, are part of the whole ecosystem.
Continue reading

Fixing a tractor tire

Apparently electric fence wire isn’t good to sling into a tractor tire. The puncture was barely visible, but leaked completely down after a while. Fortunately, Charles from Adel Tire came and fixed it. After he set it on fire.

He explains why in the video. Continue reading

Popcorn at Valdosta Farm Days

Gretchen picked this popcorn yesterday, popped some to test (yum!), and bagged the rest for Valdosta Farm Days 9AM to 1PM today Saturday 6 September 2014 at the historic Lowndes County Courthouse in downtown Valdosta, Georgia.

Pops either in a pan with a little oil (grapeseed oil is good), or stick it in a paper bag (I shelled that test corn) with a touch of oil and microwave it.

-jsq

SEB: Professor Elsie Quarterman: In Memorium, 1910-2014

Her students Carol and Jerry Baskin wrote for the July 2014 Southeastern Biology newsletter of The Association of Southeastern Biologists, OBITUARY: Professor Elsie Quarterman: In Memorium, 1910-2014

Dr. Elsie Quarterman known fondly to her students as EQ passed away on 9 June 2014 at her home in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 103 years. She was born on 28 November 1910 in Valdosta, Georgia. Dr. Quarterman obtained her B. A. degree from Georgia State Women’s College (now Valdosta State University) in 1932, Continue reading

Diversity, extinction, and climate change

In what category does Georgia rank highest

  1. for species diversity: plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, or fishes?
  2. and in which of these four categories: diversity, risk, endemism (distinctiveness of species), and extincions?

Guess first, then look (no peeking)…. Continue reading

Okra available today

We’ve got about 7 pounds of okra left over today after somebody couldn’t take it. So if you want it, let us know, information@okraparadisefarms.com, or comment on the blog or web page. We also have okra chips.

Okra can be hard to find. Here’s an okra plant that I had just picked: Continue reading

Short-term profit misusing technical know-how beyond understanding of nature –Cosmos

Another Cosmos script Neil deGrasse Tyson read maybe he should have paid more attention to regarding the situation with short-sighted corporate monopolies misusing cherry-picked science to promote their profits at the expense of all of us and the only planet we’ve got.

Talking about the fall of the ancient Mesopotamia civilization, the script Dr. Tyson read for Cosmos Episode 11, The Immortals, says: Continue reading