Research, including studies presented at the conference in Istanbul, is showing that organic agriculture can deliver reliably high yields ”and that organic fields thrive in the face of disaster and duress, where chemical-reliant crops falter. Organic fields, for example, fare significantly better than chemically managed ones in the face of extreme weather, such as droughts or floods.
Anna Lappe, for takepart, 4 November 2014, Yes, Organic Farming Can Feed the World, Continue reading
Still thinking about what resolutions to make for the new year? Resolve
to come to
South Georgia Growing Local 2015 conference at Pine Grove
Middle. You can
register and pay on-line or mail a check and reserve
your place now.
Website including registration.
facebook event and community, but remember to register, too!
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Dr. Pat Duncan, director of the Georgia Center for Aquaculture Development, Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, GA, will explain aquaculture.
Safe local food movements are no longer a passing fad as consumers avoid the dangers and fears associated with processed industrialized food. Any number of associated causes drives concerns about GMO plants, pesticides, and other chemicals. With many options and systems designs available for cost effective ways of safe food production, one system with unique opportunities is aquaponics.
As with most food production systems, there are twists and turns on systems and designs to approach the development and management of an aquaponics system. Ranging from small do-it-yourself systems to elaborate automated commercial designs, each of these systems requires Continue reading
You can sweeten your food experience with honeybees.
Anyone can be a beekeeper! From keeping a single hive in your backyard or 100 hives; learn how to get started. Beekeeping is a fun and important part of growing local. Raynae’ will share resources on how to get started with your own hive. Watch your own hive pollinate your garden and reward you with a sweet treat!
Who should attend: All ages interested in keeping bees!
Come hear Raynae at South Georgia Growing Local 2015, January 24th 2015, Pine Grove Middle School, near Valdosta, in Lowndes County Georgia.
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Clay Oliver of
Oliver Farm, Pitts, GA:
Discussion on cold pressed oils and their benefits.
Should be attended by: foodies, health nuts, everyday gourmets
Come hear Clay at South Georgia Growing Local 2015, January 24th 2015, Pine Grove Middle School, near Valdosta, in Lowndes County Georgia.
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Christine and Angela Hagen of Hagen Homestead CSA will talk about
Cooking ideas and menu strategies featuring locally grown, naturally produced and passionately wholesome ingredients.
Who should attend: Anyone who likes to eat.
Come hear Christine and Angela at South Georgia Growing Local 2015, January 24th 2015, Pine Grove Middle School, near Valdosta, in Lowndes County Georgia.
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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
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
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:
Continue readingThe 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.
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