organic

Teaching Gardens: Using Permaculture to Teach Kids Practical Lessons

Submitted by Kevin Hansen on December 3, 2011 - 11:18

A wonderful article describing organic permaculture teaching gardens used to help teach children via experiential means the lessons they need - in a practical garden setting:

Sowing the Seeds of Food Security

By FIONA MACKAY
Published: New York Times - November 27, 2011

CAPE TOWN — At primary schools in South Africa’s impoverished Cape Flats area, teachers are using organic vegetable gardens to help children learn science, geography and economics — and to unlearn hunger.

Schools Environmental Education and Development (SEED) is a nonprofit based in Cape Town that creates learning gardens as part of their Organic Classroom Program, in partnerships with schools in South Africa’s poorest communities.

Founded in 2002, SEED trains teachers to design, plant and nurture a garden according to permaculture principles, which encourage a sustainable approach to agriculture modeled on the ecosystem.

Rodale Institute Report, Truly Sustainable Agriculture, Good for Climate and More Financially Viable than Conventional Ag

Submitted by Kevin Hansen on October 6, 2011 - 20:11

Re-posted from Rodale Institute's Newsletter:

The hallmark of a truly sustainable system is its ability to regenerate itself. When it comes to farming, the key to sustainable agriculture is healthy soil, since this is the foundation for present and future growth.

Organic farming is far superior to conventional systems when it comes to building, maintaining and replenishing the health of the soil. For soil health alone, organic agriculture is more sustainable than conventional. When one also considers yields, economic viability, energy usage, and human health, it’s clear that organic farming is sustainable, while current conventional practices are not.

270,000 Organic Farmers Sue Monsanto

Submitted by Kevin Hansen on July 23, 2011 - 13:16

Original emailed by Paul Ray

Nicotine Bees - Trailer

Jul 09 2010
Nicotine Bees - Trailer Video Thumbnail

Buy Nicotine Bees on DVD: http://www.amazon.com/Nicotine-Bees-Kevin-Hansen/dp/B002R8AU4Y

Posted by Kevin Hansen |

Vandana Shiva: To Feed Ourselves, First Feed Other Species - #Commons

Jul 03 2010
Vandana Shiva: To Feed Ourselves, First Feed Other Species - #Commons Video Thumbnail

Dr. Vandana Shiva, a physicist and powerful leader in the worldwide, growing movement towards organic food, describes her vision for the diverse, healthy ecosystems that once sustained, can provide ample food for humanity. Part of her experience is the  nearly 5,000 years of agriculture in India - one of the longest, and perhaps an example for other places seeking a sustainable future.

In a stunning critique, she describes her research demonstrating that organic, diverse food-ecosystems provide far more food, better quality food, better ecosystems/habitat, and more profitability for organic farmers. From the interview:

Posted by Kevin Hansen |

New US Congress Caucus to Focus on Honey Bee Colony Collapse

Submitted by Anonymous on June 26, 2010 - 21:06

Bee colony collapse focus of new congressional caucus

By Andrew Seidman | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers are rallying behind the beleaguered honeybee by creating a congressional caucus to promote research and focus attention on the troubling collapse of bee colonies.

Location

Washington DC, DC
United States
38° 53' 42.4032" N, 77° 2' 10.9176" W
See map: Google Maps

Climate, Energy and Environment

Think Like A Forest

Jun 22 2007
Think Like A Forest Video Thumbnail

In the forest there is no such thing as garbage! Everything works together without harming anybody.  They find ways to get along because they need each other.  Pierre talks about how people can learn to think like a forest.

When we think like a forest, we seen many things newly. We see that waste does not exist, we can make our own food, and we can take only what we need - no more. We see that all living things have a right to live their lives, too. We see how to live together, and we see how to run a business - all by thinking like a forest.

Posted by Pierre Terre |

Three Farmers, Three Communities

May 28 2006
Three Farmers, Three Communities Video Thumbnail

Pierre meets three professional farmers from Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in southeast Pennsylvania in the USA who show how their communities organized to grow great organic food close to homes.

Their food has better quality, better taste and less driving! This is a model for farming close to home, where people need the food! See the farms at: Pennypack Farm or Anchor Run Farm or Blooming Glen Farm

Posted by Pierre Terre |
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