Binghamton Neighborhood Project | Science-based solutions to real-world problems in our community: An explosion of basic scientific research relevant to the human condition has taken place over the last few decades, including an integration among disciplines that is ultimately rooted in evolutionary theory. This newly derived knowledge can provide new solutions to a wide range of practical problems. In fact, never before have basic and applied research contributed so strongly to each other.
We call this a “whole university/whole city” approach to community based
research and action. The “whole university” part is a network of
faculty and students who represent all academic disciplines and are
adept at working with each other. The “whole city” part is a network of
community partners representing all sectors of the city, including the Mayor’s Office and City Council, the Binghamton City School District, The United Way of Broome County,
the faith community, neighborhood associations, and residents
themselves. Problems are not studied in isolation but in a holistic
fashion that contributes to basic scientific knowledge in addition to
real-world solutions. We enjoy engaging our city partners in the “big
questions” at the same time that we work together to improve the quality
of life in a practical sense.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Community Orchard Planting -Park Install
Community Orchard Planting -Park Install: Community Orchard Planting -Park Install
4 parks- 20 FRUIT TREES are being planted in CITY OF TAMPA parks!!!
Al Lopez Park
Rowlett Park
Gadsden Park
South Riverwalk
Can you make it out to celebrate with us and help plant the trees?
This is a day of celebration for the city of Tampa in support of
growing our food! These will be public food, and is a great opportunity
to be used as a learning tool.
The city said these are "trial"
community orchards, and they would be open to more of them, if these
ones are a success! Lets make it a great event. And PLEASE write to the
mayor, city council and the Parks and Rec Dept to let them know what a
great idea it is and to show your support.
Once I get your name I will email the list of names to "Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful" to add you all to the list of volunteers.
Thank you to all the donors that are making all of this possible, and those that put in so much time to this project
Each One Teach One: Organics
Mothers Organics Humus Farm
Neem Tree Farms
Mary Mulhern
Lisa Montelione
Angela Vlachos Ruth
Plus more
4 parks- 20 FRUIT TREES are being planted in CITY OF TAMPA parks!!!
Al Lopez Park
Rowlett Park
Gadsden Park
South Riverwalk
Can you make it out to celebrate with us and help plant the trees?
This is a day of celebration for the city of Tampa in support of
growing our food! These will be public food, and is a great opportunity
to be used as a learning tool.
The city said these are "trial"
community orchards, and they would be open to more of them, if these
ones are a success! Lets make it a great event. And PLEASE write to the
mayor, city council and the Parks and Rec Dept to let them know what a
great idea it is and to show your support.
Once I get your name I will email the list of names to "Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful" to add you all to the list of volunteers.
Thank you to all the donors that are making all of this possible, and those that put in so much time to this project
Each One Teach One: Organics
Mothers Organics Humus Farm
Neem Tree Farms
Mary Mulhern
Lisa Montelione
Angela Vlachos Ruth
Plus more
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
The Constant Economy
Zac Goldsmith :: The Constant Economy: Since the industrial revolution, our economies have grown at the
expense of the natural world. But as pressure mounts on the earth’s finite
resources, we can no longer pretend that business-as-usual is a realistic option.
One way or another we will have to change. The longer we delay, the more our societies
will be at the mercy of events and the harsher the eventual adjustments.
There is an alternative: a constant economy. A constant economy is one in which
resources are valued not wasted, where food is grown sustainably and goods are built
to last. It is a system whose energy security is based on the use of renewable sources,
and where strong communities are valued as a country’s most effective hedge
against social, economic and environmental instability. The constant economy operates
at the human scale and, above all, it recognizes nature’s limits.
expense of the natural world. But as pressure mounts on the earth’s finite
resources, we can no longer pretend that business-as-usual is a realistic option.
One way or another we will have to change. The longer we delay, the more our societies
will be at the mercy of events and the harsher the eventual adjustments.
There is an alternative: a constant economy. A constant economy is one in which
resources are valued not wasted, where food is grown sustainably and goods are built
to last. It is a system whose energy security is based on the use of renewable sources,
and where strong communities are valued as a country’s most effective hedge
against social, economic and environmental instability. The constant economy operates
at the human scale and, above all, it recognizes nature’s limits.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Monday, March 17, 2014
Sunday, March 16, 2014
5 Perennial Veggies to Plant Once and Enjoy... Forever | Organic Authority
5 Perennial Veggies to Plant Once and Enjoy... Forever | Organic Authority: 5 Perennial Veggies to Plant Once and Enjoy… Forever
Most of the foods we grow are annuals: Each winter, they disappear
and must be replanted in the spring. A bountiful garden of delicious
organic food is worth the work of planning and planting, but smart
gardeners also curate a few perennials, which come back year after year
with little maintenance required. Here are some classic perennials to
plant now for harvest next summer.
family. Best suited for moist, light soils and full sun, artichoke
plants grow larger each year, eventually producing several plump buds a
year. They don’t do well in dry soils, so mulch and compost well, and
give the roots plenty of water. If you have cold winters (zones 6-7),
cut the plant back in fall and cover it with a layer of straw.
cool soils alongside other perennials like tulips and crocus. But
they’re a long-term investment: The first year, you won’t harvest
asparagus at all, and each year you must leave plenty of shoots behind,
letting them flower and grow into the next year’s harvest.
flowering, towering relative of the sunflower. They’ve got a nutty
flavor and are delicious roasted or in soups. Plant a single sunchoke in
the fall or early spring, and it’ll grow into a hearty plant with
multiple tubers to dig up. Remember to always leave a few in the ground
for next year — and give it plenty of space, because this plant is a
hardy native that can invade your yard with its sunny, food-producing
blooms.
onions and chives are all able to survive cold winters from their roots
buried under the soil. Plant garlic and onion cloves, sets or seed in
the fall, and they’ll push up green shoots in the spring; leave a few
behind each year, and they’ll flower, seed themselves and divide their
own bulbs to create the next year’s crop.
back the following spring? Some leafy greens are able to regrow from a
root — an advantage for gardeners who’ll have robust greens growing
quite early in spring. Raddichio and other chicory relatives are good
bets, but as most of us grow several types of lettuce and mesclun greens
mixes, you never know what might come back. Instead of pulling up your
roots, cut the plant back at the soil surface, cover the bed with straw
through the winter, and see what pops up in spring.
Photo: Rob Ireton.
Most of the foods we grow are annuals: Each winter, they disappear
and must be replanted in the spring. A bountiful garden of delicious
organic food is worth the work of planning and planting, but smart
gardeners also curate a few perennials, which come back year after year
with little maintenance required. Here are some classic perennials to
plant now for harvest next summer.
1. Globe Artichoke
Artichokes are the edible flower buds of a bushy plant in the thistlefamily. Best suited for moist, light soils and full sun, artichoke
plants grow larger each year, eventually producing several plump buds a
year. They don’t do well in dry soils, so mulch and compost well, and
give the roots plenty of water. If you have cold winters (zones 6-7),
cut the plant back in fall and cover it with a layer of straw.
2. Asparagus
Asparagus shoots are one of spring’s first delights, poking out ofcool soils alongside other perennials like tulips and crocus. But
they’re a long-term investment: The first year, you won’t harvest
asparagus at all, and each year you must leave plenty of shoots behind,
letting them flower and grow into the next year’s harvest.
3. Jerusalem Artichokes (Sunchokes)
The latest culinary darling, sunchokes are tubers grown from aflowering, towering relative of the sunflower. They’ve got a nutty
flavor and are delicious roasted or in soups. Plant a single sunchoke in
the fall or early spring, and it’ll grow into a hearty plant with
multiple tubers to dig up. Remember to always leave a few in the ground
for next year — and give it plenty of space, because this plant is a
hardy native that can invade your yard with its sunny, food-producing
blooms.
4. Alliums
Garlic,onions and chives are all able to survive cold winters from their roots
buried under the soil. Plant garlic and onion cloves, sets or seed in
the fall, and they’ll push up green shoots in the spring; leave a few
behind each year, and they’ll flower, seed themselves and divide their
own bulbs to create the next year’s crop.
5. Radicchio and Chicory
Ever chopped off a lettuce plant in summer, only to find it growingback the following spring? Some leafy greens are able to regrow from a
root — an advantage for gardeners who’ll have robust greens growing
quite early in spring. Raddichio and other chicory relatives are good
bets, but as most of us grow several types of lettuce and mesclun greens
mixes, you never know what might come back. Instead of pulling up your
roots, cut the plant back at the soil surface, cover the bed with straw
through the winter, and see what pops up in spring.
Photo: Rob Ireton.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Economic Laggards Face Pending Extinction
Economic Laggards Face Pending Extinction: Initiatives like Conscious Capitalism, Benefit Corporations, and Sr
Richard Brandson’s, The B Team consist of businesses that are advocates
for making profits while also improving the world.
Like all successful business ventures, these movements have been started by entrepreneurs – not economists. Left brained academics and bureaucrats continue to value the study of finance, business, and economics over the humanities, anthropology and other explorations of human behavior. Both are important, however it is in exactly those understudied fields – where empathy lies – that entrepreneurs and brands are finding their motivation and quickly re-shaping our world economy.
A Sustainable Brands article posted by Company Man Studios after hosting my talk for Ad 2 Tampa Bay on Tuesday names this movement the ”The CVS Effect” and in it, Claire Sommer details how Apple, Disney and Chipotle have been making “decisions that buck the bottom-line mantra” following the CVS announcement that they would be removing tobacco products from their shelves.
Like all successful business ventures, these movements have been started by entrepreneurs – not economists. Left brained academics and bureaucrats continue to value the study of finance, business, and economics over the humanities, anthropology and other explorations of human behavior. Both are important, however it is in exactly those understudied fields – where empathy lies – that entrepreneurs and brands are finding their motivation and quickly re-shaping our world economy.
A Sustainable Brands article posted by Company Man Studios after hosting my talk for Ad 2 Tampa Bay on Tuesday names this movement the ”The CVS Effect” and in it, Claire Sommer details how Apple, Disney and Chipotle have been making “decisions that buck the bottom-line mantra” following the CVS announcement that they would be removing tobacco products from their shelves.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
GMOs Are Killing Our Lady Bugs, Attacking Biodiversity
GMOs Are Killing Our Lady Bugs, Attacking Biodiversity: If you want to save the lady bugs, don’t spray pesticides or herbicides on your plants. If you buy lady bugs commercially to disperse in your garden, you also need to provide them ample food by having lady-bug friendly plants (dill, fennel, dandelion, coriander, Hairy vetch, yarrow, butterfly weed) that they can dine on when they are done overwintering. You can also mix brewer’s yeast with a little sugar, honey, and warm water to offer them a respite before they start munching on the insects that would munch on the crops you’ve planted.