The Latest News and Updates on What’s Going On in the World
Vegetable Gardening Revival
A recent Mail-order Gardening Association survey revealed a 10% or more increase in vegetable seed sales from last year for their member companies. Organic seeds, seeds that were not genetically modified, tomato varieties, and salad greens were reported to be particularly popular.
Slow Food Nation Event
A Slow Food Nation event will be held in San Francisco over Labor Day Weekend, August 29-September 1, 2008. The event is designed to show how food and agriculture are interwoven with the larger issues of the environment, the global economy, and long-term sustainability.
It will include tastings, forums, workshops, films, exhibits, music and talks by such folk as Eric Schlosser, Marion Nestle, Michael Pollan, Wendell Berry, Alice Waters, Vandana Shiva, and Carlo Petrini, as well as hundreds of farmers and food artisans from across the country. To find out more go to Slow Food Nation.
The Great Sunflower Project
The Great Sunflower Project is a community science project with a goal to look at local bees to find out how pollination is being affected. There is a lot of concern about the decline in the bee population in the U.S. This project is looking at how bees are doing across the country. To join this project you are asked to plant a native sunflower (they will send you wild sunflower seeds).
Twice a month you watch the sunflower to see how much time it takes for 5 bees to visit that one flower, and send the data to them either online or through a mailed form. The information will help them look at bee activity across the country. If you don’t have a garden, they list public gardens where you can participate. To participate go to Watch the Bees.
