Food justice: It notes that globally enough food is produced to feed the entire world population at a level adequate to ensure that everyone can be free of hunger and fear of starvation. The core of the Food Justice movement is the belief that what is lacking is not food, but the political will to fairly distribute food regardless of the recipient’s ability to pay.[edit]
Food sovereignty
The right of peoples to define their own food and agriculture," in contrast to having food largely subject to international market forces. goes beyond the concept of food security The concept of food sovereignty includes support for smallholders and for collectively owned farms, fisheries, etc., rather than industrializing these sectors in a minimally regulated global
economy.
“To grow your own food gives you a sort of power and it gives people dignity. You know exactly what you’re eating because you grew it. It’s good, it’s nourishing and you did this for yourself, your family and your community.”
Karen Washington, Garden of Hope, Bronx, NY
Organic
In order to be labeled “organic,” a product, its producer, and the farmer must meet the USDA’s organic standards and must be certified by a USDA-approved food-certifying agency. Organic foods cannot be grown using synthetic fertilizers, chemicals, or sewage sludge, cannot be genetically modified, and cannot be irradiated. Organic meat and poultry must be fed only organically-grown feed (without any animal byproducts) and cannot be treated with hormones or antibiotics. Furthermore, the animals must have access to the outdoors, and ruminants must have access to pasture (which doesn’t mean they actually have to go outdoors and graze on pasture to be considered organic.
Sustainable agricultureA method of agriculture that attempts to ensure the profitability of farms while perserving the environment.
Food forest A food forest takes advantage of, by planting into, the multiple layers, or "stories" of a forest. There's the high canopy layer, the dwarf layer, shrub layer, herbaceous layer, the soil surface layer, the underground layer or rhizosphere (tubes and roots) and the vertical layer of climbing vines. founding father, the late Robert Hart
Seed saving
In agriculture and gardening, seed saving is the practice of saving seeds from open-pollinated vegetables and flowers for use from year to year. This is the traditional way farms and gardens were maintained. In recent decades, there has been a major shift to purchasing seed annually from commercial seed suppliers, and to hybridized plants that do not produce seed that can be reliably saved.
No-till farming
The practice of planting new crops amidst cuttings of old crops and not plowing the field in order to slow the release of carbon dioxide and diminish the greenhouse effect. No-till and low-till practices also increase the retention of water and nutrients, allowing earthworms and other organisms to proliferate and keep the soil healthy.
PolycultureUsing multiple crops in the same space, in imitation of the diversity of natural ecosystems, and avoiding large stands of single crops, or monoculture.
Crop rotationThe practice of alternating different crops in a field in planned cycles in order to regulate nitrogen levels, prevent soil erosion, reduce fertilizer needs and improve the overall long-term productivity of the land.
Family farm / Small farmDefined by the USDA as a farm with less than $250,000 gross receipts annually on which day-to-day labor and management is provided by the farmer and/or the farm family that owns the production or owns or leases the productive assets.
AgroecologyThe study of the interrelationships of living organisms with each other and with their environment in an agriculture system.
AgroforestryA dynamic, ecologically based natural resources management system that, through the integration of trees in farlamd and rangeland, diversifies and sustains producton for increased social economic and environmental benefits for land users at all levels.
http://www.edibleforestgardens.com/links.htmlFarmscapingThe practice of designing and maintaing habitats that attract and support beneficial organisms, used to improve crop polliniation and to control pests.
GMO-Free or No GMOsThe product was produced without the use of GMOs (genetically-modified organisms). For more information, visit the
Genetic Engineering page in the Issues section.
Beyond OrganicWhen the US government officially approved standards for organic food, a number of farmers dropped their organic certification because they felt the organic label had been co-opted by big business, and there was a burdensome amount of paperwork that they could not keep up with. Many of these farmers raise their animals and crops using methods that are even stricter than the USDA organic standards. There has been an effort to categorize these farmers, so some people are now calling these types of farms “Beyond Organic”.
Community Gardens
A community garden is a garden owned usually by a city or county agency or by a private landowner, and operated by a neighborhood collective or non-profit that leases small parcels of the garden to community members, for them to plant and harvest.
Farm to SchoolA Tool for Achieving School Health & Nutrition Goals Nationwide, schools are turning to farm to school programs to improve the quality of school meals and the effectiveness of nutrition education.
School gardensGardens located at or near a school and utilized by its teachers as an outdoor classroom to teach students about horticulture, nutrition, and agriculture.
http://www.sagecenter.org/Projectareas/AgParks/Toolkit.htmDemonstration GardensA demonstration garden is a garden used by a public agency, a university, or a private company to demonstrate different methods of gardening, sustainable growing practices, different plant materials, and different varieties of plants.Natural pest control methods, such as habitat manipulation, biological control, and pest-resistant plants, are used to eliminate pest problems. Pesticides are used in the smallest possible amounts only when other techniques prove inadequate.
http://www.sagecenter.org/Projectareas/AgParks/Toolkit.htmBio-IntensiveA combination of biodynamics and the French-intensive method of farming, which involoves the use of raised beds, with crops planted very close together and in combination with other crops.
Companion cropsCrops that are planted close to one another to achieve some mutual benefit such as repelling insect pests or attracting beneficial inscets, shade, wind protection, support, or nutrient enrichment.
Trap CropA crop that is planted to lure pest insects away from an economic crop
BiodynamicsBiodynamic farmers work in harmony with nature and use a variety of techniques, such as crop rotation and on-farm composting, to foster a sustainable and productive environment.
Visit the
Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association for more information. The farmer strives to maintain a healthy, diverse ecosystem andbuilds soil health through enlivened compost and other biodynamic preparations,Livestock are integrated into the farm system, with the requirement that at least 80 percent of livestock feed comes from the farm. Foods produced through biodynamic methods are certified for consumer markets by the Demeter Association.
http://www.sagecenter.org/Projectareas/AgParks/Toolkit.htmMycoremediationThe use of mushrooms to detoxify poisonous substances, the best research in this emerging field has been performed by Fungi Perfecti of Olympia, Washington
Holistic ManagementA decision making framework that assists farmers and others in establishing a long-term goal, a detailed financial plan, a biological plan for the landscape and a monitoring program to assess progress toward the goal. See
ATTRA for more information.
Integrated pest management (IPM)A strategy of pest management that focuses on long term prevention of pests on their damage through a combination of techniques such as biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices, and use of resistant varieties. Pesticides are used only after monitoring indicates they are needed according to established guidelines, and treatments are made with the goal of removing only the target organism. Pest control materials are selected and applied in a manner that minimizes risks to human health, beneficial and non-target organisms, and the environment.
FoodshedA "foodshed" is similar in concept to a watershed. A foodshed, as defined by author, and ECI member, Brian Halweil, is "that sphere of land, people, and businesses that provides a community or region with its food". Edible Communities members' newsletters help to link the different elements of a given foodshed.
http://www.ediblecommunities.com/pages/faq.htm#whatEco-labelingA method of identifying products that cause less damage to the environment than other products (such as Fair Trade, organic, Food Alliance certified, raised without antibiotics, etc.). There exists a wide selection of eco-labels with different criteria and varying degrees of legitimacy. While some labels indicate that food was produced according to strict guidelines enforced and verified by third-party food-certifying agencies, other labels are self-awarded by food producers. For additional information about eco-labels, visit the
Consumers Union Guide to Environmental Labels.
Free RangeAn animal husbandry practice in which animals are allowed to roam freely. This practice is supported by the idea that such animals are happier and healthier in such an environment.
http://www.sagecenter.org/Projectareas/AgParks/Toolkit.htmGrass-fedGrass-fed products from ruminants, including cattle, bison, goats and sheep, are those food products from animals that have eaten nothing but their mother’s milk and fresh grass or grass-type hay from their birth until harvest.
Pastured poultryPastured poultry is a sustainable agriculture technique that calls for the raising of laying chickens, meat chickens (broilers), and/or turkeys on pasture, as opposed to indoor confinement.
Urban Agriculture
Urban Agriculture is the growing, processing, and distributing of food and other products through intensive plant cultivation and animal husbandry in and around cities.
Reasons to consider.-Around 15 percent of the world's food is now grown in urban areas. City and suburban agriculture takes the form of backyard, roof-top and balcony gardening, community gardening in, roadside urban fringe agriculture and livestock grazing in open space.
- 85% of all agriculture is in or near urban populations. Most farmers are growing for urban consumers.
-Twenty-six percent of all transportation on roads and highways involves the movement of food from farm to stores or consumers purchasing food or eating out.
ApproachesThere are many places and ways to grow when space is limited in the city.
1) French digging double dig for the most use of compact area.
2) Container growing is a low maintenance. Container growing is easy to control and be placed anywhere. So if you live in an apt. this is the way to go. As well as Organoponics: levels of tube growing system.
3) Vertical growing
4) Tearing up sidewalks and cement for more useful space and using the rainwater runoff.
5) Roof top growing
6) Take over vacant lots and parks
7) Incorporating edible landscape to your existing garden.
8) Community gardens
What for?!-In the past two decades, people have recognized the value of urban food self-reliance and begun to work with "urban farmers". Today, urban agriculture is increasingly on the international agenda, recognized as part of a comprehensive solution to food security issues in cities around the world.
-Urban agriculture provides fresh and nutritious food to cities dwellers through quickly growing local markets such items include: vegetables, herbs, fruits, eggs, milk, meat and other products.
- Decreases food transportation (87% of what our oil addiction is used for)
-Waste control: Urban agriculture plays an important role in transforming urban wastes into valuable resources .Many cities have growing problems to dispose of all solid wastes generated and solid waste management can consume up to 50% of the operating budget of a Municipality. Meanwhile urban and periurban farmers are in need of organic matter as soil conditioner and fertilizer and as a basic resource for the production of animal feed.
-Attracts wildlife
-Reuses runoff rain water.
-Provide opportunities for formal and informal education through community gardens
-Food security, civic pride, improved quality of life
-Builds local economy
Problems -Soil Contamination; Lead
Because of all the use of chemicals in cities it is best to run test on your soil. It is hard to know what was being done in the land.
Get a soil test kit for 9$ from the UMASS
www.umass.edu/plsoils/soiltest/
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) "Food sustains us all. When we put local food on the menu we all share in the benefits. No matter what your motivation—whether it’s support for local farmers, respect for the environment, specific health concerns or if you simply want freshest, best tasting food available, buying local is always a great choice!"
http://www.foodlink-waterlooregion.ca/index.php?first=3ef355a9a3a79
What is it? Where did it originate?
-The origin of the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) concept, the partnership between consumers and farmers, can be traced to Japan in the mid-1960s. Homemakers began noticing an increase in imported foods, the consistent loss of farmland to development, and the migration of farmers to the cities. In 1965, a group of women approached a local farm family with an idea to address these issues and provide their families with fresh fruits and vegetables. The farmers agreed to provide produce if multiple families made a commitment to support the farm. A contract was drawn and the "teikei" concept was born, which translated literally means partnership, but philosophically means "food with the farmer's face on it." Clubs operating under the teikei concept in Japan serve thousands of people sharing the harvest of hundreds of farmers today.
http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC42/VanEn.htm -Community shared agriculture (CSA) has been gaining momentum since its introduction to the United States from Europe in the mid-1980s. The CSA concept also originated in the 1960s in Switzerland, where consumers interested in safe food and farmers seeking stable markets for their crops joined together in economic partnerships.
-The term CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community's farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.
-CSA is also sometimes known as "community supported agriculture" or "subscription farming," and the two terms have been used on occasion to convey the same basic principles. Subscription farming (or marketing) arrangements tend to emphasize the economic benefits, for the farmer as well as consumer, of a guaranteed, direct market for farm products. Growers typically contract directly with customers, who may be called "members," and who have agreed in advance to buy a minimum amount of produce at a fixed price, but who have little or no investment in the farm itself. This allows growers to maintain small farm profits by selling low cost memberships to customers who then were allowed to harvest crops at below-market prices. Promoted by Booker Whatley in the early 1980's. The current situation and problems:
Food is a basic human need. Yet for most of us in the U.S., it is merely an inexpensive commodity that we take for granted.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/csa/csadef.htm “As we become a more urbanized society, connections between farmers and consumers are rapidly being lost. Food educators will tell you stories about how kids have no clue that their milk and hamburger come from a cow; and about farmers' market customers remarking about the quaintness of the growers putting dirt on potatoes.”http://www.worldhungeryear.org/fslc/faqs/ria_041.asp?section=2&click=1
Problems-Almost every state in the U.S. buys 85% of its food from some place else.
-Food import creates an imbalance that translates to a $4 billion leak in state economies on an annual basis.
-Food travels miles to make it to your dinner table. It is estimated that a basic North American meal travel 1,500 miles (2,400 km) to get to your plate and 1,300 miles to get to the supermarket.
-Conventional large scale agriculture relies on heavy amounts of chemicals and petroleum based products which degrade the environment.
-Superstore prices have already begun to reflect rapid rising transportation costs, which leads to questions about the long-term sustainability of a food system based solely on low-cost energy (cheap oil).
-The nation's best farm land is being lost to commercial and residential development at an accelerating rate.
Why care? -This is a strategy to connect local farmers with local consumers.
-Develop a regional food supply
-Maintain your dollars used for food circulating in your local community economy.
-Honor the knowledge and experience of growers and producers working with small to medium farms.
http://www.umassvegetable.org/food_farming_systems/csa/ -Supports new farms: By paying for your produce at the beginning of the growing season, CSA shareholders provide the start up capital necessary for farmers to purchase seeds, supplies and soil amendments.
-The farmer gains a healthy, economically viable farm business and the consumers receive affordable, fresh, local organic produce.
-Create social responsibility throughout the community; understanding of how, where, and by whom our food is grown.
-Reconnecting with the land, climate, seasons and ancient practices.
-Eliminates excess package and garbage.
-Support the biodiversity of a given farm and the
diversity of agriculture.
There are now approximately 1000 CSA farms in North America. Join one!
Internationally, Australia, Hungry, India, Hong Kong, Holland, and especially England, where the Soil Association is strongly promoting CSA. CSAs are also developing in Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, France, Denmark and Germany. In Japan, CSA is well developed—tteikei [partnerships with local farmers through annual subscriptions] is a mature movement, reportedly with millions of members.
http://www.newfarm.org/features/0204/csa2/part2.shtml
