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News From the Garden

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Planted by: Jennifer Tidwell
Date: Monday March 2, 2009
Planted in: Gardening News,Other

I hope to make this a weekly feature of news from the garden, environmental and “green” news.

Growing excitement, expectations for green jobs corps

As reported on CNN.com.

  • Schools are offering green jobs training for displaced or unemployed workers.
  • Obama stimulus plan puts $500 million into green jobs training.
  • The renewable energy industry has been hit by the economic downturn, too.
  • Still, students going into green industries tell CNN they see it as a safe career plan.

    • 2009 version of victory garden could sprout success for U.S.

    In the Chicago Tribune

    …the victory garden movement did much more than simply lift America’s spirits. It also grew tons of healthy, affordable food (nearly 40 percent of the nation’s produce at its peak), encouraged millions of citizens to become more physically active, and helped conserve natural and financial resources at a time of crisis.

    From Tons of Manure, a Growth Industry

    As reported in the New York Times.

    More than a decade ago — she thinks it was in 1998 — Jane Slupecki, a marketing representative for the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, took a group of Litchfield County dairy farmers to a brainstorming dinner at a lovely lakeside inn there. Her agency had a small grant to try to find possible solutions to a big, stinky problem.

    “Cow manure,” Ms. Slupecki recalls. “Endless tons of it. We were concerned about how farmers returned manure nutrients to their fields, and how we could prevent runoff of excess nitrogen and phosphorus into watersheds.” Since farms in riparian areas were of particular concern, most of the dairymen invited to dinner were grazing cows near the Blackberry River, which in turn feeds the mighty Housatonic. Their hostess remembers it as “just a lovely dinner,” but we will spare the reader the technical points of the conversation….

    Survey Reveals Double-Digit Increase in Food Gardening for 2009

    According to a new survey from the National Gardening Assocation, 7 million more households are expected to grow their own food in 2009, which is a 19 percent increase from 2008. This is nearly double the 10 percent increase from 2007 to 2008.

    In 2008, gardeners spent $2.5 billion (that’s billion with a B) to purchase supplies to grow their own food. NGA estimates that a well-tended vegetable garden yields a $500 average return per garden.

    “As in previous recessions, we’ve seen increased participation in and spending on food gardening as people look for ways to economize,” explained Bruce Butterfield, research director for the NGA. “That said, these results suggest the interest in food gardening may continue to increase, even after the economy improves.”

    While it is a sure sign of tough economic times, I can’t say that I’m not pleased more people are discovering the joys and benefits of growing their own food.

    The Haagen-Dazs(R) Brand Redoubles Efforts to Help the Honey Bees

    A press release from February 26, 2009 details the efforts of Haagen-Dazs to find solutions to Colony Collapse Disorder, which has killed one in three honeybee colonies over the past three winters.

    Here is a rundown:

    Elements of the campaign include:

  • A second donation to UC Davis and Penn State Universities of $250,000. This brings the brand’s total donation for honey bee research to a half million dollars over two years.
  • Continuation of the Haagen-Dazs brand’s public education efforts with:
  • A special flavor, Vanilla Honey Bee, and all “bee-built” flavors (flavors that use at least one honey bee-pollinated ingredient) of ice cream, sorbet, frozen yogurt and bars proudly carry a HD loves HB(R) symbol and message under the lid.
  • A full-scale awareness effort, coupled with unique print and online advertising.
  • Part of the brand’s donation to UC Davis is being used to create a Haagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven – a one-half acre bee-friendly demonstration garden coordinated by the California Center for Urban Horticulture. Visitors to the garden will be able to glean ideas on how to establish their own bee-friendly gardens and help to improve the nutrition of bees in their own backyards.
  • An upgraded interactive website (www.helpthehoneybees.com) premiering in April with a focus on examples of how consumers have gotten involved in helping to save the hardworking honey bees.

    • “Thousands of people reached out to join in our efforts to save honey bees over the course of the year. We’re making a difference but there is still much to be done,” said Ching-Yee Hu, Haagen-Dazs brand manager. “We are so proud to continue our support. This is a problem bigger than simply protecting our source of all-natural ingredients, like the almonds in our Vanilla Swiss Almond flavor. This issue affects our ability to provide food for our tables.”

    For full details on how the Haagen-Dazs brand is helping honey bees and how you can take part, please visit www.helpthehoneybees.com.

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