Explore Agriculture!Community Gardening at Oberlin

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Pollan as Prerequisite

• 13 calories of fossil energy to create one of food.

• Our food travels an average of a thousand miles before it gets to us.

• Food is the environmental imperative of where we live

• Hyperlocavore?

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Starting at Oberlin

• How can it be coordinated?

Local organizations +promo=

Education, cause

SeedsSoilFunding

People doing their own starts. (Spring)

In Oberlin:“Food Garden Resource Center”Eddie Miller – 440-935-5434 -- eddiemill@gmail.comhttp://Eddiemill.typepad.com/

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The 5 Tenets of Local Food

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A. Hoophouse, or “leisure greenhouse”

• Started in Cuba, then Detroit• Usually constructed for commercial purposes• $3000 for your first one, $600 after that.• Expected return of $8-10,000 per year.

For more information see: http://attra.ncat.org/University of Michigan“The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil”

In Oberlin:“Food Garden Resource Center”Eddie Miller – 440-935-5434 -- eddiemill@gmail.comhttp://Eddiemill.typepad.com/

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B. Community, and Backyard Gardening

• Carl McDaniel: “Vegetables grown in a modest 10-by-70 foot space routinely provide most of our vegetables in the growing season, and we have tomatoes, broccoli, and Swiss chard into December or January.”

• These gardens grew 45% of food during WWII.• Could you do that on a small scale..?• Community Space at Oberlin

Carl N McDaniel, 2005. Lester Brown, Worldwatch InstituteJohn Jeavons, “How to grow more vegetables..”

In Oberlin:“Food Garden Resource Center”Eddie Miller – 440-935-5434 -- eddiemill@gmail.comhttp://Eddiemill.typepad.com/

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*On Clay Soils

• Actually very good at holding nutrients, just poorly drained or difficult to work with.

• Ammonium in conventional agriculture.• Rehabilitating clay soil is a long term process..– First thing you’ll want to do is improve drainage.– Till or break up 18-24 inches, then mix in substrate– Or if you have the location, 4-6 inches of straw

now? Spring topsoil over mulch.– Compost tea and a keyline plow (gasp)…

“Gardening with Clay Soil.” Jean Lien, associatedcontent.com

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C. Biochar/Compost

What I’ve learned so far:• Cool, or icky• Start collecting scraps• It takes 6 wks+ for finished compost• Variety of harvesting methods

A “worm hotel” - vermicompost

In Oberlin:“Food Garden Resource Center”Eddie Miller – 440-935-5434 -- eddiemill@gmail.comhttp://Eddiemill.typepad.com/

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D. Carbon Farming + Holistic Management

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E. Organic Farming

• Local farming and organic farming make up the bulk of the local food chain.

• Interestingly, can be done on any size piece of land... (unlike commercial agriculture)

• Local Wholesale, or Retail it• “Sell to Joe”: Common Goods• Transition or buy normal farms

J. R. Russo and Sons, Watertown MA. www.Russos.com/

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The 5 Tenets of Local Food

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Garden References for “the Middle Stuff”Resources for Oberlin Role Direction

David Miller Land David.h.miller@oberlin.net

Zion Land Noremberg, Severs, Wright

Gardening with Jerry? Land ??

George Jones Farm Soil Amenities 44333 E. Lorain St. Oberlin

East Oberlin Nursery Seeds 43974 State Route 511, 775-2151

Watson’s Hardware Seeds 775-1731

Green Circle Growers, Inc? Greenhouse Seeds 51051 US Hwy 20, greencirclegrowers.com

OGROW Partnerships

City Council Clerk’s Office Funding and information 775-1531; 775-1751

The New Agrarian Center Food Policy and Perma http://gotthenac.org

Ohio State Extension Office Gardening and Compost 42110 Russia Road

COLLEGE Gardening Labor! Contact glenngall@gmail.com

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Books

• How to Grow More Vegetables…(and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine. By John Jeavons.

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Online References

http://www.Attra.ncat.org/ : national extension office

http://www.Backyardgardener.com : FAQ’s and forums

http://associatedcontent.com : Bloggershttp://eddiemill.typepad.com/http://younoodle.com/startups/

oberlin_college_sustainability_project/

These are the best ones…