The Green Pages: June 2014

Friday, June 6, 2014

10 Gorgeous Eco Hotels - Courtesy of TripAdvisor

10 gorgeous eco hotels

"…Walk around the extensive grounds to see the beautiful tree, plant and bird life - not forgetting the Redwoods..."
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BardessonoYountville, California

"I loved all the environmentally friendly practices used at the hotel. I truly appreciate all your dedication..."
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WildSpring Guest HabitatPort Orford, Oregon

"What a jewel!... I have never found the combination of luxury and nature intertwined so harmoniously."
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Hotel Palomar Philadelphia - a Kimpton HotelPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania

"I really appreciate Kimpton's dedication to the environment. It's part of what makes this hotel chain great."
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Distrikt HotelNew York City, New York

"A fantastic location... Our room was beautiful, the bed amazingly comfortable and a shower to die for! "
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Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Hey Gardeners! Consider Planting an Extra Row for the Hungry This Year

Gardening, garden for the hungry, plant a row, grow a row, growing food, growing extra

It's estimated that one in eight people suffers from hunger and malnutrition, which means that all around the world, millions of people—including children—go hungry each and every day. That means that on an average crowded morning bus, there may be four or five people who won't have enough to eat that day. In a schoolyard full of kids… well, one is too many, but it's likely that many of them are too hungry to focus on their assignments. There is a way that the average person can help to ameliorate this, and that's by simply growing a little bit extra in the family garden.

Garden, gardening, family garden, plant a row, grow a row, extra row

Vegetables, veggie garden, lettuce garden, lettuce, kale, chard, collards, gardening

Vegetables, gardening, plant a row, basket of vegetables

Grow a Row

Although it may be known by many different names, the “Grow a Row” program is one that’s gaining popularity all over the world. The concept is pretty self-explanatory, and can make an enormous difference in another person’s life: when planning your garden, just plant one extra row of whatever you’d normally grow for donation to a charity that helps the hungry. Tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, beans; if you have a bit of additional space, you can put it to great use.

Urban gardeners can grow an extra row of food to donate to local charities like homeless shelters, soup kitchens, women’s shelters, and youth outreach programs, while those in the suburbs and rural areas might be able to donate to elder care homes, and special needs programs. Although some school lunch and breakfast programs will only take monetary donations, you can also contact them directly to find out whether they accept home-grown vegetables and fruits as well. Some veterinary hospitals will also accept food donations, and animal rescue/rehabilitation farms are often very appreciative of edible gifts too.

Friends and neighbors can share seeds in order to ensure that there’s little additional cost for individuals to take part in this program, and there are also many organizations out there that will donate seeds to charitable and community garden projects. It really doesn’t take much extra effort to grow a little extra for those in need, and if everyone with a garden put this idea into play, the results would be absolutely incredible.

via INHABITAT

Rodale Institute Reports on Alternatives to Black Plastic Mulch

The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program provided Rodale Institute with funding for a three-year vegetable trial focusing on cover crop alternatives to petroleum-derived disposable black plastic mulch. The results are published here: Below we've included part of the Executive Summary:

The goal of the study was to measure the impacts of these different mulch systems on soil quality and

fertility, weed control, yields and waste production, and profitability for small to mid-size vegetable

operations. The vegetable trials at Rodale Institute compared cover crop nitrogen, potential carbon

contribution, weed suppression, yields and soil health between rolled and mowed vetch and rye cover

crops as well as commonly used black plastic. At the four collaborating farms in Pennsylvania and New

Jersey, each farmer tested one cover crop system with the standard system.

The cover crop systems provided serviceable weed control, added more biomass to the soil,

contributed nutrients, and increased soil moisture and percent total soil carbon. Although marketable

yields were lower, on average, some of the cover crop systems achieved higher profits across the three

years. The cover crop mulch systems eliminated 91.5 lb of plastic waste per acre.

Challenges related to extreme weather conditions and late blight meant results were more variable

than anticipated, but all of the partner farmers continue to use what they’ve learned from the project

to reduce their reliance on black plastic. Benefits partner farmers experienced include discovering a

method for more effective cover crop kill, substantial cost savings and new ways to use cover crops

between rows for ecosystem benefits. One partner has already cut his black plastic use in half and

hopes to expand even further.

Agricultural and Biofuel News - ENN