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2012 Small Farm Summit Featuring Will Allen and Chef Ann Cooper Draws a Record Crowd
2012 Small Farm Summit Featuring Will Allen and Chef Ann Cooper Draws a Record Crowd Interest in growing and farming on Long Island is a booming enterprise as evidenced by the 800+ people who enjoyed the Small Farm Summit on Saturday, April 14 at Hofstra University. More than 30 organizations, led by the North Shore Land Alliance and including Hofstra University, Whole Foods Market and the New York State Conservation Partnership Program stepped up to sponsor the second annual Small Farm Summit. It was an extensive day of learning, handson instruction, entertainment and networking focused on growing more food locally for individual use, in schools, to feed people in need and to grow the local economy. A recent Newsday article confirmed that on Long Island we do not grow enough fresh food to feed ourselves. In short, Long Island is not yet sustainable! People are hungry for both nutritious, local farm produce and new knowledge about how they can be a part of this growing movement. Eastern Suffolk County enjoys the #1 agricultural economy in the State and the land to support it. Locally we need to grow on a smaller scale and in some instances more creatively – from small farms, to front and back yards, to community gardens to service gardens at churches – on the sides of walls and the tops of buildings! This means “Planting Food Everywhere” as Small Farm Summit panelists Roxanne Zimmer, a Cornell Master Gardener, Brian Haweil, publisher of Edible East End, Denise Marku, Land Steward for Peconic Land Trust and Michael Veracka of Farmingdale State College explained in just one of the 45 workshops offered throughout the day. Summit topics covered something for everyone including new developments in aquaculture, shellfish and finfish cultivation, which has been a mainstay on the north shore for centuries. For the backyard gardener there were classes offered on composting, building healthy soil, season extension methods and insects of significance to Long Island. For health and nutrition advocates topics included school gardens, edible medicinal plants and school lunch nutrition. Experiential workshops on beekeeping and chicken-rearing delighted children and their parents. Beginning farmers and experienced farmers attended panels focused on business planning, marketing agricultural products, organics and valueadded operations. Did you know there are food deserts on Long Island? Food deserts are defined as areas where fresh fruits and vegetables are not available in local grocery stores. Adelphi University, Sustainable Long Island and Island Harvest hosted provocative discussions on both food equity and food justice and local programs that are addressing this issue. Throughout the day, farm and food related exhibitors like NOFA, Slow Food, local farms, service gardens and CSA’s hosted demonstrations and shared information about programs and products available on Long Island. Land trusts and organizations with resources for farmers disseminated information and gathered new, interested parties for their missions. In the late afternoon, Grammy award winner Tom Chapin led a family concert that addressed food in a comical way with his music and the event closed with a celebratory wine and cheese reception. Chris Ivers of Whole Foods Market presented a check to the North Shore Land Alliance for $5,600 for sponsorship of the Small Farm Summit from the proceeds of 5% of the register tally from one day of business at the Jericho Whole Foods Market. “The North Shore Land Alliance would like to thank the steering committee, co-sponsors and volunteers that made the day a rousing success,” said Lisa Ott, Land Alliance President. “When this many people devote a beautiful Saturday in the spring to learn about farming, there is clearly a movement on Long Island that will only continue to grow. Growing fresh, local food is closely related to land availability and we are so pleased to be a part of something that strengthens the inextricable bond between people and land.” Other sponsors of the 2012 Small Farms Summit included High Mowing Seeds, Edible East End, the Center for Collaborative Communities, the Town of Oyster Bay, the Waldorf School of Garden City, LI Green, Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, iEat Green, Long Island University, Adelphi University, Farmer’s Market Kennedy Plaza, Slow Food Huntington, Peconic Land Trust, NOFA-NY (Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York), Kaos Farm, Nassau Land Trust and many others who lent their expertise to creating such a worthwhile day. The Small Farm Summit is a part of the Small Farm Initiative that began in 2010 to support sustainable efforts in local food production, farmland preservation, food waste reduction and recycling, water conservation and agricultural education. #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
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A Conversation with Journalist Alex Prud’homme: The Ripple Effect and the Fate of Freshwater in the 21st Century
A Conversation with Journalist Alex Prud’homme: The Ripple Effect and the Fate of Freshwater in the 21st Century On January 25, 2012, journalist Alex Prud’homme spoke to members and friends of the North Country Garden Club and North Shore Land Alliance about his latest book, The Ripple Effect. The Fate of Freshwater in the TwentyFirst Century. Prud’homme began his presentation with a series of thought-provoking questions. Will there be enough drinkable water to satisfy future demand? What is the state of our water infrastructure—both the pipes that bring us fresh water and the levees that keep it out? How secure is our water supply from natural disasters and terrorist attacks? Can we create new sources for our water supply through scientific innovation? Is water a right like air or a commodity like oil? Will the wars of the twenty-first century be fought over water? The answers to these questions were not so easy. As the climate warms and world population grows, demand for water has surged, but supplies of fresh water are static or dropping, and new threats to water quality appear every day. Prud’homme pointed out that only when a catastrophe hits do people start to think about their water. From the impacts of this summer’s storms, it’s easy to see that our world is increasingly subject to weather and its effects, something that Prud’homme calls global weirding: like flooding in the plains, drought in the south and west. He took the issue from a macro government level to the impacts occurring here on Long Island. Local communities nationwide have had to take the responsibility of lobbying for better screening of drinking water. Even though it seems natural that governments would respond to protecting drinking water, the costs are staggering. USGS models predict that Nassau County will be the hardest hit county in the state from the impacts of rising seas. Additionally, on Long Island, the quality and quantity of our drinking water is particularly relevant because we get our drinking water from one source: underground aquifers. Our aquifers replenish themselves from snow and rainfall. The permeability of the land above the aquifers will impact how easily rainwater travels to complete its cycle. As sea level rises salt water further intrudes into the aquifer polluting our drinking water source. Maintaining open space as recharge areas for drinking water as well as stormwater absorption for bays and ponds is critical to protecting both our ground and surface water resources.
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Inaugural Small Farm Summit Featuring Joel Salatin Inspired Hundreds
Inaugural Small Farm Summit Featuring Joel Salatin Inspired Hundreds There was standing room only for Virginia farmer Joel Salatin’s keynote address at the Small Farm Summit at SUNY College at Old Westbury on April 15, 2011. Nearly 600 gardeners, farmers, health and energy advocates, students, teachers, and interested individuals packed the auditorium for this inaugural event in support of sustainable local agriculture and growing the local food source. Mr. Salatin, a third-generation alternative farmer, was at one time a feature writer at the Staunton, Virginia newspaper, The News Leader, then returned to the farm full-time in 1982 and continued refining and adding to his parents’ ideas. A self-described “Christian-libertarian-environmentalist-capitalist farmer,” his Polyface Farm uses environmentally responsible, ecologically beneficial, sustainable, though unconventional, methods. His riveting, fire-and-brimstone address debunked ten myths about farming—ranging from “farming is environmentally harmful” (use of appropriate farming practices is responsible land and water stewardship) to “farmers are dummies” (in fact, they have to be some of the smartest, most resourceful people in our community to survive and prosper). The day was filled with 20 bustling workshops led by 72 expert panelists presenting a wide range of topics ranging from food and farm policy to raising honeybees, to starting an organic or school garden. Plenty of opportunities for discussion and networking enhanced participants’ understanding of the breadth of issues facing farmers and Long Island and New York City residents in pursuit of local food sources. Attendees’ awareness was further improved through dozens of educational exhibits and demonstrations staffed by a variety of non-profit, commercial, university, and municipal organizations. Decorations, provided by the North Country Garden Club, featured an educational display complete with a blue pickup truck, live chickens, fresh eggs, manure, and Muttontown vegetables grown from seed. The Sylvester Manor Worksongers played delightful live music throughout the day and included fiddlers, banjo players, drummers, and guitarists. They wrote a special “chicken song,” honoring Joel Salatin, which was received with laughter and cheers from the audience. Like all successful events, the Small Farm Summit would not have been possible without the many volunteers who gave their time and energy in the days leading up to the Summit, as well as the six months of planning that preceded this inspiring day. North Shore Land Alliance, convener and primary organizer of the event, is most grateful to the Land Trust Alliance / New York State Conservation Partnership Program, Whole Foods Market, Karma 411, the Center for Social Innovation at Adelphi University, NOFA-NY, and Lisa Mitten for their financial support. The Land Alliance strives to help people understand the incredible value land brings to our daily lives. The ability to grow more food locally leads to a more sustainable community which will benefit us all. #gallery-2 { margin: auto; } #gallery-2 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-2 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-2 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
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LINCK’s No Child Left Inside: Connecting Children with Nature Conference featuring Richard Louv
LINCK’s No Child Left Inside: Connecting Children with Nature Conference featuring Richard Louv When author and journalist Richard Louv published his book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, its message that kids these days do not connect to the natural world spread like wildfire. Countless studies have concluded that children’s and adults’ exposure to nature can aid their ability to manage stress and think more clearly. Environmental education and related experience, such as community service Dana Friedman, Richard Louv, Lisa Ott, Jane Jackson projects outdoors, can make a difference and, in the process, increase appreciation of the outdoors among participants in these activities. Recognizing the importance of these findings, the North Shore Land Alliance and the Long Island Nature Collaborative for Kids (LINCK) (a project of the Early Childhood Institute) partnered to bring Louv to Long Island on Thursday, March 12, 2009 as the keynote speaker of LINCK’s No Child Left Inside: Connecting Children with Nature conference, held at the Islandia Marriott Long Island. The event, which drew over 300 hundred attendees including 20 Land Alliance members who were guests at the keynote address, was also sponsored by Computer Associates, the Rauch Foundation, and other organizations. The conference included a number of hands-on workshops designed to enable educators, child care workers, and parents alike to get their children into the natural world (or, in some case, to take nature to them!). As undeveloped land has become increasingly scarce, children’s exposure to the outdoors has waned. There is broad consensus that we do not protect what we do not love, and we do not love what we do not know. It is today’s youngsters who will be faced with tomorrow’s responsibilities for protecting land and stewarding our open spaces, so Louv’s visit to Long Island to share his knowledge with a local audience was timely. Louv is the Chair of the Children & Nature Network, which supports organizations and individuals working to link children and nature, and is the author of seven books. Last Child in the Woods won the prestigious Audubon Medal (also granted to Jimmy Carter, Rachel Carson, and Robert Redford, among others) by the National Audubon Society earlier this year. It has earned top ranking from Discover Magazine, Spirituality & Health Magazine, and the National School Board Journal.
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Land Use Planning Workshop: Conservation Subdivision Design Featuring Randall Arendt
Land Use Planning Workshop: Conservation Subdivision Design Featuring Randall Arendt For land use on Long Island, the balance of open space preservation and economic growth is critical. With that in mind, NSLA invited top land use planner, Randall Arendt, to conduct a seminar focusing on conservation subdivision design. On May 26th, 135 land use decision makers gathered at the Hoffman Center in Muttontown for a 5 hour workshop to learn conservation design and the supporting regulatory framework needed by villages and towns. Attendees included Village Mayors, Trustees, Town and County Planning Board Members, Builders, Architects, Landscape Architects, Engineers, and Realtors. Mr. Arendt’s message was clear: in order to achieve a community’s goal for “growing greener,” model ordinances must be adopted. In addition to requiring a process in which the conservation areas of a site are determined first, zoning ordinances must contain, at a minimum, a requirement that protected lands in conservation subdivisions are comprised of at least 50% of the buildable ground whenever the underlying density is one unit per acre or lower. Mr. Arendt’s workshop offered valuable “greener” land use planning tools and an enlightened vision for decision makers to move forward with conservation objectives for their own communities. NSLA is deeply grateful to Mr.Arendt for sharing his wisdom, to all the workshop attendees for their time and attention, and to fellow co-sponsors for the program, The Nature Conservancy, Friends of the Bay, Hoffman Center and Nassau Land Trust
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