If you have been reading my blog for a while now, you know I have a long way to go when it comes to growing, eating and understanding “edibles”. I cannot even begin to tell you how much I’ve learned from other blogs, from Facebook and from lurking on Twitter conversations between some seriously educated peeps. But this is only the beginning – homey has a long way to go.

On a positive note, I did successfully grow greens in containers this year and have a few tomato and pepper plants that are thriving right now. I have even managed to keep a Meyer Lemon tree alive to date sitting on my deck. I have a feeling my gardening “off-season” will consist of a lot of research into fruit and vegetable growing (in fact I did get a book on landscaping with fruit for Father’s Day so watch out!).

Where are you going with this you ask? Well, I recently became aware of an awesome new feature at The New York Botanical Garden that I wanted to share with you and also received a guest post from a fellow Tweep (Twitter dude) all about sustainability. So, prepare to become educated, something that sorely lacks in my typical blog posts.               
  
This summer and fall, The New York Botanical Garden has a special exhibition, The Edible Garden. The Edible Garden brings you locally grown, seasonal food with cooking demonstrations every day. Featuring four spectacular kitchen gardens, The Edible Garden teaches you how to grow the best food at home. All proceeds of The Edible Garden benefit the Children’s Gardening program. For more information on the Edible Garden, please Click here.

To see the full schedule of events, Click here

To see the photos from the opening weekend, like the one at the beginning of this post, Click Here

To follow the NYBG on Facebook, Click here

To follow the NYBG on Twitter, Click here

I am not too far from beautiful New York City, so I will be there in the very near future as should you!
 
“Sustainability Through the Consumption of Things Conserved”

“In other environmental issues we tell people to stop something, reduce their impact, reduce their damage,” – US Ecologist Gary Nabham

Since the beginning of the green movement, there has been a rise in the number of organizations and businesses that are doing their part in the promotion of sustainability through conservation. As human beings, we’re told to reduce our carbon footprint, consume less unhealthy foods, and spend less time in the shower! But let’s take a minute to step back and look at this from a different perspective; one that Gary Nabham strongly suggests.

Gary Paul Nabham, phD., is a Arab-American writer/conservationist who’s extensive farming work in the U.S./Mexico borderlands region has made him world renown. Specifically speaking, Nabham is known for his work in biodiversity as an ethnobotanist. His uplifting messages and attitude towards life and culture has granted us access to multiple beneficial theories including his latest of eat what you conserve.

According to The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, about three quarters of the genetic diversity of crops been vanishing over the last century and that a dozen species now gives 90% of the animal protein eaten globally. In accordance, just 4 crop species supply half of plant based calories in the human diet.

Nabham claims that by eating the fruits and vegetables that we are attempting to conserve/save, we’re promoting the granular dissemination of various plant species. But this goes beyond what we typically buy in supermarkets, particularly because of price and abundance. We must remember to try new things and immerse ourselves in the very concept of diversity. Keep in mind; the benefits of splurging for that costly fruit/vegetable supremely outweigh the cons. Not only are you promoting biodiversity and further eliminating the needs of farmers to remove rare, less purchased crops off their agenda, but you’re also effectively encouraging healthier lifestyles.

Agriculturist Marco Contiero mentioned that “biodiversity is an essential characteristic of any sustainable agricultural system, especially in the context of climate change.”[1] With sustainable crop efforts being lead by the CGI (Clinton Global Initiative) and the IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) the duo plans to provide a more sustainable crop, untouched by natural disasters, much like the ones experience in Haiti and neighboring areas. Contiero goes on to state “We need to ensure this is the basis for the future…” – This is exactly what Doug Band, the CGI, and the IRRI are doing by engaging in sustainability efforts.

So remember, next time you’re in the supermarket picking out navel oranges or strawberries, turn your attention to something that’s a bit more “out of season,” or exotic in nature. The same goes for salads/salad ingredients; shop outside the norm, picking spices and vegetables that you wouldn’t normally incorporate into your everyday diet. During such economic downtime it isn’t always easy to maintain the same level of grocery shopping intrigue, but we must also not forget that in this sundry of foods we can find fun!

Dan Grifen – Supporter of all things green and progressive.

To follow Dan on Twitter, Click here

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