#urban food systems

[soilthesimpletruth]

Giving thanks for life, eyesight, work that I enjoy, all the youth I get to share stories with, laughter and the bitter realty.

[simplefoodsmallfarmz]

We have had 3 hard frosts and the veggies still pull through. It pays to save your seeds as seeds have a memory.

Booking tours now through mid April 2025.

[37q]

finally got my job description today: ill be running the healing garden(s)! im at a wellness center, and they have horticulture therapy programs on site and at a few schools arnd the area :) if you know even a single thing about my life then youll understand how hilariously serendipitous this is! i think this means ill be tending the gardens ^_^ ill also be supplementing the latinx youth wellness group!! some programming happens on saturday maybe like every third but otherwise itll be normal office hours, since id wanna be outside in the morning and id work through after-school programs. im so excited!

[thestudentfarmer]

A lil self sustaining note~

Counting the eggs we've collected so far as of yesterday we've gotten 481 eggs

That's about 160 eggs each month since January.

I've been a bit bad about keeping track of feed cost and how much I've collected from scrap and garden waste to feed them. But I do know I've basically reduced my greens to just whatever on the perimeter of the yard and a few things they can't eat to begin with.

[mauricesmall]

This photo is of 1/10th of the compost dug up for our garlic beds this winter.

[farmerstrend]

How Urban Farming is Cultivating Prosperity in Our Cities

Urban farming is no longer just an innovative idea; it’s a key tool for sustainable urban growth and food security. Across Kenya and Africa, urban farming has become a transformative solution to the challenges posed by rapid urbanization, unemployment, and food insecurity. By turning underutilized urban spaces into productive farms, cities can unlock numerous benefits for their communities,…

[tendingtotheherbs]

Lemon grass in the greenhouse.

Because herbs bring seasonal beauty to your gardens both inside and outside.

Book a hands on experience and learn about the joy of #TendingtotheHerbs

https://abnb.me/imkXiy43dmb

[townpostin]

Jamshedpur Aims to Convert All Food Waste into Biogas by 2026

Tata Steel UISL unveils ambitious plan for sustainable waste management in the city. Tata Steel UISL’s initiative to transform Jamshedpur’s food waste into biogas marks a significant step towards eco-friendly urban management. JAMSHEDPUR – A groundbreaking waste management plan aims to convert all of Jamshedpur’s food waste into biogas within two years. Ritu Raj Sinha, Managing Director of Tata…

[livelocalorganic]

Exploring the Revolutionary World of Aquaponic Farming

Have you ever imagined a farming system that combines fish farming and plant cultivation in a symbiotic relationship? Welcome to the revolutionary world of aquaponic farming! In this blog post, we will dive deep into the concept of aquaponics, uncover its benefits, and shed light on its potential to transform the way we produce food sustainably. What is Aquaponic Farming? Aquaponics is an…

[solar-sunnyside-up]

The worst part is there's so much evidence to say that if you give ppl access to chickens casually that food waste goes down, that people eat better, the feel more secure, their mental health improves! And yet, they dont care. They'd rather people suffer!! My city has it illegal to have chickens unless you get a special permit that is only accessible to people who own their house (not even landlords can apply for you) its horrifying anyway,, if you can confirm your neighbors arent snitches or feds Get a Chicken, give your neighbors eggs!! Have fun!!

It's all be gay do crime intill you tell someone illegal chickens might be helpful for their situation, if your cool with it and your neighbors are cool with it then you can be the change that gets them legalized in your area especially if you convince your neighbors to get some as well. People doing that is why my chickens are legal in the first place.

[soilthesimpletruth]

Two of my favorite plants for this time of year for the northern hemisphere. Goldenrod, the yellow one and the other plant that is orange and yellow is called Lantana. Both of them are tremendous pollinator plants that support butterflies, bees and birds. Goldenrod supports birds with its seeds in the winter and Lantana supports hummingbirds with its nectar June through November.

[simplefoodsmallfarmz]

In the tradition.

When you operate a small farm, stuff happens and ya gotta stop and repair, replace or recycle what’s broken. It’s not always easy and it definitely is a time commitment, however, it still remains a blessing because during the downtime, lessons are learned.

What have you fixed recently?

[sayruq]

First, this shows a delusional lack of understanding of Hamas by a former Israeli general. Hamas is neither pleased to see its own people destroyed (all of its fighters are Gazans, born and raised there. The people being killed their relatives, friends and neighbours) nor is it worried about Gazans 'rising in rebellion.' Why would Gazans rebel against their own resistance movement instead of the IDF? I know some people are going to say, 'Eiland is trying to soothe a dissatisfied Israeli public,' but earlier today, the IDF released a statement about Yusuf al-Mansi who is being held and tortured.

They're not just targeting Western audiences by trying to blame their crimes on Hamas, they're also trying to convince Gazans.

Look at all the dumb decisions made by the IDF - tanks with no infantry support, urban warfare against a guerilla army with an extensive tunnel system, letting their soldiers filming themselves (which both alienates the world and gives away their location), lying very incompetently about the war crimes it commits (like the siege and destruction of Al Shifa Hospital), releasing videos of IDF fighters shooting at walls, furniture, the air itself, etc and that's just in Gaza. The Israel government is now threatening to start war in Lebanon and fight the Ansar Allah group in Yemen the same time.

Secondly this signals that Israel has no intention of ending the siege soon. While Gazans are at risk of mass starvation, the real threat is disease, particularly illnesses like typhoid, cholera and dysentery.

We must not stop demanding that Gazans get sufficient humanitarian aid (not 20 measly trucks of expired food)

[thestudentfarmer]

Hello everyone,

A bit of a garden, chicken and otherwise update:)

First up! Garden stuff update :).

Our first cucumber! This pic is a few days old, so it's just about ready to pick now and I've spotted 2 more coming in too :)

First patty pan squash :D with luck this years the year we are able to actually eat a few squash from the plants before the squash beatles arrive! :D

Sweet potato starts in the ground. I may need to put a bit of a shade cover and will be planting at least one more tuber to kick start the greens.

These very pretty wasps (who I believe is a yellow paper wasp if internet search has led me well.) Arrived. Very beautiful, but unfortunatly like the yellow bellied assassin's I will need to keep an eye out for them and potential nesting habits. For the safety and comfort of human neighbours and self, rather than protecting the rare native Bees we see. Thankfully It looks like this one was just hanging out for a few minutes.

Three more assassin's were spotted and swatted over the last few days. Morning has been the best time to look for them so far as I can see or tell.

My funny shade/seed/chicken bed. It looks a bit rough but the goal for this area is mostly to fill the empty space with something that is

1) edible to us or the chickens.

2) managing some sort of eco aspect of our space (shade, water retention, soil cover, beautification)

3) medicinal in some way ( soapmaking or makeup)

4) is fairly leave it alone/set it and forget it.

I'll need to reseed some new stuff soon though as the kale and chard are just about done I think.

Some of the tossed out sunflowers by the watermelon patch.

The melon patch I started (that the chcikens dug up entirely 😭 ) is being fully dug out right now to make a better grow space long term. Given that it's hot out (already 100*f regulalry) and daily life business, I've been working on it as the sun's been going down. It's taking a bit, but a bit at a time makes the work pass by. The dirt being dug out is being used to fill in chicken potholes for the yard and coop. When it's fully dug out I'll be making a similar growbed box like I did for the sweet potatos. Most likely also with a short shade cover.

And last, a chick pic update :) these ones have been much hardier than the last batch so far and a lot less skittish. They got their first hand feeding of crickets and mealworms, plus some peices of apple.

That's it for today

🌱����Happy Homesteading and Gardening 🌻🌱

[mauricesmall]

It’s so beneficial, peaceful and important.

[batboyblog]

Things the Biden-Harris Administration Did This Week #28

July 19-26 2024

The EPA announced the award of $4.3 billion in Climate Pollution Reduction Grants. The grants support community-driven solutions to fight climate change, and accelerate America’s clean energy transition. The grants will go to 25 projects across 30 states, and one tribal community. When combined the projects will reduce greenhouse gas pollution by as much as 971 million metric tons of CO2, roughly the output of 5 million American homes over 25 years. Major projects include $396 million for Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection as it tries to curb greenhouse gas emissions from industrial production, and $500 million for transportation and freight decarbonization at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced a plan to phase out the federal government's use of single use plastics. The plan calls for the federal government to stop using single use plastics in food service operations, events, and packaging by 2027, and from all federal operations by 2035. The US government is the single largest employer in the country and the world’s largest purchaser of goods and services. Its move away from plastics will redefine the global market.

The White House hosted a summit on super pollutants with the goals of better measuring them and dramatically reducing them. Roughly half of today's climate change is caused by so called super pollutants, methane, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and nitrous oxide (N2O). Public-private partnerships between NOAA and United Airlines, The State Department and NASA, and the non-profit Carbon Mapper Coalition will all help collect important data on these pollutants. While private firms announced with the White House plans that by early next year will reduce overall U.S. industrial emissions of nitrous oxide by over 50% from 2020 numbers. The summit also highlighted the EPA's new rule to reduce methane from oil and gas by 80%.

The EPA announced $325 million in grants for climate justice. The Community Change Grants Program, powered by President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act will ultimately bring $2 billion dollars to disadvantaged communities and help them combat climate change. Some of the projects funded in this first round of grant were: $20 million for Midwest Tribal Energy Resources Association, which will help weatherize and energy efficiency upgrade homes for 35 tribes in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, $14 million to install onsite wastewater treatment systems throughout 17 Black Belt counties in Alabama, and $14 million to urban forestry, expanding tree canopy in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

The Department of Interior approved 3 new solar projects on public land. The 3 projects, two in Nevada and one in Arizona, once finished could generate enough to power 2 million homes. This comes on top of DoI already having beaten its goal of 25 gigawatts of clean energy projects by the end of 2025, in April 2024. This is all part of President Biden’s goal of creating a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035. 

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen pledged $667 million to global Pandemic Fund. The fund set up in 2022 seeks to support Pandemic prevention, and readiness in low income nations who can't do it on their own. At the G20 meeting Yellen pushed other nations of the 20 largest economies to double their pledges to the $2 billion dollar fund. Yellen highlighted the importance of the fund by saying "President Biden and I believe that a fully-resourced Pandemic Fund will enable us to better prevent, prepare for, and respond to pandemics – protecting Americans and people around the world from the devastating human and economic costs of infectious disease threats,"

The Departments of the Interior and Commerce today announced a $240 million investment in tribal fisheries in the Pacific Northwest. This is in line with an Executive Order President Biden signed in 2023 during the White House Tribal Nations Summit to mpower Tribal sovereignty and self-determination. An initial $54 million for hatchery maintenance and modernization will be made available for 27 tribes in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. The rest will be invested in longer term fishery projects in the coming years.

The IRS announced that thanks to funding from President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, it'll be able to digitize much of its operations. This means tax payers will be able to retrieve all their tax related information from one source, including Wage & Income, Account, Record of Account, and Return transcripts, using on-line Individual Online Account.

The IRS also announced that New Jersey will be joining the direct file program in 2025. The direct file program ran as a pilot in 12 states in 2024, allowing tax-payers in those states to file simple tax returns using a free online filing tool directly with the IRS. In 2024 140,000 Americans were able to file this way, they collectively saved $5.6 million in tax preparation fees, claiming $90 million in returns. The average American spends $270 and 13 hours filing their taxes. More than a million people in New Jersey alone will qualify for direct file next year. Oregon opted to join last month. Republicans in Congress lead by Congressmen Adrian Smith of Nebraska and Chuck Edwards of North Carolina have put forward legislation to do away with direct file.

Bonus: American law enforcement arrested co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada. El Mayo co-founded the cartel in the 1980s along side Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán. Since El Chapo's incarceration in the United States in 2019, El Mayo has been sole head of the Sinaloa Cartel. Authorities also arrested El Chapo's son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez. The Sinaloa Cartel has been a major player in the cross border drug trade, and has often used extreme violence to further their aims.