Help Fund an Urban Garden, Get Some Free Undies

Ok, you don't usually hear gardening and underwear in the same sentence, except for maybe that time your friend said 'you wouldn't believe what happened last night'... anyway, PACT, a company that helps fund social projects by selling organic cotton basics, has recently launched their spring line for 2013 and has teamed up with Whole Kids Foundation and Indiegogo to help support their latest cause, helping fund and start 100 urban gardens for schools across America.

Through the crowdsourcing platform, Indiegogo, you can make donations until Feb. 28 to fund your local garden, another garden anywhere in the country, or both. Whole Kids Foundation, a Whole Foods Market^® foundation, will provide additional support for each garden, like online garden planning tools and organic seeds to help build or expand each urban garden. 

Urban gardening is the practice of growing, harvesting, and distributing food within city communities and is becoming increasingly more necessary in this day and age. Having gardens in urban areas encourages children and adults alike to choose healthier foods than the more processed foods and snacks found in your local grocery aisle.

The goal for spring 2013 is to establish 100 urban gardens that offer access to healthy food and at the same time empowering adults and children in those communities to actively experience the process of growing food from seed to plate.

For more information, or just to get some trendy new underwear (which also help fund future 'PACTivist' causes) visit PACT



~ James
Garden Media Group

Design Spotlight: Avian Brick Homes

It seems to be becoming more and more popular to design sustainable architecture and develop more resiliency in urban ecosystems. Hopefully this becomes more of a way of life rather than a fad, as providing living spaces for the creatures that have lost their habitats to human activities is very important. UK-based designer Chooi-leng Tan has taken the approach of integrating avian habitats directly into new construction in the form of special bricks.

These modular pieces can be stacked or arranged together in various and specific ways to create new homes for urban birds and insects. These come in three different shapes and provide access to water and food which can be placed within the brick's basin. Not only can these bricks provide habitats for birds and insects, you can also place plants within them as well.

However, not much information seems to be provided on the plans for upkeep of these. Is there a designated water-er? But nonetheless it's great to see designers thinking about our fine feathered friends!

~ James
Garden Media Group


* February is National Bird Feeding Month! and in honor of that our featured gift for GMG's Lucky 13 giveaway this month is the Squirrel Slammer Wild Bird Feeder from Perky Pet®! Like us on Facebook for more information and a chance to win!

5 Ways to Improve Food

A recent email from GOOD Magazine got my attention when it started off "Our current food system is broken. The planet provides more than enough food for everyone, yet nearly 1 billion of us go to bed hungry every night. "

Working in the lawn and garden industry, where I read daily about massive zucchini harvests or delicious recipes using fresh herbs, it was such a different message.

So, I wanted to help spread the word.  Oxfam America and GOOD Maker are challenging chefs, restaurateurs, farmers and food entrepreneurs of all kinds to create better food experiences using the GROW method. The GROW method has five simple principles:

1. Waste less
2. Shop seasonal
3. Less meat and dairy
4. Support farmers
5. Cook smart

GOOD Magazine is challenging us to create a better experience.  Submit your idea by November 13 and the winning entry will receive $1,000 from Oxfam to turn that idea into a reality.

Biochar: An Ancient Solution to a Modern Problem

What do you know about biochar? 

 

Learn how to "put the carbon back" into the earth with this new technology!  Questions?  Post them in the comments section and we will answer them.

Social Networking Sites Just for Gardeners

Today, I thought I would share a great blog post from Sustainablog on social networking sites that are geared just toward us gardeners. The article lists a number of great social sites that are chock-full of information, show beautiful garden photos and give a wealth of ideas to use in your own gardens.

Just click on the link below and enjoy!

-Stacey

GMG

Homegrown #7 on LOHAS Key Insights

We love the LOHAS – Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - organization and have been following them for years. Approximately 19% percent of the adults in the U.S., or 41 million people, are currently considered LOHAS Consumers.

Its 2010 LOHAS Key Insights conducted by the Natural Markeing Institute has identified 10 major trends for sustainability and “homegrown” is #7!

Here are a few on it’s top 10 list.

2. Transparency 2.0 — It is clearer than ever that proof, certification, and transparency of sustainability are here to stay. With the impending finalization of the updated FTC Green Guides and questions raised of even the stalwarts of green seals, the risk of not certifying, or self-certifying,is even more apparent.

3. Blue Is The Next Green...Still? — The business community knows that access to clean, fresh water is an impending, if not already existing, environmental and humanitarian crisis (and also is creating business opportunities). While some consumers know this in theory, it does not yet seem to be resonating at any great levels of concern or behavior. Consumers remain mostly concerned about issues most proximate to their lives — until access to clean freshwater affects them directly, this dynamic may not change.

4. Trash To Treasure — The recession has made being practical second nature, and many consumers are turning trash to treasure. No longer do we rush to cast away things we haven’t used in many years, or those that have minor bumps and bruises. Mending, repairing, bartering, reselling, and other similar practices have become second nature to many consumers. (Or making Felder Rushing's famous bottle trees!)

6. Strength In The Middle — Mainstream America is increasing its green behavior – another sign that sustainability has crossed the tipping point. As being sustainable becomes more accessible, more moderately-minded consumers get involved. Growth in behaviors is coming from the middle — LOHAS consumers remain the most committed, but are already doing most things green.

7. Homegrown — Consumers persist in taking matters into their own hands — they are planting gardens, canning, sewing, knitting and other such things to save money and be more independent. The role of locally grown and produced is also becoming more entrenched in society as we recognize the benefits of keeping dollars invested in our local communities.

Go to more sustainable treasures at LOHAS Forum Insights.

Suzi
Garden Media Group