December 12, 2009
Kids from Bancroft Elementary learned about crop rotation, the benefits of organic gardening, composting, healthy eating AND got to meet Bo through working with Michelle Obama on the White House vegetable garden.
An interview with two of the Bancroft gardeners can be found here.
December 2, 2009
We recently said goodbye to our borrowed garden — it has been sold, along with the accompanying house.
We spent time cleaning up the garden space including taking down all the tomato vines, many of which had green tomatoes still attached.
Now looking at the peck of green tomatoes we picked, and thinking about green tomato salsa, chutney, ketchup, soup, pickles…what else?
After you’ve fried a few and are ready for other options, you can find good green tomato recipes here.
November 18, 2009
Paper or Plastic? That’ll be five cents please.
Beginning in January, DC businesses that sell food or alcohol will be charging customers five cents for every paper or plastic bag. Proceeds will go to the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Fund.
Every year, over 20,000 tons of trash enters the Anacostia River and plastic bags are a major part of that trash.
Read more about the Fenty Administration “Skip the Bag and Save the River” Education campaign here.
November 12, 2009
We were surprised, pleasantly surprised, to read that the highest per capita consumption of fruits and vegetables in the US is right here in Washington DC. Yes, WDC. According to a new CDC report, 20.1% of (adult) DC residents eat at least 2 servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables daily. That’s good news.
Healthier, more accessible and more affordable food is one factor. DC has more than twice the national average of farmers markets (per capita) and more than twice the national average of our DC farmers markets accept WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program coupons. More state by state comparisons can be found here.
In the not so good news category, only 8.8 percent of DC kids in grades 9 through 12 consumed two fruits and three vegetables daily. More work is needed in this area – and having an organic garden at the White House and Michelle Obama as an advocate for healthy eating is good news.
November 7, 2009
Our Mayor just announced that community gardens will be installed at all 56 DC recreation centers thanks to a generous donation from Whole Foods. The donation will go towards tools, plants, soil, and mulch. And the buzz is that the gardens will include bee hives!
The new community gardens are open to all community members with a focus on youth and senior adult participation. Read the press release here, and read a recent article about a DC beekeeper here.
November 1, 2009
In contrast to the high tech we experienced at the Solar Decathlon, we went to an event where William Kamkwamba spoke about how he built a windmill out of scrap material and brought electricity to his rural village in Malawi.
Growing up poor, William had to leave school when his family was unable to pay the fees. He finds a diagram of a windmill in a book on energy at the village library and decides to build one to bring electricity to his family home.
Relying on diagrams since he is not able to read the (English) textbook, William uses materials found in junkyard (discarded motor parts, PVC pipe, etc) and at the age of 14 built a windmill. Remarkable.
William’s story is told in The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. You can read more at the Moving Windmills Project which supports Malawian-run rural economic development and education projects in Malawi.
October 26, 2009
With over 1,000 solar panels being installed, Catholic University will soon have the largest solar-energy system in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
The solar-panel system will produce about 340,000 kilowatt hours of electricity each year. Sounds like alot, right? It’s about three-quarters of 1 percent of the 44 million kilowatt hours used each year by the university. Still, a good start
Of note, this year Catholic University’s School of Engineering added a concentration in alternative and renewable energy
Also worth mentioning is that CUA’s Opus Hall, opened in January of this year, is the first LEED-compliant student residence hall in the District of Columbia.
October 24, 2009
Our garden doesn’t know it’s almost November – we’ve picked a few ripe strawberries, cherry tomatoes, Japanese eggplant, a red pepper and a few rattlesnake pole beans. And we’re making our next to last batch of pesto.
October 6, 2009
Teams are getting ready, getting set and preparing to go when the Solar Decathlon begins on the Mall on October 9th.
There will be no poles to be vaulted or shots to be putted in this decathlon. Instead, the Solar Decathlon brings together 20 colleges and university teams from around the world in a competition to design, build, and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered house.
Along with house tours, educational exhibits and workshops on solar energy and energy efficiency will be offered. See events schedule here.
Which reminds us to Let the Sunshine in!
September 18, 2009
Nearly 50 homes in Mt Pleasant will have solar panels installed this fall. To celebrate, the Mt Pleasant Solar Cooperative is holding an eco-fair and has arranged for tours of solar installations.
The event will be held on at Bancroft Elementary, 1755 Newton St NW on Saturday September 19th at from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.
We hope our house on Monroe St will be on the tour next year.
