Community gardening? It’s a gas…

Posted on April 27, 2012 by

Seedlings such as these are being grown for community gardens in the methane-heated greenhouse. Picture: Wiccked

Thousands of plants for community gardens are being cultivated in a 3,000 sq ft greenhouse using methane gas generated from a old landfill site.

The project is the brainchild of The Giving Table, which is affiliated to the United Methodist Church in Wilkes County, North Carolina.

The greenhouse, which is leased from county government, will help make locally produced vegetables available to  low-income people and supply food pantries while helping farmers find local markets for their produce.

In addition to creating the plant nursery, The Giving Table has made locally produced grass-fed beef available, selling it through a website, since last March.

To read more about the projects, please click here.

Posted in Christianity, Climate change, Earth, Environment, Farming, Food, Social justice, Sustainable farming, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Salad days in the concrete jungle

Posted on April 27, 2012 by

Top table: Hell's Kitchen roof garden in New York. Picture: Metro Baptist Church

Nestling amid the skyscrapers of New York are children’s paddling pools overflowing with luscious salads and delectable vegetables – all flourishing on the rooftop garden of the improbably named Hell’s Kitchen.

The astonishing community garden was created last year by the Metro Baptist Church’s bucket brigade, which hauled seven metric tonnes of soil up to the roof of the building to make beds for the produce.

The delicious harvest is delivered to the church pantry and that of the the project co-founder the Metropolitan Community Church.

The rooftop farm has become an integral part of the church’s identity. ‘I think of it as public witness,’ explains Metro Baptist’s  pastor, the Rev. Alan Sherouse. ‘The farm project has given people another point of entry to our church, community ministry and our understanding of the Gospel.’

To read more about this inspiring story and to see pictures, please click here.

Posted in Christianity, Earth, Farming, Food, Food purchasing, Social justice, Sustainable farming, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Armenia’s Green Hospitality Project

Posted on April 23, 2012 by

My colleague Victoria Finlay at ARC has just had some inspiring news of Armenia’s ‘Green Hospitality Project’, a canteen for pilgrims at the Cross of Armenian Unity, an NGO which trains vulnerable children in skills that include traditional cookery as … Continue reading →

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Bumper harvest for Indian schoolchildren

Posted on April 13, 2012 by
Pick of the crop: The bumper potato harvest. Picture: Diocese of Durgapur

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Indian schoolchildren are celebrating a record harvest of 250kg of potatoes grown in their kitchen gardens. They have successfully cultivated seasonal vegetables including cauliflower, cabbages, cucumbers,  tomatoes and mustard and have now added potatoes to their menu at the Durgapur … Continue reading →

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30-year trial shows organic trumps conventional agriculture

Posted on April 10, 2012 by

The hallmark of a truly sustainable system is its ability to regenerate itself. When it comes to farming, the key to sustainable agriculture is healthy soil, since this is the foundation for present and future growth.

So says the US-based Rodale Institute as it reports the outcome of 30 years of side-by-side research comparing organic to conventional farming systems. Rodale’s trial – America’s longest-running organic vs conventional farming study – shows:

  • Organic yields match conventional yields
  • Organic outperforms conventional in times of drought
  • Organic farming uses 45% less energy and is more efficient
  • Conventional farming produces 40% more greenhouse gases.

For more information, visit the Rodale Institute website. 


Posted in Environment, Farming, Sustainable farming | Leave a comment

Faiths unite over ‘tomato source’

Posted on March 30, 2012 by
240 Free-range chicks cca hunter-desportes

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The rights of tomato pickers in Florida are being championed by Interfaith Action of Southwest Florida (IA). IA is a network of people of faith and religious institutions that works with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) to improve sub-poverty … Continue reading →

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Organic lifeline to India’s rural poor

Posted on March 16, 2012 by
Farm-fresh: Baskets of delicious, healthy vegetables. Picture: Wonderlane

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‘Organic farming, when practiced properly, reduces the input costs for fertilisers, pesticides and seeds, dramatically improves farmer health and enhances the fertility and resilience of their land. Of course, it also gives you tastier, safer and more nutritious produce.’ This is … Continue reading →

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Fast For Life prayer

Posted on March 9, 2012 by
Praying hands. Picture: Wonderlane

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A Fast For Life prayer hoping to help shape the consciences of those who govern the  nations of the world – and those in charge of food production – has been written by the Bishop of Nuevo Laredo, in Mexico. … Continue reading →

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Feeding the 40,000

Posted on March 9, 2012 by
Hungry for change: Children in the Estero de San Miguel slum in the Phillipines. Picture:bbcworldservice

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A Lenten campaign to feed 40,000 children has been launched in the Phillipines by Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, who is appealing  for donations to raise £530,000 ($937,000). One laundrywoman has pledged to give at least 50 pesos (74p) a week … Continue reading →

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Feeding the world – the organic way

Posted on March 9, 2012 by
Grains of truth: Cereal crops could feed another 3.5 billion people globally if they were not fed to animals.

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Organic farming could help lift small-scale farmers in the Global South out of poverty – and help feed the world’s two billion hungry and malnourished people. That was one of the messages delivered at the Soil Association’s annual conference in … Continue reading →

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