Patriot Produce Sustainable Garden
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Transcript of Patriot Produce Sustainable Garden
Patriot ProduceSustainable Garden
Lizzie, Rose, Jacqueline, Stuart, and Andrew
Sustainable Foods
What’s wrong with our food?
AdditivesAntibioticsFood IrradationGenetic EngineeringHormonesPesticides
How is it effecting the environment?
Air pollution Green house gases Climate change
Factory farming Greenhouse gases Animal waste
Water pollution/eutrophication In human treatment Poor work conditions
How it is effecting the environment? Cont.
Biodiversity Diversity in soil microbes
Decomposition and nutrient cycling More species
Better pollinationFood securityLess vulnerable to disease/pests
What does it mean to be “organic”?
BiodiversityEcological balanceSustainabilityNatural plant fertilizationNatural pest managementSoil integrity
sustainabletable.org/issues
Campus Sustainability
at Mason
Mason’s Current Efforts STARS rating – SILVERSTAR
Sustainable Endowments Institute Green Report Card Overall: B- Food & Recycling: B
Dining Services Mile Markers Buys over 10% of its food locally Offers vegetarian & vegan meal options Composting efforts (Southside)
Mason’s Current Efforts Dining Services Mile markers (Cont’d)
50% of beef & poultry purchased is free range 85% of purchased milk is hormone free
GOGA – George Mason’s Organic Garden Assoc. Potomac Heights Garden Greenhouse *NEW* Sprouts
Our PGF Proposal – Patriot Produce
Patriot Produce“This project will involve creating a new organic vegetable garden on
Mason’s Fairfax campus. The garden’s main function will be to provide fresh, organic produce to
Southside and Mason’s other dining facilities.”
Sustainable Garden Efforts by other Universities Yale Sustainable Food Project
Established 2003 “Engages in sustainable practices that
can be continued indefinitely without causing degradation to the biological systems on which they rely.”
Crops are sold locally or donated to hunger relief project.
Sustainable Garden Efforts by other Universities Yale University (cont.)
Sustainable gardening practices: No fertilizers used- soil only enhanced with natural
minerals such as green sand and colloidal rock phosphate.
Direct seed crops Drip tape irrigation Growth of healthy, pest resistant plants to reduce
pests.
Sustainable Garden Efforts by other Universities Santa Clara University
Inspired by Penn State Garden Also established in 2003 Set forth guidelines and features of a
Sustainable Garden
Sustainable Garden Efforts by other Universities Santa Clara University (cont.)
Guidelines and Features for a Sustainable Garden: Designed, managed, and maintained as an
interdependent living system. Using plants and features appropriate to the
natural environment/climate. Minimize inputs/outputs Create a stable living system
Sustainable Garden Efforts by other Universities Santa Clara University (cont.)
Guidelines and Features for a Sustainable Garden: Incorporates a vast diversity of plants Includes edible plants, vegetables, and fruit
trees. Replaces lawns
Patriot Produce Sustainable Garden Project & Purpose
Expansion of GMU’s Organic Garden Partnership with Mason Dining Student Awareness & Involvement
Goals & Objectives Supply Mason Dining with locally grown, organic
produce Get the Mason Community more involved in
local agriculture More awareness of human connection to the
biosphere
Patriot Produce Involved Organizations/Departments
GOGA GMU Office of Sustainability Mason Dining/Sodexo
Mason’s Environmental Impact Lowering our carbon footprint Expand & protect local biodiversity Runoff Issues
Future Goals Official Organic Certification
Cost Issue
Permaculture System Using native plants or those that are well
adapted to your local area
Regular On-Campus Farmer’s Market
Mason Dining Partnership Follow Sodexo’s approved list of products
No raw sprouts – alfalfa, radish, etc.
Continued supply of salad greens to Sprouts
Works Cited "Santa Clara University." - St. Clare Garden. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.scu.edu/stclaregarden/sustainable/>. "Yale Sustainable Food Project | The Farm." Yale Sustainable Food Project | The
Farm. Yale University, n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http://www.yale.edu/sustainablefood/farm.html>.