Sustainable Students

The Role of Community in Sustainability

2010-10-02T16:41:00.000-04:00

In trying to create a community of students with the common goal of incorporating sustainable lifestyle habits into college living is a learning process. Faced with daunting obstacles like student's schedules and modest to non-existent incomes, completing even small projects is often a semester long task. Of course, I think the goal is worthwhile and plays an important role in the community at large, but, some days I just feel like nothing is getting done.

Due to the nature of my self, I tend to compensate for that feeling by taking on more projects myself. However, today I was reminded of an invaluable lesson: You can't do everything alone.

I attended Alchemical Nursery's film screening: Vision's of Utopia at the Wescott Bulb Festival. After the movie we had a panel discussion featuring a number of representatives from local community living establishments that included AntHill in Rochester, the Bread and Roses House in Syracuse, Common Place Land Trust, and the New Environment Association in Syracuse. It reminded me that other people are in a similar boat, facing similar problems, and creating really cool solutions. It is important take the time to get together and discuss. Its important to be aware of the resources already available in the community and the infrastructure in place.

I think community plays an important role in furthering the movement towards a more sustainable lifestyle and we're lucky to have many local communities already so active. I hope this year we prioritize involvement with the existing community to richen our smaller student community. - Elizabeth

And a nice flower picture, the Epiphyllum oxypetalum which recently bloomed in the ESF greenhouses.

What an excting year ahead!

2010-09-20T22:01:00.000-04:00

Allow me an organizational post to inform anyone who did not come to our meeting.

This fall is full speed ahead with cold frame creation. Later this week the second garden bed will be filled with compost and planted with spinach and beets and other winter veggies. October 3rd we are planning on spending the day foraging for materials for coldframes, raised beds, and stone herb spirals. We'll be looking to gather lumber, stones, glass, plastic, and insulating material for these projects...so check your basements and attics!

Some neat fungus growing in our yard

The rest of the yard will be converted to barley and wheat fields this fall, and perhaps include hops soon after. What is more eco-friendly than home brewed beer??

Gail has spearheaded a project in the Morningside Community Gardens growing flax for research into sustainable linoleum products. This weekend we'll be putting a fence around the fields to deter deer browsing. We can expect to harvest the flax sometime around October 15th.

Early in Novemer we will be putting on a Household Compost Tumbler Workshop where we will build small compost tumblers to take home and put in your apartment, so you won't want to miss that!

At the start of next semester we will do the unthinkable and write a constitution to qualify for funds from ESF. Woo-hoo! If you come help, I promise to bake gingerbread cookies. We'd also like to write a grant to get funding for building an unheated greenhouse on our property! Just imagine the possibilities!

Wildflowers blooming in the backyard

I'm excited for this year, and I hope you are too. If you haven't come by yet, please come by soon...and if you would like to be included on our e-mail update list please send me your contact information at eamurp02 AT syr DOT edu.

Elizabeth

Excited to be back in 'the city'?

2010-09-05T21:55:00.001-04:00

Sungold

I know our garden is, because it's finally getting love and attention again. I even watered it today. The garden is feeling so spoiled all of our tomatoes are ripening at once! I planted my two favorites, Sungold, a hybrid cherry which is the sweetest tomato ever to be, and brandywine, a heirloom which is the epitome of tomato. So far from the garden we've had the aforementioned tomatoes, green beans (slightly overripe) and cantaloupe (slightly underripe). Garden cantaloupe are one of those fruits that are so incredibly delicious fresh from the garden compared to the grocery store. The vine is still blooming, so maybe if the frost holds off we can get another two or three to ripen.

Cantaloupe blooms

As the summer garden gives its final harvest, seeds for the fall garden were sown this morning. Its the fall garden in Syracuse that I love most. Whenever the sun hasn't been out for days, and another 2" of snow fell last night, I can sneak out into the yard in the morning, brush the snow of the glass and see little green plants growing seemingly contentedly, albeit slowly. They are my constant reminder of springtime and sunshine. They are also very delicious.

New plants for this year's winter garden include scallions, napoli carrots, broccoli and parsley. All of my new plants are varietys successfully grown for many years by Eliot Coleman in his unheated greenhouses in Maine. Like last year I'm also planting a cold hardy lettuce mix from Johnny's (all seeds are from Johnny's), spinach (which I still have to get, actually), and radish.

Think roasted potatoes....

As non-garden news, I hope you'll save the date! September 19th at 5:00 pm you're cordially invited to come eat dinner, discuss goals, fund raising, cold frames, native gardens, flax and bamboo, and play music at our humble abode (821 Comstock Ave). See the phlox in the native garden, the cosmo's and the veggies in the back... it'll be grand and we'll have at least one dish from the garden!

Cosmos in the back

Summer Flax Project

2010-08-25T14:54:00.000-04:00

Hi All,
A small group has been working hard this summer to cultivate 2 flax fields in the Morningside Community Gardens! One plot is brown flax and the other is golden flax. The flax will hopefully be harvested early this fall. Flax is useful for its oils and fibers. The oil can be used in a variety of foods, lotions, and soaps. The fibers can be used for multiple grades of fabric.

Summer Perennials & Back To School

2010-08-24T22:07:00.001-04:00

Miniature Iris

         Try as I might, every year I come to the same conclusion: the flowers on summer perennials just don't do it for me. All of my favorite flowers - hellebore, peonies, iris, wisteria, tulips and poppies- bloom before school gets out. Come September I'm tired of the usual garden flowers. Echinacea, rudbeckia, and phlox have been dominating gardens for a month. I succumb that they are, respectfully, the drought resistant carriers of the garden. Until this week we've not recieved much rain, and I've done very little watering (conserving resources....)

        The giant sunflowers of late August are eye-catchers and so are always welcome company walking down the street. But once a plant dies in your garden for two consecutive years there exists an unwelcome jealousy of neighbors with a small army of sunflowers standing watch in their yards.

        My favorite plants of August, the dahlia's never fail to make my heart skip a beat. But their fussy behavior (dig me up and take me inside every winter) and high investment costs prevent me from growing them. Hence, I go visit gardens to see them, and remind myself that although my favorite flowers bloom in the spring, summer foliage fills the garden so well and wins me over in the end... I love a garden in August.

Perennial garden at Frelinghuysen Arboretum, NJ

This weekend is back to Syracuse for many of us who've been away and the return of friends for those who stayed the summer. Which means we'll probably have a barbeque/work day/meeting/party sooner rather than later. So stay in touch & see you all soon!

Elizabeth

'Gardeners' Gone Bad

2010-08-10T16:55:00.000-04:00

I use the terms gardeners loosely. As we have some folks who come and mow our lawns, but never do any actual landscaping.

That is, until last night. When I came home and they had decided for some bizarre reason to mow, I assume, as they have no other landscaping equiptment, the small garden along the edge of the above ground pool.

Why? I have no idea. The area looks less weedy than many other areas of the yard that they ignore week after week. As a matter of fact, MY VERY FIRST SUNFLOWER had just burst into bloom two days ago.What did they do after they destroyed all of my sunflowers and cosmo's? They left them laying in the grass to remind me of the devastation every time I look outside the window.

Its one of those weeks when forces beyond my control have quelled my desire to be in the garden. The birds will be sad too as I had save the sunflowers & cosmo seeds for birdseed.

Lovely Liverworts

2010-08-03T22:29:00.000-04:00

I stumbled across a thriving population of complex thalliod liverworts on a friend's brick patio this weekend that I had to share.

Liverworts are a Bryophyte in the phylum Heptophyta. This population seemed to be spreading clonally, more specifically by gemmae. Gemmae are bundles of cells that reside in small gemma cups on the liverwort's body that are dispersed via rain droplets and produce clones of the parent plant.

Distinctly featured here, and the factor leading me to believe my population was genetically identical, was that all the plants in the area possessed archegoniophores, those palm tree like structures protruding from the leafy plant body. Archegoniophores are female reproductive structures, and without a male antheridiophore in sight I'm afraid these liverworts have very little hope of being fertilized.

I think these relatives of the mosses are pretty neat, and I like that they flaunt their sex all over the place. They are putting on a lovely show if you'll only get down and notice!

PS- apologies for the picture quality. All are taken with my cell phone as my camera broke while traveling. One will have to wait until I am steadily employed, my birthday, or someone else wants to be my photographer for improved pictures. I hope you bear with me!

Enjoy the end of summer,

Elizabeth

Transplanting Pinguicula 'Aphrodite'

2010-07-26T20:01:00.001-04:00

I acquired a Pinguicula 'Aphrodite' from Sarracenia Northwest last November and, after it flowered about six weeks ago, I decided to transplant the two offsets into their own container. As a college student, there is little funding available for proper pots, so housemates are recruited to save all plastic tubs that have potential to hold plants in their future. An Italian ice cup was boiled for a couple minutes to sterilize it before it becomes a home to my butterwort.

In order to be plant-ready the cup needed several holes poked through the bottom to ensure good drainage. Then it was filled with pre-packed soilless butterwort media that was wet BEFORE the transplants were planted. It is important to pre-wet the media both to ensure drainage in the cup and to ensure the media itself is fully saturated as soilless media are often hydrophobic initially and sometimes need encouragement to properly moisten.

Gentle squeezing separated the baby butterworts from the parent plant. The parent plant was left in its initial pot and given some extra potting soil. The offsets were very carefully put into their own pot, watered again, and put back in the window to sun!

NOTE: these guys are excellent fly catchers, an easy to grow, wonderful carnivorous addition to any college household!

Welcome to the Native Plant Garden!

2010-05-19T19:54:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Kerri for acquiring a $300 donation from ASLA to purchase these native northeast plants in four garden beds at the front of the EcoHouse property!

Hepatica

Wild Ginger

Bloodroot

Red Trillium

Prairie Trillium

Prairie Trillium after being trampled by our large, neighborhood bunny rabbit

Foam Flower

Maidenhair fern

Variegated Red Twig Dogwood

A couple more plants are hanging around in the gardens not pictured, perhaps because their not blooming or because I couldn't capture an appropriate picture, but I assure you, they will make it up here, and if someone wants to e-mail me a list I will post the names of all the plants we included!

-elizabeth

Sustainable Contests

2010-05-18T11:07:00.000-04:00

The Eco-House is growing and evolving into a beautiful example of sustainable living! I came across a sustainable construction contest that made me think of the Eco-House. It's a great way to get some recognition and inspiration. Check out the website at 2010 Green Home Challenge.

And the sponsoring organizations are cool too! Check out Cali Bamboo and Surfrider Foundation.

Oh, Hey Spring!

2010-05-16T12:18:00.001-04:00

I know its been a while, but we're still here and lots has been happening (as seems to be the case with every spring).

In the veggie garden the spinach that over wintered has been producing for nearly two months and has just begun to bolt. As spinach is not my favorite leafy green, I'm okay with it. The red and green romaines are still doing well, and I've planted more seeds today of my favorite, and VERY easy to grow black seeded Simpson, a leaf lettuce. We've harvested a bunch of radish and planted a bunch more. Potatoes are in the ground and I direct seeded bush beans that I'm anxiously awaiting. I also direct seeded some carrots, and I know they take two or three weeks to germinate but I always worry they won't sprout. Patience, I know.

Many of the perennials Jenny kindly brought us have been moved from the full sun garden to the partial shade of our pond garden and look lovely.

This spring life caught up to me and I wasn't able to start seeds any where close to the time they should have been started (First week of April). Also, our very small budget prevented us from having a dedicated seedling grow light. The residual light from our aero garden does not suffice for seed starting.

So, although I started cosmo, sunflower, tomato, cucumber, cantelope, dill, parsley, and st. johnswort seeds three weeks or so ago, I don't foresee many of these making it to the garden. Lack of light led to many etiolated seedlings. Cool, damp, etoilated seedlings are likely to come down with root rot, which the tomatoes and cucumber are slowly succumbing to. I'm reasonably upset because Sungold tomatoes, a golden orange super sweet and wildly delicious cherry, are my favorite tomato in the entire world, and I'm not likely to find a plant at the farmers market.

The sunflowers, although super lanky, I planted in the garden only to watch a critter promptly munch them down. The cosmos, also starved for late, were lost to animals, only this time it was my kitten who removed their leaves. I've started another batch of sunflowers which are doing well, and will direct seed cosmos outside and just wait a couple extra weeks for their beautiful blooms. The St. Johnswort, which I'm growing to make infused oils out of, has just begun to germinate, so a bit of hope lingers.

Since the Norway Maples on the south side of our house have leafed out, all of our sunny south side windows are now shady south side windows. While this is superb for keeping our house cool in the summer months, its meant I've had to move the indoor plants to an east facing window that gets morning sun.

Perhaps the most exciting thing to happen while I was gone is the NATIVE PLANT GARDEN that Land|scape club installed in the front of the EcoHouse property! It is so fantastic it deserves a post all of its own, which will come early this week showing off the beautiful plants native to the Northeast. You should stop by and check out the garden!

Cheers, and Happy Graduation to many! - elizabeth

Flowers!

2010-03-30T19:01:00.001-04:00

Living at the EcoHouse is such a treat. Not only do we have the vegetable garden, the 50 or so bulbs planted last season, and the perrenials Jenny brought to the house in the fall, but we have all the flowers planted by the previous owners of the house to discover!

Since the arrival of the spring bulb greens I have been making a point of checking the gardens to see what comes back to life each day. Cutting through the row of Norway Maples yesterday I nearly trampled the hundred speckles of purple and pink that popped up in the yard. I had just read a post on pansies or violas and could not have been any more excited to discover we have many so many beautiful viola! Quiet and quaint, these little beauties are no bigger than your thumb nail and offer a splendid contrast to the goudy bulbs that are just starting to come out.

In the vegatable garden the spinach that overwintered in the cold frame has been producing for two good weeks now. Radish seedling have sprouted and are just starting to grow their first set of true leaves. They germinated quite slowly for radish, I suspect the chilly nights here are a factor. Red Romaine lettuce seeds from fall's sowing have germinated and growing merrily, and a couple romaines made it through the winter and have begun growing again. Twelve little lettuce seedlings were transplanted out to the frame after being sprouted inside and suffered a couple cuasilites, and I'm hoping this weekend's predicted warm weather perks them up.

6-credit Summer Practicum: Sustainable Farming and Local Food Systems

2010-03-29T11:22:00.001-04:00

This class is in Ithaca this summer but sounds absolutely fabulous. I hope someone can take it and share with us!

Contact: Joanna Green, Director, Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming,
607-379-9270, joannajgreen@gmail.com

Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming teams up with TC3 to offer a -Summer Practicum in Sustainable Farming and Local Food Systems-

Innovative partnership aims to educate the next generation of farmers and consumers

Ithaca, NY- In cooperation with the Environmental Studies Program at Tompkins Cortland Community College, the Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming will offer an eight-week Summer Practicum in Sustainable Farming and Local Food Systems from June 2-July 27, 2010.

This unique, hands-on course is geared for students, community members and professionals interested in learning more about sustainable agriculture, local food systems, and small-scale farming. Classes will meet on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9am to 4PM. Students who enroll through TC3 will receive 6 college credits. A non-credit option is also offered directly through the Groundswell Center.

"This partnership is exciting because it will allow our students to join the Groundswell movement and interact with the broader community while earning credit toward an A.S. degree,? says Dr. Kelly Wessell, Chair of Environmental Studies at TC3. "The course will appeal widely to students from many disciplines, aspiring farmers, as well as anyone interested in food and food systems." Wessell hopes the class will attract a diverse group of students, including high school students, Cornell and IC students, local community members, and even out-of-state students looking for a unique, hands-on learning opportunity

Our students are not going to be sitting in a classroom all day,? says Joanna Green, Director of the Groundswell Center and lead instructor for the course. ?A lot of the learning will take place on working farms and food businesses in the area.? Students will spend most Mondays at West Haven Farm, a thriving organic vegetable and fruit farm located at EcoVillage in the Town of Ithaca. To round out their on-farm experience, they will also spend a full day at each of two innovative livestock farms, Northland Sheep Dairy in Marathon and Kingbird Farm in Berkshire.

Wednesday classes, held in one of the spacious Common Houses at EcoVillage, feature an impressive roster of guest speakers from Cornell, Ithaca College, TC3, Cooperative Extension, USDA and other organizations. On Fridays, students will set out on field visits to a variety of area food markets, organizations, and programs that support the growing local food system.

TC3 tuition for the 6-credit course (ENVS 149) is $810 for NYS residents and $1680 for nonresidents, plus a lab fee of $250. Enrollment through the Groundswell Center, which does not provide academic credit, is $800. For more information, visit www.groundswellcenter.org and click on Programs. Or send an email info@groundswellcenter.org .

The Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming is a project of the EcoVillage Center for Sustainability Education-Center for Transformative Action. Groundswell provides on-farm training and education programs for beginning farmers, students, and community members. For more information on the Groundswell Center for Local Food and Farming, please visit www.groundswellcenter.org .

______________________________________________________________________
CALENDAR LISTING
Event:                 Summer Practicum in Sustainable Farming and Local Food Systems
Sponsors:                    TC3 and Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming
Dates:                                             June 2-July 27, 2010
Time:                                          M W F 9:00AM- 4:00PM
Location:                     West Haven Farm at EcoVillage, Ithaca, NY

Whats Going On!

2010-03-23T19:17:00.001-04:00

Don't let April Showers get you down! Take a break from school work (I know I need one...) and get outside and garden. Enjoy the spring bulbs creeping out of lawns everywhere. Take a walk and notice the crocus, snowdrops, and violets quietly bringing color back into the gardens. Maybe pick up a peice of trash or two...I've noticed the snow melting has left quite a few paper cups and plastic bags laying around. Or, for even more fun, come to an event!

April 10: Help Plant A Rain Garden!
       On the Corner of Crouse & Waverly SU is installing a rain garden and is asking for volunteer help between 10am-3pm.

April 11: Work Day at the EcoHouse!
      Enjoy the spring weather helping prepare the front of the house for a native plant garden, clean out the perenial beds in the back of the house to prepare for the spring perrenials, and, if all goes as planned, build a two bin tumbling composter! We may also put together another raised bed frame if there is time. Come after lunch, leave after we have dinner....Bring gloves, snacks, drinks, music, shovels, rakes, flowers, smiles, or just yourself!

April 17: Earth Day Clean up Downtown!
     Spend sometime helping to make downtown beautiful, the city provides breakfast, t-shirts, gloves and garbage bags. Contact cmcfadden@downtownsyracuse.com for more information.

April 25: EcoHouse Work Day!
    Come over and help us install plants in our native plant garden designed by the fabulous LAND|scape club at ESF. Food and music will accompany the event.

I hope to see you outside soon,

Elizabeth

Before you go

2010-03-11T18:55:00.002-05:00

Syracuse has had such a lovely spell of weather. The last four days have had high temps at or above 50F. Perfect gardening weather. Of course, there is still a bit of snow on the ground but its no bother. Clean up in the cold frame revealed some very happy spinach that has put out a burst of growth in the sunny weather. I've started some Romain and Black Seeded Simpson in side that will go in the cold frame as soon as we return to school. I also popped some radish seeds directly outside. We'll see if they decide to grow.

While cleaning up the perimeter of the yard I noticed the heads of bulbs peaking through the leaves. I have to say, the only thing more exciting than seeings your own bulbs blooming is anxiously awaiting the blooms of unknown bulbs. Whenever I move to a new house I am always torn. How much do I plant? I know I am going to be moving again shortly. Is it worthwhile to plant something that I will only see for a season, maybe two? Now that I get to inherit garden plants I know how much fun it is to discover plants left behind. I expect to find daffodil and crocus bulbs in the beds but there are quite a few bulbs that are new to me. Do you know what they are?

Hope that everyone has the chance to enjoy this much needed break! When we return we'll plant some peas, clean up the yard, and get going on LAND|scape club's native plant garden!

Until then,

Elizabeth

Meeting Recap - March 7th

2010-03-09T00:37:00.000-05:00

Hey Eco-House,

There were a few people who weren't able to make it to the meeting yesterday, so I thought I could send out a recap of what we talked about and our goals for the next few months.

Native Plants Garden

-We have received a $300 contribution from the American Society of Landscape Architects for the purchase of materials and construction of the Native Plants Garden

-Brad is typing up a general letter asking for plant and material donations from local nurseries. He send out a rough draft of this for review.

-Mike, Steve, and Kerri will measure the dimensions of the garden site and create a base map.

Fundraising

-We are planning a recycled crafts sale for Earth Week

-Tin candle holders, Aluminum can earrings, etc...

2010 Upstate NY Permaculture Gathering

-Saturday, March 13th 10:00am-5:00pm

-Contact: Elysa Sigielski at emsmigie@syr.edu

Calendar

-March 13th: Permaculture Gathering

-April 11th: Eco-House work day

-April 18th: Recycled Crafts Party!!

-April 25th: Native Plants Garden planting/ construction

*Join the new facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=352563258323

Happy Sustainable living!!

Kerri

Meeting Recap

2010-02-23T23:14:00.001-05:00

This past Sunday's meeting focused on our semester plans.

Karie and the LANDscape club are working on a proposal to submit for a New York Native Plants garden for the front of the EcoHouse property. The garden would function as a showcase of native plants, an educational tool, and an opportunity to implement native plant elements into a challenging landscape design. Ideally, this garden will focus on native plants with high wildlife value, medicinal properties, are edible, and/or are locally threatened. A list of desired plants will be coming soon!

The Ecohouse will also be building a low budget, super efficient composting system for the house and community. With access to two 55-gallon drums we will be able to build a rotating compost tumbler that can manage a significant amount of waste rather quickly. The bins will have a few holes to allow for drainage and gas exchange. Creating a system where the bins can be rotated allows for easy mixing that speeds decomposition time. Plus, the enclosed plastic bins will prevent field mice and raccoons from dragging kitchen scraps around the yard. Also planned is a personal size composter made of a kitty litter container on a smaller but very similar rotating set up! The tumbleweed composter is of similar design plan to our future cmoposters but is available for purchase.

Next meeting, March 7, we will discuss materials and measurements for the composter and make a materials list, probably chat a bit more about the native plants garden, and reveal the plans for this seasons vegetable garden.

While you're waiting you can prepare yourself for spring by checking out the beautiful indoor flower arrangements and decorations at We Like It Wild.

Until then, be well,

Elizabeth

March Madness!

2010-02-10T10:50:00.000-05:00

Gardening madness, of course.

March tends to be quite the month for gardening events and seminars. Its also a good time to begin starting indoor seedlings while anxiously awaiting mild enough weather to plant peas, radishes and leafy veggies outside.

There are LOTS of events in the area next month relating to gardening, permaculture, and small farming...so if you happen to find yoruself with some free weekend time check these out!

This Saturday, February 13, from 10:00am-1:00 pm, Syracuse Grows is presenting Gardening in Syracuse on the first floor of the Bob Cecile Community Center. It is free to the public and is offering three fantastic workshops.

The 3rd annual NYS Small Farms Summit will be held in Ithaca on March 3rd from 9:30-3:00 pm. It is free and open to all!

Alchemical Nursery will be hosting the 2010 Upstate NY Permaculture Gathering on Saturday, March 13 from 9:30am - 5:00 pm at The Gear Factory, 200 S Geddes Street, Syracuse. For more information see their MeetUp site.

And, the event I am most excited for is CNY Blooms, the Syracuse garden show! The weekend of March 3-7 at the OnCenter. Tickets are $10. I haven't found an updated speaker schedule, but based on last years presentations I expect this year's event will be just as worthwhile.

I know I'll be at CNY Blooms on Friday, so if you are too be sure to say Hello! And should you attend one of these events, or another fabulous gardening function be sure to share.

Be well,

Elizabeth

Hydrofracking Public Meeting on 2/10

2010-02-06T16:40:00.002-05:00

Over 12,000 citizens and organizations wrote comments on the dSGEIS to NYS DEC. Untallied thousands wrote letters, made phone calls and signed petitions opposing hydro-fracking to NYS DEC, Governor David Paterson and government representatives. There were no formal DEC Public Hearings on the dSGEIS in Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo and Utica. Hundreds of farmers and other land owners have leased their land to gas companies without being informed of the use of horizontal drilling and high-volume hydro-fracking and its severe consequences.

There is a growing grassroots movement across NYS and the nation to ban hydro-fracking. Within this context, citizens are creating a Citizens’ Community Forum on Hydro-Fracking. We have invited a variety of local through federal representatives. Guests/Representatives will open the event with brief comments. Then there will be time for citizens to voice their concerns.

Confirmed Guests are:
Lee Macbeth, Syracuse Watershed Control Coordinator
Ken Lynch, Region 7 DEC Director
Dave Valesky, State Senator
Daniel Young, Regional Representative for Governor Paterson
Mark Dunau, Northeast Organic Farmers Association and Delaware County Farm Bureau
Local landowners who have signed leases

Concerns will go under the following categories:
Environmental
Human Health

Fossil Fuel versus green, sustainable energy
Climate Change
Economic
Rural and agricultural

-Gail

Spring Semester Schedule

2010-02-02T18:47:00.000-05:00

Greetings all!

Though many of you have received this semester's meeting schedule via e-mail, I am also posting it here both as a reminder to members and invitation to any one who is not yet on our e-mail list!

This semester our 'big project' is building an outdoor composting system to handle all of our household, yard, and garbage waste, as well as any of our member's compost contributions. A good system will be able to handle the needed volume, keep out mice, rats, raccoons, and opossums, and resist weathering for as long as possible. This semester's meetings will focus on designing, fund raising, and building the compost bin. Meetings will be Sunday evenings at 5:30 pm at the EcoHouse: 821 Comstock Ave, Syracuse.

February 21: Materials & design discussion

March 7: Fund raising event ideas discussion

Weekend of March 28: Fund raising Event

April 11: Construction (weather permitting)

So, mark your calendars! All are welcome, please join us to share your ideas and experiences!

Other events may arise, such as field trips, lectures, and/or side projects. If you would like to be added to our e-mail list just leave a comment!

Be well,

Elizabeth

When the Growing Gets Cold

2010-01-21T16:24:00.000-05:00

Coming back to the Ecohouse after a brief winter hiatus I was anxious to see how the cold frame was holding up! So anxious, in fact, that while doing snow removal with the broom I shattered a window. Alas, the lettuce and radishes looked like they had quit some time ago but the spinach was chugging along and looked no worse than when I left. Today, the first sunny day in Syracuse in quite some time, I did a real inspection of the garden. It seems that what everything really wanted was a drink. So, now that everything is watered and should be getting a couple days of sun I'm hoping to see some perky plants out in the snow. We'll see.

Just in case the out door garden doesn't make it, we've got a constantly growing collection of plants inside. My favorites are my carnivorous plants that just may be the coolest things I've grown yet. My highland Nepenthes is the show stopper with its gorgeous pitchers but I've got a soft spot for the two Mexican Butterworts whose flowers I'm anxiously awaiting.

Also inside are rosemary and thyme plants, a burgundy ficus, aloe, a Christmas tree, an African violet, chamomile, and an aerogarden that I just planted with parsley, chives, catnip, nira chives, cress, and mitsuba.

I do believe we're having a meeting this Sunday evening, so I will hope to see everyone there!

Be well,
Elizabeth

Hydrofracting in NY?!? Rally in Thornden Park Water Tower 5:30pm 1/19/09

2010-01-17T16:34:00.000-05:00

The first day of classes -- and there is already an opportunity to come together and raise our voices to protect the environment. A rally to urge lawmakers to ban hydrofracting in CNY is being held at 5:30pm at the water tower in Thorden Park. Some of us are meeting at 5pm at the ecohouse to go together. Hope you will join us. In Sunday's Post Standard 1/17 (front page section B) there is an good overview of the issue, which includes where different state representatives and senators stand on the issue. Many are undecided. Many are calling for more information on the impact of natural gas drilling - on one hand the danger to watersheds and on the other hand the effectiveness of protection through regulation. Do you have knowledge to share on the subject? Please comment!

One idea we will discuss at our planning meeting on Sunday, January 24th is whether we want to plan a field trip to Pennsylvania to view a hydrofracting site.

Gail

Food for Thought...

2009-12-14T14:26:00.001-05:00

This weekend we put up insulation on first floor windows. Hopefully that will help keep us warm for the winter without turning up the heat!

Bored over break? No school work to do? Want to make some recycled craft projects? Make Stuff has a bunch of ways to use recycled products. If you make something neat teach the rest of us how to make it next semester ( I know I would love to make some recycled paper...)!

Next semester we'll be looking for folks to take on some products...so, think about it, if you have some time help us out!

We need someone to take on 'tech projects' - think making a list serve, blog design, photography.

We would love someone to head media relations - contacting local businesses for donations & writing articles for local newspapers.

Want to hep us apply for non-profit status or esf-club status? Advice and helping hands would be appreciated.

Practice your grant writing skills! Successfully acquiring grants for the ecoHouse will look great on your resume!

Our garden is thriving: as we add beds we will begin to have an excess of veggies. We could supply student grown food to the school cafe's and maybe even to the local coop and soup kitchens, but we will need a market manager to do that!

If you have something else you'd like to make happen at the ecohouse spring is the time to make it happen....Think about it! Though we can't offer you any money, its a great way to meet people in the community and local businesses. Any project would look nice on a resume too...

Best of luck to all with finals.
Enjoy winter break,
Elizabeth

Second Garden Journey's Segment

2009-12-04T17:30:00.000-05:00

I think the clips turned out fantastic! Check out the second half of Garden Journey's featuring the Ecohouse cold frame:

Garden Journey's: Cold Weather Gardens

Good luck with the end of the semester everyone,

Elizabeth

Garden Journeys!

2009-11-29T23:11:00.001-05:00

Thanks To Terry Ettinger from the ESF Greenhouses for featuring our fabulous cold frame on his News 10 program, Garden Journeys! Its a two part segment, so if you have television you can watch it on tv when it airs on Wednesdays and Sundays!

Garden Journeys: Outdoor Growing in Late Fall

Also, Brad and I would like to build at least one more raised bed structure before we leave for winter break. We'll send out an e-mail with when so you should come!

The EcoHouse made a trip to Cornell's Dilmun Hill Student Farm Season Wrap Up presentations the weekend before break and left with much inspiration. The program is extremely well managed and maintained and students are behind all the growing, research, and design going on which is awesome. Hopefully we will get to visit again during growing season :-) Also, if you haven't, you should take a trip down to Ithaca's farmers market. The beautiful venue on Cayuga lake is worth stopping by even if the market is closed.

Hope everyone had a pleasant break,
Elizabeth

Eco-House Plan

2009-11-05T19:59:00.000-05:00

Meeting Recap

2009-10-27T20:53:00.000-04:00

Hey Everyone,

Here are a few things we discussed at Sunday's meeting for those of you who couldn't make it:

Our Information Meeting will be held on Thursday, November 5th from 5-6 pm in Room 110 of Moon Library. We will be discussing our organization's purpose, achievements, visions, activities, and different ways to be involved.

We plan to continue clean-up and construction days in order to ready the lawn and gardens for next Spring. The dates will be announced later.

Our pending mission statement:
The EcoHouse is a community of individuals committed to a sustainable lifestyle. 821 Comstock is the focal point where the common goal is to reduce impact on the environment. This location is not only a residence but a demonstration area and a community resource.

-Brad

Getting ready for winter

2009-10-21T11:11:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Ryan and Brad for building our cold frame this weekend! We used 1x12x8 pine boards to make the frame and laid some re-purposed windows and fiberglass atop the frames to keep the winter veggies warm. Right now we have three lettuces (red romain, green romain, and black seeded simpson), radish, and spinach (space). Our cold frame will make the garden bed at least a zone or two warmer than the actual temperatures and we should be able to grow cold tolerant veggies, like the leafy salad greens, throughout the winter here. This article by Eliot Coleman is chock full of cold frame info if you'd like to read more.

Also, some bulbs were planted this weekend. Big thanks to the Wescott Bulb Project for many Narcissus which hopefully will bloom by our stairs in the spring! Last weekend Jenny came by and brought us a bounty of plants that she split from her family's collection. These guys are overwintering in one of the garden beds right now before moving to their permanent homes next spring (unless we decided to like some of them where they are).

Last, but not least, a reminder that we have a meeting planned for sunday at 4:00 pm to discuss holding an information session on campus. If you happen to have any returnables you want to bring by the house when you come that would be swell. Hoping to see you all Sunday!

Live well & be well,
Elizabeth

Work & Alchemical Nursery

2009-10-10T13:16:00.000-04:00

Fall is in full swing and the landscape club along with the ecohousers are working hard to get the yard ready for winter! If you are free this Sunday at 2:00 pm please come by the house to lend a hand. If you have a shovel, rake, trowel or handy garden tool you might want to bring that by. I think there are weeds to pull and plants and bulbs to plant!

Also, last weekend at the Wescott Center's Bulb Festival I happened to run into some pretty cool folks from an organization called Alchemical Nursery. They're based here in Syracuse and are strong advocates of permaculture, natural building technology and urban homesteading. They have a great website with lots of information and links to check out at http://www.alchemicalnursery.org/. Rumor has it that they are also starting an ecohouse on the westside and I, personally, am very interested in seeing what they do!

Hope your weekends are going well and that I will be seeing at least some of you tomorrow!

Be well & live well,

Elizabeth

Pictures!

2009-10-04T17:36:00.001-04:00

Clean-Up Day, Sunday Oct. 4th 2-5pm

2009-10-01T10:00:00.000-04:00

Hey Everyone,

This Sunday, we will be running a joint clean-up with the Landscaping Club to remove non-native and invasive plant species from the property. Clean-up will start at 2pm, food will be provided, but feel free to bring something to share.

Yard Planning Before Winter!

2009-09-23T22:05:00.000-04:00

Hey Everyone!

We have been meeting with the Landscaping Club to make plans for the lawn. We will be having a joint clean-up day as well as a general work day. The clean-up day will consist of working through all parts of the lawn to gather leaf litter, remove non-native or unwanted plants, and to make the lawn look nicer in general. The work day will most likely consist of constructing more raised garden beds as well as solid compost bins.

We've planted seeds in our first raised garden bed for a fall garden. The first seedlings are just beginning to show!

Brad

Here are a few pictures from a Landscaping Club visit:

BOTTLE DRIVE! Monday Sept. 28th

2009-09-23T18:43:00.000-04:00

http://rulesofawesomeness.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/recycle_cans_bottles_huge.jpg

The Syracuse EcoHouse will be running a bottle drive on September 28th. Members will be walking door to door between noon and 4 pm asking for refundable bottle donations.

The money raised will be used towards gardening supplies, landscaping, food preservation supplies, etc.

Feel free to drop off your refundables at 821 Comstock Ave. on the 28th if your household didn't receive a flyer.

Thanks!

A penny for your thoughts....

2009-09-21T18:28:00.001-04:00

Lots of exciting things are happening this week!

Wednesday evening at 5:00 pm the landscape architecture group will be meeting us to start planning a new layout for our yard. If you'd like to come to the meeting with ideas, please do. If you can't come to the meeting but have ideas, please post them here!

I've recently found out that our group/organization/club doesn't have a mission statement. But we need one!!! Don't be shy, even if its just a sentence or a couple of words that sum up what you think we should be about...

I do believe we are looking to put on our fundraiser this weekend by collecting recycables and cashing them in. I'm hoping Hannah will perhaps post a little more about what she's got going on with that and what we need to do and when?

Looking forward to seeing you guys Weds, and hearing ideas before then!

Live well & be well,

Elizabeth

Having A Purpose

2009-09-21T18:27:00.000-04:00

I think it is important for things we create to have a purpose, a goal, and a meaning. I think it is equally important for everyone involved with said creations to be aware of the purpose. And so, I think it is fitting to begin our blog by giving it a purpose. What will it do for us? What will it do for followers? Why are we maintaining it?

I have some big expectations for our blog. I see it as a meeting ground for discussion, a way to get folks involved, and place people can come to for information.

Our blog can be somewhere where new ideas and interesting thoughts can be shared with everyone. It is interactive - people can respond to suggested ideas and responses can be responded to. Conversations can be started. These ideas can be related to what we're doing at the house or just something you think is worth sharing with the community. They can be something you thought up, or an article or book you recently read. These ideas make great posts and, often times, great discussions.

Our blog should be something people can be involved in. Be it by responding to posts, finding out where we are meeting this week, what our next project is, or who we are going to have speaking next. This will be useful not only in keeping active members up to date, but also peripheral members and people who may be interested but aren't ready to jump in yet. It is also a good place to advertise events and/or sponsors with pictures, logos, etc. It should be viewed as a community builder!

And, lastly, I think its potential as a way for people to get information should be capitalized upon. These posts should answer the question of "How do I become a more sustainable student?" Someone who wants to know how to start a garden bed in their yard should think of coming here to find their answer. Everybody loves to do it yourself projects. Even if we haven't taken on a project here yet, if you know how to do it, share that information! This can be a great resource for students (or anyone) who is interested in making sustainable living a reality.

And now, with purpose, we can start posting to our blog!

Live well & be well,

Elizabeth