Entry #5--Sustainable Farming

The 3 basic elements of sustainable farming are:
-environment protection
-social responsibility
economic viability

"Key ecological principles for land use and management deal with time,

species, place, disturbance, and the landscape. The principles result in

several guidelines that serve as practical rules of thumb for incorporating

ecological principles into making decisions about the land."   http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/acad2000/pdf/landuseb.pdf

I personally just buy what I please at the grocery store.  I do not buy "organic" or "naturally" labeled food because it is very expensive and I really do not find the product that much better than what is normally purchased.  I feel disconnected with the current food system.  I find myself buying a lot of frozen food because it lasts longer.  I live by myself and do not eat at home very often so it becomes a huge waste for me to purchase fresh food.  Most of it gets thrown out because it goes bad and I end up losing money.  I am not sure if I would take advantage of a space on campus to grow my own fruits and vegetables because I know I do not have the time to commit to taking care of them.  I have thought about growing my own little garden at home, however.  I do not have much of a green thumb so many of the things I plant end up dying.  I would probably make more use of fresh foods if they were readily available at my own home.

As for a spot on campus, I believe that they do have their own little garden set up.  I get emails just about every week to volunteer as a back yard farmer.  It is by the welcome center on campus.  I will have to check it out sometime.