Green thoughts on garden plots

Brown University’s Center for Environmental Studies not only hosts a community garden for staff, students, and neighbors, but it also supports scholarship on gardening. Two Environmental Studies grad students are studying the impact of local food gardening. They are defending their masters theses next week, and the public is invited to attend.

Monday, April 13th at noon
Marie-Laure Couët on “Strengthening Providence with Community Gardens”

Tuesday, April 14 at 10am
Nora Buckman on “The Grass isn’t Greener: Exploring the Motivations and Barriers to Home Gardening in Rhode Island”

Both presentations take place at the Urban Environmental Lab, 135 Angell Street.  Visit the garden if you stop by.

Green Zones Event…and Urban Ag Spring Start?

Check out the updated page for Green Zones: From the War Garden to Your Garden, a presentation on Victory Gardens, the Women’s Land Army of America, and how/why gardeners are growing their own food today. The event takes place on Tues., May 5, starting at 5:30pm at Firehouse 13, 41 Central St. in Providence.

A plan is stirring to hold an Urban Agriculture Spring Start Party afterwards. This will include seed/plant swapping, exchanging ideas, food, music, and kicking off the garden season together.

Community gardeners, backyard gardeners, local foodies, green folks, farmers, teachers, kids. . .can you help out with this emerging event?  Contact me at szurier at wesleyan dot edu or leave a comment, and I’ll be in touch.

Apeiron, Abraham. Abraham, Apeiron.

Fickle Providence! Sometimes one must choose between gardens and history. I’m headed to the latter, but I’d love to hear from you about the former. Both events will take place Thursday, Feb. 26.

For the gardeners and foodies:
From 5:30-8pm, the Apeiron Institute for Sustainable Living is holding an Evolution Forum on Sustainable & Local Food: “We can have a big impact on the size of our ecological footprint with the food we eat, or don’t eat and by choosing where it comes from.” Panelists hail from RI-DEM/Agriculture; Farm Fresh Rhode Island; RI General Assembly; Ledge Ends Produce; and Southside Community Land Trust.

17 Gordon Avenue, Suite 207 Providence. $10 for non-members. 
More info: 401-228-7930 info@apeiron.org

For the history buffs and Abrahamaniacs:
Starting at 7pm, RI Historical Society is holding a special event to open an exhibit on Rhode Island in the Time of Lincoln: “Though Lincoln made only two stops in RI, they were widely attended and remembered. But what did the RI that Lincoln visited look like?” Explore the exhibit, and listen to presentations about the people, places, and attitudes of the times.

110 Benevolent St., Providence
More info: 401-331-8575 x45 dgoulart@rihs.org

Get to know Elizabeth Henderson

Elizabeth Henderson is speaking in Providence this week!

OK. I didn’t know who she was until just now. Here’s some lowdown:

Elizabeth Henderson is a farmer, advocate, and author. Her Peacework Organic Farm is located in Wayne County, NY. She is active in issues related to organic food, land protection, and agricultural justice. And her publications include The Real Dirt: Farmers Tell about Organic and Low-Input Practices in the Northeast, Sharing the Harvest: A Guide to Community Supported Agriculture, and more.

She’s a hero to a lot of people. Check her out on Friday, Jan. 16, at 7 p.m. at Brown University; Smith-Buonanno Hall 106, 95 Cushing St.
For information, call (401) 884-5118. North East Organic Farming Association/RI members are admitted free, nonmembers, $5.