We are delighted and honored that Revathi, a sustainable agriculture advocate and educator from India will be visiting our area this week.

Originally a teacher, Revathi left her job after learning of the ruinous effects of pesticides and industrial farming methods, particularly on poor farmers, and started to work fulltime promoting organic farming. Her "moment of truth" came during the devastating tsunami of 2004-05 when saline water invaded and ruined coastal farmlands. Through the use of indigenous seed varieties and organic farming techniques, Revathi reclaimed 3000 acres of ruined farmland within three months, attracting the attention of local officials, the Indian President, former President Bill Clinton, and governments from Sri Lanka to Indonesia. She has worked since to improve and expand these techniques, and low-cost, organic farming generally.

You have two opportunities to see Revathi:

On Sunday, May 9, from 3-5pm come hear "International Challenges of Organic Agriculture" at the University of Maryland campus in College Park, 1204 Toll Room in the Department of Physics. Click here for campus map. This panel discussion features Revathi along with Prof. James Hansen an Extension Economist for the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at University of Maryland, Dr. Uma Shankari an organic farmer, water management researcher and food activist from the Andhra Pradesh area of India, and yours truly, Gordon Clark of Montgomery Victory Gardens.

Following the panel discussion, from 5-6pm, Revathi will do her own presentation, "Tsunami Land Reclamation Experiences."

For information or questions, contact Arun Gopalan - garun1279@gmail.com, 240-421-5510

Revathi will then repeat her presentation on "Tsunami Land Reclamation Experiences" on Monday, May 10 at the Takoma Park Silver Spring Co-op in Takoma Park. The program will begin at 7pm.

Both programs are free but seating is limited. Come join us to hear from this amazing individual and groundbreaking organic agrarian!



Fighting the Battle of the Bugs

The warm spring weather is really starting to hit us now, and that is sure to mean two things - rapid plant growth, and lots of bugs.

Experienced farmers and gardeners acknowledge that you will always lose part of your crop to thieves, whether they come on two legs, four, six or more, or on a pair of wings. (At right is the dreaded cucumber beetle, spreader of bacterial wilt to cucumbers and squash!) But there are many natural and organic steps you can take to hold them at bay and make sure you get the lion's share of the harvest.

To figure out what might be troubling your plants, one of the best diagnostic sites online is at the Home and Garden Information Center of the University of Maryland's Extension program.

Just click here for their Plant Diagnostic Site, and then click on one of the "vegetable" links in the left hand column for excellent pictures (so helpful!), descriptions, and ideas of what you can do to help fight off the little buggers. And good luck!

(p.s. - One of the most recommended tools for this process, beside a vigilant set of eyes, is a good magnifying glass. Plant problems and the pests that cause them can be very small, and the sooner you catch them the sooner you can arrest them!)



MC Farms, Community Gardens and MVG in the News!

As you know from past MVG updates, there are an increasing number of public presentations and forums on the subject of building our local, sustainable food supply. MVG has been involved in many of them, and I'm delighted to say that the media is paying more and more attention.

In fact, Montgomery County's Gazette newspapers have printed two separate articles this week on building a local food shed, both of which highlight the work of Montgomery Victory Gardens.

To read "Community Gardens Blossom," which mentions MVG's Congregational Community Garden Network, click here.

To read "Farming Moves Out of the Past and Into the Future," which discusses the use of our Agricultural Reserve, click here.



"The New American Food Revolution" - Sunday, May 9

How can local, sustainable food bridge the gap as industrial agriculture declines? And how can we to eat and celebrate locally grown food, and support the people who grow it?

Please join the Simplicity Matters Earth Institute for their forum on "The New American Food Revolution," presented by - well, by me, Gordon Clark of Montgomery Victory Gardens! This special forum will be held at the home of Simplicity Matters Coordinator (and Master Composter!) Marney Bruce, 4541 Windsor Lane in Bethesda, from 6:30 - 8:30pm on Sunday, May 9.

The event is free, and you are welcome to join the pre-event pot luck dinner from 5:30 - 6:30pm as well. For more information, call Marney at 301 652-0492.



Why You've Never Seen an Ad for Broccoli

We know that a grossly unhealthy product can be successfully marketed to the masses on strength of novelty alone witness the new "Double Down" chicken, bacon and I don't know what else monstrosity. But this made Matthew Yglesias of Tree Hugger wonder the converse - why is marketing for healthy foods like fruit and produce nearly nonexistent? How come you've never seen an ad on TV for broccoli?

The answers range from market control and scale (individual vegetable farmers can't compete against Frito Lay or McDonald's) to fundamentals such as profit margins (much tighter for organic, whole food), price, and the mechanism which controls so much of that price, government subsidies. There is a reason, I often note, that cheeseburgers cost less than broccoli.

The beginning of a fascinating and much needed discussion, click here to read "Why You've Never Seen and Ad for Broccoli." And thanks to MVGer Charlotte for passing this on!



Farm-To-School Press Conference - Wednesday, May 12

They may call it a "mock" press conference, but it looks pretty real to me: on Wednesday, May 12, the GreenKids program of the Audubon Naturalist Society is hosting a "Farm to School" Press Conference in Rockville to explore access to local foods for our schools.

Signed into law in 2008, Maryland's Farm-to-School Program connects students with information about where their food comes from, promotes healthy eating, strengthens family farms, and decreases the environmental impacts of transporting foods long distances. But how well is it working here in Montgomery County?

The press conference features Maryland State Senator Jamie Raskin along with a host of other excellent speakers, including University of Maryland Extension Economist Jim Hanson, MCPS Food Services Supervisor Elizabeth Harrell, Montgomery Parks Community Garden Program Coordinator Ursula Sabia Sukinik, well-known parent food activist Carrie Witkop, and yes, yours truly representing Montgomery Victory Gardens.

The conference will take place at College Gardens Elementary School, 1700 Yale Place in Rockville, MD 20850, from 9:30 - 11:30am on Wednesday, May 12. While the main audience will be the school's fifth graders, the public is welcome and encouraged to attend.

For more information, contact ANS Greenkids Program Coordinator Ruth Polk at 301-270-0012, or at ruth.polk@verizon.net



Nature's Path $50,000 "Garden for Good" Contest

It seems like every week there is another garden contest springing up, and here is the latest: the Nature's Path "Garden for Good' Contest.

Nature's Path does more than produce and sell organic breakfast foods. They aspire to advance the cause of people and planet, along the path to sustainability. And right now, they are putting their money where their mouth - er, heart - is with this new contest.

Nature's Path is giving $50,000 in cash, garden design, technical assistance, and fund raising support to two deserving communities - that's $25,000 per garden! Applicants need only be a United States based 501(c)3 community organization (including but not limited to a food bank, soup kitchen, summer feeding, children's program or shelter) serving a community in need, with access to space for a garden and a willingness to get their hands dirty.

To enter the contest - and to vote for the winner - click here for more information on the $50,000 "Garden for Good" Contest!

 

That's it for this week, everybody! Please help support Montgomery Victory Garden's work - click here to make a 100% tax-deductible contribution online!

And don't forget to send us your ideas for stories or local food events we can promote - just email us at info@montgomeryvictorygardens.org.