Is gardening really more sustainable? Dylan Bushe

Sustainability: the capacity to endure Sustainability of Humanity and the Household Sustainability of the Environment

What do we have now? We transport our food from our own farms when foods are in 'season' We get imports during off seasons We do have a net of exports Agriculture is considered an industry http://css.snre.umich.edu/css_doc/CSS01- 06.pdf

Is this sustainable? For Americans.... Yes....kinda Relatively fresh produce year round No malnutrition (less then 1%) Pesticides, however, can cause cancer, birth defects, learning disabilities, etc. For the environment, no Carbon Footprints aplenty(US agriculture alone makes up 8% of the world's total carbon footprint) http://blog.sustainablog.org/ 2009/07/putting-the- carbon-footprint-of- farming-in-perspective/ As an industry, shortcuts are taken

Gardening Selecting the area and vegetables to grow with Depending on the size: able to sustain a family producing ½ pound of produce per square foot of garden area over the course of the growing season.(Based on a 10 year study by Jim Call, who directed the CASA community garden in Huntsville, Alabama) http://www.mail- archive.com/community_garden@list.communitygarde n.org/msg09220.html Sense of responsibility, ownership, and beauty for all the hard work

Sustainability? For Humans.....Mostly yes It's slightly more expensive for year round gardens Who wants to put pesticides on their own products? A community garden can feed 24 people on ¾ acres of land If you don't have a greenhouse, you can, can the vegetables for winter For the Environment, mostly yes http://www.growveg.com/growblo gpost.aspx?id=169 Water needed, and unless there is a wind turbine or solar panels, greenhouse can leave huge carbon footprint Peat fertilizers hurt the environment more than help However, it is easier for a smaller gardener/garden to make adjustments (buy peat-free fertilizer, can vegetables,buy green fertilizer)

Carbon Footprints Comparison Gardens: From transportation of fertilizers, compost, and other materials used in garden If no wind-turbine/solar panel, huge carbon footprint from greenhouses Buying fertilizer with peat stops the Earth from absorbing CO2 levels Farming/agriculture: Fuel for tractors Fuel for sprayers Fuel for no-till planters Methane emissions from manure/animals on farm Fuel for trucks to carry produce Embedded carbon in seed treatment chemicals http://blog.sustainablog.org/2009/ 07/putting-the-carbon- footprint-of-farming-in- perspective/

Survey Says? Our current agricultural system produces massive quantities of carbon footprints Pesticides can cause major harm to humans A garden of about a 1,200 square feet, or close to .03 acres has reportedly fed a family of 4 through the whole year Yes, gardening really is more sustainable http://forums.organicgardening.com/eve/forums /a/tpc/f/2241078301/m/8601028366

References *http://www.growveg.com/growblogpost.aspx?id=169 http://www.care2.com/greenliving/five-benefits-of-gardening.html http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_the_United_States http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/985140-overview#a0199 http://www.noble.org/press_release/ag/nv/gardeningbenefits/index.htm *http://www.growveg.com/growblogpost.aspx?id=169 http://css.snre.umich.edu/css_doc/CSS01-06.pdf *http://www.verdant.net/food.htm *http://www.mail-archive.com/community_garden@list.communitygarden.org/msg09220.html http://localfoods.about.com/od/searchbyregion/a/NE_Seasons.htm http://localfoods.about.com/od/whatsinseason/a/WinterFruitVeg.htm *http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/vegetable/family-vegetable-garden-size.htm