1. Is gardening really more sustainable?
Dylan Bushe

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

3. 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
06.pdf

4. 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)
2009/07/putting-the- carbon-footprint-of- farming-in-perspective/
As an industry, shortcuts are taken

5. 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)
n.org/msg09220.html
Sense of responsibility, ownership, and beauty for all the hard work

6. 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
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)

7. 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
07/putting-the-carbon- footprint-of-farming-in- perspective/

8. 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
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9. References *http://www.growveg.com/growblogpost.aspx?id=169 * * *