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The legendary Marshall strawberry
Leah Gauthier
Nance Klehm's parkway
More of Nance Klehm's parkway
And more of Nancy Klehm's parkway
Nance Klehm
Moonglow tomatoes ready for the Peterson
Garden Project Plant Sale
That old devil garlic mustard
Purple love grass ( Eragrostis spectabilis )
Kalm's prairie brome grass ( Bromus kalmii)
RIch Tobiasz
The Tobiasz's herb garden
Cindy Skrukrud
Nancy Williamson with Governor Pat Quinn
Steve Byers (left) talking with Ken Salazar
Lisa Haderline
Kilbourn Park Organic eggplant seedlings
Tom Lupfer
Beth Botts
Dr. Bill Stone of Brightonwoods Orchard
Linda Mallers
The Project Passenger Pigeon team (Joel Greenberg on the right) with Mike
David Mrazek
Mike's backyard Thursday morning
The corner of St. Louis and McLean Thursday morning
Jennifer Brennan's yard
Brookfield Zoo, Thursday morning
Untreated sewage (the brown water) being released into Lake Michigan.
Riverbank flooding in Chicago
Sandra Henry, showing off her gardening skills
Melinda Myers
Interior view of building on AGC's proposed "net-positive" energy campus
Sarah Elizabeth Ippel of the Academy for
Global Citizenship
Tom Shepherd of the Southeast Environmental
Task Force
Christopher Ziemann, Chicago BRT project manager
"Dr." Wally Schmidke
Amy Stewart
Allan Armitage
Allan Armitage's New Online Course
Jim and Jamie Dutcher
Jennifer Walling with Mike, the last time she was
on the show
Erlene Howard, owner of Commercial Composting Services
Cathy McGlynn, coordinator for the Northeast Illinois Invasive Plant Partnership (NIIPP)
Purple loosestrife
Wes King, interim executive director of the
Illinois Stewardship Alliance
Chris Mest, of Tree Care Advisor
Shawn Kingzette of the Davey Tree Expert Company,
which owns The Care of Trees
Bill Kurtis
Jim Slama
Vicki Nowicki
Mel Bartholomew
Jennifer Brennan
Sandstone cliff at Starved Rock State Park,
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Starve Rock State Park,
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Inside the Starved Rock State Park Lodge
Linda Chalker-Scott
Jeff Gillman
Mike in D. C.
Qae-Dah Muhammad
Cassidy Randall
David J. Zaber
David testing water in Angola
Kids in Chiva, the town just outside the Research Station
Women carrying 80-pound bags of potatoes
Jeffrey Hayzlett
Route of the first automobile race in America and
of the 2013 Chicago EV Rally
Tomato seedlings
Carol Niec and Kerrie Rosenthal
of the Seed Keeper Company
The Seed Keeper
Richard Tilley
Denise Browning
The garden of Kathy Cummings in Humboldt Park
Bret Rappaport
A selection of native plants
One of our nicer weeds, white clover, fixes nitrogen
in the soil and was once added to grass seed
for that purpose.
Green on McLean folks at the Mayor's Landscape Awards Program in 2011. The kids may not look too happy, but these two and the other couple dozen kids who worked on the garden passed that little plaque around from home to home all winter. (There's not always a lot to be proud of in our neighborhood.) Now the awards are gone.
2012 Greencorps graduates
GardenKeepers is a new Openlands prgram to teach people to organize and run a successful community garden.
Julie Samuels, Community Garden Organizer for Openlands
Bolivian woman harvesting quinoa
Rob Sulski, in the company of one of the youngest
participants and one of the wildest at a previous Wild Things Conference, a red-tailed hawk!
Photo by Jason Stege
The magnolia warbler, photo courtesy of Marilyn Rhodes
Some of the KAM Isaiah Israel harvest
Church of St. Paul & the Redeemer workers
Church of St. Paul & the Redeemer garden
Church of St. Paul & the Redeemer garden
Australian meteorologist had to add that purple color to indicate temperatures above 122F.
Blake Davis
The garden for which Kathy Cummings was fined.
Goat's beard, one of the native plants growing in Kathy's garden.
Milkweed, (Asclepias syriaca) a great favorite
of Monarch butterflies
Flowback pond of fracking site. (Photo by J. Henry Fair,
industrialscars.com)
Josh Mogerman of the Natural Resources Defense Council
Will the drought cause lake levels to drop so low
that the Chicago River starts flowing back the other way?
May 12, 2013
What is the "Marshall Strawberry" and why should you care?
The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that since the beginning of this century, about 75% of the genetic diversity of agricultural crops worldwide has been lost. According to this FAO article
"Genetic erosion" refers to the loss of genetic diversity between and within populations of the same species. Nearly all of the 158 countries that submitted background reports for FAO's State of the World Report on Plant Genetic Resources identify genetic erosion as a serious problem. In China, for example, nearly 10,000 wheat varieties were cultivated in 1949. By the 1970s, only about 1,000 varieties were in use...In Mexico, genetic erosion of maize is well documented. Only 20% of the maize varieties reported in 1930 are now known in Mexico.
The primary reason for the loss of crop genetic diversity is that commercial, uniform varieties are replacing traditional varieties - especially in the South's centres of diversity. When farmers abandon their community-bred varieties to plant new ones, the old varieties become extinct.
This unwise trend can be laid directly at the feet of Big Agriculture, which, in its quest for higher yields, has pushed aside the unique characteristics of traditional and native seeds. USC Canada calls biodiversity our "insurance policy" against catastrophic food losses--the more varieties we have in the mix, the less likely that any one disease or insect can wreak havoc on a crop.
Which brings us to the Marshall Strawberry. In 2004, this variety was described by Slow Food USA and the RAFT alliance in 2004 as one of the top ten endangered foods in the country. This Slow Food blog post quotes the first RAFT publication, which says it was once known as “the finest eating strawberry in America”: “exceedingly handsome, splendidly flavored, pleasantly sprightly, aromatic and juicy”. No less a figure than James Beard, the father of the American gourmet food industry, proclaimed it the tastiest berry ever.
The origin of the berry starts with a man named Marshall (surprise!) Marshall F. Ewell of Marshfield, Massachusetts produced it in 1880, and introduced it in 1883. It was widely grown in Washington, Oregon and California until as recently as the 1960s when it was phased out. Why? According to the Marshall Strawberry website, it was due to its "modest production, delicacy and and therefore incompatibility with modern industrialized agricultural practices." (See Big Ag reference above.) By 2007, the last remaining plants existed as a single clone at the USDA's Germplasm Repository in Corvallis, Oregon.
Enter Leah Gauthier, an intermedia and relational artist who lives and works in Bloomington, Indiana. Again from the Marshall Strawberry site:
In 2007, while in graduate school in Boston , Leah requested some runners from the scientists at Corvallis. Since she was growing them for food and not for research and also returning them to their native east coast, they generously and enthusiastically FedExed her several baby Marshalls, and it was love at first sight. Three plants took from those first runners, and since then they have traveled with Leah to New York City and Bloomington, Indiana. Now hundreds are healthy, happy and making more! She's working on a permanent home for the Marshall in Maine, and meanwhile would love to share this delicate and rare plant with other enthusiastic growers.
That includes people in the Chicago area. She has been working with Lisa Hilgenberg at the Chicago Botanic Garden to get the berry propagated in the Midwest. And I'll be talking to her today about how some of you might get your hands on this lucious fruit.
Leah is about to make a journey to Chicago next week and she is considering arranging for local pick up (local TBD) on the "shop page" on the website. The cost would be $30 per plant instead of the usual $65, so you might want to get in line for a couple of these babies. Each numbered plant comes in a handmade container, suitable for gift giving, along with a certificate of authenticity and signature of the artist.
Click here to join Leah's emailing list and receive her quarterly newsletter and here to join her facebook page for more frequent updates.Another environmentalist caught in Chicago's "weed law" trap
You might remember the saga of Kathy Cummings, the gardener who came in first place for "Most Naturalized City Garden" in the Mayor's Landscape Awards Program in 2004. Then, in October of last year, she was cited by the Department of Streets and Sanitation for being in violation of a city weed ordinance and she was fined $640.
She was on my show twice at the beginning of the year to talk about the matter and to tell me that she had decided to appeal her violation (at the cost of another $317). Her court case comes up on May 21. Meanwhile, the City continues to issue tickets left and right, seemingly regardless of whether or not the home owners have a plan for their landscapes.
Allow me to introduce you to a woman named Nance Klehm. If you are not familiar with her, here are some of her credentials, courtesy of a site called Spontaneous Vegetation:
Nance Klehm is a steward of the earth. She is an ecological systems designer, landscaper, horticultural consultant, and permacultural grower, as well as an in demand consultant, speaker, and teacher. She is respected internationally for her work on land politics and growing for fertility.
Nance has been featured in Time Magazine , the Utne Reader , the Chicago Tribune , Reuters news service, on the MSN Money website, and many other publications and media outlets. She has been interviewed extensively about her work including spots by American Public Media's Weekend America program, KRCL in Salt Lake City, BBC Radio Canada , Chicago Public Radio , and KBOO in Portland, Oregon.
Nance has lectured recently at the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, the University of Cincinnati, and the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal. She has taught at the University of California – Los Angeles, Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and Dartington College in the United Kingdom, as well as for countless community groups worldwide. She writes a regular column for Arthur magazine. In addition, Nance was included in the books Radical Homemakers (by Shannon Hayes), Participatory Autonomy (edited by Rick Gribenas), and The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved: Inside America's Underground Food Movements (by Sandor Katz).
There's more, actually, but it's already an embarrassment of accomplishments. Oh, and by the way, Nance Klehm has also been hit with a $640 file for growing "weeds" on her parkway. So I ask this question, "Do you think that Nance Klehm is likely to grow nuisance plants on her property?" Just askin'.
She joins me on the show today to talk about her situation. Meanwhile, I talked to another "victim" yesterday--a business owner who was ticketed for the same ticket, even though his plants vegetables and they're in containers! Really? He declined to be on the show until he learns more about his "violation."
Meanwhile, Kathy Cummings has been on a one-woman crusade to fight what seems to be arbitrary enforcement of an arbitrary law. She has gathered some like-minded people to work on this issue and last month she sent me an update:
Re our meeting Saturday, my attorney Jim, found ticketing weeds and other types of ticketing happening all over the country. Many municipalities are in a fiscal crisis, desperate for revenue. Politicians not wanting to hurt their chances for re-election by raising taxes, have been approving increasing fines. It's the new way to create revenue and keeps them under the radar at election time.
[Chicago] City Council in 2011 unanimously (49 to 0) approved increasing the amount property owners could be ticketed for weed violations. It tripled and is now a $600 minimum. My Adm. Law officer told me he was giving me the "lowest fine," said as if he were giving me a gift.
From the city responses to FOIAs I sent, since 2008, there's been a HUGE increase, every year, in the amount of City revenue earned through weed ticketing. The city may collect almost $13 million for weeds, i.e., 7-28-120(a) this year.
From Kathy's FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests, she received the following information about the number of tickets issued by the City of Chicago:
Mrs. Cummings,
This letter is in response to the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) request received by the Department of Administrative Hearings for the above requested ALJ.
2008 there were 4,779 violations filed for Municipal Code Section 7-28-120(a).
2009 there were 5,522 violations filed for Municipal Code Section 7-28-120(a).
2010 there were 10,798 violations filed for Municipal Code Section 7-28-120(a).
2011 there were 11,895 violations filed for Municipal Code Section 7-28-120(a).
2012 there were 11,104 violations filed for Municipal Code Section 7-28-120(a).
2013 through January 31 there were 1,659 violations filed for Municipal Code Section 7-28-120(a).[Italics in bold are mine.]
I was struck by two things in looking at the numbers. First, the increase in fines started in 2010, during the Richard M. Daley administration, probably in response to the downturn in the economy. Second, which I have noted in bold and italics, based on the January numbers for 2013, the City is on a pace to issue almost 20,000 "weed" tickets this year, a 79% increase.
As I have mentioned before, these fines seem inconsistent with the City's own Chicago Sustainabile Backyards Program, which promotes growing native plants.
Nance Klehm has her own take on all of this:
I am interested in fighting this subjective law with a ridiculously steep fine in the broadest way by getting many people behind it PLUS a darn good lawyer. Everyone is scared (I have been contacted by chicken owners, eco-punks, community gardeners, etc.) and there is nothing that will stop me getting ticketed again for the 'hippo' in the parkway or in my yard that only the writer of the ticket and hearing judge could see. When I asked "where are the weeds?" I wasn't shown. Just told they were there. How can I remove or take care of that is being interpreted as such when I am not shown? I just have trees and shrubs in the parkway - my list of established plant material that I presented in court was argued as irrelevant by the prossecuter. My stated background as a horticulturalist landscaper and designer was ignored.
Just like a Kafka novel. I thought I was going insane.Spring plant sales continue
Last week, I briefly mentioned some of the plant sales that are happening in the area over the next few weeks. Here you go:
May 12, 10am - 4pm - The Peterson Garden Project Plant and Bake Sale, Peterson Garden Project's Learning Center, 4642 N. Francisco, Chicago, IL (adjacent to Francisco Brown Line stop). All proceeds from the sale will benefit Peterson Garden Project learning programs. Seedlings will be locally-grown, organic, heirloom herb and vegetable varietals hand-selected by Peterson Garden Project for growing in Chicago. Baked goods will be hand made from local Chicago pastry chefs and bakeries. BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag)
May 12, 10am – 2pm - Paseo Prairie Garden Plant Sale 2614 N. Milwaukee, Chicago, IL Perennials, Organic Vegetables and Herbs, Native Plants Native Illinois/Midwest plants are eligible for the on-site 50% rebate from the City of Chicago Sustainable Backyards Program FOR CHICAGO RESIDENTS
May 18, 9am-1pm - Perennial Divide Plant Sale - P. Holt (773) 412-1232 2260 W. 108thPlace, Chicago Epimedium, Monarda, Black Cohosh, Hosta Varieties, Solomon's Seal Sundrops, Brunnera, Pulmonaria, Bearded & Japanese Iris, Lamium, Wild Ginger, Sweet Woodruff, Stella del Oro Daylily, Archangel, Coneflower, Rose Campion, Hakone Grass, Ribbon Grass, Cupflower and more
May 17 (9am - 6pm) & 18 (9am - 4pm)
Hyde Park Garden Fair - Chicago's Oldest Community Garden Sale - Annuals, Container Plants, Groundcover, Hanging Baskets, Herbs, House Plants, Perennials, Shrubs-Vines-Roses, Vegetables, Wildflowers, Fall Fair - Sale Held at Hyde Park Shopping Center, 55th Street and South Lake Park, Chicago, IL 60615May 18 & 19, 10am to 2pm each day - Kilbourn Park Organic Green House Plant Sale. More than 150 varieties of organically grown vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Cash only. Help them recycle/reuse: Please bring your own plastic flats or cardboard boxes to hold your plants. If you have extras from last year, bring them to share with other shoppers. Here's the plant list.
May is Illinois Invasive Species Awareness MonthAnd while we're on the subject of keeping our natural areas healthy, I just want to remind you that May is Illinois Invasive Species Awareness Month. Educational events, field days, hay-wagon tours, workshops, presentations, volunteer workdays, ‘Garlic Mustard Challenges', training events, and interpretive hikes are just some of the different types of events that have been held as part of ISAM in the past.
If you are planning to host work days and garlic pulls, please contact Cathy McGlynn, coordinator for the Northeast Illinois Invasive Plant Partnership, at 847-242-6423 or cathy.mcglynn@niipp.net so that she can post your events on the NIIPP website.
May 5, 2013
Taking the show on the road to McHenry County
If you're a fan of native plants and you're in the vicinity of Crystal Lake, Illinois on Sunday morning, you might want to consider stopping by McHenry County College at 8900 US Hwy 14 as the Wildflower Preservation and Propagation Committee (WPPC) holds its 2013 Native Plant Sale.
Exactly what is this group with the unwieldy name? They are a non-for-profit organization dedicated to:
- Promoting the use of native plants in the landscape through preservation, propagation, and education
- Advocating the conservation of open space, natural landscapes, wildlife habitat, scenic resources, and water in McHenry County and neighboring areas for the benefit of the general public
- Engaging in and otherwise promoting the scientific study of and educating the public regarding local natural resources
Although the sale doesn't start until noon, I will be broadcasting my show from the cafeteria of the college, where the action will be happening.
The sale is only three hours long, but what a wealth of plant material is available! In general, prairie plants and grasses will go for $ 2.50, while woodland plants and ferns are $3.00 to $6.00 There are more than 150 species available for every environment--prairie, savanna, woodland and wetland. To get the full list of plants, click here.
In addition, organic heirloom garden vegetables and herbs from W & M Landcorp Organic Nursery, and Native Trees and Shrubs from Ohana Farms are available.
I have to thank the WPPC's Nancy Gonsiorek for the opportunity to bring The Mike Nowak Show to this venue. Several years ago, I spoke at their Natural Landscaping Seminar, but I have not had the chance to attend the Native Plant Sale.
Nancy will help walk me through the plant sale and the good work of the WPPC. But she has also helped to put together a great line up of guests. Here they are.
Rich Tobiasz
You know things are going to be interesting when your first guest is not only an organic gardener, but has been Fire Chief of nearby Spring Grove for 20 years. Rich Tobiasz and his wife Wendy live on five acres that they call Evergreen Oasis Farm. Though it is zoned for agricultural use, they are surrounded for the most part by a later-developed subdivision.Along with 56 species of trees (at last count), there are gardens that include a fruit orchard, a small fruit area, grapes (for wine, jam, juice and eating), an herb garden, three vegetable gardens, an English garden, a Japanese contemplative garden, a bulb garden, and some perennial beds...all organic. But that's not all. They also have a barn with 6 sheep for wool (Wendy spins and knits), 6 goats (milk and I make cheese), a chicken coop with 25 laying hens.
Rich says that the operation is mostly sustainable from the standpoint that they make their own compost, fertilizer and food--and house is passive solar! Even though they import hay, they try to minimize other inputs. They compost their own manure for fertilizer, not to mention growing heirloom plants so they can save the seeds.
Sounds pretty sustainable to me.
Cindy Skrukrud
Cindy Skrukrud is Clean Water Advocate for Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club. She's been on my show before to talk about issues like the proposal to put an open pit frac sand mine outside of Starved Rock State Park. Today, however, she'll talk about how native plants can help address the nutrient pollution problem in Illinois rivers, lakes and streams.That pollution--excess nitrogen and phosphorus--comes primarily from three sources:
- Agricultural Runoff contributes a significant amount of nutrients to our waters via direct runoff from soils enriched with fertilizers and animal manure.
- Sewage Discharges and Combined Sewer Overflows: Many sewage treatment plants do not remove nutrients from their treated effluent before it is discharged into waterways. Studies estimate that 47% of the phosphorus in Illinois rivers comes from sewage effluent. In addition, some cities, like Chicago, store runoff in the same system as the city's sewage, known as a combined sewer. During storms, these sewer systems can become overwhelmed and overflow a mixture of stormwater and untreated sewage.
- Urban Surface Runoff picks up nutrients from private lawns and gardens, thus introducing more nutrients into our rivers, streams and lakes.
You can find out more about what you can do to keep are lakes and streams cleaner by clicking onto this newsletter from the Illinois Sierra Club that outlines Reduction Strategies for Homeowners.
Cindy is also a founding member of Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge, which takes us to our next guests:
Nancy Williamson and Steve Byers.
They are also founding members of Friends of Hackmatack. Nancy works for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and Steve was the long time McHenry County coordinator for the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission.
In case you missed it, the Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge was established in November of 2012 on 11,200 acres of land that straddle Illinois and Wisconsin. A couple of things make the refuge interesting--among them, its proximity to both the Chicago and the Milwaukee metropolitan areas, and that the property is noncontiguous. In fact, if you look at a map, you see that it is basically donut-shaped. However, this land includes tallgrass prairies, wetlands and oak savanna areas.The refuge will be a home for 109 species of animals — including birds, fish, mussels, reptiles and one amphibian — and 47 plants, and will also proviide outdoor recreation opportunities. What began as a dream among forward-thinking environmentalists in 2004, is now moving forward.
Lisa Haderlein
Lisa is the Executive Director of The Land Conservancy of McHenry County. Since 1991, The Land Conservancy has helped protect over 1900 acres of McHenry County's prairies, wetlands and woodlands by working with private landowners, communities and other partners. They do this by direct acquisition of property (through purchase or donation), or the establishment of conservation easements. When these sites are taken under care, it is with the intention that they will be protected on behalf of the community in perpetuity.One of the initiatives of The Land Conservancy is Project Quercus. Project Quercus was to explore options to protect, preserve and regenerate the oak woods. Project Quercus is a diverse coalition that brings together public and private, government, corporate and non-profit interests, working collaboratively to create solutions to the problem of oak woodland loss.
A little more than four years ago, TLC also began the Oak Keepers. The vast majority (83%) of the county's remaining oaks are on private land. If these trees are going to continue to be a significant part of the landscape, maintaining them on private land will be essential. The idea for the Oak Keepers ® program arose from recognition that there is a need to understand what the condition of the remaining oak woods are today, to begin building relationships with oak woodland landowners, and to give more local residents the skills they need to evaluate oak woods.Speaking of spring plant sales...
Just because you can't get out to McHenry County doesn't mean that you can't still pick up some spring plants for your garden. Doug Wood from the Wicker Park Garden Club sent out a list of area plant sales that are happening over the next couple of weeks:
May 11 & 12, 10am – 2pm - Paseo Prairie Garden Plant Sale 2614 N. Milwaukee, Chicago, IL Perennials, Organic Vegetables and Herbs, Native Plants Native Illinois/Midwest plants are eligible for the on-site 50% rebate from the City of Chicago Sustainable Backyards Program FOR CHICAGO RESIDENTS
May 11, 10am – 3pm Lurie Garden Plant Sale - A variety of perennials and grasses to provide interest throughout the seasons, as well as food and shelter for local fauna. All proceeds support Lurie Garden public programs. The event also includes tours, hands-on gardening tips, plant-based crafts for kids, face painting, activities by local organizations and more. Quart size plants cost $5 and gallons cost $10. Please bring your own bags or boxes to transport your plants Here's the PlantList
May 11 and May 18, 9am-1pm - Perennial Divide Plant Sale - P. Holt (773) 412-1232 2260 W. 108thPlace, Chicago Epimedium, Monarda, Black Cohosh, Hosta Varieties, Solomon's Seal Sundrops, Brunnera, Pulmonaria, Bearded & Japanese Iris, Lamium, Wild Ginger, Sweet Woodruff, Stella del Oro Daylily, Archangel, Coneflower, Rose Campion, Hakone Grass, Ribbon Grass, Cupflower and more
May 17 (9am - 6pm) & 18 (9am - 4pm)
Hyde Park Garden Fair - Chicago's Oldest Community Garden Sale - Annuals, Container Plants, Groundcover, Hanging Baskets, Herbs, House Plants, Perennials, Shrubs-Vines-Roses, Vegetables, Wildflowers, Fall Fair - Sale Held at Hyde Park Shopping Center, 55th Street and South Lake Park, Chicago, IL 60615May 18 & 19, 10am to 2pm each day - Kilbourn Park Organic Green House Plant Sale. More than 150 varieties of organically grown vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Cash only. Help them recycle/reuse: Please bring your own plastic flats or cardboard boxes to hold your plants. If you have extras from last year, bring them to share with other shoppers. Here's the plant list.
May is Illinois Invasive Species Awareness MonthAnd while we're on the subject of keeping our natural areas healthy, I just want to remind you that May is Illinois Invasive Species Awareness Month. Educational events, field days, hay-wagon tours, workshops, presentations, volunteer workdays, ‘Garlic Mustard Challenges', training events, and interpretive hikes are just some of the different types of events that have been held as part of ISAM in the past.
If you are planning to host work days and garlic pulls, please contact Cathy McGlynn, coordinator for the Northeast Illinois Invasive Plant Partnership, at 847-242-6423 or cathy.mcglynn@niipp.net so that she can post your events on the NIIPP website.
April 28, 2013
What the heck does having a "sustainable" garden mean?
Several years ago I saw a landscaper named Tom Lupfer do a talk at a conference sponsored by the Midwest Ecological Landscape Alliance (MELA). It was about how to install a garden in a sustainable way, and while today I can't tell you exactly what he said, I remember that Tom approached the subject in a very down-to-earth, practical way--so simple, in fact, that even I could understand it.
Tom Lupfer is President of Lupfer Landscaping, a famiily owned and operated, award winning company that is located in Lyons, Illinois and serves suburbs such as Western Springs, Hinsdale, Oak Brook, Riverside, River Forest, Oak Park and more. As they say on their website, they pride ourselves on quality sustainable landscaping.
Why is Tom on the show today? 1) He's a good guy, which I know because I have interviewed him and because I know that he does a fair amount of pro bono work for worthy causes. 2) His Maintenance Supervisor, Donna White, is a huge fan of the show and you don't mess with Donna.
So let's move onto what Tom considers the definition of sustainability. In this case, he uses a quote from Gro Harlem Brundtland, who in 1987 was the Norwegian Prime Minister:
“…design, construction, operations, and maintenance practices that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
That, if you think about it, is precisely the opposite of pretty much everything we do in America today.
As Tom points out, the three components of the environment are soil, vegetation and water. If you look at the Venn Diagram on the left, you can see that sustainabilty is the confluence of all three components. Tom also has goals for each of those components:
• Soil - Restore the soil so that it can support healthy vegetation and filter pollutants.
• Vegetation - Plant site appropriate vegetation that can help regulate ambient temperature, filter water and provide animal habitat.
• Water - Manage on-site water so that it mimics and enhances natural water cycles by: increasing infiltration, reducing run-off, and eliminating most potable water used in the landscape.
The remain question, then, is "how"? That's why Tom is on the show this morning. I hope we all learn a little bit about sustainability.
The Morton Arboretum: Don't worry, that's LAST week's pic
This past week, I received a message from Todd Jacobson, Head of Horticulture at The Morton Arboretum. The photo below was attached and the message read, " We were hoping for moisture to help with our drought, but this was a bit over the top!"
But fear not, gentle reader. Friend of The Mike Nowak Show and occasional substitute host Beth Botts, who is now Senior Writer at the arboretum, wrote with a follow up to the scene above:
"[T]he Arboretum is still in business despite the flood. We had serious flooding last Thursday and Friday when the DuPage River rose 10 feet, and one of our buildings was badly swamped and had a lot of damage. But the grounds are fine, everything but a few trails is open, the daffodils and wildflowers are blooming, the plant sale is still on for this weekend. Our permeable paver parking lot was about a foot under water but drained quickly, and the bioswales worked, channeling water to Meadow Lake, our big retention lake. Out in the East Woods the restored wetlands are handling water like nature intended, holding water until it soaks into the groundwater. Lots of ducks, egrets and frogs."
Whew! You had me worried there. Beth makes a brief appearance on the show today to let us know how quickly the water is draining in Lisle, Illinois.
"Farm to School" wants to make our children healthier
One of the hottest trends in local food is something called "farm to school" programs. The USDA Food and Nutrition Service describes them this way:
Across the country, an increasing number of schools and districts have begun to source more foods locally and to provide complementary educational activities to students that emphasize food, farming, and nutrition. This nationwide movement to enrich children's bodies and minds while supporting local economies is often referred to as “farm to school.” The term encompasses efforts that bring local or regionally produced foods into school cafeterias; hands-on learning activities such as school gardening, farm visits, and culinary classes; and the integration of food-related education into the regular, standards-based classroom curriculum. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) supports such efforts through its Farm to School Program, which includes research, training, technical assistance, and grants.
Locally, organizations like Seven Generations Ahead have created programs such as their Fresh from the Farm program, which is presenting Educator Training Workshops on May 8, 15, 16, 18 and June 1 in the Chicago area.
Recently, USDA Food & Nutrition Service Administrator Audrey Rowe , who oversees 15 nutrition assistance programs including school meals, visted Evanston schools meet with school nutrition staff, Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl and others. The purpose was to announce a new and unprecedented approach to local food sourcing for Farm to School from a company called FarmLogix. FarmLogix brings farms and commercial end users together--whether they're restaurants or schools--through online technology.
These efforts are in the wake of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative, which seeks to address child obesity. The Farm to School programs introduce healthier foods to schools by reaching out local farmers, creating economic opportunities for those food producing businesses. This can translate to everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to beans for chili, rice for stir fry and even cheese in quesadillas. Farm to School programs also reduce food travel and related CO2 emissions while they support the development of lifelong habits among children of eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
I am pleased to welcome to the studio some key players in local Farm to School efforts:
Steven Obendorf, Chef at The Latin School of Chicago, Dr. Bill Stone, owner of Brightonwoods Orchard in Burlington, Wisconsin, Linda Mallers, Founder, FarmLogix, a farm to school technology platform, and Alan Shannon, Director of Public Affairs for the Midwest Region of the USDA Food & Nutrition Service.
There are seven regional office of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, and each has a Farm to School Regional Lead who is available to provide farm to school related support to state agencies and other entities in their region. A list of regions, along with the names and contact information for regional and national USDA Farm to School Program staff, can be found here. To receive information and updates about USDA's Farm to School Program, please sign up for the Farm to School E-letter.
The cautionary tale of the passenger pigeon
Next year, we obvserve an ignominious anniversary in America...and the world. One hundred years ago, we managed to wipe out a species of bird that only fifty years before had numbered in the billions. And when I say "wipe out," I mean that on September 1, 1914, Martha, the last living passenger pigeon, died in the Cincinnati Zoo.
Last year, I welcomed Chicago naturalist Joel Greenberg to the show to talk about Project Passenger Pigeon, which will mark this anniversary and promote the conservation of species and habitat, strengthen the relationship between people and nature, and foster the sustainable use of natural resources.
He's back on the show today, and this time he brings film documentary writer and producer David Mrazek, who is working with him on a film called From Billions to None : The Passenger Pigeon's Flight to Extinction. But this is just one part of what the PPP folks call "an ambitious multi-media project that uses the passenger pigeon story to explore today's issues of habitat survival and species extinction" with more than 140 North American institutions participating.
The point of all of this is not to wonder why we killed the passenger pigeon, which would be a worthy effort in itself. Rather, it shines a light on human participation in what is sometimes referred to as the Holocene extinction or the Sixth Great Extinction. Whether fish, amphibians or great mammals, species all over the planet are disappearing at an alarming rate. And if you want to know who to blame, look in a mirror.
From Billions to None points out that the passenger pigeon is proof that super abundance is not enough to protect a species from extinction. All species are vulnerable.
Greenberg is a naturalist, writer, environmental consultant and author of A Natural History of the Chicago Region , coauthor of A Birder's Guide to the Chicago Region , and editor of Of Prairie, Woods, and Water Two Centuries of Chicago Nature Writing . Oh, and he's the chief cook and bottle washer of The Birdzilla Blog.
Mrazek recently co-produced and co-directed The Principal Story , which aired nationally on the PBS documentary series, P.O.V. Other programs include NEH-funded projects such as Woodrow Wilson , which won the 2002 International Documentary Association Achievement Award for Limited Series, and the Peabody, duPont-Columbia and Emmy-Award winning ten-part series The Great War and the Shaping of the Twentieth Century .
For more information on Project Passenger Pigeon, you can also like them on Facebook.
May is Illinois Invasive Species Awareness Month
A funny thing happened to me in Peru, Illinois yesterday while speaking to the good folks at “A Garden Affair" at St. John’s Lutheran Church. Not only did I run into a llama (see the home page), but I bumped into Cathy McGlynn, Coordinator for the Northeast Illinois Invasive Plant Partnership.
The llama had nothing to say to me. However, Cathy wanted me to remind my listeners and readers that May is Illinois Invasive Species Awareness Month. Educational events, field days, hay-wagon tours, workshops, presentations, volunteer workdays, ‘Garlic Mustard Challenges', training events, and interpretive hikes are just some of the different types of events that have been held as part of ISAM in the past.
Speaking of the Garlic Mustard Challenge, during May 2011 NIIPP partners participated in and won the United States Forest Service's Garlic Mustard Challenge with a total of 52,606 lbs of garlic mustard pulled. Lake Forest Open Lands Association was the champion garlic puller. In 2012, thanks to the abnormally warm weather, garlic mustard started blooming in late March in some areas!
This year, things are relatively normal but garlic mustard is still invasive and relentless. So if you are planning to host work days and garlic pulls please contact Cathy at 847-242-6423 or cathy.mcglynn@niipp.net so that she can post your events on the NIIPP website.
April 21, 2013
Welcome to the 5th Anniversary Show!
Feel free to run out and buy me a two-by-four. The traditional 5th anniversary gifts are made of wood, representing strength and a solidified relationship, and silverware, representing connectedness. On second thought, lift some silverware from the next fancy party you're at and pass it along to me.
Well, who knew that the grand experiment would last this long? Certainly not I. But as a lurch into another year at Chicago's Progressive Talk, I would be remiss if i didn't thank all of the good folks who have helped me along the way. People like Kathleen Thompson, Mike Sanders, Heather Frey, Joe McArdle, Beth Botts, Leah Pietrusiak, Mark Earnest, Jennifer Brennan and a bunch more, too numerous to name. And there's the current team of Lisa Albrecht, Sarah Batka, Rob Kartholl and Denny Schetter.
On today's show, we'll get some work done but we'll have a little fun, too. Since Denny has suggested it, I'll pull out some of my favorite audio clips from the past five years. We'll give away some stuff from my over-stuffed grab bag and who knows who might call in? And Jennifer Brenan will be here to talk about Dig In Chicago.
My thanks, of course, to my very loyal listeners and to all of you who log onto this website each week to read these words. We had 1.25 million hits on the site last year, and I'm sure we'll crash through that number this year.
Okay, onto business.
Are yearly "once-in-a-century" storms the new norm?
A lot of you are bailing out from a week of near-apocalyptic rain in the Midwest. I knew things were bad when I walked out my back door early Thursday morning and saw the lake that used to be my backyard. Fortunately for me, just as the water started rising from the drain in the center of my basement, the rains stopped and the water in the basement--and the backyard--receded.
Many people in the area weren't nearly so fortunate. So what is going on here?Jennifer and I will talk to Rick DiMaio, who will give us an overview of this week's weather and a clue to what it means. To see the extent of the storm, take a gander at these graphs:
Another casualty of the rains was Lake Michigan. Friend of the show Josh Mogerman from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) blogged about the sewage-laden water that was released into the Great Lake as the relentless rain pushed our storm water system to the limit. Friends of the Chicago River wants even more photos of this rain event and wants to use the documentation to lobby for accelerating the timeline to complete the Deep Tunnel and Reservoir Plan. If you have pics of the flooding that you want to share, click here.
And there's an unfortunate aftermath to all of this flooding if you have a garden--especially a vegetable garden. Now you have to determine whether your soil and/or plants have been contaminated by sewage-laden flood waters.
Check out this article from Franklin County, Kentucky Extension, this one from Purdue Extension, and this one from South Dakota Extension for some pretty good information.. I've culled some of their advice:
- Consider the source of the flood waters. Rain water or water from a potable water source, or uncontaminated source does not carry the same potential hazards as water from a river, septic field, or other potentially contaminated source.
- Following flooding, any leafy greens that are eaten fresh, such as lettuce or cabbage, should be destroyed. They are at risk of contamination for 90 days following a flood.
- Leafy greens that will be cooked, such as spinach, should be cut back completely and allowed to re-grow before using. Cook them thoroughly before using.
- Newly planted seeds and transplants may not survive even short-term flooding, and seeds may have washed away. Resist the urge to replant immediately; give the soil a chance to dry out first. Working wet soil will have long-lasting effects of soil compaction.
- Gardeners should not attempt to make an unsafe, flooded garden product safe by using chlorine bleach or a similar product. The level of contamination on a flooded garden can be at dangerous levels
- With rain and sunshine, the levels of the pathogens will disperse. After the first good rain, research shows that the majority of harmful cells are removed from the surface.
- As for landscape trees and shrubs, it is difficult to say what the long-term effect of being underwater will be. When soils are completely flooded, oxygen is prevented from reaching the root system. Certainly, some trees are more tolerant of waterlogged conditions, but the longer the lack of aeration, the greater the chance of root death. The general thought is that most landscape plants can survive being submerged for about a week or so.
Ron Wolford, Cook County Extension Educator, provides even more links related to flooding and your gardens:
Safely Using Produce from Flooded Gardens-Wisconsin Food Science
Repairing Spring Flooded Lawns-Missouri Extension
Effects of Flooding on Woody Landscape Plants-Wisconsin Extension
It's raining, it's pouring, it's a good time for a site assessment... The Garden Professors
Plants Tolerant of Wet Sites-Morton ArboretumIf you have more questions, consult your local extension office.
ComEd's "Energy Doctor" is in the house
On this day before Earth Day, it's a pleasure to welcome Sandra Henry from Commonwealth Edison to the WCPT studios on Milwaukee Avenue. Sandra is the program manager of ComEd's Energy Efficiency Portfolio, and also serves as one of ComEd's Energy Doctors. She is an elected regional director of the Illinois Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). She is also an LEED Accredited Professional.
You might have heard of Commonwealth Edison Company (or ComEd) before--and I say that tongue-in-cheek, of course. ComEd provides service to approximately 3.8 million residential and business customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state's population.
Whether it's winter, summer, spring or fall, there are always ways that you can make your home more energy efficient. That's the reason Sandra is in the studio today. She's using her 20 years of experience to make suggestions and answer questions about how you can save energy--and money.
Here are twelve quick tips that you might find useful from ComEd's page on low-cost and no cost solutions to energy problems.
- Turn off the lights whenever you leave a room.
- Keep your home at 78 degrees in the summer, or at the warmest temperature that is comfortable for you.
- When leaving home for more than 4 hours, raise the thermostat 5 to 10 degrees in summer and lower it 5 to 10 degrees in winter. Do the same at night before going to bed.
- Close south-, east-, and west-facing curtains during the day to keep out solar heat during the summer.
- Clean the coils at the back of your refrigerator twice a year.
- Only heat and cool rooms you use; close vents and doors to rooms that are not being used.
- Keep windows closed and shades down when air conditioning is on.
- Check and clean air conditioning filters monthly and replace as needed.
- Unplug electric chargers, televisions, and audio/video equipment when not in use (or plug them into a power strip you can turn off and on). These devices use electricity even when they are not in use.
- Turn off your computer or put it in ”sleep” mode when it is not being used.
- Run energy-intensive appliances such as the dishwasher and clothes washer at night. The heat produced by these appliances will not need to be offset by your air conditioner during the day. Wait until you have a full load to run the dishwasher and clothes washer, and use cold water when possible.
- Keep lamps and televisions away from the thermostat. The heat they generate will cause your air conditioner to work harder. If you're running an old refrigerator in your basement that isn't being used, unplug it. Old refrigerators can use three times the electricity of modern ones.
Sandra has even more information on the show today. Call in with your questions: 773-763-9278.
April 14, 2013
Here she is--star of radio,TV and print: Melinda Myers
For a lot of gardeners in the Midwest, 2012 is a year we'd like to forget. The heat and drought took their toll on our annuals, perennials, vegetables and lawns. It's kind of a blessing that the 2013 growing season is off to such a slow start. It's giving us a chance to slowly ease into the processes that came all too quickly last year.
So it's a pleasure to welcome gardening expert Melinda Myers back to the show to talk about garden renewal in 2013. Since she hails from just north of here, in Milwaukee, Myers knows the problems that northern Midwest gardeners have experienced and how to fix them. In fact, she's traveling all around this part of the country to spread the gospel of Garden Revitalization.
She also happens to be a TV and radio host, author & columnist, with more than 30 years of horticulture experience. That includes more than 20 gardening books, including Can't Miss Small Space Gardening, The Birds & Blooms' Ultimate Gardening Guide , and Jackson and Perkins' Beautiful Roses Made Easy: Midwestern Edition.
Melinda hosted “The Plant Doctor” radio program for over 20 years as well as seven seasons of Great Lakes Gardener on PBS. She hosts the nationally syndicated Melinda's Garden Moment segments which air on 115 TV and radio stations throughout the U.S. If you want to get some great tips for early April, just click here.
Melinda and I also want to tell you about the Milorganite Community Garden Giveaway. On Earth Day (April 22 nd , 2013) Milorganite will reward five community gardens that are having the greatest impact in their communities. Those gardens will receive a one year supply of Milorganite organic nitrogen fertilizer, which amounts to 56 bags, each weighing 36 pounds.
All entries must be submitted by April 15 th, so get thee to it! You can find details for the contest here.
Can AGC become the first Illinois "net-positive" energy campus?
It was almost exactly three years ago that I talked to Dan Schnitzer, the Director of Sustainability and Operations for a Chicago charter school called the Academy for Global Citizenship, located on the City's southwest side near 47th Street and Cicero.
This time around, I'm pleased to have Sarah Elizabeth Ippel with me in the studio. She is is the founder and executive director of AGC and recently was named to Huffington Post's 50 people “who are changing the world” and GOOD's “100 people pushing the world forward.” Not bad for somebody who started out at 23 by riding her bicycle to the Board of Education with request: to reimagine what is possible in public education today.She has followed through on that idea, creating a school that opened in 2008 and now has 300 kindergarten through fifth grade students, 90% of whom are minorities and 83% from low-income families. It is now on track to add one grade level per year to create the first southwest side pre-K to 12th grade International Baccalaureate Education institution in the Chicago Public School district.
Among its accomplishments:
• AGC has been internationally recognized for our progressive environmental, global and academic programs.
• AGC has raised literacy rates by 62% in three years.
• 93% of AGC’s Third Grade & Fourth Grade students are meeting or exceeding math standards.
• 100% of AGC’s K-5th Grade students are learning a second or third language.
• AGC has presented to the United States Department of Education on fostering systemic change.
• AGC was recognized by the Obama administration as a Green Ribbon School, part of the first award in U.S. history.
• AGC was invited to the White House by Mrs. Obama to be recognized the Midwest’s first and the nation’s second recipient of the USDA’s highest honor in its Healthier US School Challenge Gold with Distinction Award, presented in conjunction with Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative.
• In our 4 years of operation, AGC has welcomed over 5,000 visitors from as far as Japan, Sweden and Nigeria.
• AGC has published a Sustainable Schools Handbook: The Key to Greening Your School that has been utilized by schools locally and across the globe.Now, the school is looking to break ground on an Illinois first: a net-positive energy campus, which will be in Chicago.
And on May 16th, a group of renowned chefs are coming together for an event at Terzo Piano that will benefit AGC and their net-positive campus. Here's the list: Tony Mantuano (Spiaggia, Bar Toma and Terzo Piano), Jimmy Bannos and Jimmy Bannos, Jr. (The Purple Pig), Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill, Topolobampo and Xoco) Iron Chef Jose Garces (Mercat/Garces Group), Paul Kahan (Avec, Big Star, Blackbird, The Publican and Publican Quality Meats), Bill Kim (bellyQ, Urbanbelly, Belly Shack), Jeff Mauro (Food Network's "Sandwich King"), Giuseppe Tentori (Boka and GT Fish & Oyster), Marcela Valladolid (Author and Host, Food Network's "Mexican Made Easy"), and Takashi Yagihashi (Takashi and Slurping Turtle).
Cook County landfills rising from the bathtub like Glenn Close?
Never underestimate the power of money to affect public policy in a bad way.
Last year, I stood across from the River Bend Prairie Landfill at 138th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue and watched as Governor Pat Quinn signed into law a General Assembly-approved measure that banned the operation of landfills in Cook County.
End of story, right? Not so fast.
According the organization No Chicago Landfills, Land and Lakes Co., which operated the River Bend Prairie site, "now say they want to "mine" their landfill for scrap metal and recyclables so that they can continue to make a profit. This process involves digging up decades-old, rotting waste and extends the life of the landfill."
So the Cook County Board of Commissioners is planning a vote that could put this matter to bed for good. After all, the State of Illinois has already passed a law banning landfills in Cook County and the City of Chicago has a ban that will last at least until 2025. No brainer, right?
Ah, but something is amiss, though it's hard to tell exactly what that might be. For some reason, some of the commissioners, including those pesky "good government" types, do not seem to have the backs of the good citizens of Cook County.
This is making environmental and community leaders nervous and rightly so. Commissioner John Fritchey has stepped into the fray and has introduced an ordinance to ban new and expanded landfills in unincorporated Cook County. Community residents on the south side and south suburbs have battled with operators to stop plans to reopen a landfill on unincorporated land between Dolton and the southern border of Chicago.
Without such a ban, they say, waste companies will once again be able to pursue landfills anywhere in Cook County, including areas that have been designated for environmental restoration – such as the Lake Calumet region. According to Fritchey, "This legislation will protect communities that have long suffered from dump sites and landfills and will also protect millions of taxpayers' dollars in preservation and restoration work across Cook County."
On Monday, Aprill 15 at 10:30 a.m., Commissioner Fritchey, People for Community Recovery, Golden Gate Community Recover and the Southeast Environmental Task Force will hold a news conference on the 5th floor of the Cook County Building, 118 N. Clark Street in Chicago. They will urge the Cook County Board to pass Fritchey's ban on landfills.
Tom Shepherd from the Southeast Environmental Task Force joins me this morning to talk about why this issue just won't go away.
April 7, 2013
Bus Rapid Transit comes to Chicago (almost)
On November 12, 2012, commuters along the Jeffery Boulevard corridor found that they had a way to get downtown a little faster. On that day, Chicago launched the Jeffery Jump J14 service, the first part of an effort to introduce Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) to the City.
The Jeffery Jump J14 service runs from 103rd Street to Metra's Ogilvie and Union Stations. Corridor improvements have been made from 67th to 103rd Streets, with dedicated, rush hour lanes along Jeffery Boulevard between 67th and 83rd Streets. Jeffery Jump is an enhanced version of the existing #14 Jeffery Express service.
As I stated, this is just the first of at least three corridors that could have BRT runs within the next few years. But even the Jeffery Jump is only partially complete. There are a number of elements that make a BRT system different from tradition bus service, as listed on the Chicago BRT site:
- Dedicated bus lanes or separate bus right of way from normal street traffic.
- Traffic signal prioritization (TSP) which extends green lights and shortens red lights for buses.
- The ability to bypass regular vehicular traffic
- Fewer stops and additional customer amenities at special kiosks including pre-board payment stations, maps and digital customer information displaying bus and train arrival information.
- A uniquely identifiable fleet with a distinct look and branding
- BRT combines the efficiency and consistency of rail rapid transit with the flexibility and comparatively lower cost of bus service. BRT service has been implemented in cities throughout the world, including several U. S. cities.
In the case of the Jeffery Jump, dedicated lanes have been designated on only a portion of the run--the two miles from 67th to 83rd Streets--and even those lanes are bus-only during the rush hour times of 7-9am and 4-6pm weekdays. Also missing are the prioritized traffic signals, the ability to pay before boarding, and bus stops in the medians.
BRT systems have been shown to work in other cities. A notable example is the HealthLine in Cleveland, where the BRT has pumped as much as $4.3 billion into the City's economy. Other cities that have incorporated BRT elements into their transportation systems are Los Angeles, New York and Eugene, Oregon. Not every city implements every aspect of BRT systems, yet the roll out of even parts of the concept have been shown to improve commuting experiences.
If you're wondering where the money is coming from, the Jump is funded by an $11 million Federal Transportation Administration grant. There are also a lot of partners in this venture, including the Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago Department of Transportation, Chicago Architecture Foundation, Active Transportation Alliance, Metropolitan Planning Council, Urban Land Institute Civic Consulting Alliance, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, and The Chicago Community Trust, with support from The Rockefeller Foundation
What's next? The Central Loop BRT Corridor will move express buses along Washington and Madison streets, connecting Union Station, Ogilvie Transportation Station, North Michigan Avenue, and Navy Pier. Six current bus routes will benefit from BRT improvements. Service along the Central Loop Corridor is expected to begin in 2014 and it's financed by a $24.6 million Federal Transit Administration grant and $7.3 in local Tax Increment Financing funds.When funding becomes available (always a sticking point), the City is exploring options for a BRT service on Western and Ashland Avenues. A study is being conducted for the approximately 21 mile length along Western and Ashland Avenues, from Howard Street on the north to 95th Street on the south.
I'm pleased to have Christopher Ziemann, Chicago BRT project manager, in studio this morning. Funded through support from the Rockefeller Foundation, Ziemann works between the Chicago Community Trust, the CTA and the Chicago Dept. of Transportation, and coordinates the efforts of civic nonprofit groups with city agencies.
"Dr. Wally" is back...and now he's at Berthold's!
If "Dr. Wally" is in the house this morning to answer questions, it has to be spring! For years, he has been a fixture at Pesche's Garden Center. But with a new growing season, comes a new location. "Dr. Wally" Schmidtke (and you should know that he's not a real doctor, he just likes the "M.D" license plates on his Radio Flyer Wagon), is now holding court at Berthold's Floral, Gift and Garden, though we just call it Berthold's Garden Center.
At the same time, Berthold's has become a new sponsor of The Mike Nowak Show. Coincidence? I'll leave that to you to figure out. Here's what they have to say about bringing Wally into their operation:
Wally will lead us in various areas including:
- Digital Pathology - Bring in a sample of a plant material with an insect or disease problem for diagnosis using a Celestron digital microscope.
- Emails with topical gardening information.
- Workshops and seminars presented at Berthold's Seminar Building.
- Presentations to garden clubs on various horticultural topics.
- Expanded selection of 'green' gardening of curatives and amendments and how to properly use these organic/natural products.
- Additional varieties of vegetables and herbs that perform well in our Chicago land area.
If you need any horticultural help, please stop in and find out why Wally has earned the nickname "Dr. Wally" from his customers and associates in the industry!
I couldn't have said it any better. Throughout the year, you can expect gardening tips from "Dr. Wally," some of which will be posted on this very website.
Amy Stewart: In search of the perfect horticultural cocktail
Here she goes again.
Amy Stewart has a knack for writing horticultural books that...well, that people actually want to read. C'mon, who wouldn't want to cozy up in the bathroom with titles like Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities or Wicked Bugs: The Louse that Conquered Napoleon's Army & Other Diabolical Insects or The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms. I'll bet you want to click on one of those links and order a book this very minute.
This time, she's written a book about the world's favorite pasttime: drinking. To be more precise, the book is called The Drunken Botanist: The Plants that Create the World's Great Drinks, and it's about how horticulture and alcohol intersect. She writes:
It would be impossible to describe every plant that has ever flavored an alcoholic beverage. I am certain that at this very moment, a craft distiller in Brooklyn is plucking a weed from a crack in the sidewalk and wondering if it would make a good flavoring for a new line of bitters. Marc Wucher, an Alsatian eau- de- vie maker, once told a reporter, “We distill everything except our mothers- in- law,” and if you've ever been to Alsace, you know he wasn't exaggerating.
Here is how the book is organized:
Part I
we explore the twin alchemical processes of fermentation and distillation, from which wine, beer, and spirits issue forth Proceeding in an Orderly Fashion through the Alphabet: The Classics, from Agave to Wheat, Then Moving onto a Sampling of More Obscure Sources of Alcohol from around the World: Strange BrewsPart II
we then suffuse our creations with a wondrous assortment of nature's bounty Herbs & Spices, Flowers, Trees, Fruit, Nuts & Seeds.Part III
at last we venture into the garden, where we encounter a seasonal array of botanical mixers and garnishes to be introduced to the cocktail in its final stage of preparation Sorted in a Similar Fashion: Herbs, Flowers, Trees, Berries & Vines, Fruits & Vegetables; including Recipes and Sufficient Horticultural InstructionStewart also includes a fair number of cocktail recipes, including
Classic Margarita
The French Intervention
The Vavilov Affair
Prickly Pear Sangria
Bison Grass Cocktail
Moscow Mule
Dombey's Last Word
Dancing with the Green Fairy
The Douglas Expedition
The Frank Meyer Expedition
Buena Vista's Irish Coffee
Blushing MaryAnd a list of syrups, infusions and garnishes such as
Prickly Pear Syrup
Homemade Maraschino Cherries
Brine Your Own Olives
Limoncellow and Other LiqueursBefore you get started on your own, Stewart offers a few words of advice:
To those of you with more than a passing interest in distillation or mixology, I urge you to be wary of experimenting with unknown plants. As the author of a book on poisonous plants, I can tell you that dropping the wrong herb into a still or a bottle for the purpose of extracting its active ingredients might be your last act of creativity. I've included some warnings about deadly look-alikes and dangerous botanical relatives. Do remember that plants employ powerful chemicals as defenses against the very thing you want to do to them, which is to pluck them from the ground and devour them. Before you go foraging, get a reputable field guide and follow it closely.
By the way, Stewart will be in the area for the next couple of days. On Monday, April 8th, at 7 p.m., she appears at The Bookstall at 811 Elm Street, Winnetka. Then, on Tuesday, April 9th, The Standard Club of Chicago will be hosting a reception and luncheon for Stewart at 11:30 a.m. That evening at
7 p.m., Anderson’s Books in Naperville will be hosting a Drunken Botanist party with an assortment of cocktail-friendly plants!
Who says horticulturists don't know how to party? Ladies and gentlemen, start your cocktails!Sand mine moratorium in LaSalle County?
File this story under the heading, "Too little, too late." County Board to consider moratorium on new sand mines, reads the story from The Times in Ottawa, Illinois, dated April 3, 2013. The article was sent to me by a concerned citizen down that way. Here's how it starts:
Next Thursday [April 11] the La Salle County Board will consider placing a moratorium on new sand mines in rural areas.
The moratorium would extend until Friday, Nov. 1, to give the county time to update its 5-year-old comprehensive plan.
The moratorium would not cease operations for any existing sand mines or prevent the start of sand mines "grandfathered" in the county zoning ordinance.
Neither would it prevent municipalities from annexing land for sand mine operations, such as Utica has done.So while it might prevent future rural sand mines in the area, it doesn't seem to have any bearing on the proposed mine outside of Starved Rock State Park. One more part of the story that I think you should read:
[ Mike Harsted, the county's director of Environmental Services and Land Use] was philosophical on the issue.
"Ten years ago if the citizens of La Salle County would have taken part in the preparation and processing of the La Salle County comprehensive plan and the La Salle County zoning ordinance we probably wouldn't be having this discussion on sand pits today," he said.
"But instead, everybody spent their time and money in voting against countywide zoning because it put too many restrictions on the citizens. Well, guess what? Ten years later, low and behold, we didn't put enough on. And they rely on you to right this for them."Cautionary tale?
Tracy Yang from the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club writes to people in LaSalle County::
Now is our chance to start making a difference. We are planning to get something out on Monday next week, but if you all have time to pass on this list (http://www.lasallecounty.org/flctybrd/board_members.htm ) to your local networks before then, I would encourage you to get the word out to others and start making these calls now!
I also encourage you all to be present during the vote to continue applying pressure on your board members.
March 31, 2013Dr. Allan Armitage is "Going Crazy"
It's a pleasure to welcome Dr. Allan Armitage back to the show. I know that we chatted sometime in the past five years but I can't remember exactly when. Not that it matters. The point is that he will be speaking at "Going Garden Crazy," the 2013 Spring Symposium for the La Porte County Master Gardener Association. Appropriately enough, his talk (at 9:45 a.m.) is called "Crazy Plants for Crazy Gardeners."
Among his accomplishments, Armitage is Professor Emeritus of Horticulture at the University of Georgia, and is the Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor Liberty Hyde Bailey Recipient from the American Horticultural Society. He is the author of 13 books (the latest, as of 2011, is the 2nd edition of Armitage's Garden Perennials), and he writes a monthly column in Greenhouse Grower.
His latest ventures include an online course which he describes as "The Greatest Perennial Course on Earth !" Of course, he says that tongue in cheek, but it's obvious that he is proud of Perennials for the Sun. It's his first Internet course for gardeners and landscapers, and it features 20 genera, with oral presentations, photos, videos and yes, tests on each one. A section on Nomenclature and Taxonomy is also included. It is, as he explains, "For those who always wanted to learn more but did not have the opportunity, no more excuses."
Not only that, but his horticultural app is about to hit the market--that is, as soon as it gets released from Apple prison (the review process). It is called Armitage's Greatest Perennials & Annuals and here are some of the features:
• Over 70 genera, over 300 different selections, and over 350 photos
• Search by Plant Type, Sun, Shade and USDA Climate Zone. Information easily found on heights and flowering times
• Opinions by Dr. Armitage on why we should be growing certain plants
• Pithy information in Dr. Armitage's no nonsense style
• Works on all tablets and smartphones.
• For more info, email amarmitage@earthlink.net.Finally, he has more awards and honors than your cable system has channels. However, that doesn't stop him from having a very down-to-earth approach to gardening:
I bet if I asked 500 gardeners today to describe in a single word why they garden, I would hear the same three words that gardeners used 20 years ago: creativity, excitement, and therapeutic. Wouldn't you agree? Creativity occurs every time you place a couple of plants in the soil, and playing in that soil is therapeutic, especially when the stress of work, kids, and spouse may drive you to drink. And yes, gardening is exciting. Maybe not NASCAR exciting, but we are a simple lot, and prefer to watch plants succeed than to smell cars going around in circles for 500 miles.
Nonetheless, there are a number of gardeners I have found best to avoid. Heaven help you when you meet someone who wants to correct your plant pronunciation. Truly, does it really matter if you say pan-ic-ew-lay' ta or pan-ic-ew-lah' ta? And who really cares if you say clem' a-tis instead of cle-mat' is? Simply tell them that Armitage says: “Get the syllables in the right order and fire away!” Such frustrated people have too much time on their hands. They should garden more.
I also run for the hills when plant snobs show up: people who won't grow annuals, or live only for a certain genus, or those who believe that only native plants should be in gardens. There are places for all these things. Even though I dislike rose gardens, I love roses and simply believe that they are best combined with other plants. Let's be gardeners, not associations.Neither do I have patience with people who advise me that my garden is not well designed. Long ago I learned I don't have the discipline to stay with any plant or any garden design - there are simply too many things to try. My design philosophy finds me with a plant in one hand and a shovel in the other, looking for a place to plant the sucker. Although I am not capable of practicing it, I love good design. Like the famous comment about pornography, “I can't define it, but I recognize it when I see it,” such are my comments about garden design. And my garden is just fine, thank you.
The Going Garden Crazy 2013 Spring Symposium is Saturday, April 13, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. CDT at the Heston Hills Conference Center, 1933 East 800 North, LaPorte, Indiana 46350. Just $35 gets you the conference AND lunch. How can you go wrong? Click here to register online.
Or call 219-324-9407.Jim and Jamie Dutcher work in defense of wolves
We have entered an era of not just misguided but stupid politics and policy. This past week, President Barack Obama signed into law H.R. 933, a continuing resolution spending bill approved by Congress. But the kick in the shins is a provision buried 78 pages within the bill that protects biotech corporations such as the Monsanto Company from litigation. In fact, you've probably already heard of the "Monsanto Protection Act," which opponents have come to call this bill.
Did Obama know that this provision was in the bill? Of course he did. But it has become so difficult in Washington to get any budget bill passed that he really had no choice but to sign it, or risk another round of brinkmanship with the dysfunctional Congress. The repulsive and indefensible clause was sneaked in by legislators bought and sold by industry. The silver lining is that the bill expires in six months, and hundreds of thousands of people have voiced their opposition and are calling on Obama to issue an executive order to call for the mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods.
Flash back to almost exactly two years ago, when a very similar thing happened, again because of stupid politics:
On April 14, 2011, the United States Congress made a radical and unprecedented move. For the first time in the 37-year history of the Endangered Species Act, the legislative body removed an animal from that list. That animal was the gray wolf. Until then, delisting was a laborious process, requiring lengthy scientific review and a consensus of government agencies. The wolf now stands as the lone exception. It's a stretch even to say that Congress voted on the issue; the delisting itself never came up for a vote. Instead the fatal bit of legislation was intentionally buried deep within the federal budget bill: It was attached as an unrelated rider. While furious debate and news coverage focused on the debt ceiling, the wolf quietly lost its federal protection in Idaho and Montana. The new law paved the way for further state-by-state delisting. There was no debate, no consensus, no input from scientists. There was only politics.
That passage is taken from a fabuous and important new book, The Hidden Life of Wolves by Jim and Jamie Dutcher, who join me on the program this morning. They just spent some time in Chicago, where their exhibit, Living with Wolves, just opened at The Field Museum. It runs through July 7 of this year. Living with Wolves is also not so coincientally the name of their website.
There you'll see some of the remarkable photographs taken by Jim (already an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and cinematographer) and Jamie. They lived for six years in a tented camp at the edge of Idaho's Sawtooth Wilderness, where they not only introduced and observed the Sawtooth Wolf Pack, but became close enough to it to become trusted by the wolves, which allowed them to observe their most intimate behavior. Their experiences became the source of a series of films that garnered them three Emmys. To get just a taste of the world in which they lived, take a look at this short video.
Their goal is daunting: to dispel centuries of deep distrust that humans have for this most misunderstood of animals, most of it stemming from superstition and fear. It is that ignorance of the true nature of wolves that is behind the slaughter of eleven hundred of them in the U.S. in the two years since they were removed from the Endangered Species list. This is despite studies that show that where they have been allowed to repopulate, wolves are helping to restore balance to ecosystems.
Among the groups concerned with the irrational assault on wolves is Defenders of Wildlife, which even has a Wolf Weekly Wrap-up to detail the advances and setbacks in the cause of these mysterious animals.
Jim and Jamie Dutcher address the human hatred of wolves in their book, where they debunk as many myths as they can, starting with the idea that wolves are dangerous to people:
Reality: Wild wolves are generally afraid of people and avoid them. Along with other large animals like moose, cougars, and bears, wolves can be dangerous to people. However, incidents involving wolves are exceedingly rare. Over the past 100 years in North America, there have been only two cases in which wild wolves reportedly killed a human being. To put this statistic in contrast, also in North America, bears have killed at least 35 people since 2000, and, since 1990, cougars have killed nine. In the United States, domestic dogs kill approximately 30 people every year.
They do the same with the myth that wolves kill many cattle and sheep:
Reality: According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than six milllion head of cattle live in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, the three states where the vast majority of wolves in the West live. U.S. Fish and Wildlife reports for those states show that in 2011, wolves killed 180 head of cattle, or 1 cow out of every 33,666. In the same three states, 835,000 sheep live. U.S. Fish and Wildlife reports show that in 2011, wolves killed 162 sheep, or 1 in every 5,154. However because these losses are unevenly distributed, they can take a toll on a single producer.
But the most impressive case for wolves is made by the way this duo describes their interactions with the wolves. Jim and Jamie make a case for the notion that wolves aren't really that different from human beings. They live in families, sometimes nuclear, sometimes extended. They have distinct personalities. They show loyalty, playfulness, fear and courage. They are, in short, worthy travelers on our planet, and it's about time we gave up our superstitious notions of these creatures and began accepting them as part of a grander plan for nature.
March 24, 2013
A fracking moratorium setback and a composting victory--and the environmental community turns on itself
This was a week when anti-fracking forces hoped to put the breaks on that industry in the state of Illinois. The Illinois General Assembly debated on both fracking moratorium and fracking regulatory bills, though no billof them made it out of committee. Well, the truth is that a couple of the bills were sent to sub-committees, where they will languish. That's how things work in state government.
HB2615 (the regulatory bill) and HB3086 (moratorium and task force) failed in the House Revenue and Finance Committee. SB1418 (moratorium and task force) did not escape the Senate Energy Committee. By the way, if you want a good overview of the fracking issue in Illinois, go to this excellent overview at Chicago's Progressive Talk, put together by Our Town stalwart Fred Newson.
This followed a week in which it appeared that House Speaker Michael Madigan was coming out in favor of a fracking moratorium. At this point, it's hard to determine whether that was indeed the case or if it was just a political maneuver to get the oil and gas companies to support a tax structure--which the parties agreed to the very next day. Mission accomplished.
Meanwhile, environmentalists marched in front of the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago on Friday, to continue to push for a statewide moratorium on the procedure. Some of those same people are unhappy with some organizations--the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) , the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Illinois Environmental Council and others in the environmental movement for working on the so-called "regulatory bill."
In fact, this displeasure is on its way to becoming--or is possibly already--a serious schism among enviornmentalists in the state and has led to some soul searching.
To talk about both the fracking issue and the division in the ranks, I welcome Jennifer Walling from the Illinois Environmental Council, Jen Hensley from the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club and Tabitha Tripp from Southern Illinoisans Against Fracturing Our Environment.
However, it's not all bad news out of Springfield. Jennifer Walling reports that amendments to two bills both passed out of committee. Should these changes to the bills pass, it will be easier to do composting in the state. She writes:
I am pleased to share with you amendments to HB2335 and HB3319 . Click the links to view... Here's what they do.
HB2335 - Allows compost piles of up to 25 cubic yards to be exempt from a permit. Among other things, this will finally mean that community gardens can have composting operations that bring in materials from off site!
- the 1/8 mile setback from residences is removed for the city of Chicago for permitted facilities.
- The on farm composting exemption has been extended to urban and suburban areas. Urban and suburban farms will be able to compost on up to 2% of their property with materials brought in from off site.
- There is a 1/4 mile setback in the on farm composting for these areas, but it can be removed if the municipality where the site is located passes an ordinance to set a smaller setback.
HB3319 - Allows farmers to bring organic agricultural materials in from off site and also 10% additives (food scrap, etc.) from off site. This is for rural areas. We will be amending this bill in April to clarify that livestock bedding is also acceptable.Changing the way we view garbage, one bucket at a time
While we're on the subject of composting, I'm happy to introduce Erlene Howard, Owner of
Collective Resource, which might end up chaning the world. One can hope, anyway.
I met Erlene at GreenTown Highland Park last fall and when I discovered that she has a door-to-door food scap collecting business, I immediately knew that I wanted to interview her on my show. As she says on her website:Commercial composting is different than yard composting. At a commercial site you can compost anything that was once alive, including animal products and food soiled paper.
Door-to-door food scrap pickup service. We provide a 5 gallon bucket to your family and then weekly or biweekly pickup the food scraps and take them to a commercial compost site. We also leave a clean bucket for you to continue your collection for the next pickup. See if you are in our service area. To start, email erlene@collectiveresource.us with your address and daytime telephone number.As she also says, "IT IS NOT GARBAGE, It is nourishment for the planet." Here's a list of the scaps that she will pick up:
Meat, bones, fish, and seafood
Seafood shells
Fruits and vegetables
Eggs and eggshells
Milk, cheese, and other dairy
Dressings, condiments, sauces, and soups
Flour, bread, pasta, and pastries
Coffee grounds and filters
Nuts and nut shells
Spices, oils, and fats
Compostable Disposables
100% Paper plates and napkins
Corn based plastic cups and bottles
Remove all the labels from the fruit's skinsAnd, of course, there's my own slogan, "It's not garbage, it's future dirt."
The return of NIIPP's Cathy McGlynn
On March 3, Cathy McGlynn, coordinator for the Northeast Illinois Invasive Plant Partnership (NIIPP) appeared on my show all too briefly. I got caught up in my conversation with The Garden Professors and short-changed Cathy, so I promised to have her back on the program as soon as possible. Today is the day.
March 3rd through 9th was National Invasive Species Awareness Week. NIIPP was to have promoted that event as well as their green industry outreach efforts since the gardening season will be starting soon after. But as I reported then, of the federally mandated budget cuts (which we are just beginning to feel), there was no money for the Awareness Week programs. If you click on the above link, you'll see this message:
NOTICE:
ATTENTION - ON FEBRUARY 28TH DUE TO THE SEQUESTER - THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HAS CANCELLED ALL DOI SPONSORED NISAW EVENTS AT THE SHERATON HOTEL IN ARLINGTON, VIRGINIAObviously, the money is still unavailable. So much for fighting invasives, eh?
Cathy and I will talk today about a few ornamentals that you should be aware of...mainly because they are exotic invasives. It might shock you to learn that not only should you not be growing
Burning bush
Japanese barberry
Purple loosestrife
Japanese knotweed
Porcelain vine
Butterfly bush
Callery pear (Bradford Pear)but you shouldn't be able to buy them at garden centers and box stores. In fact, the City of Chicago has its own list of invasive plants and many states and regions have similar lists.
We'll do our best to make you unhappy about your plant choices this morning.It's the last day of the 2013 Alsip Flower & Garden Show
It was great fun to appear yesterday at Alsip Home & Nursery in Frankfort, Illinois, mainly because a bunch of listeners showed up to heckle me. Well, they were actually pretty supportive, so I thank them for that. And today, Sunday, March 24, is the final day of the 2013 Flower & Garden Show.
There are educational seminars, booths, vendors, raffles, prizes and more. Spring might eventually get here, but until then, this is your next best opportunity to enjoy the season.
March 17, 2013
Will there finally be a farm bill in 2013?
Every five years, a farm bill is passed by Congress. Um, it's supposed to be passed by Congress but, well, unless you've been hiding under a cantaloupe, you know just how functional our lawmakers are--even when it comes to setting the nation's agriculture and nutrition poliicies.Thus, what should have been known as the 2012 Farm Bill never happened.
Here are the dirty details, as reported by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition :
On New Year's Eve, the Senate passed a simple extension of the 2008 Farm Bill through September 30, 2013, as part of a much bigger legislative package to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. The House approved the Senate bill late on New Year's Day and President Obama signed it into law on January 2.
The fiscal cliff deal was the final death knell for the 2012 Farm Bill that the full Senate passed in June and that the House Agriculture Committee passed in July. The deal was also a very sudden death knell for the reasonable modified farm bill extension measure that NSAC worked diligently to promote over the past several months.
Approval of the simple farm bill extension also means that the new Congress that begins today [January 3, 2013] will have to start the process of reauthorizing a new, full five-year farm bill from scratch.
Well played, representatives of the people! And by that, I do mean the Republicans, led by the man who might be the most incompetent Speaker of the House in history, John Boehner. Read more about it here.
If you want more insight into how sausage isn't made, Grist has a summary of the machinations in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere that ended up in exactly nothing being done on the farm bill.
One person who has been keeping an eye on the bill is Wes King, interim executive director of the Illinois Stewardship Alliance. He joined me on the show in June (!!!) when the bill passed the U.S. Senate. I didn't suspect then that we'd be meeting again in March of the following year to speculate about when the bill might finally arrive on the President's desk. But that's what we'll do this morning.
In support of urban trees
Chris Mest is a guy who likes trees a lot. So do I and so do many people but Chris tends to be vocal about it. Which is why he is involved in Tree Care Advisor. And which is why I have him on the show today. He made me aware of a study just published in 2012 that reported that
tree cover in urban areas of the United States is on the decline at a rate of about 7900 ha/yr [hectares per year] or 4.0 million trees per year. Tree cover in 17 of the 20 analyzed cities had statistically significant declines in tree cover, while 16 cities had statistically significant increases in impervious cover. Only one city (Syracuse, NY) had a statistically significant increase in tree cover. City tree cover was reduced, on average, by about 0.27 percent/yr, while impervious surfaces increased at an average rate of about 0.31 percent/yr.
And yet, there are tree planting programs all over the country; they are touted by municipalities all of the time. The Chicago Tree Initiative, begun under former Mayor Richard M. Daley, still has a website, but the program has been been discontinued. Meanwhile, the list of the 10 Best Cities for Urban Forests doesn't include Chicago. Coincidence?
Mest has other worries about trees:
Many municipalities are more concerned with parkway trees as liabilities instead of assets. They are quick to remove a tree instead of considering the possible remedies (cabling, rods, proper pruning). Some homeowners do take ownership of the trees on their parkway. They would be willing to pay the expense of maintaining them as opposed to having them removed. Why not loosen rules to allow a homeowner to pay for maintenance of a parkway tree? In one instance a homeowner got the okay to plant two trees on his parkway. Then, years later, one of the trees developed a crack in the trunk. He consulted a certified arborist who told him that by using cables in the canopy and rods through the trunk the tree could be kept alive. The homeowner then called the village arborist who’s first reaction when he saw the tree was that it had to be removed because it was a liability. Why not let the homeowner spend his money to keep the tree alive? In other metropolitan areas around the country, homeowners help foot the bill to maintain public trees. Why not here?
In addition to Chris Mest, I'm very pleased to have Shawn Kingzette on the show today. Shawn is with the Davey Tree Expert Company, which owns The Care of Trees, a great sponsor of my program.
Don't miss the 2013 Alsip Flower & Garden Show
Speaking of great sponsors, I'm pleased to have Alsip Home & Nursery back as a sponsor of my show this year. And next week, Saturday and Sunday, March 23 and 24, is their 2013 Flower & Garden Show--not to be confused with the 2013 Chicago Flower & Garden Show, which is coming to a close at Navy Pier today.
The Alsip version features educational seminars, booths, vendors, raffles, prizes and even...me. I will be speaking at the Frankfort store at 20601 S. LaGrange Road in Frankfort, Illinois at 11 am on Saturday, March 23. Of course, the garden show is also happening at their store in St. John, 10255 Wicker Avenue in St. John, Indiana.
Today I'm happy to have Alsip CEO Richard Christakes back on my show to talk about this big spring event. The only question seems to be whether or not there will be a real spring to celebrate. But after last year, I'm happy to have a nice, slow run up to spring. Take your time, I say.
Earth Hour is Saturday, March 23
Once again, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is asking homes, businesses and landmarks to switch off their lights for one hour on Saturday, March 23 at 8:30 p.m. local time for Earth Hour , the single, largest, symbolic mass participation event in the world. Started in one city--Sydney, Australia--in 2007, Earth Hour has now spread to 152 countries and to over 7,000 cities and towns.In Chicago, for example, the Willis Tower, the Wrigley Building and the CNA Center Building will be turning off all non-essential lights. In addition, the Empire State Building in New York City and the MGM Grand in Las Vegas will go dark.
March 10, 2013
A show filled with legends
Legend #1: Bill Kurtis
Many of you are probably aware that news anchor Bill Kurtis recently made news when it was announced that he and co-anchor Walter Jacobson would not be renewing their contract with CBS2 Chicago, after being reunited for two and a half years.
But often, one door closing simply means another opens. At more or less the same time, Kurtis revealed that he will be the host of a new series of short radio segments about the environment, entitled "Earth Matters." Interestingly enough, the first station to sign on was WCPT, Chicago's Progressive Talk.
So I had to have him on my program to get a preview, since Earth Matters launches on Monday, March 11. Of course, many of you are aware of his involvement with the A&E shows Investigative Reports , American Justice, and Cold Case Files . You might also know that he founded Tallgrass Beef Company after learning about the health and environmental benefits of grass-fed beef.
It is indeed an honor to have Bill Kurtis on my program this morning to talk about the state of our fragile environment. I hope he will return from time to time.
Legends #2 and #3: Jim Slama and Vicki Nowicki
The Good Food Festival comes to Chicago next Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 14 through 16, and it's becoming kind of a tradition on my show to have Jim Slama and Vicki Nowicki stop by to speak about this excellent local food event. In fact, the Good Food Festival and Conference (previously called the FamilyFarmed Expo) is considered by some to be the leading food event in the country. Part of the reason is that it is so far-reaching in scope! It includes a Financing Conference , Trade Show, School Food and Food Policy Summits, and a Saturday Festival that celebrates Good Food.
The man behind the plan is Legend #2, Jim Slama. For the past two decades, Jim Slama has been a national leader in promoting environmental sustainability and the Good Food Movement. He is the founder and President of FamilyFarmed.org, which encourages the production, marketing and distribution of locally grown and responsibly produced food. FamilyFarmed.org expands the market for local farmers and food producers by advancing the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) movement, training farmers to adopt best practices in food safety, playing an integral role in public policy, and supporting farmers to develop new wholesale markets.
Vicki Nowick is Legend #3 because she and husband Ron have been permaculture practitioners for more than 30 years--long before that word even existed. Their businesses, The Land Office and Liberty Gardens, combine the concepts excellent landscaping with sustainability and food production. From The Land Office website:
We are convinced that the beautiful and healthy landscapes we help to create are made so not just by decades of hands-on design experience and a high level of ecological literacy, but also by satisfying the objectives of: increasing biodiversity, conserving energy and resources, enhancing the educational potential of the landscape and helping others to make strong and lasting connections to the natural world.
It's a pleasure to have them back on the show.
Legend #4: Mel Bartholomew
Anybody who knows anything about gardening knows that Mel Bartholomew is a true legend. After all, you don't sell two million books by accident.
In 1981, after several years of experimentation, he published the ground-breaking (if you'll forgive the gardening pun) Square Foot Gardening, which is no longer just a book but an entire foundation. So what nerve did Mel hit when he published this book that made it such a phenomenon?
Actually, he hit several nerves. Look at just some of his secrets to gardening success:
- Plant a mixture of flowers, vegetables and herbs to create the garden of your dreams.
- Spend only an hour per week maintaining your garden.
- Grow twice as much in half the space using Mel's special organic soil mix.
- Eliminate heavy work like tilling, hoeing or constant weeding.
- Take an Earth-friendly approach to gardening. Grow green!
- Make gardening so simple & easy you can learn it in less than an hour.
- Bring your garden right up close to your kitchen door instead of way out back like old-fashioned single-row gardens.
But how long will it take? In his lectures, Mel tells his audiences that
if they are new at gardeing, or perhaps afraid or overwhelmed by the idea of starting a garden, they will be able to learn this simple method of gardening in just an hour or two. Howevber, if they are already "expert" gardeners, it will probably take them about two weeks!
After reading that, I'm really looking forward to talking to Mel Bartholomew. If you want to see him in person, he is speaking at the Chicago Flower & Garden Show on Monday, March 11 at 6:15 p.m. Here's what I suggest. Grab a quick bite to eat after work, head on over to Navy Pier, and take advantage of this opportunity to learn from a real gardening legend.
Legend #5: Jennifer Brennan
Okay, I know what you're thinking: "Yeah, yeah, yeah. You work with Jennifer Brennan on Dig In Chicago and you're just blowing smoke." Well, guess what, gentle reader. I am NOT blowing smoke.Jennifer joins me this morning to critique the 2013 Chicago Flower & Garden Show at Navy Pier. Yes, she is my co-host on our TV show Dig In Chicago, which is returning for a second season. We're excited to announce that we are moving to WCIU "The U" for 2013. We will be on their "U Too" Channel, 26.2 in the Chicago area, and on the Comcast, RCN and WOW cable networks. It's a definite step up for us.
Starting in mid-April, Dig In Chicago will move to its new time slot, 8:30 a.m. on the "U Too" Channel, following P. Allen Smith Gardens. We hope you will join us as we continue to explore the great variety of Chicago gardens and food.
But back to Jennifer. I have known her for fifteen years, and if there is a more knowledgeable and nicer person in the horticultural business, I don't know who it is. I am more than honored to have her on my team. She's the best.
March 3, 2013
Starved Rock: the fight to preserve the state park continues
It was December 12, 2012 when the latest salvo was fired in the fight to preserve Starved Rock State Park from a frac sand mine. That's when a coalition of environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, Openlands and Prairie Rivers Network stood up for Illinois citizens and filed suit against the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). They claimed that the agency's November, 2012 decision to approve Phase I of the Mississippi Sand LLC mine that would be sited opposite the eastern entrance to the park was "arbitrary and capricious."
I received word from Tracy Yang of the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club, who joins us on the show this morning, that Sierra Club, Prairie Rivers Network, and Openlands have heard from the lawyers for IDNR and the lawyers for MS Sand. Both sets of opposing counsel replied with motions to dismiss the complaint. The lawyers for the environmental groups will respond no later than March 12, 2013.
Meanwhile, in 2013, the battle continues. LaSalle County seems hell-bent on approving as many frac sand mines as they possibly can. And now Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) Company has entered the picture.The company hopes to use their facility off Route 71, which is already used for transporting agricultural products, as the sand shipping terminal for the Mississippi Sand Mine.On Monday, March 4, the City of Ottawa Planning Commission will hold a public hearing in the Council City Chambers, 301 W Madison Street, Ottawa at 7 pm on the use of the ADM barge terminal for frac sand shipping. ADM is seeking annexation and zoning of the three parcels to "R" rural, and a conditional use to use the parcels for barge fleeting and shipping sand.
While this seems like a peripheral issue, it is yet another key part of the establishment of the Mississippi Sand operation. It's also an opportunity for the public to show up and be heard--especially Ottawa residents, who have concerns about truck traffic and dust pollution.
Tracy Yang writes about several issues concerning the proposed sand mine:Health Concerns
Recently, Dr. Crispin Pierce from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire conducted and published some research related to non-occupational health hazards associated with silica sand mining. Major points to consider are that Wisconsin DNR's modeling program to predict PM 2.5 levels over a 24 hours period (Particulate Matter with diameter of 2.5 microns or less- the sizes that are known to cause silicosis) underestimates the maximum levels actually found. Freshly-fractured crystalline silica, such as that emitted during mining and processing, is significantly more toxic than "weathered" silica. There is also evidence that freshly-fractured silica causes more lung reactivity and inflammation than weathered ("aged") silica: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nas/rdrp/appendices/chapter3/a3-70.pdf , http://www.sertox.com.ar/img/silicosis_article.pdf .
Legislation
Currently, the federal government is considering new legislation to update the 1968 laws for occupational exposure to silica dust. Labor unions recognize that the current laws in place are dated and do not accurately protect workers. What does this say about the current understanding of risks related to non-occupational dust exposure, which were formulated at the same time?
It's true, Illinois is currently examining 2 fracking bills (HB 2615 and HB 3086), discussed in our director's latest blog posting here, but these are focused on fracking and do not cover sand mining safeguards.Minnesota has recognized these concerns, and a few days ago a fracking sand moratorium bill passed in the state's Senate Energy and Environment Committee. The measure would provide for a statewide study on the health and environmental impacts, and the creation of a regional oversight board to set mining standards. It also would authorize local governments to tax companies that mine, transport or process silica sand. This is a big step towards protecting human and environmental health (in MN)! Other governing bodies are starting to recognize the negative impacts of frac sand mining, I hope the Planning Commission can recognize that more study and discussion is needed here in the heart of the frac sand boom!
Tracy notes that on Thursday, March 14 she will be giving a lecture on frac sand mining and Starved Rock at Ottawa's Reddick Library (1010 Canal St. Ottawa, IL 61350) from 6:30-8:30 pm.
Finally, you should be aware that you can have a real say in how our state conserves and protects our natural resources by attending the 2013 Conservation Congress. It's a bi-annual event that allows citizens to become involved in a formal process to propose and advocate actions to protect and conserve the natural resources of the State of Illinois.IDNR is currently prepar ing for the September 2013 Conservation Congress by hosting a series of discussions at forums around the state. The topic areas include water resources, outdoor recreation, fish conservation and fishing, hunting, recreational public access, state parks, mines and minerals and more.
Here's where they will be held:
March 4, 5: Quad Cities. Western Illinois Campus 7-9 pm.
March 12, 13, 14: Chicago. South Shore Cultural Center, 7-9 pm.
March 21, 22: Belleville. Southwestern Illinois College, 7-9 pm.If you're wondering why you should show up, how about voicing your opinion about frac mining reform? Want to attend, but not sure what to say? Send an email to Tracy Yang (tracy.yang@sierraclub.org ) and she will send you a list of Sierra Club's talking points to help you get started.
By the way, it's not too late to write to Governor Pat Quinn and tell him what you think. We haven't heard anything out of the Governor's office. We haven't heard anything from Mr. Environment on this issue, and it's about time we did.
Wilmette goes green
I became aware of Go Green Wilmette when I saw show contributor Lisa Albrecht and her friend Drew Solomon do a Climate Reality presentation for them earlier this year. They made sure that I knew about GOING GREEN MATTERS, Sunday, March 10th from 1–5 pm at the Woman's Club of Wilmette, 930 Greenleaf Avenue.
Margaret Martin-Heaton from Go Green Wilmette joins us this morning to say that there will be 100 exhibitorsand demonstrations on a wide variety of environmental topics. Whether you're a green novice or an expert, there will be plenty of information. Topics include home energy conservation, renewable energy resources, green cleaning products, organic food choices, green landscaping, transportation, composting, growing your own food, and more.
You can visit the enlarged "Interactive Eco Zone" with displays for all ages, check out the expanded hybrid and electric car exhibit, view the nature photography exhibit and stop by the Go Green Cafe. Bring your batteries, electronics and Styrofoam for recycling. Free admission. For more information about Going Green Matters, visit www.goinggreenmatters.org.
The Garden Professors are in the house (so check your facts)
I can't remember exactly when I first discovered Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott. She is Associate Professor at Washington State University I do know that I was at Gargantua Radio down the dial, and I had become aware of her Horticultural Myths column. In it, she rails against a lot of conventional horticultural wisdom, in articles that range from discussions on bone meal to invasive species to disinfecting pruning tools and, one of my favorties, landscape fabric. (Rule of thumb: It might be fabric but it ain't landscaping.) She is also the author of The Informed Gardener and The Informed Gardener Blooms Again.
So I interviewed her on the big, 50,000-watt blow torch and tucked her name in my memory. A couple of years ago, when she came out with Sustainable Landscapes and Gardens: good science - practical application, I invited her to be on my new show.
At about that time, I became aware of a guy named Jeff Gillman. He is Associate Professor, University of Minnesota He had written a book called The Truth About Garden Remedies. In it, he debunked a lot of conventional horticultural wisdom (hmm, I'm sensing a pattern here) by using--oddly enough--SCIENCE! Since then, he has authored or co-authored The Truth About Organic Gardening, Decoding Gardening Advice, and more.
Then, the strangest thing happened. The two of them teamed up with Dr. Bert Cregg, Associate Professor at Michigan State University and Dr. Holly Scoggins, Associate Professor at Virginia Tech to create something called The Garden Professors. Suddenly, truth in gardening was fashionable! What will they think of next?
Not only do they have a blog, they're on Facebook, too. In fact, I think I caused a bit of a ruckus when, on an FB group called #GardenChat, I noted that Chalker-Scott and Gillman would be on the show today. Suddenly, there was a hot and heavy conversation about compost tea (really!) and the fur was flying!
It is with just a small amount of trepidation that I welcome both Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott and Jeff Gillman to The Mike Nowak Show. I'm girding my loins.
Sequestration hits home on my show
Cathy McGlynn, coordinator for the Northeast Illinois Invasive Plant Partnership (NIIPP) is back on the show today, and in a weird way, is illustrating how the sequestration that started on Saturday affects real programs.March 3rd through 9th is National Invasive Species Awareness Week. NIIPP was to have promoted that event as well as their green industry outreach efforts since the gardening season will be starting soon after.
One problem. Because of the mandated budget cuts, there is no money for the Awareness Week programs. If you click on the above link, you'll see this message:
NOTICE:
ATTENTION - ON FEBRUARY 28TH DUE TO THE SEQUESTER - THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HAS CANCELLED ALL DOI SPONSORED NISAW EVENTS AT THE SHERATON HOTEL IN ARLINGTON, VIRGINIASo much for fighting invasives, eh?
Actully, some things will continue. For instance, NIIPP will be at the Chicago Flower & Garden Show from March 9th to 17th.
And Cathy and I will talk today about a few ornamentals that you should be aware of...mainly because they are exotic invasives. It might shock you to learn that not only should you not be growing
Burning bush
Japanese barberry
Purple loosestrife
Japanese knotweed
Porcelain vine
Butterfly bush
Callery pear (Bradford Pear)but you shouldn't be able to buy them at garden centers and box stores. In fact, the City of Chicago has its own list of invasive plants and many states and regions have similar lists.
We'll do our best to make you unhappy about your plant choices this morning.
February 24, 2013
In studio: the man, the M.A., the meteorologist...Rick DiMaio!
You spoke and I listened.
What I mean is that I get emails and Facebook messages and Tweets about the show meteorologist Rick DiMaio. And most of those folks tell me that they can't get enough of the Rickster. In fact, they often chide me that I don't give him enough time on the show! Geez, kids, he already gets more air time than they give Tom Skilling at WGN-TV! I can't turn over my whole program to him!
Well, I suppose I could, but then it would have to be called The Rick DiMaio Show and I'm certainly not going to let that happen.
But I did invite him to the WCPT studios, where he has yet to make an appearance, and...he said "yes!" Go figure.
So get your meteorological and climate change questions ready this morning, because the first hour of the show is devoted to those issues. Some of the things we might cover:
- Chilling Discovery from Russian Caves: 1.5 °C Warming Will Melt Permafrost Unleashing Carbon Bomb
- 50yearforecast is an independent website built to facilitate an open, apolitical dialogue about the connection between climate change and extreme weather.
- The NRDC has a site called Extreme Weather Map 2012, where you can see just how crazy our weather was last year.
- Regardless of the snow we're getting this week, we need to be aware that "season creep" is resulting in shorter, warmer winters and earlier springs.
- Kerry comes out swinging on climate change
- Time Is Running Out to Avert a Third Summer of Drought
Of course, in addition to his radio and TV appearances, Rick teaches at a number of colleges and universities in the Chicago area. So I'll ask him about what is in his current lesson plans and what his students think about the connection--and the difference--between weather and climate change.I hope you can join us.
Forward on Climate Rally--a post mortem
As you might know, show contributor Lisa Albrecht and I were in Washington, D.C. last week for the Forward on Climate Rally and march to the White House. 350.org is crowing about the great media coverage of the event.
Of course, The Mike Nowak Show covered it live from the National Mall (the only live radio coverage, as far as I can tell), and you can hear the podcast of that show here.
Lisa and I will take a few minutes this morning to talk about our reactions to this important gathering of environmentally minded people. By the way, if you want to know what's at stake, you might consider reading this article by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. about why he decided to get arrested at the White House a few days before the rally.
How to clean your house...without poisoning the environment
In the past few weeks, show contributor Rob Kartholl have been talking about the "Big Commie Garden Fabcon," otherwise known and Connecting Chicago Community Gardeners, which was held yesterday at the Chicago Center for Green Technology.
In a word, Wow!
More than 200 community gardeners packed the facility for a day-long conversation about how Chicago community gardeners can create and sustain the projects in their neighborhoods. I was proud to be part of this ground-breaking event, which I hope will lead to a permanent community gardening organization in Chicago.
One of the attendees was Qae-Dah Muhammad, who is with the Ashe Park Community Garden on the City's south side along the lake.
On Saturday, March 9 at the South Shore Library, Qae-Dah will conduct a workshop designed to inspire people to do their Spring cleaning with non-toxic household cleaners that they can mix themselves. She will explain why they should consider doing this, and present some of the health and economic benefits.
In her own words, "I’m aiming to take the initiative & inspire people who are willing to step outside of their comfort zone to try something different -- not new -- but different and safer. After learning about some of the toxic chemicals that can hide out in household cleaners, we’ll mix up our own cleaners from safe ingredients like vinegar and baking soda."
Today, Qae-Dah is on my program, along with her mentor in this crusade--Cassidy Randall from Women's Voices for the Earth (WVE). They wiill discuss the organization’s role in lobbying our legislators for policies to protect us from toxic chemicals, and demanding that the manufacturers who produce hazardous consumer products become more environmentally friendly. They'll also discuss the impact that toxic chemicals can have on the health of infants, women, the elderly, and our eco-systems.The One Earth Film Festival is next weekend
Last year I interviewed Ana Garcia Doyle about the inaugural One Earth Film Festival, created by Green Community Connections, which took place April 27-29, 2012 in Oak Park & River Forest. More than 500 people attended 30+ screenings of compelling environmental films. This great event is back this year, along with its mission to create opportunities for understanding climate change, sustainability and the power of human involvement.
Among the films that will be shown this year are "Chasing Ice," "Genetic Roulette," "Soul Food Junkies," and, a new feature, the “One Earth . . . Our Earth!” Young Filmmakers Contest for students from upper elementary school through college.
I'm pleased to have Ana back with me, along with Léa Kichler, winner of the High School category. Lea's film is called "Let's Talk About Water." You can view it here.
Our man in Angola, David J. Zaber
David J. Zaber is the kind of guy who makes me humble. If you go to his Facebook page, you will see that he is an"environmental scientist with expertise in natural resource assessment, planning, and management, regulatory policy, and science education. Award-winning science educator with research experience in field ecology, environmental and ecotoxicology, and landscape ecology. Author and/or co-author of numerous scientific articles and other publications. Background working with diverse groups including private business, governmental agencies (including Native American tribes), non-governmental organizations, and individuals on a range of natural resource issues."
He is also a fan of my show, and for that, I'm grateful. He was recently sent to the country of Angola to do some social and environmental work. Here's a report he sent to me:
There is so much to talk about but what continues to amaze me is the wonderful and happy and friendly people who persist in the face of the worst grinding poverty I have ever seen. The Agronomy station is 2000 acres of land with a large section of old growth Miombo woodland ecosystem. Low tree diversity but amazing bird and insect diversity and plants too. The soils are super acidic so there is problems with nutrient uptake etc. I've been teaching water quality and advising on lower risk pesticides and IPM. For example, they are doing research on potatoes but have problems with mildews and white flies. When I went to the potato section, I immediately saw the problem: plastic containers for individual plants that do not drain readily. Since potatoes need to drain each day, this is what is causing the mildew problems. I suggested they experiment with soil amendments that facilitate drainage to alleviate the problem and to allow birds into the facility for predation.
My main task, however, is to set up the station's water quality monitoring program for human health and environmental protection. Huambo province is in the middle of the country on a plateau referred to as the "alta plana" and this is where the major rivers of the nation begin. The spring is the headwaters of the Cunene River, one of the most pristine rivers in the nation. We have now established permanent site markings for their long-term monitoring program and I'm teaching several technicians basic water quality sampling techniques and habitat assessment (benthic invertebrates). I am also providing guidance on protection of the spring orifice where people get their water but trample the shit out of the place. We've discussed placing a small access "bridge" (one flattened log) in a location that would provide safe access while protecting the spring pool and riparian zone for downstream users. I have now seen my first shade grown coffee tree, the biggest avocado tree I've ever seen, and several other fruit trees. I've also met the man who single-handedly saved the station from total destruction during the war but there is serious damage remaining.
Malaria is rampant here for several reasons -which DO NOT include the banning of DDT as the detestable right-wingers claim. First, I have not seen one screen (opps the electricity just went out in the city so I had to go start the diesel generator using leaded fuels....argh) on any window anywhere yet. Second, pooling polluted water during the rainy season (now) provides perfect habitat for Aedes egypti, the mosquito that carries the malaria disease) and these pools are everywhere since the entire infrastructure was destroyed and the sidewalks are torn up, sewers don't work, etc. Third, they plant corn directly next to their homes and the mosquito eats corn pollen so they thrive in the degraded habitat that has no natural predators. I've explained to the station how Zygopterans (dragonflies) are critical for predation in small pools and we've seen several species at the spring albeit depleted in numbers. They quickly understood. Moreover, very few people have bed nets. Finally, the pesticides they are using in the urban areas are often ones banned in the USA. The one I quickly noticed was spray cans containing DDVP or Vapona. This is a Shell product (go figure) that used to be in the Shell No-Pest strips. It was banned because DDVP vaporizes and settles on cold surfaces with residues remaining for years and is metabolized to vinyl chloride if it doesn't kill you first. It is a strong human carcinogen (one of the few organophosphate that do cause cancer) and toxic to the fetus. I have warned people about it and suggested alternatives. So, next time some a__hole blames Rachel Carson for millions of malaria deaths, I'm gonna......Huambo province, despite extremely acidic soils, was once the breadbasket for Angola but now the production is much lower. That's the main goal of the station: to help production in the face of these challenges and to provides services to help determine the safety of water supplies for human consumption and agriculture use (I'm addiing in environmental protection too). Entire families work at the station yet 8 people have been killed over the past few years from cobras (snakes). Im not sure what type but the research team immediately understood why I take a long stick with me and beat the brush before I tread.
Women appear to do much of the very hard physical work everywhere I've been and they are treated as second class citizens. Thus, I've made a point to ensure that women are not doing all the lugging of our "equipment" which the men appear willing to allow. They've laughed at me but get it when I insist they share the loads. I love these people.
There is so much more to say but I'll leave it at that. I'm going to the country tomorrow to see a national park and hopefully see the national symbol: Hippotragus niger variani - the Giant Black Sable Antelope. As with virtually all the big animals (Angola used to be one of the best places to see them) have been poached out of existence during the war, there is a desperate attempt to save them that appears to be working. (ok, I did write more!)
We can discuss anything you think the listeners would be interested in. I promise I won't speak in my terrible broken Portuguese (which is getting better now that I'm immersed in it).
I'm speechless. And I don't even speak Portuguese. David joins me on the show today to talk about his experiences in Angola.
February 17, 2013
Live from Forward on Climate in Washington, D.C. this morning!
This one is going to be short and sweet...though the state of our climate is anything but sweet.
I've been on the road for a couple of days, taking the slow boat to Washington, D.C. and what will possibly be the largest climate rally in history today, Sunday, February 17. Organized by the Sierra Club and 350.org, the Forward on Climate Rally kicks off from the Washington Monument with a speakers like Bill McKibben, Michael Brune, Van Jones, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Maria Cardona, the Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Chief Jacqueline Thomas of the Saik'uz First Nation, and Crystal Lameman of the Beaver Lake Cree First Nations, with a concert from Grammy-winning artist Eve.
Then it's a march to the White House to make sure that President Barack Obama hears loud and clear that the status quo on climate change is not even close to adequate. Frankly, his the "all-of-the above strategy" that he spoke of in his State of the Union Address makes some environmentalists nervous and a lot of them--like me--angry.
If the President isn't sure how to move forward, he might consider advice from the Natural Resources Defense Council, which has has devised a proposal that will, in its words,
help the Administration create jobs, grow the economy, and curb climate change by going after the country's largest source of climate-changing pollution: emissions from hundreds of existing power plants. NRDC's proposal shows how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with the states, can set new carbon pollution standards under existing authority in the Clean Air Act that will cut existing power plant emissions 26 percent by 2020 (relative to peak emissions in 2005).
In particular, many of us are concerned that Obama will greenlight the Keystone XL pipeline that will deliver tar sands oil (the dirtiest oil imaginable) from the rapidly dwindling and environmentally compromised arboreal forests of Alberta to the Gulf of Mexico where it will be used--wait for it!--not for U.S. consumption, but will be sent overseas. That's just one of the myths about the pipeline that have been sold to the American public.
If the Keystone XL is built, “Essentially, it's game over for the planet,” said James Hansen, the head of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. In an article orginally posted in TomDispatch.com, Rebecca Solnit says that 2013 Is Year Zero for Climate Change.
I could go on for awhile, but it's late and I have to be up for the rally in the morning. Joining me on the National Mall is show regular Lisa Albrech. Meanwhile Sarah Batka, Rob Kartholl and Denny Schetter are holding down the fort in Chicago.
If you can't make it to the event in D.C. (and you should know that by now), there's a march in Chicago's Grant Park, starting at 11:00 a.m. Central Time (which coincides with the noon start in Washington, D.C.).
February 10, 2013
Live from Forward on Climate in Washington, D.C. next week!
If you heard my conversation with IIT's Blake Davis a few weeks ago about his 50 Year Plan for Survivng Climate Change, you know that if we don't get serious about solutions now, the next few decades are not going to be pretty.
It is that sense of urgency that has led the Sierra Club and 350.org to organize what they hope will be the largest climate rally in history next Sunday, February 17, at noon at the Washington Monument on the National Mall. It will be followed by a march to the White House to show President Obama the broad public support for climate solutions, while also challenging him to keep his commitment to making climate action a top priority during his second term.
Well, I certainly don't intend to miss the largest climate rally in history, so I'm packing up my laptop, grabbing a couple of microphones and next week I intend to fire up the Skype from the National Mall. Co-host Lisa Albrecht will also be there with me, while Sarah Batka, Rob Kartholl and Denny Schetter hold down the fort here in Chicago.
Speaking of Chicago, if you can't make it to the event in D.C., there's a march right here in Grant Park, starting at 11:00 a.m. Central Time (which coincides with the noon start in Washington, D.C.).
PLEASE MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD! We have only one planet and, frankly, we're running out of time. It might already be too late.
MELA Conference 2013: Navigating Change
Speaking of change...it also needs to happen in the way we landscape our backyards, parks, corporate campuses and other green areas. That's what the Midwest Ecological Landscape Alliance (MELA) is all about. (Full disclosure: I am one of the co-founders, though I was never paid for my participation and I am not currently involved in its day-to-day workings.)
Basically, MELA is all about sustainable landscapes, wherever they are. The companies, organizations and individuals who are MELA members know that the last few years have not been wonderful in the horticultural industry. And when you ask people to give up their old ways of doing things for something that is more earth-friendly, you might encounter resistance.
So, for the MELA Conference 2013, the goal is to look at the challenges that sustainable landscaping business presents and how to meet them. To that end, Gabriel Spitzer, award-winning environmental journalist whom you might remember as a WBEZ reporter, will serve as a "Conference Reflector." His job is to listen to speakers and attendees and help them both figure out a way forward. Gabriel stops by my show this morning, along with Stephen Bell, Director of College Partnerships for the Illinois Green Economy Network.
By the way, the conference is Thursday, February 28, 2013, at University Center of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois. Who should attend? Arborists, Ecological Restoration Experts, Educators at Public Gardens and Non-Profit Groups, Growers at Nurseries and Garden Centers, Landscape Architects
and Designers, Landscape Contractors, Municipal Leaders, Park District Leaders, Policy Makers, Product Suppliers and Manufacturers, HOA members, NGOs and even Students. Foe more information, call 312-857-MELA.How recycling can "Evolve" beyond "Big Ink & Toner"
Did you know that
- more than 500 million inkjet cartridges and 70 million laser cartridges are sold in the U.S. annually?
- every year, more than 400 million cartridges with a combined weight of 200 million pounds are buried in our nation's landfills?
- thirteen ink cartridges are thrown away every second in the U.S.?
- a laser cartridge thrown into a landfill can take up to 450 years to decompose?
- some components made of industrial grade plastics will take more than one thousand years to decompose?
This is not a good way to run an office, if you ask me.
That's why it's good to see a company like Evolve Recycling getting into the picture. Evolve doesn't just recycle ink and toner cartridges--it reuses these ubiquitous symbols of waste in America by remanufacturing them. You've heard of Big Business and Big Ag? Welcome to Big Ink & Toner. (You might want to watch this funny YouTube video from marketer extraordinaire Jeffrey Hayzlett.)
But Evolve Recycling wants to take on Big Ink & Toner by paying up to $10 per cartridge (yes, you read that right) and reclaiming and remanufacturing millions of ink items. According to their information about the program, this is unlike Big Ink & Toner, who merely offer award points to their customers. Those same companies don't actually reuse those cartidges. Rather, they grind them into pellets, which is a less efficient way of dealing with the plastics.
Also unlike BI&T, Evolve Recycling accepts all national brands of ink and toner cartridges. The remanufactured products are then sold under private labels in a variety of office supply stores. Evolve says that it can even provide business customers with free sustainability reports so they can track the cartridges all the way through the remanufacturing process.
Evolve also offers a $10 “payback” for iPods/MP3 players, digital cameras, GPS devices and laptop computers.
So how do they do it? I don't really know. I mean, why don't more companies pay for used cartridges and small electronic devices? That's why I have Rich Fischer, chief sustainability officer for Evolve, in the studio today, to explain how the program works and how they can afford their "buy back" initiative.
Retracing the first automobile race in AmericaSince I seem to be on a "did you know" roll today, I have another question for you.
Did you know that the first automobile race in America was held in Chicago in 1895? From the Wikipedia entry:
The Chicago Times-Herald race was the first automobile race held in the United States. Sponsored by the Chicago Times-Herald , the race was held in Chicago in 1895 between six cars and won by Charles Duryea 's Motorized Wagon . The race created considerable publicity for the motocycle, which had been introduced in the United States only two years earlier.
Well, the race will be recreated this week. The 2013 Chicago EV Rally will retrace the route of that first US auto race.The Rally is being run to encourage the advancement of high mileage/low emission vehicles in America, and coincides with the 2013 Chicago Auto Show.
Chevrolet, Fisker, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Tesla, Toyota, and Volkswagen have confirmed their participation.
The 54.5 mile course will be on open Chicago roads that go through five Chicago Parks,
pass alongside twenty-two other parks and travel along fifteen Chicago boulevards. The route passes the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago City Hall, Michigan Ave, Lincoln Park Zoo, Wrigley Field, President Obamaʼs hom. the University of Chicago, Northwestern, Loyola, DeVry, and Columbia Universities, with a rest stop at Chicago's Center for Green Technology, where EV charging stations are available.David Funcheon from 101 Celsius, a leading distributor and installer of solar thermal evacuated-tube systems, stops by to talk about the big race.
Want to attend "The Big Commie Garden Fabcon?"
If you work on a community garden or are interested in starting one, there is still an opportunity to sign up for The Big Commie Garden Fabcon, otherwise known as Connecting Chicago Community Gardeners. It's a conference on February 23 at the Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT) that will attempt to pull together community gardeners and their organizations from all over the City.
Here is the Eventbrite page where you can register for the event. The conference is free but the suggested donation at the door is $5.00. Pretty darned reasonable.
Registration begins at 9:00am and the event will run from 10am-3pm. It features a panel discussion (which I will moderate), workshops and a chance to network with gardeners from your region. A light breakfast and lunch will be included.
One last chance to donate to Farmer John's KickStarter Campaign
Ffarmer John Peterson's KickStarter Campaign called Barns Are For People, Too still has a few days left, though I'm afraid they're not going to make their goal of raising $150,000. He's the guy who is behind Angelic Organics in Caledonia, Illinois, a farm that has been in his family for generations. That story was told in the 2005 documentary The Real Dirt on Farmer John, which has received just about every award imaginable, and which I can't recommend highly enough.
The KickStarter is all about completing the work of transforming the old dairy barn and corn crib into community spaces, as Farmer John says, "filled with light and vibrant colors and breathtaking views of the Midwestern prairie." He says he has about half the work done and he needs $150,000 to finish the project.
We'll see what happens if they don't raise the cash.
February 3, 2013
It's #SuperSowSunday in America!
Nothing says February like grabbing a big ol' pack of plant seeds, some potting mix, the containers of your choice and doin' what comes naturally (to Mother Nature, at least): getting a head start on the growing season by planting seeds and watching your babies grow.
It just so happens that for the past three years, Super Bowl Sunday has come to be known as "Super Sow Sunday," thanks to the folks at @TheGardenChat, who, I suppose, decided that planting seeds on the most iconic sports day of the year and encouraging their friends on Twitter to do the same was one way to counteract the intense levels of testosterone in households across America. If you're on Twitter, you can contribute to the conversation simply by typing #SuperSowSunday into the search bar on your Twitter page.
This is the perfect day, of course, to talk about seed starting on my show. The studio is going to be filled with folks who have nothing better to do on a Sunday morning than show up at a radio station and talk about seed starting...which, for me, is a good thing.
I start with the Seed Keeper Company gals, Carol Niec and Kerrie Rosenthal, if only because they seem to be everywhere, all of the time. In a nutshell, they started the company in an attempt to help people like me keep their garden seeds organized. Their basic Seed Keeper kit contains
Tools and Supplies:
A-Z Dividers with a whimsical flower pot design filled with tips, recipes and inspiration
A pair of Garden Gloves
3 inch Seed Sorting Dish
6 inch Planting Ruler
Ut ility Clip for hanging gloves, seed packs...5 Wooden Plant Markers
5 Glassine Seed Saving Envelopes
Permanent Marker
7 x 8 inch Accessory Bag for storing all of the seed-starting tools and supplies
Rigid Keeper Card fits behind dividers to keeper seed packs and garden information upright. It moves as your collection growsYou can also get the The Seed Keeper Deluxe® and the The Seed Keeper™ Home Farmer (you know a company is becoming successful when they start trademarking things.
The gals have a lot of stops to make in the next few months, including
Feb 8-10 Wisconsin Garden Expo
Feb 23 Prestige Nursery & Garden Center in West Chicago -
March 6 Philadelphia Flower Show (March 2 - 8) - The Art of Seeds - A Wealth of Nutrition and SavingsIn March, they are making a special announcement about the Seed Keeper Project, which they started a couple of years ago as an opportunity to recognize school gardens across the country. Each year they award a Seed Keeper and a certificate to a school in every state and the District of Columbia highlighting to their dedication to gardening.
They are joined in studio by two of my favorite people from one of my favorite garden clubs in Illinois, the Wicker Park Garden Club. Each year, Richard Tilley plants hundreds--sometimes thousands--of seeds for his own garden. Considering that he is on the other side of 80, it's a tribute to his love of gardening...and to his stamina. He will discuss his light set up, soils, time tables, data keeping, germination & transplanting techniques, vegetables, and propagating his popular Brugmansias.
Denise (pronounced "Dennis") Browning is one of the key players at WPGC. She will address Pre-germination of perennials (stratification), soaking, chipping, starting with cuttings and rooting hormone, and propagating shrubs.
WPGC will hold its annual seminar, "Plant Propagation from Seeds and Cuttings" on Saturday, March 2. There are two sessions: 10am to 12noon or 1:30-3:30pm. Instructors are Richard Tilley and Doug Wood. It's held in a Wicker Park Home and the address is given to registered students. The seminar costs $15 and Registration is Required. Sessions are limited to 15 students. RSVP to wpgarden@aol.com. For more on Wicker Park Garden Club Lecture Series and Events click here.
"Weed Wars"--one lawyer's battles in the front yard trenches
Here's the latest on the story I broke on my radio show on December 23, 2012 about Kathy Cummings. She is the Chicago woman whose front yard garden received first place in 2004 from the Mayor's Landscape Awards Program (which has been discontinued by Mayor Rahm Emanuel) under the category "Most Naturalized City Garden," and then was hit with a weed ordinance violation last October for the same garden.
She was ordered by an administrative law judge to pay $640 in fines and court feels. But, as she stated on my program, she was going to fight the ticket. So she filed an appeal, which could cost her an additional $317 if she comes out on the wrong end of a judgement.
Since then, she
- received her hearing date, Tuesday, May 21st, 2013, 2 p.m. in room 1109 at the Daley Center.
- filed FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests to the Department of Streets and Sanitation and, subsequently, the Chicago Department of Revenue, requesting answers to the following questions:
1. The history of how and why "RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR WEED CONTROL" Sections, 2-28-010, 2-30-030, 7-28-120 became law.
2. How many homeowners have been fined with these regulations beginning on May 29, 2008, in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 and so far in 2013?
3. What is the total amount of fines received since the regulations' adoption in May 2008?
4. What amendments have been added to these regulations since May 2008?As far as I know, Cummings is still awaiting a response. However, she did tell me that Streets and San " said they have no record of any complaints about my property!"
She also alerted me to a talk that will be held this Tuesday, February 5 in Mundelein at the Fremont Public Library, 1170 North Midlothian Road, Mundelein, IL 60060. Click Here for a Map.
The person giving the talk is attorney Bret Rappaport, an Adjunct English Professor at Dominican University and a partner with the Chicago law firm of Hardt Stern & Kayne. He is nationally recognized for his knowledge of and commitment to the preservation of our natural heritage by educating about and advocating for native landscapes, wildflowers, and prairies.
Here's a blurb about his talk on Tuesday from the Lake-to-Prairie Chapter of Wild Ones:
One person's weed is another person's wildflower: that difference in perception has led to “weed wars” as natural landscapers strive to convince others to go natural and go native. Far too often, efforts to create a more natural landscape have met with resistance rooted in ignorance or misinformation. The weapon most often used to try to bring natural landscapers into conformity with the American lawn ethic is the local weed ordinance. What are weed ordinances and why are they applied to natural landscapes? In a suburban culture in which a lush carpet of green grass is the norm, ambiguous weed laws have been used by neighbors and village officials to prosecute those who choose to “grow” versus those who argue that all in the town must “mow.” A big difference exists, however, between a yard full of noxious, invasive weeds and an intentionally planted natural landscape.
Weed laws are generally “complaint-driven” statutes; that is, someone must file a complaint to activate them… and nearly all weed ordinance prosecutions are rooted in neighbor-to-neighbor disputes that often are initially unrelated to natural landscaping.
The first step is to educate yourself so you can tell your neighbor the difference between monarda and chicory. Remember that although you have a right to your purple coneflowers and little bluestem grass, your neighbor has the right to a clipped lawn, plastic pink flamingoes, and tidy rows of color spots. Yard by yard, the face of suburbia is changing. Even neighbors who choose to have traditional lawns accept what we are doing. They appreciate and respect what we are doing and understand why we're doing it. That's what being neighborly is all about.I decided that this was the guy I wanted on my radio show. I gave him a call and found out that he has been litigating "weed" laws for twenty years and has written a number of articles, including this one for the John Marshall Law Review, which is now on the the US EPA Greenacres site. He also sent me two articles that he contributed to, though they were written more than fourteen years ago: Weeding Out Bad Vegetation Control Ordinances and Clarissa's Prairie.
As far as Kathy Cummings' case is concerned, Rappaport did a little research into the Chicago laws. Here's what he wrote:
Mike here is the link to the current ordinance. It was amended in 2011 but not in any material way. The operative language remains:
(a) Any person who owns or controls property within the city must cut or otherwise control all weeds on such property so that the average height of such weeds does not exceed ten inches. Any person who violates this subsection shall be subject to a fine of not less than $600 nor more than $1,200. Each day that such violation continues shall be considered a separate offense to which a separate fine shall apply.
(b) All weeds which have not been cut or otherwise controlled, and which exceed an average height of ten inches, are hereby declared to be a public nuisance. If any person has been convicted of violating subsection (a) and has not cut or otherwise controlled any weeds as required by this section within ten days after the date of the conviction or finding of liability or judgement, , the city may cause any such weeds to be cut at any time. In such event, the person who owns or controls the property on which the weeds are situated shall be liable to the city for any and all costs and expenses incurred by the city in cutting the weeds, plus a penalty of up to three times the amount of the costs and expenses incurred by the city. Such monies may be recovered in an appropriate action instituted by the corporation counselor or in a proceeding initiated by the department of streets and sanitation or the department of health at the department of administrative hearings. The penalties imposed by this subsection shall be in addition to any other penalty provided by law.
Meanwhile, Rappaport isn't the only person working on trying to make these kinds of laws more sensible. After Kathy Cummings was on the show, I received this message from listener Steve Sass in Indiana:
Hi Mike, I'm the president of the North Chapter of the Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society. Earlier in 2012, we formed a committee to study the various county and municipal weed ordinances, and we've determined that almost all of the several dozen ordinances that we studied were horribly written, and left no provision for the protection or acceptance of indigenous vegetation. With respect to your guest, we believe that vague and poorly written ordinances are to blame for most of the problems that people like Kathy have experienced. Had that ordinance contained a specific provision that exempted native plant gardens as being "weeds," this case would have been easily defensible, and wouldn't require an expensive appeal. Several of our members have also experienced similar battles with their municipalities, and one of our members went as far as to write a documentation about her experience with the city of Indianapolis for our state journal. Our committee has taken our initiative to the state wide level, and we are currently in discussion with the commissioners from one northern Indiana county that is considering adopting a weed ordinance to allow us to work with them in the wording of the ordinance so that situations like Kathy's don't continue to be a problem. As such, we have written a draft of what we believe to be a "good ordinance", which we're hoping will serve as a template for other legislatures to follow. Thank you for bringing attention to this situation.
Sass forwarded a couple of articles to me about efforts in Indiana to make sense of weed laws, including this one, called Weed Ordinances: The Good, The Bad and the Downright Ugly. He noted that the River Falls Wisconsin ordinance includes a section about managed natural landscaping in their municipal code that states the following:
"It shall be lawful to grow native and naturalized plants to any heights, including ferns, wildflowers, grasses, forbs, shrubs and trees, in accordance with an approved land management plan when said plants were obtained not in violation of local, state, or federal laws."
Sass noted that the River Falls ordinance seems to be taken from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center sample ordinance found here:
There's a lot of information here. I hope we can sort it out on Sunday.
Moving forward on the "Big Commie Garden Fabcon"
Last week I talked to Julie Samuels, Community Garden Organizer for Openlands, about their new GardenKeepers Program. It's an interactive, hands-on class focusing on gardening without chemicals, using designs that depend on nature and not technology, conserving natural resources, and recruiting members who will use and “own” their garden.
As we discussed then, It is designed for groups, not individuals. A minimum of 4 people from each garden is suggested. The fee is $300 per garden ($75 per person in a group of 4) for the entire series of 6 classes. However, individuals may be able to attend horticulture-focused classes 3-6 if space allows. Contact, Julie to register for GardenKeepers. Write her at jsamuels@openlands.org if you have questions, or just go to the GardenKeepers page for more information.
We also talked about what Rob Kartholl (a.k.a. @Copedog on Twitter) and I called The Big Commie Garden Fabcon, otherwise known as Connecting Chicago Community Gardeners. It's a conference on February 23 at the Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT) that will attempt to pull together community gardeners and their organizations from all over the City.
I now have a link to the Eventbrite page where you can register for the event. The conference is free but the suggested donation at the door is $5.00. Pretty darned reasonable.
Registration begins at 9:00am and the event will run from 10am-3pm. It features a panel discussion, workshops and a chance to network with gardeners from your region. A light breakfast and lunch will be included.
There's still time to donate to Farmer John's KickStarter Campaign
Last week, I interviewed legendary local farmer John Peterson about his KickStarter Campaign called Barns Are For People, Too, He's the guy who is behind Angelic Organics in Caledonia, Illinois, a farm that has been in his family for generations. That story was told in the 2005 documentary The Real Dirt on Farmer John, which has received just about every award imaginable, and which I can't recommend highly enough.
The KickStarter is all about completing the work of transforming the old dairy barn and corn crib into community spaces, as Farmer John says, "filled with light and vibrant colors and breathtaking views of the Midwestern prairie." He says he has about half the work done and he needs $150,000 to finish the project. Yeah, that's a lot of loot, but who told you that running a farm and not-for-profit organization was cheap?
Unfortunately, there are 12 days to go and they've only hit $24,000+. You can still help by making a contribution today.
January 27, 2013
Building a community for community gardeners
It has not been a great year for gardeners in the City of Chicago.
It didn't help that we were blasted by heat and drought last summer...and given how odd the winter and spring were, going into the 2012 growing season, I don't even want to speculate what will happen this year. However, all one has to do is look at how little moisture we have had in the fall and winter so far this time around to know that things could be dicey come time to plant in the spring.
In addition, some of the things that allowed gardeners to gather together to commiserate about their disappointments and celebrate their accomplishments have disappeared. I'm talking in particular about the Mayor's Landscape Awards Program, which was last presented in 2011 and which awarded my community garden, Green on McLean, a third place prize that year. So, after 50 years of giving gardeners in the City a sense of pride, the program was quietly dropped by the Rahm Emanuel Administration.
This year, there is another casualty: The Green and Growing Fair. For 20 years, this event was sponsored by GreenNet, Chicago’s Urban Greening Network, and featured a variety of vendors, workshops, demonstrations, and family activities as a way of launching the gardening season in Chicago. Fortunately, the GreenNet website is still an excellent reference for people who want to start or connect with a community garden.
These two gaps in the opportunities for gardeners to expand their knowledge and connections are on top of the dismantling of the Chicago Department of the Environment at the beginning of 2012 and the downsizing of the Greencorps Chicago Program, Greencorps staff and graduates (now under the Chicago Department of Transportation...huh?) were a valuable resource for community gardeners throughout the city until last year. Here's the way it reads on Greencorps page at the City of Chicago website:
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the community gardeners who have worked tirelessly making their communities greener, healthier and safer. Over the past 18 years, Greencorps Chicago staff and trainees have worked side-by-side with you, supporting your efforts while admiring your dedication, resilience, humor and cooking. For 2013, due to reduced funding levels, Greencorps' ability to support community gardens will be reduced. With that in mind, we are planning a summit this winter with a variety of greening partners to develop a transition plan for this vital work. Please check out the GreenNet's Growing Forward effort at http://greennetchicago.org/growing-forward to stay involved. Greencorps staff will also continue to work with community gardeners to assist in connecting them to organizations or other gardens in their area where resources may be available
In fact, I just attended the 2013 Greencorps graduation ceremony at Garfield Park Conservatory. It was sad to see that a class that had, in the past, numbered as high as 90 was down to 22 this year.
But gardeners are a resilient lot, and even as some good programs disappear, others rise up to take their places. Openlands, which already has its very successful TreeKeepers Program, is creating an interactive, hands-on class focusing on gardening without chemicals, using designs that depend on nature and not technology, conserving natural resources, and recruiting members who will use and “own” their garden.
It is called, not so surprisingly, GardenKeepers, and the goal is to teach its members how to organize and run a successful, long-lasting, community-managed allotment garden together with friends and neighbors. It doesn't matter whether you already have an existing garden or you're at the stage where you're recruiting people and looking longingly at the empty lot on the end of the block.
GardenKeepers will be presented twice a year but, you should note, It is designed for groups, not individuals. A minimum of 4 people from each garden is suggested. The fee is $300 per garden ($75 per person in a group of 4) for the entire series of 6 classes. However, individuals may be able to attend horticulture-focused classes 3-6 if space allows.
The Spring 2013 course is taking reservations right now for classes that will held at the Garfield Park Conservatory. Here's the schedule:
- February 16 - Getting Started
- February 23 - Special Event: Chicago Community Gardeners' 1st Annual Planning Conference
- March 2 - Creating a Sustainable Organization
- March 9 - Eco-Garden Design
- March 16 - Growing From the Ground Up
- March 23 - Plant Selection for a Healthy Garden
- March 30 - Containers, Hardscape, and Installation
- May 11 - Graduation Potluck
Now, about item #2, the Chicago Community Gardeners' 1st Annual Planning Conference, or as my buddy and community garden worker Rob Kartholl (a.k.a. @Copedog on Twitter) likes to call it, The Big Commie Garden Conference. I kind of like that title, which means that powers-that-be will hate it.
Anyway, The Big Commie Garden Conference will be a day-long event at the Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT) that attempts to bring together community gardeners all over the city to hobnob and discuss issues like water conservation, fundraising, sustainability of both the land and the people who work it, and more.
Julie Samuels, Community Garden Organizer for Openlands, returns to the show today to talk about GardenKeepers and The Big Commie Garden Conference. Copedog is also on hand to throw in a few comments.
By the way, Julie is the go-to person for registering for GardenKeepers. You can write her at jsamuels@openlands.org if you have questions, or just go to the GardenKeepers page for more information.
What is an "F-scrap" and what do we do with it?
Some statistics from Greenwaste.com to think about on a cold January day:
- Did you know that we generate 21.5 million tons of food residuals annually? If this food waste were composted instead of being sent to landfills, the resulting reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would be equivalent to taking more than two million cars off the road.
- The Z-Best Composting Facility in Gilroy, processes 350 tons of food waste and yard clippings everyday into nutrient rich soil amendments to be used for agriculture and landscaping.
- Almost any business can successfully divert food discards from landfills. Businesses with record-setting food diversion programs are recovering 50% to 100% of their food discards and reducing their overall solid waste by 33% to 85%.
Now, welcome to Illinois, where, until the passage of SB 99 a couple of years ago, we were in the dark ages regarding food waste--often called "F-scrap"--composting. It was very difficult and often prohibitively expensive to obtain a permit to compost food scrap commercially in Illinois because those facilities were considered “Pollution Control Facilities” under Illinois law.
While that bill made it somewhat easier for composting operations to succeed, as witnessed by this effort at Illinois State University and this pilot program in Highland Park, we still have a long way to go, especially where small operations are concerned.
Which is why it's the upcoming Illinois Food Scrap Composting Seminar "Looking To the Future" in Lombard on Thursday, February 7, 2013 is such a good idea. The day-long seminar on composting of food scraps is open to just about anyone--businesses, schools, landscape services, greenhouses and others. Heck, even I'm going to be there.
It will cover the latest information on Illinois policies and legislation, markets and potential end uses for compost materials. Some of those topics include
- how to establish and manage food scrap collection and composting programs
- identifying end users and viable end markets for finished composted material
- pertinent policy in Illinois regarding F-scrap compost operations
- reports on results growing plants with compost material and lessons learned by those with established programs.
This event is made possible through a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to the Illinois Recycling Association (IRA) who have worked with SCARCE (School Composting and Recycling Conservation Education) and the Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN) to develop and co-sponsor the seminar.
It's not at all expensive for a day-long event. IRA members and college students get in for $30, while all others pay $40. But wait. There's more! Cost includes lunch and seminar materials. A great deal.
You can Register online here or learn more at www.illinoisrecycles.org or 708-358-0058I'm pleased to have SCARCE founder and executive director Kay McKeen back in the studio to talk about this event--and perhaps all of the other great things that SCARCE does, from book, ink jet and gym shoe rescues to cell phone and electronics recycling to providing information on how to properly dispose of medicines.
The Real Dirt on Farmer John's KickStarter Campaign
If Roger Ebert is tweeting about you to his 800,000 followers, and posting for another 104,000 on Facebook, you know you're doing something right. Here's the Twitter message (which I have already retweeted): "We showed his film at Ebertfest. Now Farmer John is kickstarting. Here's a video about this hero of organic farming. http://t.co/Yo7cczBl".
If you follow that link, it will take you a KickStarter Campaign called Barns Are For People, Too, featuring the now-legendary Farmer John Peterson. He's the guy who is behind Angelic Organics in Caledonia, Illinois, a farm that has been in his family for generations. That story was told in the 2005 documentary The Real Dirt on Farmer John, which has received just about every award imaginable, and which I can't recommend highly enough.
Last week, I received a notice from Tom Spaulding, Executive Director of Angelic Organics Learning Center, which arose out of Farmer John's efforts and which I have often talked about on my radio show. He informed me of the KickStarter campaign, and I knew immediately that I was going to have to invite him and Farmer John to the show.
You should know, by the way, that I MC'd a fundraiser at the farm last fall, and Farmer John took me on a somewhat bumpy tour of the land in his Jeep. That was an experience in itself. Now I want to return the favor and help the good folks out there continue to teach new generations about the land and how to grow food sustainably.
The KickStarter is all about completing the work of transforming the old dairy barn and corn crib into community spaces, as Farmer John says, "filled with light and vibrant colors and breathtaking views of the Midwestern prairie." He says he has about half the work done and he needs $150,000 to finish the project. Yeah, that's a lot of loot, but who told you that running a farm and not-for-profit organization was cheap?
I will be making a contribution. I hope you do, too.
Wild Things 2013 Conference is next Saturday
Just a reminder that the fifth biennial Wild Things 2013 Conference happens next Saturday, February 2 at the UIC. This wonderful event, featuring about 90 different sessions, is organized by Audubon Chicago Region in cooperation with the Habitat Project, the Volunteer Stewardship Network, and Chicago Wilderness through funding from the USDA Forest Service and US Fish & Wildlife Service. It also doesn't hurt that organizations like the Chicago Park District, The Field Museum, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and Openlands are involved.
The keynote speakers will be Doug Tallamy, who continues to preach the gospel of biodiversity, and Joel S. Brown, who speaks on how urban species might be evolving. Here are the abstracts of their talks.
While online registration is now closed, I don't think anybody is going to mind if you walk in the door thirsty for knowledge about our natural areas and their inhabitants. It's only $40, or $25 if you're a student. The full schedule is here.
January 20, 2013
Somehow, these stories are related...
Story #1 - No sooner did Whole Foods CEO John Mackey compare Obamacare to "facism" than he was already walking it back. But before you make your decision to boycott the chain (as I have been considering), you might want to look at this article in The Guardian.
Story #2 - I saw this post on Daily Kos that featured a link to another story from The Guardian and one from Time Magazine about quinoa (pronounced KEEN - wha) and asparagus, two of my favorite foods. Apparently, the desire of Americans and people in other wealthy countries to be healthy is having unfortunate consequences in poorer countries.
Story #3 - Thanks to listener Rick Stabile for alerting me to this commentary in the New York Times by Mark Bittman. Seems as though we've known the way to farm the land and preserve our soil all along--intelligent crop rotation.
Or maybe they're not related at all. We'll talk about it this morning.
Last day to register for Wild Things Conference on February 2
On Saturday, February 2, more than a thousand people will gather at the UIC to hear more than a hundred speakers in what is likely to be one of the best environmental conferences of the year. This is the fifth biennial Wild Things Conference, Organized by Audubon Chicago Region in cooperation with the Habitat Project, the Volunteer Stewardship Network, and Chicago Wilderness through funding from the USDA Forest Service and US Fish & Wildlife Service. It also doesn't hurt that organizations like the Chicago Park District, The Field Museum, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and Openlands are involved.
The keynote speakers will be Doug Tallamy, who was on my show a couple of months ago and continues to preach the gospel of biodiversity, and Joel S. Brown, who speaks on how urban species might be evolving. Here are the abstracts of their talks.
Since there are about 90 talks in all, I really can't describe them all to you. However, you can check out the full schedule here. You should also be aware that today, January 20, is the final day to register online.
One presentation that should be interesting will be Wind Turbines in Lake Michigan, How They Might Impact Birds, by Bob Fisher, Past President and Donnie Dann of the Bird Conservation Network. Many unanswered questions remain, regarding the impact of offshore wind turbine farms on the natural environment of the lake. This presentation focuses on questions relating to the use of the lake by wintering waterfowl, as well as passerine birds migrating over the lake.
In case you missed the story, the Lake Michigan Offshore Wind Energy Advisory Council was created by the Illinois General Assembly in 2011. It's mission was to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly by June 30, 2012 in order to assist in the evaluation and consideration of offshore wind energy projects in Illinois waters of Lake Michigan. Among the topics it considered:
- Appropriate criteria for the Department to use to review applications for offshore wind development of Lake Michigan lakebed leases.
- Criteria for identifying areas that are favorable, acceptable, and unacceptable for offshore wind development, including, but not limited to, impacts to wildlife, protected habitats, navigation, commercial fisheries, and recreational uses of Lake Michigan.
- A recommended process for ensuring public engagement in the Department's process for leasing Lake Michigan lakebed for offshore wind energy projects.
- Options for how the State shall be compensated for Lake Michigan lakebed leasing.
- A summary of the lessons learned from other domestic and international offshore wind development experiences, including, but not limited to, those related to public policy, regulatory, and siting concerns for offshore wind development.
- Identification of local, State, and federal authorities with permitting, siting, or other approval authority for wind power development in Lake Michigan.
- Recommendations for needed State legislation and regulations governing offshore wind farm development.
The full report can be found here. In regard to migratory birds and bats, here's what the report found:
Wind energy facilities should be constructed to avoid any unreasonable or unlawful impacts to migratory birds and bats. Sites including significant offshore stopover
locations, waterfowl and bat foraging areas (e.g., reefs), migration and travel orridors, wintering areas and colonial bird nesting locations should be protected against unreasonable impacts from offshore wind energy facilities.
Birds and bats may be directly killed or injured by wind turbines through collisions and pressure changes encountered within the rotor sweep, as well as displacement of their habitat or their prey’s habitat. Spring movements by nocturnal migrants may be one of the most significant sources of potential mortality; land birds which find
themselves over the Lake at dawn head for shore to rest and feed, a movement which
would make wind turbines near to the shore more dangerous to them. Typical long-range flights occur at altitudes However, weather events (fog or overcast low clouds, sudden storms and wind shifts) especially in the critical time before dawn when migrating passerines head to shore to seek locations for feeding and resting, could lead to altered flight patterns or altitudes increasing mortality from turbine blade collisions.
Migratory waterbirds spend the winter at the southern end of Lake Michigan in relatively shallow waters. If these species prove sensitive to the presence of wind turbines, the turbines could serve to displace these birds from favored wintering areas, thus denying them access to primary feeding areas. Migratory Canada Geese
wintering at LaSalle Lake in LaSalle County have been observed foraging in nearby agricultural fields occupied by wind turbines with little displacement effect and mortality. It is unclear whether this will prove true on Lake Michigan. Fish (and their predators including birds) may be attracted to wind turbines, increasing exposure and
mortality. Existing research at European wind energy projects shows responses vary by species; some species Photo Credit: Adele Hodde will avoid wind turbines entirely, others will not. Current knowledge is insufficient to reliably predict behavior or impact for all species.Meanwhile, bird mortality is something that I've covered on the show before--but mainly in regard to how many deaths are caused by cats and buildings. This USDA study states that it's possible that up to a billion birds are killed in the U.S. each year by various means, including collisions with structures, cats, pesiticdes and more.
As wind power continues to develop world-wide, the confluence of wind turbines and migratory routes for birds and bats continues to be a concern for environmentalists.
I am happy to welcome Bob Fisher to the program today to discuss this fascinating topic.
January 13, 2013
Food Justice: KAM Isaiah Israel walks the walk.
It's fashionable these days to talk a lot of smack about "urban agriculture," "local food," "sustainability" and more. But if you want to meet people who really walk the walk, you should set aside a few hours next weekend and pay a visit to KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation in Hyde Park. Of course, you'll have to say hello to the Secret Service agents, who keep an eye on President Barack Obama's Chicago home, which is right across the street. But I digress.
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, January 18-20, KAMII presents its fourth annual MLK Food Justice and Sustainability Weekend Program, in celebration of the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. This year's event is titled “Shmita: Food Security and Sustainable Design in the Sabbatical Year and Beyond” and it promises to be a dynamic and inspiring weekend. By the way, it is all free and open to the public.
The Saturday program should especially interesting, as it will be a hands-on Community Design Workshop. Expert growers and planners will, with input from the audience and community partners, lay out a half-acre urban farm for a South Side site, with the design goal being sustainable food security. The workshop leader will be Robert Nevel, architect and chair of KAM Isaiah Israel 's Social Justice Committee. Designers will be Kitt Healy, farmer relations and outreach coordinator for Green City Market and farm manager of the K.A.M. Food Justice and Sustainability Program; Mitch Yaciw, farm manager at Unity Gardens; Michael Thompson, farm manager of Chicago Honey Co-op; Ken Dunn, founder and director of Resource Center and Elan Margulies, director of Pushing the Envelope Farm.
What's fascinating about the "South Side site" is that it is still undisclosed. Hmm. perhaps I can get a scoop on my radio show this morning. I'll be joined by Robert Nevel, who has been on the program repeatedly, and congregation member Gloria Needlman, who last stopped by in 2010.
While the MLK weekend is great, remember what I said about the KAMII folks "walking the walk?" Really, the most impressive aspect of their social justice work is their garden and the gardens they have helped to build in the community. They started their own garden in 2009 and began donating the produce to area food shelters and hot meal programs. In 2011, they expanded to include a garden at Kenwood United Church of Christ.
In 2012, they reached out to the Church of St. Paul & the Redeemer on nearby Dorchester Avenue in their continuing mission to transform congregational lawns into food producing gardens. You can see the fruits of their labor on the left.
Here is some of the other work they do, from the KAMII website:
- Three times a week during the growing season, workers from the congregation and the community tend and harvest KAMII's three gardens--the Star Garden, the South 1080 (along Hyde Park Boulevard), and the Apple Tree Garden. Before the growing season, workers prepare the earth, plants seeds, tend seedlings indoors, and prepare for harvest. After harvest, workers put the garden to bed and prepare for the next year.
- With our White Rock Gleaning Program, the garden workers collect and distribute otherwise unharvested food from three community gardens.
- Our Crop Mob Constructions transform congregational lawns into food producing gardens. With grant money from One Nation Chicago Fund at The Chicago Community Trust, we have constructed a 1,000 sq. ft. food-producing garden at Kenwood United Church of Christ, just outside the soup kitchen where we delivered much of our 2010 harvest.
- In the summer of 2011, we began our Food Justice and Sustainability Young Leadership Summer Program, in which high school students from around the city gathered on Sundays to attend seminars about food justice and sustainable land use and urban farming, and to help tend our three gardens.
- The bimah decorations for the High Holidays are harvested and arranged by members of the Social Justice Committee. The flowers and produce come from our KAMII gardens that the committee tends. All of the produce was donated to local soup kitchens after each service.
They are impressive, and it's my honor to welcome them back to the show.
A 50-year Survival Plan for Climate Change
Sometimes a radio show segment is just so in tune with current events that you might think that I'm actually putting some thought into booking guests. No, really!
Take this past week:
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officially announced that 2012 was the warmest year on record in the lower 48 states.
- In some parts of Australia, drivers could not pump gas because it was vaporizing in the heat. Meteorologists were forced to come up with a new color for their weather maps to account for temperatures above 122F.
- The USDA declared much of the central and southern Wheat Belt a natural disaster area due to persistent drought that imperils this year's winter wheat harvest.
- It's been so dry around Chicago (this week's rain notwithstanding) that the Morton Arboretum has been watering its trees to make sure they come out of the winter healthy.
- Traffic lights recently stopped working in the city of Yakutsk, as actual temperatures in Russia plumetted to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
- We haven't had a snow event of at least one inch in more than 300 days, but Jerusalem got six inches on Thursday.
- Russian radio declared that the world "climate has gone mad."
- The draft Third National Climate Assessment says that climate change is here, and that the U.S. should prepare itself for increasingly threatened infrastructure, water supplies, crops and shorelines,
All of that in ONE WEEK!!
That last bullet point in particular is a perfect lead in to my second hour guest, Blake Davis. He is Adjunct Professor of Sustainability and Urban Agriculture at the Illinois Institute of Technology. I first got to know him when he gave me a private tour of The Plant on Chicago's south side, and then appeared on the show to talk about this remarkable look into the future of sustainable technology.
But about a month ago, show contributor Sarah Batka told me about a talk he had given at the Great Lakes Bioneers Chicago gathering in November called "A 50-year Survival Plan for Climate Change." In fact, she couldn't stop talking about it. So what could I do but invite him back to the show to talk about that very issue?
Here's what Blake Davis himself has to say about it:
"Ordinary people want to know if they need to worry about climate change, yet. What is the "canary in the coal mine" that will warn them that it is time to do something immediately. Is it the melting of the arctic ice, a series of extremely hot summers or cold winters or an increase in the number and intensity of hurricanes? And the answer is....the collapse of the economy.
Nature has several hundred million years of experience in dealing with adversity, modern economies less than 300. Our economy and our way of life is built on ever-increasing use of energy and an expansion of economic output of at least 2% a year.....forever. Neither of these preconditions are possible as we approach the carrying-capacity of the earth.
The next 50 years will present insurmountable challenges for our society and culture. Where we live, what we do for work and even how we raise our children will be radically different than they are now. The government and business are committed to a course of action which will exacerbate the problem of climate change and cause tremendous blow-back for the average citizen. Unless we want to participate in an elaborate "duck-and-cover" drill, we must all take immediate personal action to protect ourselves, our families and our communities.
A 50-year Survival Plan for Climate Change takes our current knowledge of climate change and forecasts what it will mean for average people over the next 50 years. It will allow you and your community to start working on surviving the challenges of a less stable and less abundant future."Whoa. I'd tune in, if I were you.
January 6, 2013
Fighting for the right to grow native plants in Chicago
If you've listened to my show in the past couple of weeks or you follow me on this page or on the social media, you know of the plight of Kathy Cummings. She is the gardener who came in first place for "Most Naturalized City Garden" in the Mayor's Landscape Awards Program in 2004. Fast forward to October of 2012, when that very same garden was cited by the Department of Streets and Sanitation for being in violation of a city weed ordinance and she was fined $640. Things change, I guess.
Last week, Kathy and I were joined on my show by Suzanne Malec-McKenna, former commissioner of the former Chicago Department of the Environment and currently Director of the Regional Trees Initiative for The Morton Arboretum and senior counsel for energy and the environment at Jasculca Terman and Associates, Inc.
Kathy talked about her plans to appeal the $640 fine, which would cost her another $317. It was at that point that Suzanne offered to pay for half of that fee. I said I would pay for the other half. But my great listeners stepped up, too, and by the end of the day I had about half a dozen people who wanted to chip in. I haven't worked out exactly how that is going to happen yet, so stay tuned.Meanwhile, I have been in touch with Kathy, who headed to the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County the very next day to file for the appeal. She reports that the clerk will send her information about her appeal sometime within the next three weeks.
I wrote last week that the fine seemed inconsistent with the City's own Chicago Sustainabile Backyards Program, which promotes growing native plants. The Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) is now responsible for running that program, so Kathy contacted Ryan Wilson, who is Stormwater Program Manager for the Wetrofit™ and Sustainable Backyards efforts. She wanted to know if the name of the program was to be taken literally, that is to say, could natives be planted only in backyards. She also asked for a list of recommended natives, and the list of land-based invasive species that are banned in Chicago. Wilson responded:
Our program does not differentiate between front, back, or side yard, despite the confusing name. The intent is to incentivize residents to install native plants on their private property.
To clarify, there is not an “Approved” list of native plants, there is a "recommend” list that included examples of native plants that qualify for a rebate from our program. It is not a comprehensive list. It lists two milkweeds, Swamp Milkweed & Butterfly Milkweed.
All resources for our program are listed on the website [here], but I have attached the invasive species list and recommend native plants list to this email in case the link does not work:
Here are the documents to which he refers:
Wilson mentions milkweed because it is one of the plants that are at issue here. Kathy says that there are milkweed plants, and although she says that they are on her neighbor's property, not hers, they are common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), not swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) or butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa).
The ordinance that she is allegedly in violation of states that the vegetation cannot be on average, more than ten inches high. That would make it tough to grow common milkweed, which many people have a bias against anyway. Ironically, however, Kathy wrote to me:
Yesterday my "Certificate of Appreciation" from www.MonarchWatch.org arrived for being a Monarch Waystation to provide milkweeds, nectar plants and shelter for monarchs throughout their annual cycle of reproduction and migration.
This, while she's waiting to hear whether she will be forced to chop down the waystation.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I wrote to Chicago Chief Sustainability Officer Karen Weigert about the whole hullabaloo. She sent me a brief response:
Thanks for your note and voicemail. I am doing a little investigating on the topic.
The plot thickens. Stay tuned...literally.
Will fracking in Illinois come with or without tough regulations?
A lot of eyes have been on Springfield, which is wrapping up its veto session in the next few days. While there are many issues that are making headlines, including the seemingly endless wrangling about pension reform, Illinois environmentalists have been waiting to see if anything will happen with SB 3280, the so-called Fracking Moratorium Bill.
At the moment, Illinois has no law regulating the procedure, even as property is apparently being scooped up downstate in anticipation of a fracking boom. However, with that boom comes the potential for contaminated water, air and other unforseen consequences, due to the litany of chemicals that are used in the process.
A number of groups, including the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club, have been pushing for passage of SB 3280, which would delay approval of Illinois fracking operations until robust regulations can be written. Among the measures that Sierra Club would like to see in any legislation:
- Chemical disclosure–before fracking–of exactly what chemicals are being used in the frack.
- Baseline groundwater testing before the frack and following monitoring afterwards.
- Water withdrawal plans.
- An adequate public notice and appeal process for frack well permits.
- Adequate setbacks from water supplies, including water wells, streams, ponds and lakes.
- Prohibition on the use of toxic chemicals such as BTEX chemicals (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene).
- Prohibition of storing wastewater in open pits.
- Treating fracking waste as hazardous waste.
- Ending clean air act exemptions for fracking sites.
The oil and gas industry protests that it already has these safeguards in mind. But Henry Henderson of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) points to the experiences in other states, where water has been fouled while the promised jobs did not materialize.
If you ask me, it should be a no-brainer to take a breath and make sure that the water quality in a state that does so much farming should be protected. Orgininally SB 3280 would have delayed fracking operations until June 1, 2014. Unfortunately, that date got moved up to June 1, 2013 and, given how slowly the wheels of lawmaking grind in Springfield, who knows when--or if--the bill will pass.
The NRDC's Josh Mogerman stops by this morning to see where we stand in regard to fracking in Illinois. He will also talk about a fascinating--and disturbing--article he wrote for Chicagoist a few weeks back and which I saw thanks to a listener who sent me a link. It seems that our lack of rainfall is causing the level of the Great Lakes to drop to such a degree that it could end up undoing one of the great engineering feats of the 20th Century--the reversing of the Chicago River.
Hey, don't look at me! Or Josh. No less than the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has this possibility on its radar.
Never a dull environmental moment, eh?
