January 2010 Archives

By following intensive biological farming practices, Sustainable Cotton Project growers reduced the use of the most toxic pesticides on their cotton. Moreover, they slashed overall pesticide use by up to 70%.

A short documentary produced by the Davis, California-based Sustainable Cotton Project (SCP)has been produced by Gibbs and videographer Liam Creighton. The "Cleaner Cotton" video documents the cotton project's impressive campaign to improve the environment, public health and agriculture economy of Firebaugh, a small rural Central Valley farming town about 40 miles west of Fresno.

"Look at the things we're doing for the community, reducing pesticides in the watershed," Firebaugh grower John Texeira says in the video. The eco-friendly farming practices paid off at harvest, too. "We had yields better than our neighbors."

Indeed, Sustainable Cotton Project growers are leaving an imprint on the San Joaquin Valley, which produces some of the finest cotton in the world, a high-quality fiber that can command a premium price.

The region produces about 90% of the nation's Pima cotton, the Cadillac of cotton in the U.S., rivaling the fine Egyptian quality.

Global Green Cotton Market

In the past six years, participating farmers have produced more than one million pounds of Sustainable Cotton Project's trademarked Cleaner Cotton® for the $5 billion-a-year global green cotton market. The project is working with major retailers such as Gap Inc, Levi Strauss & Co, Williams Sonoma, North Face and others to incorporate the eco-friendly cotton into their product lines.

View "Cleaner Cotton" Online

The cotton video is part of the work of the Sustainable Cotton Project. Learn more at: Cleaner Cotton. The Sustainable Cotton Project is a private non-profit working under the direction of the Community Alliance with Family Farmers in Davis.

Humans pee! Yep, and a lot. And wastewater treatment has become BIG systems. But the story isn't a simple one. Sewer treatment is necessary because our urine collects all the waste chemicals from our medications and foods and drinks...and it goes back into our water system. Those New Yorkers are innovative! They are developing an open source innovation project to develop ideas on how to turn pee into hydroponic farming fertilizer.

Urban farming, vertical farms...apartment gardening, these are all new techniques for urban food production in small urban spaces.

Urban food production is a necessary part of food security and reducing the 2,000 miles our typical meal travels to our mouths!

The Windowsfarms Project in New York City is putting together innovative solutions and projects for window gardening.  See their videos at their Windowfarms YouTube channel.