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Hart

Writing Assignment:

I wrote an article for Ins and Outs, a Grinnell College publication sent to prospective students, about the Campus Garden. After interning with Lonnie Gamble last summer, I returned to college ready to get my hands dirty again and stay involved with local foods issues. Sam Calisch, another intern and Grinnell student, came back to campus early to clear out the weedy beds and install a rain catchment system. During Saturday workdays through out the fall, we've continued to revitalize the garden by building season extension structures, improving the composting system, and caring for the vegetable beds. With time and hard work, this place has been transformed from summer vegetable beds to a three season harvest garden that models sustainable practices.

Garden Article

Group Project:

Vicky Mercer, Ami Freeberg, and I are established a Local Foods Buying Co-op that will expand access to and education about local foods by connecting area producers to students, faculty, and community members. For more, please go to the Group Projects page.

Radio Project:

Pauls Grains is a small-scale, family-owned farm has been organic since the 1970s, long before "organic" was fashionable. Since then, the family has practiced a seven or nine year crop rotation on small acreages of a diverse array of heirloom grains. All the flours and cereals are ground by hand are orders come in. The family primarily sells to organic cooperatives, but they also do a fair amount of business on an individual basis.

The Local Foods Buying Co-op purchased over 250 pounds of grain from them earlier this spring and plans to put in another order in April. When we picked up the grain order, Lonnie and I interviewed Steve Paul. We learned about how the farm is run and about the passive solar house that the family is currently building. Even in Iowa's harsh climate, this building will be entirely heated and cooled by the sun and the steady temperature of the earth.

To listen to the interview, please go to the Interview page.

This weekend, Vicky Mercer and I will also interview Andy Dunham at Grinnell Heritage Farm when we pick up our local foods order.

Renewable Energy Web Research Report:

Rocky Mountain Institute Publications

Founded by Hunter and Amory Lovins in the 1980s, the Rocky Mountain Institute is a "think and do tank" that seeks to "foster the efficient and restorative use of resources to make the world secure, just, prosperous, and life-sustaining." It focuses on market-based solutions that engage all sectors of society. Although it does not consult with homeowners individually, it provides them with information about energy efficient technologies and policies. The FAQ section of the website features a list of resources for home-scale green building. Its publications also include a series of Home Energy Briefs about home-scale energy efficiency. On the large scale, RMI collaborates with institutions, such as libraries, schools, and hospitals, to design innovative, highly efficient buildings. Their work includes Four Times Square in New York and initiatives to green Wal-Mart. For more, see their web-page that describes their projects. The collaboration with large businesses and organizations puts the RMI in an unique position; they can promote revolutionary innovations, such as the hypercar, while maintaining the support of giants of the status quo. The homepage explains that Wal-Mart recently donated $250,000 to RMI

 http://www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid410.php#myhome

Home Energy Briefs http://nc.rmi.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?pid=217&srcid=217

Representative Projects https://www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid75.php

RMI Homepage; News Blurb About Wal-Mart Donation (accessed March 3 2008) https://www.rmi.org/