And then my science geek comes out to play sitar...
Thought process for Urban
Agricultural Center in Ames
I.
Establishment
II.
Funding
III.
Maintenance
IV.
Education
V.
Long-Term
Goals
I.
Establishment
A.
Iowa
State University School of agriculture
1.
Since
the University has such a myriad school of agriculture to begin with, this poses
a base from which to launch the project.
a.
Possible
Ph.D thesis topic for a student/student group within the school
b.
University
already has land allocated for Agricultural studies, possible land allocation
or donation for project
2.
University
study emphasis on honeybees in urban environment
a.
Bees
allows for wider range of available vegetation
b.
Also
ties into Education of community about bee behavior, care, and essential part
of pollination of plant life
B.
Non-Profit
Overseeing Body
1.
Establishment
of 501(c)3 for long-term running of the center and the garden itself
a.
For
this status, need a board, need by-laws, need an educational focal point (bees,
urban agriculture, etc)
b.
Possible
“in association with” status with University, but not if working with a ‘for
profit’ University will make a difference in status
2.
Major
annual fundraising for the garden would be from corporate donations, grants,
and community outreach programs
C.
Planting
1.
Need
to plant wide variety of plants that can be grown in this environment.
a.
Plants
that do and do not need bees to pollinate
b.
Plants
needing equipment such as berries and tomatoes
c.
Fruit
Trees take time to produce viable fruit, into years. Need to maintain and monitor
2.
Need
to plant a balanced array of plants for soil nutrient and pH content. Consider
close proximity combinations
II.
Funding
A.
Non-Profit
Overseeing Body
1.
Establishment
of 501(c)3 for long-term running of the center and the garden itself
a.
For
this status: need a board, need by-laws, need an educational focal point (bees,
urban agriculture, etc)
b.
Possible
“in association with” status with University, but not sure if working with a
‘for profit’ University will make a difference in status, though ISU is a state
school. Need legal consult for that clarification given 501(c)3 recent rule
changes
2.
Major
annual fundraising for the garden would be from corporate donations, grants,
and community outreach programs
3.
Front
end sale of produce, herbs, and honey from the garden
a.
Charge
a set fee per bag of items (roughly the size of a paper grocery sack)
b.
Encourage
bag reuse by offering a discounted rate for bringing one’s own bags
c.
Have
basic size of bags that are and are not ok (Grocery vs garbage bag, etc)
d.
Offer
honey by the jar and honeycomb by the pound, prepared so that there is less
exposure to the beehives by the overall community. This lowers the risk of
allergies, upsetting the bees, and keeping the hives orderly
III.
Maintenance
A.
Community
Volunteer work
1.
Possible
discount off price per bag for certain hours
2.
Possible
local school field trips to education center and garden, continuing community
outreach and education in plant care
B.
Scout
work
1.
Work
with the Girl Scouts of America to offer merit badge credit for work done in
the garden, whether for bee-keeping, plant care, etc
2.
Work
with Boy Scouts of America to offer Scout volunteer hours and Eagle Scout
projects.
a.
Possible
Eagle scout project: beehive start to finish.
b.
Possible
Eagle scout project: Orchard care
C.
Possibly
Offer queen-less swarm removal and relocation within the city as space and
personnel permits
IV.
Education
A.
Education
center
1.
Specializing
in the pros and cons and secrets to urban gardening
2.
Deal
with indoor and outdoor issues (space needed for certain plants, irrigation,
necessary light/light preferences, yield, etc)
3.
Deal
with plants that are poisonous to pets but not people
4.
Deal
with essential oils to pets
5.
Deal
with Bees in urban environment
6.
Deal
with soil conditions (pH, water content, etc) and necessary soils for different
trees, fruits, veggies and flowers
B.
Bee
Hives/Bee Keeping
1.
Specialize
in bee safety and behavior
2.
Dispel
myths of over-aggressive domestic bee behavior
3.
Illustrate
the essential role honeybees play in pollination and plant health
4.
Show
the damage done by invading bee species
5.
Illustrate
the strain of sick and dying hives on overall agriculture
6.
Show
how careful urban beekeeping does not harm the community
7.
Illustrate
that the taste of honey depends on what the bees eat! The plants that bees are
exposed to determines the kind of honey they produce (flowers vs fruits vs
grasses vs trees)
8.
Keep
in mind allergies!
9.
Show
the difference in urban beekeeping as opposed to rural beekeeping.
a.
Citations
for Paris Project in news: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/01/health/01iht-parisbees.16613547.html
b.
Pesticides
and parasites as possible causes for dying hives, specifically pesticide called
clothianidin, made by Bayar Chemical Corp.
C.
Develop
a curriculum to follow with certain age groups of incoming school students vs
Girl/Boy Scout troops
D.
Possibly
set aside a quarantine zone for maintenance of hives so that incoming community
can observe but not interfere
E.
Community
involvement in maintaining their own food source
F.
Nutritional
education, especially for lower income households
G.
Seasonal/regional
eating and cooking
V.
Long-Term
Goals
A.
Community
Awareness
B.
Community
Involvement
C.
Sustainable
produce supply
D.
Local
education in agriculture
E.
Youth
outreach
F.
Raising
base level of nutrition for lower income families/households in the community
G.
Nurturing
a healthy bee population, avoiding drifting between hives
H.
Sustainable
food source that is as much about community and the act of growing as any other
is about profit
I.
Revival
and maintenance of different strains of seeds and plant varieties that thrive
in the area.
And, thoughts?
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