FogBox

The aeroponics revolution begins!

Earlier this summer, the company GroBox launched a Kickstarter campaign for a small-scale aeroponics growing system called FogBox.  This planter can fit on a desk, bookshelf, or windowsill, and it’s sleek, minimalistic design makes it just about the coolest thing we’ve seen all week. 

For those that don’t know, aeroponics is a growing method where the plant roots are exposed directly to air and misted with a nutrient solution. There is no soil, as used in traditional gardening, and no growing medium, as used in hydroponics.  The FogBox makes a slight adjustment though - rather than misting the roots, fog is used to transport the nutrients.

Be sure to explore their page for a full explanation of how their innovative design works!

Waste Not, Want Not

There is a lot of talk about where our food comes from, but what about the food that gets left behind?

As this blog post from The Economist points out, wasted food does not only mean wasted calories; it means wasted resources, such as water, fossil fuels, and pesticides.  By not utilizing all of the food that is produced, we are unnecessarily contributing to climate change, soil depletion, and water pollution. Rather than throwing out unwanted food, compost it instead! Composting in New York City is much easier than it seems, as there are scheduled drop-off sites in most neighborhoods.

Welcome to Gotham Grazer

Earth Day Initiative is excited to launch our Gotham Grazer program this September!  We will be working with three different high schools throughout the city, providing both formal sustainable food education and interactive, hands-on activities that will empower students to be agents of change.  We will be bringing in guest lecturers that work in the sustainable food sector, giving the students access to a variety of role models, contacts, and career opportunities.  As the year progresses, the students will create maps that lay out existing food resources in their communities, as well as develop real-world sustainable food projects of their own.

Participating students will have a unique learning experience that will encourage them to live greener, more sustainable lives and pursue careers in sustainable food.  We hope to make the students more aware of the environmental and health issues that surround our food system, and give them the necessary tools to make positive changes in their schools and neighborhoods.  As such, the benefits of this program are not bounded to the classroom, as the food maps and projects that the students produce could become major resources for their communities.   By the end of the year, these students will be active members of their communities and confident advocates for the sustainable food movement!

Not only will we be using this blog to share stories from the Gotham Grazer program, but we will also be highlighting news articles and resources that are related to the sustainable food movement.  Stay tuned as we kick things off and get to work!

Stay tuned...

We're gearing up to launch our Gotham Grazer program in partner high schools this fall!  Stay tuned as we get things off the ground and start to bring regular updates from our partners and fun stories and articles on sustainable food.