UMass Permaculture Your Campus Conference This June 2012!

Information Board: A Personal Narrative

At the beginning of this past semester, we tweaked the way our committee was run. These changes had been made to accommodate an overwhelming desire to achieve more as a committee, create a flexible work space, and encourage creativity. As a result, we have created and completed many successful permaculture projects ranging from a permaculture “zine,” to dorm presentations, and radio spots.

Currently, I, along with several other students on the committee, have been working to create and implement an Information Board for the Franklin Garden in order to satisfy a need for a more accessible form of learning.

The info board will be established in one corner of the garden this summer and will contain short sections about permaculture, UMass Permaculture, and other pertinent information. Thousands of students walk by the Franklin permaculture site every day, and I hope this info board will allow students to interact with and learn about the garden in their day-to-day lives.

To the many people who pass by the garden, the information board may seem to be just another method of promoting permaculture on campus. However, for me it has meant much more. As a student, I have often felt very disempowered and frustrated at the lack of impact I can make on educational institutions. I have often felt as though my actions make limited differences on the world around me. This semester has started to make me aware of my own potential. When I suggested the idea for the information board at a meeting, I noticed a spark of interest from my fellow committee members. One week later, a committee had been created to work on the project. We have spent many, many hours meticulously editing and rewording the content for the board, and it will soon be ready to go.

I feel an immense sense of accomplishment and pride in the work that I did for this project. Even though the information board is a small endeavor in the grand scheme of things, I started to notice a glimmer of hope for student agency and decision-making. Every time I walk by it, I will be reminded of my own abilities and my own potential to create or to change. I am aware that it’s only a small change; but a lot of small changes can start a revolution.

-Varshini

Moving Forward

It seems crazy to me that my first year of college is almost over! It has been an action-packed, intense couple semesters, and I could not be happier with the friends of made, the communities I have involved myself in, and the opportunities I have pursued. Being an active member of the permaculture committee has of course been one of the highlights of this year. But now as I look forward to the next three years here at UMass Amherst, I cannot help but be a little overwhelmed at all the decisions to be made. Even though people keep telling me I’m “just a freshman,” the looming threat of picking the correct classes, making wise decisions regarding internships and jobs etc. seems to be ever-present. Permaculture too is prevalent in this vast array of to-be-made decisions.

In this upcoming semester, permaculture will be exploding on this campus. There will be many new classes for students to take, and a whole new community of avid environmentalists and designers to be created. I am extremely excited about this expansion of permaculture into our classrooms. However, as an individual, I often worry about my own place in such an expanding community. Within the committee, I have created for myself a safe space. I have forged enduring friendships and a lasting sense of community. In a university with over 20,000 undergraduates, it is the place I feel comfortable and the people I know.

My greatest struggle for this upcoming year will be finding a niche once again for myself in an inevitably expanding world. In my opinion, permaculture must grow within our UMass community for it to succeed. I simply have to find a way to grow with it.

-Varshini

Vermi-Workshop and Friends of UMass Permaculture Zine!

The Vermicomposting Workshop was a huge success. With 30+ volunteers and facilitators and a whopping 70+ attendees, Earthfoods was filled to the brim with wormy excitement. A big thanks to the Sustainable UMass Action Coalition, the UMass Student Farm, UMass for Real Food, Friends of UMass Permaculture, and the UMass Permaculture Committee for putting together and hosting the workshop, sourcing free recycled materials for the bins, and all the energy that they put in!  The volunteers and facilitators were key to the workshop running smoothly, many thanks to them as well!

Curious what 110+ buckets and 1000+ collegians looks like?

To stay in the local worm loop, e-mail eround@student.umass.edu to be added to the “Go Worms!” Google group. The group has… answers to your worm questions! Bucket troubleshooting help! Worm sourcing and sharing! Pass down your Worm-bin to a future vermicomposter! Find worm babysitters! General worm discourse!

If you want more information about organizing a vermicomposting workshop in your own community, please fill out the form @ www.bit.ly/goworms. I’ll send you along info as it becomes available.

The next Friends of UMass Permaculture Meeting will (most likely) be this Tuesday 4/24/12 @7pm in the Campus Center room 802 (take the elevator up!).  However, FoUMP was also nominated for the Outstanding New RSO Sammies Awards which is meeting at 7pm in the Campus Center Auditorium. So try to come to that!

Last week FoUMP assembled the first ever issue of Beets and Carrots, the permaculture zine! The pages are delightful submissions from FoUMP members, the Permaculture Committee, and the UMass community. Check out the delicious recipes, art, words, and awesomeness.  Zines will be being sold at the upcoming Pioneer Valley Zine Fest! More info on that here!

Go worms! Go zines! Go permaculture!
-Emily Round

What’s the Scoop About Poop?

What happens when we use the bathroom? Does our excrement magically vanish? Maybe there are microscopic wizards in the toilet bowl. Or perhaps our toilets are somehow designed to jettison our waste into orbit. I’m being dramatic, of course, because while the prospect of toilet wizards may seem very appealing, it’s not our reality. Most of us don’t consider where our waste goes or what it does; all that matters is that we’re done with it. (Sayonara, dookie!) But we should all know and care, right? So what I really want to talk about right now is our poop.

What a lot of us don’t think about when we flush is the series of complex processes used to support out current wastewater system. Instead of explaining this system, here’s an example diagram:

Now, even if you have trouble understanding the diagram or what precisely is happening at each step, it’s easy to see the system is by no means simple or close-looped. Needless to say that the current and widely used system of wastewater disposal in this country is severely flawed, requiring extraordinary amounts of water, energy, and chemicals to operate. In fact, on average, we’re flushing away 20-25 gallons of water per capita per day. Multiply that number by the 300 million people in this country and the figures start to look pretty grim. And in a time when fearful whispers of global droughts and inaccessible drinking water are more prevalent, these numbers should be an enormous red flag to us. Why are we polluting one of the Earth’s most valuable resources?

When I really started considering these issues, I felt so frustrated—how can we continue flushing on a daily basis when there are millions of people in the world without access to clean drinking water? But I ultimately realized that forgetting about what happens with our Number One’s and Two’s is inherent in the design of the modern flush toilet; their one essential function is to move waste away from us. But this causes us to forget—out of sight, out of mind.

Historically, flush toilets have served their purpose. Throughout the years they have been utilized to transport human excrement far away from its source, thus preventing some nasty diseases, smells, and overall unhygienic conditions. But as a culture grows, so too must its technology. Each one of us has a responsibility to reevaluate the state of our resources and how they are being utilized. Currently, we are polluting our drinking water with waste and treatment chemicals as part of an antiquated system. What most of us have yet to realize is that our flush toilet is an old world technology, dated by its present impracticality.

So here is what I would like to propose: moving away from flush toilets and toward a few alternatives: low flush, dual flush, or composting toilets; toilets that move water to feed tree bogs; toilets that use greywater; and that’s only to name a few. All of these examples are more efficient than the traditional flush toilet—some more easily implemented than others. The compost toilet, for example, is a system which requires no water usage and utilizes “waste” to produce nutrient-rich compost that can be recycled back into the garden.

The greywater system directs already-used water from doing the dishes or bathing to the toilet bowl, preventing the further contamination of clean drinking water. (These are brief summaries—below are some resources to the learn more about these various alternatives.) Even if hiring a plumber to install a fancy new, energy-efficient system in your home isn’t economically feasible, there are much easier ways to make an impact on how our water is treated. We can take simple steps like turning off the faucet when we brush our teeth, reducing shower time, or by using fewer toxic soaps and cleaners. Maybe we can even pay heed to that timeless adage: if it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down.

Regardless of how you choose to make an impact, awareness of how—and how much—water we use can make all the difference. Right now, there is a disturbingly powerful social taboo that prevents us from openly discussing our poop. So here’s a challenge: let’s lift the poo taboo. Let’s stop being embarrassed by our bowel movements, and start recognizing them for the untapped resource they are.

Here’s a site that outlines 25 obvious—though often forgotten—water-saving tips:

http://eartheasy.com/live_water_saving.htm

And, as promised, here are the links describing in better detail waste treatment alternatives:

Composting Toilet

Tree Bog Toilet

Greywater Toilet

Dual Flush Toilet

­- Kyle

Working with the system: Are you in or are you out?

Over the past few weeks, there has been much talk about the pros and cons of UMass Permaculture’s opportunity to go to the White House for the Campus Champions of Change Challenge. It seems the main point of debate has revolved around the idea of whether permaculture as a practice should work within the “system” or without. I want to take a minute to reflect on this idea from the perspective of a UMass Permaculture Committee member and as an aspiring young permaculturist.

First and foremost, I want to appreciate the issues raised by those on the local and international permaculture list servs. Several people questioned how favorable it is to bring permaculture to national recognition by way of both the government and the pop culture show MTV. Does this mean we’re supporting the government and its practices by accepting this White House award? Does this mean permaculture is “selling out” to mainstream media?

I think these are very valid and valuable questions that need to be asked at this stage when permaculture is gaining so much buzz. Some have expressed that the time has come for us to stop asking permission to alter the course our society is on, and instead to demand change. On that note, there are some who believe UMass Permaculture is not creating any positive impact by accepting this award and recognition, and that it’s in fact detrimental to the movement, as permaculture needs to work outside of the system to unwaveringly stand by the values we permaculturists hold dear.

For those who feel this way and for those who don’t, I want to refer back to a basic principle that is crucial to the success of environmental permaculture: valuing diversity. Carrying this principle into social permaculture in my mind is just as important, if not more so. For example, instead of falling into the trap of dichotomizing supporters vs. non-supporters (of working within the system, or of UMass Permaculture winning this national award), perhaps its more useful to value each opinion for the richness and diversity it brings to this dialogue. For me, reading the thoughts of those who voiced negative concerns reminded me to step back from all the excitement for a moment and really reflect on our project here at UMass- what it is we’re trying to accomplish and whether or not I believe this recognition aligns with our goals.

After some reflection, the answer for me was yes, accepting this award and therefore allowing our position to spread word of permaculture to many more people does indeed align with our goals. It also launched our project into the limelight on the UMass campus, and has made more students aware and excited about the gardens than we could have accomplished with a year’s worth of events, tabling, and outreach. Furthermore, I hope that our presence on television, on a show that reaches thousands of teens, may have encouraged a handful of people to look up “permaculture”. Perhaps that will have no impact on them today. But maybe if they hear the word again sometime, or if they find themselves questioning the world around them, they may remember that curly-haired guy on MTV talking about that thing called permaculture.

I think this issue can once again be related back to the “valuing diversity” principle. Isn’t it most effective for permaculture to function both within and without the system so that we may maximize our potential to create the changes we wish to see in the world? To quote Lisa DePiano, “At this stage of the game I believe we actually need to do both. Working inside, outside, around, through, beside the ‘system’”. Neither our project nor projects outside the realm of campuses and the larger society would be as successful without the other, and if we all exist in conjunction with and with respect for one another, we can push permaculture to new and unprecedented heights.

You never know whose life you may change, and for that reason, I think we should accept opportunities to reach as many people as we can, as long as we can maintain our goals and remember our purpose.

-Meg

Volunteer in the UMass Permaculture Gardens throughout April!

Volunteer times at the UMass Permaculture Gardens all throughout April: Tuesday-Thursday mornings at Franklin Permaculture Garden, 9:00am – 10:30am. Fridays at Berkshire Permaculture Garden 9:00am – 1:00pm! Gain hands-on permaculture experience with no prior experience required!

Bringing Something Home

This Spring Break wasn’t like most that I have had in the past. Instead of finding myself sprawled out on the floor of a cheap hotel room, enjoying a week’s worth of late nights with a bunch of close friends, I decided to save up my cash and make a big boy decision, by spending my time preparing for future employment. Hooray! Knowing how fun that can be, you can imagine I didn’t hesitate to take a break here and there. The time spent away from the grind of career searching, I thought how nice it would be to get my family thinking more about their carbon footprint and lifestyle.

Being a member of the UMass Permaculture Committee for over a year now, I have gained hands on experience towards becoming a more sustainable and environmentally friendly individual. My passion and admiration for change on an individual level has been channeled through my learning, encouraging me to continually cutback my carbon footprint at any chance I can get. With this transformation of habits, I only begin to worry if they will continue as I am thinking beyond the realm of living here at college.

Spending close to a week home for break, I found myself falling into old habits of plastic and non-renewable kitchenware use! I was so confused, “how could I forget?” As I thought towards the future and the possibility of having to live at home for a couple of months to get on my feet, I grew concerned that what was picked up and practiced at school will slowly fade. I quickly understood why I had fallen back into the old habits. At home I was the only one practicing these methods of sustainability and that’s what needed to change! It was never clear until then of how significant and influential people have on you when living with them.

At school it’s no problem, it’s easy for me to remember, because my roommates are too trying to improve their impact on the planet. Their habits of change constantly encourage and gear me towards the practice and in turn have created a cycle of remembrance for all in the house. I understood that what was working for me at school, can work for me at home, but it would take some careful encouragement for this shift to take place.

It’s easier said than done! The first time talking with my family, I lost their attention and lost my case. My passion got the best of me, the disadvantage I had was my outlook on change. I wanted change and a lot of it. My exposure to alternative, environmentally conscious lifestyles within the Pioneer Valley, have made me less complacent to the typical materials and methods used in households. These frustrations strike whenever I see sustainable methods unpracticed. Why? Because hearing the world’s environmental issues scares me! All its implications seem so dire but people still choose to ignore it! My family is unaware of these practices and, to me, it’s a no brainer, but not all have walked the path I have. So how could I expect my family to understand all this in a short little talk?

So when first approaching this change, I was suggesting lists of ways that they could improve, which began to overwhelmed and frightened my families thought on change all together. I knew I would need to start small. So I decided to find something that wasn’t too labor intensive and worked within their lifestyles.

I established an outdoor compost bin in my back yard, a fun, easy, and interactive way to get a family to think about the systems around them. It turned out to be a huge hit, they seem to be calling more often and updating me with how their progress is going. I’m happy, because it’s something! It’s enabling the chance for more open/independent thinking and the possibility for more projects and change!

This break, I was able to bring something home with me and it felt good. It felt good to contribute to something greater than yourself, to something that matters. A gateway, that can bring upon different ideas and awareness, a way for me to connect with the people I care most about, and most of all a way for a healthier planet. This compost bin is so much more than a bin, it’s an ability to constantly remind and influence my family’s actions. I thank them for their effort and willingness to step outside their comfort zones and I hope to hear more news on how they’re progressing to make their lifestyle more in tune with the natural systems . I hope to get more calls and more news on how their doing.

“We cannot do everything at once, but we can do something at once.”

-Calvin Coolidge

-Corey Colbert

Easy to Make a Buck, Harder to Make a Difference

When you hear the words “go green,” what is the first thing you think of?

When people say “go green” they are for the care of the environment, wanting to make the world a better place. But there are people out there that use the saying “go green” to their advantage. One way that certain people are using this for a profit is through advertising. Advertising is a very powerful tool in the world of business. One form of advertising that in which companies are reaping the rewards due to psychological factors is “greenwashing.” Although it has a negative effect on society, people seem to be influenced by it every day.

Go down the supermarket isle and you will see green packages of food, cleaning goods, and other household accessories with green, flower and/or leaf design packaging and many unsupported claims such as “all natural” and “made with recycled paper.” These companies are deceiving people to think that there products are environmentally friendly. People naturally think “It’s green; it must be good for the environment and me!” It’s a good thing that people try to make this world more environmentally friendly and more suitable for healthy living; however, we need to be more skeptical of these products and corporations. Many of these companies are feeding off of people’s gullibility and all they really care about is making a dollar.

However, there is hope. The new big business trend of the future is “Corporate Social Responsibility.” CSR is exactly what it sounds like, big businesses partaking in an effort to benefit the environment. For example, the Timberland Company has planted more than one million trees in the past 10 years, and will plant more in the future. They have their own environment strengthening strategies, which they call “Earthkeeping.”

What should you do so that you do not buy into this marketing scam? How can you tell if one company is trying and succeeding in making a difference or just green washing you to death? It can be very difficult to determine if you are being green washed. Here are some tips:

1. Read the fine print on the package! Read about how the product is all natural, how they made this product, what stats they give, etc.
2. Look at the company’s website and call them for more information.
3. Do third party research, search trusted websites and blogs.

I watched this YouTube video recently, and it gave some pretty good tips on what to look out for.

Be sure to remember that a good number of companies will say and do anything to make people buy their product. Be skeptical about products and ask questions. Support those companies that do care about making a difference in the world. As a result, you will be making this earth a more suitable place to live in.

-Andrew Mack

UMass Amherst Vermicomposting Workshop

WHERE: Commonwealth Room in the Student Union (Earthfoods)
WHEN: April 10th, 2012. 7:00pm-8:30pm
WHO: All students and public are welcome
COST: Free! Materials needed to construct a 5 gallon vermi-bin will be provided.
REGISTRATION: www.bit.ly/goworms

Friends of UMass Permaculture is joining up with UMass for Real Food, The UMass Student Farm, and the Sustainable UMass Action Coalition (SUMAC) to bring you a DIY Vermicomposting Workshop. After attending the workshop you will leave with: a ready-to-go vermicomposting bin that you’ve made, a thorough knowledge of vermicomposting at home, and a guide to maintaining your bin.

What is vermicomposting?
Vermicompost is a combination of the words vermi, meaning worms, and compost, being nutrient rich decayed organic matter. Vermicomposting uses worms and micro-organisms to turn organic material, such as kitchen scraps and old newspapers, into a rich compost called castings (or in less technical terms, worm poo). It can be done indoors, in small spaces, and without too much effort!

Why vermicompost?

• It can be done inside or outside, making it a great composting solution for apartment dwellers
• Vermicomposting is scalable from a single person’s kitchen scraps to a big household that loves to cook
• Vermicompost bins are low maintenance
• Vermicomposting creates a finished product much faster than traditional composting
• The largest contributer to discarded municipal waste in the U.S. is food waste, making up 21% of the total! That’s even more than plastic waste, which makes up 19% (EPA, 2009)
• Worms are fun! Composting worms in particular are a lively bunch.
• No more trekking out to that back corner of your yard in the middle of winter to bring our your compostables!
• Vermicompost bins are easily made with readily available materials

What will be happening at the workshop?
The Vermicomposting Workshop will start with a quick overview of food waste in the United States. We’ll move into a presentation on everything you need to know to start vermicomposting at home from what to feed your worms to harvesting castings once they have done their wormy magic.
Then the real fun begins and we’ll start constructing DIY vermicomposting bins! First will be a demonstration on how to turn an ordinary 5-gallon bucket into a vermi-paradise. Attendees will then work together with the help of facilitators to build their bin.

Picking a suitable worm container
If your household creates a lot of food scraps you may want a bigger bin then the one we will be providing. Fortunately, worms can thrive in many different kinds of containers. Lidded plastic tote-bins are long lasting and easy to clean. They have poor ventilation, but that is easily solved with some well placed holes.
The surface area of the container is more important than depth. Composting worms are surface feeders so the bin does not need to be deeper than one foot. Worms enjoy being in the dark; an ideal bin will block out light. A 10-15 gallon bin is a good starting size for a household.

You can also check out our Facebook event here:

http://www.facebook.com/events/360628377309360/

Hope to see you there!
-Emily Round