Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Betcha didn't know...
George Taylor, signer of the Declaration of Independence, owned a home in Catasauqua, a small borough in the Lehigh Valley. The home, run by the Lehigh County Historical Society, is available for tour. He is buried in Easton Cemetery.
Rodale Institute turns 60
2007 marks 60 years since J.I. Rodale founded The Rodale Institute to scientifically prove his philosophy of "Healthy Soil = Healthy Food = Healthy People."
To celebrate Rodale suggests the following to help improve your own health, and the health of the environment:
1. Visit the birthplace of organic farming in America - Rodale's 333-acre farm in Kutztown to learn more about organic gardening and how to create an organic garden yourself.
2. Find local farmers and purchase produce from them.
3. Read about what sustainable farmers are doing now.
4. Start an organic garden at your child's school.
To celebrate Rodale suggests the following to help improve your own health, and the health of the environment:
1. Visit the birthplace of organic farming in America - Rodale's 333-acre farm in Kutztown to learn more about organic gardening and how to create an organic garden yourself.
2. Find local farmers and purchase produce from them.
3. Read about what sustainable farmers are doing now.
4. Start an organic garden at your child's school.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Sweets for your sweet...
As we gear up for one of the largest chocolate holidays of the year, Valentine's Day, consider getting chocolate with a little more pizazz. We are truly fortunate here in the Lehigh Valley to have several locally-owned chocolatiers. Before you grab that box of candy at the grocery store, consider making a more personalized one at one of these shops.
- Josh Early Candies
- The Chocolate Lab, 77 W. Broad Street, Bethlehem, PA; (610) 865-5781
- Tallarico's Chocolates
Regional Food Forum held: Make a Victory Garden and become a "Localvore" experts say
Sponsored by Land & Water Lehigh Valley with support from close to 30 regional organizations, a regional food forum was held on Jan. 24th.
Both county executives, John Stoffa from Northampton County and Don Cunningham from Lehigh County, offered remarks on their counties' respective efforts to help local farmers.
Stoffa looked out at the crowd and remarked, "Do you realize what a political force you are? I don't think you do."
The need, said Cunningham, is apparent, "very apparent to me." County government must make it a practice of "sustaining the farmer and creating a market for the products at home."
Currently, Lehigh County has 550 farms on more than 100,000 acres, Cunningham said.
He would like to see farming as a "more productive and family-sustaining career."
Stoffa said corn prices are on the rise, that one local farmer shipped out corn at $3.72 a bushel, up from the historical value of around $1.50 a bushel. Farming can be profitable, he said.
Stoffa said one of his projects is to bring an ethanol production plant to Northampton County. In support of that, Stoffa said all new county vehicles purchased can burn ethanol as well as gasoline.
Stoffa also cited his .5 mill tax increase for the preservation of open space, which includes farms.
Cunningham said Lehigh County has developed an agreement to serve certain locally-grown products in the county prison and nursing home.
Eating regional foods can lead to the reduction of processed foods, said Jerry Brunetti, the evening's keynote speaker. He listed a variety of ailments-obesity, autism, diabetes, cancer, ADHD, allergies and asthma-that are known to have or believed to have a link with diet. That's not even delving into the impact of factory farming, use of U.S. banned pesticides on imported food and diseases like hoof and mouth, mad cow and bird flu.
Brunetti introduced the concept of "localvore," a person who eats only regional foods with the exception of "Marco Polo products," or olive oil, coffee and spices.
The local food concept could help promote sustainable agriculture, Brunetti said, agriculture that meets the needs of the present without compromising the future.
More here.
So how do you become a "localvore"?
1. Shop locally at area farmers markets and farm stands.
2. Grow your own fruits and vegetables. (more on how to do this later)
3. Buy a share of produce from area farmers.
Not only will you be supporting local business and agriculture, you will be cutting down on green house gas emissions, as food will travel less from farm to your plate.
Both county executives, John Stoffa from Northampton County and Don Cunningham from Lehigh County, offered remarks on their counties' respective efforts to help local farmers.
Stoffa looked out at the crowd and remarked, "Do you realize what a political force you are? I don't think you do."
The need, said Cunningham, is apparent, "very apparent to me." County government must make it a practice of "sustaining the farmer and creating a market for the products at home."
Currently, Lehigh County has 550 farms on more than 100,000 acres, Cunningham said.
He would like to see farming as a "more productive and family-sustaining career."
Stoffa said corn prices are on the rise, that one local farmer shipped out corn at $3.72 a bushel, up from the historical value of around $1.50 a bushel. Farming can be profitable, he said.
Stoffa said one of his projects is to bring an ethanol production plant to Northampton County. In support of that, Stoffa said all new county vehicles purchased can burn ethanol as well as gasoline.
Stoffa also cited his .5 mill tax increase for the preservation of open space, which includes farms.
Cunningham said Lehigh County has developed an agreement to serve certain locally-grown products in the county prison and nursing home.
Eating regional foods can lead to the reduction of processed foods, said Jerry Brunetti, the evening's keynote speaker. He listed a variety of ailments-obesity, autism, diabetes, cancer, ADHD, allergies and asthma-that are known to have or believed to have a link with diet. That's not even delving into the impact of factory farming, use of U.S. banned pesticides on imported food and diseases like hoof and mouth, mad cow and bird flu.
Brunetti introduced the concept of "localvore," a person who eats only regional foods with the exception of "Marco Polo products," or olive oil, coffee and spices.
The local food concept could help promote sustainable agriculture, Brunetti said, agriculture that meets the needs of the present without compromising the future.
More here.
So how do you become a "localvore"?
1. Shop locally at area farmers markets and farm stands.
2. Grow your own fruits and vegetables. (more on how to do this later)
3. Buy a share of produce from area farmers.
Not only will you be supporting local business and agriculture, you will be cutting down on green house gas emissions, as food will travel less from farm to your plate.
Charlie Dent holds regional transportation symposium
Designed to keep municipal officials informed about federal funding and help the Valley better address its transportation needs. About 60 representatives from Lehigh and Northampton counties, Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, and a host of towns and townships attended.
The Lehigh Valley must consider a mix of solutions to help people get where they need to go quickly, at a reasonable cost and without exacerbating development problems such as disappearing farmland, said Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham said.
'The Lehigh Valley will need to have passenger rail,'' particularly a regional rail system to help transport residents within the Valley, Cunningham said. Plans for commuter rail improvements, including proposals to link the Poconos with New York City and Reading with Philadelphia, also are in the works.
Northampton County Executive John Stoffa recommended an even longer-term approach to transportation planning, calling for development of a 20-year plan using population and development projections.
''Adequate and predictable funding is essential'' from state, federal and local sources, Stoffa said.
More here.
The Lehigh Valley must consider a mix of solutions to help people get where they need to go quickly, at a reasonable cost and without exacerbating development problems such as disappearing farmland, said Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham said.
'The Lehigh Valley will need to have passenger rail,'' particularly a regional rail system to help transport residents within the Valley, Cunningham said. Plans for commuter rail improvements, including proposals to link the Poconos with New York City and Reading with Philadelphia, also are in the works.
Northampton County Executive John Stoffa recommended an even longer-term approach to transportation planning, calling for development of a 20-year plan using population and development projections.
''Adequate and predictable funding is essential'' from state, federal and local sources, Stoffa said.
More here.
Easton's Carmelcorn opening soon
The more-than 70-year-old store may reopen Tuesday — in plenty of time for Valentine's Day — and nearly four months after a fire damaged a portion of the large, three-story building, which houses the candy shop on the north end of its first floor.
More here.
More here.
Global Warming "very likely" caused by humans, scientists say
In a bleak and powerful assessment of the future of the planet, the leading international network of climate change scientists has concluded for the first time that global warming is "unequivocal" and that human activity is the main driver, "very likely" causing most of the rise in temperatures since 1950.
More here.
What can you do? Click here to learn of emission-saving tips.
They said the world is already committed to centuries of warming, shifting weather patterns and rising seas, resulting from the buildup of gases in the atmosphere that trap heat. But the warming can be substantially blunted by prompt action, the panel of scientists said in a report.
The report summarized the fourth assessment since 1990 by the group, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of the United Nations, sizing up the causes and consequences of climate change. But it is the first in which the group asserts with near certainty — more than 90 percent confidence — that carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping greenhouse gases from human activities have been the main causes of warming since 1950.
In its last report, in 2001, the panel, consisting of hundreds of scientists and reviewers, put the confidence level at between 66 and 90 percent. Both reports are online at http://www.ipcc.ch.
“Policy makers paid us to do good science, and now we have high very scientific confidence in this work — this is real, this is real, this is real,” said Richard B. Alley, one of the lead authors and a professor at Penn State University. “So now act, the ball’s back in your court.”More here.
What can you do? Click here to learn of emission-saving tips.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)