Patriot ProduceSustainable Garden

Lizzie, Rose, Jacqueline, Stuart, and Andrew

Sustainable Foods

What’s wrong with our food?

AdditivesAntibioticsFood IrradationGenetic EngineeringHormonesPesticides

How is it effecting the environment?

Air pollution Green house gases Climate change

Factory farming Greenhouse gases Animal waste

Water pollution/eutrophication In human treatment Poor work conditions

How it is effecting the environment? Cont.

Biodiversity Diversity in soil microbes

Decomposition and nutrient cycling More species

Better pollinationFood securityLess vulnerable to disease/pests

What does it mean to be “organic”?

BiodiversityEcological balanceSustainabilityNatural plant fertilizationNatural pest managementSoil integrity

sustainabletable.org/issues

Campus Sustainability

at Mason

Mason’s Current Efforts STARS rating – SILVERSTAR

Sustainable Endowments Institute Green Report Card Overall: B- Food & Recycling: B

Dining Services Mile Markers Buys over 10% of its food locally Offers vegetarian & vegan meal options Composting efforts (Southside)

Mason’s Current Efforts Dining Services Mile markers (Cont’d)

50% of beef & poultry purchased is free range 85% of purchased milk is hormone free

GOGA – George Mason’s Organic Garden Assoc. Potomac Heights Garden Greenhouse *NEW* Sprouts

Our PGF Proposal – Patriot Produce

Patriot Produce“This project will involve creating a new organic vegetable garden on

Mason’s Fairfax campus. The garden’s main function will be to provide fresh, organic produce to

Southside and Mason’s other dining facilities.”

Sustainable Garden Efforts by other Universities Yale Sustainable Food Project

Established 2003 “Engages in sustainable practices that

can be continued indefinitely without causing degradation to the biological systems on which they rely.”

Crops are sold locally or donated to hunger relief project.

Sustainable Garden Efforts by other Universities Yale University (cont.)

Sustainable gardening practices: No fertilizers used- soil only enhanced with natural

minerals such as green sand and colloidal rock phosphate.

Direct seed crops Drip tape irrigation Growth of healthy, pest resistant plants to reduce

pests.

Sustainable Garden Efforts by other Universities Santa Clara University

Inspired by Penn State Garden Also established in 2003 Set forth guidelines and features of a

Sustainable Garden

Sustainable Garden Efforts by other Universities Santa Clara University (cont.)

Guidelines and Features for a Sustainable Garden: Designed, managed, and maintained as an

interdependent living system. Using plants and features appropriate to the

natural environment/climate. Minimize inputs/outputs Create a stable living system

Sustainable Garden Efforts by other Universities Santa Clara University (cont.)

Guidelines and Features for a Sustainable Garden: Incorporates a vast diversity of plants Includes edible plants, vegetables, and fruit

trees. Replaces lawns

Patriot Produce Sustainable Garden Project & Purpose

Expansion of GMU’s Organic Garden Partnership with Mason Dining Student Awareness & Involvement

Goals & Objectives Supply Mason Dining with locally grown, organic

produce Get the Mason Community more involved in

local agriculture More awareness of human connection to the

biosphere

Patriot Produce Involved Organizations/Departments

GOGA GMU Office of Sustainability Mason Dining/Sodexo

Mason’s Environmental Impact Lowering our carbon footprint Expand & protect local biodiversity Runoff Issues

Future Goals Official Organic Certification

Cost Issue

Permaculture System Using native plants or those that are well

adapted to your local area

Regular On-Campus Farmer’s Market

Mason Dining Partnership Follow Sodexo’s approved list of products

No raw sprouts – alfalfa, radish, etc.

Continued supply of salad greens to Sprouts

Works Cited "Santa Clara University." - St. Clare Garden. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2012.

<http://www.scu.edu/stclaregarden/sustainable/>. "Yale Sustainable Food Project | The Farm." Yale Sustainable Food Project | The

Farm. Yale University, n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http://www.yale.edu/sustainablefood/farm.html>.