Franklin Matters

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Community Garden Walkabout

Last Saturday morning, before Irene brought her rain and wind to Franklin, Chris Clay held a "Community Garden Walkabout". Only a few took advantage of this and it was worthwhile.

Here Chris is pulling up some mint which is prolific and he wanted to remove it before if took over the bed.

See how deep and expansive the roots for this plant are. This growth is just since May.

In the walkabout, as Chris and I took pictures, he shared some insights on what we were seeing. On the face of it, these cucumbers look good and healthy.

While they are healthy, the key to picking a cucumber is to do so while there are still some numbs along them. The dark green one in the center is a good example, the two lighter cucumbers on either side are bigger, less or no numbs showing and past prime for picking.

I have more photos and stories from the walkabout to share. The sharing is meant to learn from. I don't mean to pick on anyone for doing something wrong. I am learning so much from this and I hope we all will continue to share and learn and grow better gardens!

"a global fishing crisis that is masked by sparkling blue waters"

Revenga suggests that sometimes supporting policies that may be unpopular in the short term will be beneficial to all in the long term, such as catch shares/limits, no-take zones and fishing gear modifications. She notes that supporting local fisherman and fishing communities is also important. International cooperation is also essential, since more than 80 percent of U.S. seafood is imported and the FDA inspects a small fraction of it.

Consumers' choices are important. Revenga says, "Consumers need to ask questions and be informed. They can ask their stores and restaurants, not only where the fish is from, but how it was caught....The closer to home the better and the less impact the fishing method the better."

Environmentally responsible methods of fishing include: hook and line, trolling, traps and pots, and harpooning larger fish. Products that carry the Marine Stewardship Council label ensure that the fish were caught sustainably (www.msc.org). Responsibly caught seafood tends to be more expensive, but the price will be much higher if we do not take steps now to support conscientious fishing practices.

Friday, September 2, 2011

The demise of guys

Philip Zimbardo was the leader of the notorious 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment. Now retired from teaching for over 50 years, he makes this presentation at TED about the demise of guys.
Video is less than 5 minutes long. You may need to return and watch it multiple times!

For information on a related topic, how little time outside is creating a 'nature deficit disorder'

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Public School Funding in Massachusetts: Where We Are, What has Changed, and How We Compare to Other States

September 1, 2011

Each year, the U.S. Census Bureau releases education spending data on all 50 states. Using this data, MassBudget reports annually on the state of education spending in Massachusetts.

A new MassBudget report examines FY 2009 Census data (the most recent national data available) and compares education spending in Massachusetts to that of other states. Key findings this year include:

Massachusetts saw a significant increase in federal education revenue in FY 2009 as part of the federal stimulus efforts to protect local schools from being harmed by cuts in state aid.

Massachusetts ranks high in per-pupil spending but average in total education spending as a percentage of the state economy.

Compared to other states, Massachusetts continues to rely more heavily on local funding sources for education than on state and federal sources.

The report, Public School Funding in Massachusetts: Where We Are, What Has Changed, and How We Compare to Other States, is available here and at www.massbudget.org.

MassBudget provides independent research and analysis of state budget and tax policies, as well as economic issues, with particular attention to the effects on low- and moderate-income people.

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