Environmental lecture series at Carnegie Mellon features urban farming

A series of talks at Carnegie Mellon University on topics related to urban farming (permaculture, local economies, youth development, and technologies), endocrine disruption, and environmental justice. There is no charge for these lectures, and all the details are below, including how to get there, for those not familiar with the CMU campus.

Urban Farming talks are all from 5:30 -7PM in Rangos 1 & 2, in the University Center

Urban Farming: Reconnecting Our Farms, Food, and Community - A Partnership with the Urban Farming Initiative of Pittsburgh

Next session: Tuesday April 24, 2007

Topic: High Tunnel Technology: A Tool for Economic Development, Job Creation, and Increased Quality of Life through Urban Agriculture

Speaker: Dr. William James Lamont, Jr. Professor of Vegetable Crops, Department of Horticulture
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
http://plasticulture.cas.psu.edu/
http://www.sare.org/highlights/2004/tunnels.htm

High tunnels are one of the components of season extension technology. They are not conventional greenhouses, but like plastic-covered greenhouses; they are generally quonset-shaped, constructed of metal bows that are attached to metal posts which have been driven into the ground about two feet deep. They are covered with one layer of 6-mil greenhouse-grade polyethylene, and are ventilated by manually rolling up the sides each morning and rolling them down in early evening. There is no permanent heating system although it is advisable to have a standby portable propane unit to protect against unexpected below-freezing temperatures. There are no electrical connections. The only external connection is a water supply for trickle irrigation. They are used to extend the growing season, and a high tunnel without any supplemental heat in Pennsylvania can produce crops from March until early December. Since 1998, and the founding of the High Tunnel Research and Education Facility at Penn State, a wide variety of vegetables, small fruits and cut flowers have been successfully grown in high tunnels. Crops are either grown in permanent raised wood framed beds or in ground using plastic mulch to warm the soil and help control the weeds. In the urban environment, due to the high levels of heavy metals in the soils the use of raised beds with new soil is practiced. High tunnels offer the opportunity to take vacant land in urban environments and create jobs while ensuring a continuous supply of nutritious vegetables and small fruits and cut flowers that can be marketed to the local communities or to restaurants, farmer markets and other retail outlets. These activities will increase the quality of life in those communities and offer entrepreneurial opportunities and careers in all phases of urban agriculture.

Getting to the CMU environmental talks:

Free parking is available on campus after hours (very simply, in the lot at Forbes & Morewood, and with gates and card-machines in the parking garage a bit closer to the University Center -- but the open lot is not far, either, just drive in off Forbes on the west side of the intersection and go left through the open gates). Many city buses stop at that intersection, as well; check out Bus Schedules.

To find the U.C., look at the tall sculpture accurately named "Walking To the Sky" from Forbes avenue, and the U.C. will be on your left. Inside the building, look up and you'll likely see signs above the corridors; the Rangos rooms are on the second floor.

Here's a Google map, as well.

Click on "hybrid" in the upper right-hand corner of the map to see the campus up close and personal (yes, you can even see people. The current image appears to predate Walking To the Sky, though.).

Baker Hall, where the non-farming talks will be held, is on Frew Street near the Hunt Library.