Go Green--A Model Educator

Being Retired, Tired, and feeling unemployed I was happy to receive my May/June AARP magazine in the mail. The information in the magazine articles has more than paid for itself over the years. This issue was filled with a gold mine of information. 50 ways to save cash Now! A survey of America's Top Hospitals, Travel get-a-ways on one tank of gas, some neat memory tricks, and articles from some celebrities like Dolly Parton and Maria Shriver.

The article that really caught my eye was "The Power of Elder Wisdom." In this day and age who can't use a little help from experienced elders and what does this do with going green?

The picture of Diane Green on page 54 caught my attention. Her work at the University of Idaho and Washington State University would make a good model for other Universities . After teaching a university farming course she was moved to start Cultivating Success, a summer program where student apprentices learn on her organic farm in Sandpoint, Idaho. In this way, Diane Green has passed on her knowledge and hopes to influence a new generation of farmers.

A quick Google search took me to Diane Green's website at http://www.greentreenaturals.com. The website is filled with information on the mission statement of the farm and the summer program. This advise is directly from Diane Green's website:

"The large farms across the country are slowly being lost to over-production and high land taxes. It is the small acreage organic farm that will be the wave of the future. Populations all over the world rely on local farms for fresh produce. In this country, most of the food we eat comes from many miles away and the connection between the farmer and the consumer has been lost. We hope to educate our communities of the importance of supporting the local small acreage farmers and market gardeners and encourage others to do the same."

The acreage used in the production of organic farm crops has increased since 1995. The USDA Economic Research Service shows a growth in organic acreage in the production of corn (+67.7%), wheat (53.1%), oats(56.1%), while barley(-6.3%) and rice(-1.6%) saw small declines. Since 2000 the acreage used in organic vegetables increased 77.9% with organic fruit leading the list with a whopping 123.7%!

Thanks to educators like Diane Green this trend in going green will continue.