Growing Citizens and Leaders through Organic Gardening

In addition to finding out that worms are pretty amazing creatures, the kids in the Children’s Vegetable Garden program learn about organic farming and get some firsthand experience with the benefits of hard work. We talked with program director, Hector J. Hernández, Youth Gardens Coordinator for the Texas AgriLife Extension Service in Bexar County, to find out more.

Organic Farming Yields the Finest Wines

Walk through the garden gate at C. Donatiello Winery, and aromas of raspberries, peaches, and fragrant flowers waft to your nose. Take your time. Stroll along, sipping from a glass of Maddie’s Vineyard Pinot Noir, made with organic grapes grown nearby. Savor the experience. You’ll soon understand why owner Chris Donatiello treats the land and the grapes in his vineyards with the care of a loving parent.

Ranching Underground Livestock

“Worm castings are the ultimate fertilizer,” Kevin Somerville says. With a flat-end shovel, he carefully turns the compost pile in a shallow, wooden bin to reveal a squirming ball of red earthworms. Kevin’s wife, Mary, shows us the tiny, white babies, not much wider than a piece of thread. The biggest of the worms is only a couple of inches long.

Pursuing the Dream of a Sustainable Life

At 9:00 on a brisk autumn morning in rural Illinois, Jill Schutts and her son, Ely, bundle up and trek from their old farmhouse to the out buildings. While Schutts takes Joe on a tour of the hen house and feeds their small flock of free-range hens, Ely grabs a piece of firewood and works at cracking the thick ice on top of the goats’ watering trough. For this family, living sustainably is far more than a platitude; it’s a habit of daily life.

Supporting Organics in a Tight Economy

Why should you pay extra for organic and natural foods when your own budget is shrinking? What does it matter if organic farmers and producers go out of business when you’re facing problems of your own?

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