Sandy asks…
Where are the closest year-round farmer’s markets near Champaign, Illinois?
I am a kitchen manager for my Fraternity. I am looking to purchase locally grown food from farmers, hopefully year round. There are quite a few markets that are open until the beginning of November, but does anyone know of some that offer year-round fresh produce? Some farmers grow food indoors year-round, but I am having difficulty locating places near Champaign. Any help or leads would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for helping me in my search for finding sustainable food opportunities.
The Expert answers:
Try http://www.localharvest.org
You may have better luck hooking up with several individual farms rather than using a farmers market in winter time, especially if there is not one close to you or if it runs once a month.
Also, you will likely have to buy in bulk ahead of time and this could be an issue if your kitchen does not have very, very, very secure storage facilities that the frat boys cannot break into at night (I was a frat cook for 2 years before i became a produce farmer and had all sorts of strange damage to the kitchen and food due to late night foraging by drunk frat boys)
I applaud your efforts for buying local for the frat you work for-Bravo!!!
Lisa asks…
Can capitalism create sustainable solutions to combat global poverty?
or is it truly an inefficient system? It is undoubtedly capitalism that has caused the vast majority of the world’s problems, stemming from a universal desire for profit. It is capitalism that creates the “value” that profits are above people. It is imperialism, a result of capitalism, that has trapped many countries into inefficient regimes and poverty as a result. Because multinational corporations thrive on these conditions, people in 3rd world countries continue to be exploited. Governments, nations, and war are only necessary under global capitalism (or any profit-based economy). The abolition of capitalism and the state will end inefficiency from capitalism and from governments that oppress their people. Thus, production can be geared towards helping one another. We will ensure that all people get access to food, water, shelter and other necessities. This cannot be possible under capitalism because it is not profitable. Thus, people will ALWAYS be poor under capitalism.
The Expert answers:
Just look at all the contributions given to help poverty in history, you can bet that 90% of them come from Capitalist countries, if not 99%*****
Socialist have two levels , the rich / elite and the poor/peasants, if you want that go to where it thrives,go and let America continue to prosper and supply the world with great inventions like the computer, electricity, planes, medical miracles, Satellite TV, etc.**********
Susan asks…
How much would it cost to build a very sustainable home?
so i was just thinking of what kind of home i’d like when i grow up and i obviously want one that gets energy through renewable resources such as solar power, wind, and geothermal maybe. my question is how much it would be to build a new house with all this installed and also with good insulation and also the house be a passive solar system. and if someone could answer this too, is it possible to build a house anywhere you want? and also grow food by yourself?
The Expert answers:
Yes, you can build a house almost anywhere you want and you can grow food by yourself; but, this all depends on your level of dedication to those particular tasks as they will require a great deal of time and fortitude. As far as the green house goes, you can do some research on people who have built green houses. From what I have seen you’ll spend about 30% – 50% more on a green house versus a regular one.
Paul asks…
In my APES class we are doing a Sustainable City Design Project. What city should we choose?
Apparently choosing the location is a critical part of this project and it should be researched in-depth. This city has to provide everything you can think of for a population of 50,000 and have an industry as well as housing, food, water, transportation, jobs, an education system, waste management, etc. My teacher said it would be stupid to choose a place like Miami or Buffalo because of the climates. So, what would be a wise place to choose? We were thinking California. Maybe Malibu or a little more north like Santa Barbara. Any suggestions?
The Expert answers:
What about Santa Cruz (about 55,000 population) and the industry is tourism. Petaluma is another and they are farming (it is noted for its chickens) and they sit at about 55,000
Betty asks…
In my APES class we are doing a Sustainable City Design Project. Should we choose a city in California?
Apparently choosing the location is a critical part of this project and it should be researched in-depth. This city has to provide everything you can think of for a population of 50,000 and have an industry as well as housing, food, water, transportation, jobs, an education system, waste management, etc. My teacher said it would be stupid to choose a place like Miami or Buffalo because of the climates. So, what would be a wise place to choose? We were thinking California. Maybe Malibu or a little more north like Santa Barbara. Any suggestions?
The Expert answers:
What’s wrong with the climate in Miami? Seems pretty sustainable to me.
Los Angeles has all the things you mentioned, but didn’t until about 1910, when they built the aqueduct to LA. Something to think about.
Santa Barbara must rely on its own water supply. I know in drought years, things get really iffy there.
Malibu? Malibu is a strip of land 26 miles long, with no industry to speak of, that is sandwiched between the ocean and the mountains. The only reason it survives is because it relies on LA County Metropolitan Water District for its water, and it’s VERY high income clientele for its property tax base.
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