Understanding Organic
We held our first garden meeting for the 2023 season at 6pm via Zoom!!
You can read a copy of the shared notes here. The in-person meeting format is conversational and meant to be a place to get to know each other a bit. Attendees gave the go-ahead to share some of the notes.
This blog is not public right now, only those with the link to it can see it. I will remove the conversational notes link if I am able to create a public blog that tracks and shares some of the projects we’re working on in the garden.
People seeing this blog until then include other gardeners who’ve signed up for becoming co-op gardeners for the full season, volunteers, and One Stone students and staff who have spent significant time at, or expressed ongoing interest in, the garden.
The Understanding Organic course is made available by the Edible Schoolyard Project, it is a free curriculum I am adapting to whomever is expressing interest in meeting. This allows us to become familiar with the garden following a framework (otherwise I tend to get a little squirrely and hyper-focused on different immediate projects at the garden).
Many of us are familiar with the term “organic”. But even if we can define it, we don’t always take the time to explore what “organic” represents.
When you hear the word “organic”, what comes to mind for you? Create a word association map on a piece of paper. Write the word Organic in the center of the page, and then describe some personal associations, thoughts, and feelings you have on the word organic. Remember there are no right or wrong answers for this activity. Write whatever comes to your mind!
1-2 minutes
Discussion - See the notes for our discussion.
What are some common threads?
Are there some insights that create new interests or areas of inquiry for you?
This is where our discussion for the evening turned to what we’re doing for this season.
Please take some time to explore the following on your own. Feel free to bring the conversation about any one of these topics to our next meeting!
Organic” can refer to certified organic food, and to certified organic farming practices that are designed around protecting the environment. For foods to be certified organic, they must be produced in adherence to strict rules that govern the farming methods and materials used. You’ll learn more about those regulations in the lesson titled Exploring Organic Certification. However, when people say “organic”, they don’t always mean certified organic. “Organic” can also refer to sustainable farming practices broadly. “Organic” means many different things to many people.
Look over the information presented in the Infographic on Organic and take a minute or two to list three things you found interesting.
Over the coming week, and/or the next time you go to the store, take some time to consider what you’ve picked up while reading this.
When we meet next, we’ll take a few minutes to reflect on some of these findings and discuss them!
Vocabulary:
• Genetically modified: a plant or animal that has had genes added to it. Sometimes will be labelled as, “produced with genetic engineering”
• Pesticides: something used to kill insects, weeds, and fungi
• Synthetic: not naturally derived
• Antibiotics: drugs used to kill bacteria—sometimes used to make animals gain weight faster
• Hormones: natural chemicals that plants and animals use to control their functions — sometimes synthetic hormones are used to make animals grow faster or produce more milk
Please be sure to check out the Garden Calendar for 2023 and let us know what date and time works best to meet as Stakeholders of the Garden! Several of the gardeners are working 9-5, M-F, so the times have been divided. Student meeting times may shift to midday Monday or Friday at One Stone. Notes from both meetings will be shared between gardeners and students.
Possible Stakeholder Meeting Times:
The times and locations we are looking at are:
Community Gardeners and Volunteers
Wednesday March 1st at 6pm at the Garden, 2206 S. Cole Rd., Boise, ID 83704
Thursday March 2nd 6pm at the Garden
Friday March 3rd at 6pm at the Garden
Students
Thursday February 23rd 2pm at One Stone 1151 W Miller St, Boise, ID 83702
Thursday March 2nd 2pm at One Stone
Friday March 3rd at 2pm at One Stone