In a first from March 2011, Bill Gudenrath of the Corning Museum of Glass attempts to make a copy of one of the fish-shaped glass pieces displayed in The British Museum’s 2011 Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World.
During the exhibition of over 200 objects that were on loan from the National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul — some from between the 3rd century BC and 1st century AD — the museum showcased “nineteen of the roughly 180 glass vessels found in the ancient Kushan storerooms at Begram,” including three of these fish:
Powered by wind turbines, solar panels, and a biodiesel generator, the NY Sunworks Science Barge (now in Yonkers, New York) is a model for energy-efficient, sustainable urban farming. Using a hydroponic system that requires no dirt, the floating greenhouse uses less water and space than traditional farming in fields. And their state-of-the-art computer technology creates an optimized environment for nourishing tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, basil, lettuce and more, “with zero net carbon emissions, zero chemical pesticides, and zero runoff.”
It’s not only a great educational field trip for school kids from all over the region, but continues to be an example of how growing local food in cities can be fresh, healthy, and sustainable, all while cutting down on transportation costs and fuel needs. From NYTimes.com:
“It’s a living science lab that on its first level is a demonstration of how we can grow food with fewer resources and that we can produce what we need without damaging the world around us.”
If you want to make your own hydroponic plant-growing experiments, there are kits for kids here and here. Or Instructables has written out steps for making your own hydroponic system using stuff around the house.
If you’re in the New York area, visit the Science Barge!
Blackberries in the Hudson Valley from a few seasons ago, yet perfect for this time of year. From Blossoms to Berries from the New York Times.
“Consumers making a choice to buy a loaf of bread made with local flour has a lot of power… It enables the consumer to directly effect their neighbors, whether it’s the farmer that grew the grain, the cleaner that cleaned it, the miller that milled it, the bakers that baked it, the retailer that sold it, the distributor that brings it around… By spending $5 on a loaf of bread, they are effecting their whole neighborhood.”
A short film about Don Lewis and Wild Hive Farm, by David Sampliner.
From The Etsy Blog.
