Electric Car

RC Electric is a Student Organization that was started as a Student Group Project of the Environmental Studies Program. The previous graduating environmental capstone course and previous RC electric members have brainstormed ways to introduce a classic electric car to the Roanoke College community in a manner that would place Roanoke College ahead of the pack. We are currently working of the restoration of a 1939 Pontiac 4 door Silver Streak; the plan is to convert it into an electrical powered vehicle. We hope that the car will exmplify the College's motto, "Classic for Tomorrow." The Pontiac was purchased from Oliver's Garage in Mt. Tabor, Va. The students, under the supervision of a professional mechanic, Jackie McCann, are doing the majority of the work which includes everything from the sanding of the body to the electric conversion. In accordance with Roanoke College, it has been agreed to have this project complete by 2014.

Environmental Studies Lecture Series

For several graduating seniors in the Environmental Studies program, this spring semester has been dedicated to developing a lecture series focusing on key environmental interests like sustainability, concentricity, and alternative energy. This series is designed to build positive relationships with environmental professionals, program alumni, and the local community. We are excited to begin our lecture series with Guy Harbert and Dr. Mike Burton. The dates for these talks are currently being finalized and will be posted shortly.

Cheers,
Mike, Megan, Ryan, Justin & Stephen

The fruite of apples do differ in greatness, forme, colour
and taste; some covered with a red skin, others yellowe or green, varying
indefinitely according to the soyle and climate; some very great, some little,
and many of a middle sort; some are sweet or tastie, or something sower; most
be of a middle taste betweene sweete and sower, to which to distinguish I
thinke it impossible…
John Gerarde, 1597
(quoted in The Common Ground Book of Orchards)


2012 Roanoke College Environmental Studies Heritage Apple Inventory List
Alta Mons Heritage Orchard / Memorial Circle / Elizabeth Campus Heritage Orchard

1.
(Black) Ben Davis (Phil Hash)
2.
Buck Mountain Ladyfinger
(Phil Hash)
3.
Cauley
4.
(Old Tree)
5.
Mammoth Blacktwig
6.
Maiden Blush (Howard Crain’s)
7.
Pound Sweet (Walking Purchase Farm)
8.
Winter Banana (Howard Crain’s)
9.
Chenango Strawberry (Howard Crain’s)
10.
Clara’s Creek Apple
11.
Magnum Bonum
12.
Priestley (Tucker Prisley)
13.
Milam apple (Daniel Waters)
14.
Virginia Beauty (Phil Hash)
15.
Wolf River
16.
Yates Winter apple
17.
Yellow Transparent
18.
York Imperial
19.
Winter Sweet Paradise
20.
White Winter Pearmain
21.
Grimes Golden
22.
Court Pendu Plat
23.
Isaac Newton Apple /
Flower of Kent (UNeb)
24.
Indian Creek (Jon Cawley)
25.
Bloody Ploughman (Daniel Waters)
26.
Bardsey Island Apple
27.
(Old Tree)
28.
Lost Mountain (Dave Scaer)
29.
Port Onieda (Dave Scaer)
30.
Virginia Eileen (Dave Scaer)
31.
Nelson County Crab/Taliaferro
(VA Vintage Fruit)
32.
Burford’s Redflesh
33.
Wellington Bloomless
34.
Frequin Rouge
35.
Drap D’Or (Dave Scaer / Chotard Family, Nantes, France)
36.
Lass O’Gowrie (Daniel Waters )
37.
Albemarle Pippin (Virginia Vintage Fruit)
38.
Beauty of Bath
39.
(Somerset) Redstreak
40.
Potter County White
Transparent (Alvie Fourness Farm, Potter
County, PA)
41.
Irish Peach
42.
Lady
43.
James Grieve
44.
Foxwhelp
45.
Dabinett
46.
Doux Normandie
47.
Isle of Wight Pippin
48.
Mountain Boomer
49.
(Reserved)
50.
(Reserved)
51.
Junaluska (Kitua Cherokee Site)
52.
Cullasaga (Kitua Cherokee Site)
53.
Nickajack (Kitua Cherokee Site)
54.
Indian Creek (Jon Cawley)
55.
Allegheny Portage (Jon Cawley)
56.
(Reserved)
57.
Mutamuskeet
58.
Gibbon’s Smokehouse
(Masonic Homes)
59.
Pomme Gris
60.
Isaac Newton Apple /
Flower of Kent (UNeb)
61.
Junaluska (Kitua Cherokee Site)
62.
Indian Creek (Jon Cawley)
63.
Virginia Beauty (Phil Hash)
64.
Amasya #2 (Turkey)
65.
Doc Matthews
66.
Wagener
67.
Potter County White
Transparent (Alvie Fourness Farm, Potter
County, PA)
68.
Betsy Deaton
69.
Crow Egg
70.
Cullasaga (Kitua Cherokee Site)
71.
Liberty
72.
Circassian Apple
73.
Buck Mountain Ladyfinger
(Phil Hash)
74.
Priestley (Tucker Prisley)
75.
Bardsey Island Apple
76.
Rusty Coat
77.
Winesap? (Dayton Gordley’s Apple)
78.
Johnny Appleseed Apple
(Nova Ohio via American Historic Forests)
79.
Sarah’s Apple (Summer Rambo)
80.
Northern Spy
81.
Kindal Synap
82.
Bryson Seedling
83.
Jonathan

"Seeding the Future" at Dickinson College

"Creating active and engaged citizens"

The farm at Dickinson College
Energy meter raising awareness of campus energy use
Hoop house

Kim and I snacking on some farm fresh carrots:)

Meal representing local agriculture!
Great way to build community

Hi!
Above are some of the pictures from the conference on "cultivating the college farm" (and garden) and how to integrate a campus garden project into a liberal arts education. These pictures stood out to me because of the paradigm that they represent- that individuals should be active members of their community-aware of local issues and becoming part of the solutions. And what better way to teach this to students then through a campus garden program?

Below is the outline for the presentation that is going to be given at a RCsustain meeting in the near future. Please realize that it only a draft, we are still reflecting upon and debating how to best impliment the information from the conference at Roanoke College.

Presentation of on RC Garden Project

Based on Ideas Presented in “Seeding the Future Conference” Dickinson College

Carrie Carson and Kimberly Johnson

Ø Benefits of having a garden at a liberal arts college

o Experiential learning

o Community building

o Development of critical thinking skills

o Community service opportunities

o Raises awareness/creates teaching opportunities on global issues

- Hunger

- Food security

- Environmental impact of agriculture

- Sustainability

- Economics of food

Builds ACTIVE and ENGAGED citizens!

Forming the garden organization

o 3 bodies:

- Student committee

- Hired manager (non-student)

- Faculty representative(s)

o 3 bodies work in system of checks and balances outlined under a constitution

Ø Funding

o Start-up fund

- College support

- Donors

- Grants

- Fundraising

o Work towards self-sustaining program

-Student/faculty/Staff CSA shares

Ø Tools of a functioning garden

o Garden sign

o Seeds

o Greenhouse

o Tool shed

o Water source

o Raised beds with siding

o Composting

- Food waste

- Creation of a campus composting program (long term)

o Hoop houses

o Mower

o Smaller tools

- Shovels

- Rakes

- Hose

- Wheelbarrow

Check out Dickinson College's blog post on the conference!

Please leave your feedback on our thought process...what do you want a campus garden at Roanoke College to look like?

First work day...ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

Hi guys!

Sat morning was the first day out at the garden with a crew of about 7:) We cleared a lot of weeds from the beds and were able to harvest a few overgrown things that were still growing. It was a great group and we deliberated what we wanted for the garden and what we realistically could accomplish this fall.

We decided that we should aim to enclose the rest of the raised beds in rail road ties and build a container that we can use for our compost. We also decided that Monday/ Tuesday afternoons are good days to work in the garden. I would like to have small groups going out to the garden frequently through out the season so if you know what day you would like to garden let me know and I can give you some tasks to work on. When you are finished you can post on here what was accomplished. The blog is an awesome place to keep everyone updated and on the same page, as well as to keep a record of the garden.

Our garden is also a year old this year!!

I have to say I am very proud of what we have accomplished and all of the hard work that has gone into this project. It definitely puts a smile on my face when I think back to the days where all we did was dig the clay earth for a solid week. We have come a far way and I look forward to another productive year!
Rock On,
Carrie



:

cast iron article

hi gang--welcome back to fall semester--things are extremely busy this first week or two--but the garden group is really well to be commended with what they (or rather i suppose their garden) have/has produced this season. I hope we can document a lot of the individual beds photographically, so that we can see and think about how individual varieties acted and adopted to our own micro-ecosystem here in salem--and also to compare with what we have done in various previous years!

also, now that you are back on board, do remember to check out the Duck Dinner Dash blog, and see how michele is faring--she does keep an eye on us, and it is good to have valued friends.

meanwhile, i am adding the link here to another neat and in fact important blog--this is paul wheaton, who is a somewhat famous (infamous?) permaculturist in Missoula Montana. Paul is a very wise resource, and again, it will be most interesting to contrast and compare our approaches and experiences here with his out there. He is a good resource, no--i correct myself: a great resource.

(If we ask him nicely, he may allow you guys to add some of his links directly to this blog/site. I suggest that a couple of you might want to pursue that)

I am beginning this connection for you with Paul's great essay on using and caring for your cast iron skillet. Most of you who are envi students at the college will know about dr cawley's cast iron obsession--but Paul voices it in words much better than mine. as always, we will discuss our own cast iron experiences in some of the classwork, and also during the harvest dinner.

do check out Pauls stuff--the link is: http://www.richsoil.com/cast-iron.jsp

and i am also adding it to our list of blogs (as soon as i can remember the steps of adding it in the right spot!) if you get a chance, send paul a note, and let him know that we are aboard.

happy gardening!

doc

Welcome Back!!

Welcome back to campus:)

I hope everyone is as excited to start working in the garden again this year as I am. At the recent RCserve meeting It was reported that 70 pounds of produce was delivered to the Salem Food Pantry over the course of the summer! Thank you to Talisha Beha who took over the summer growing. Also thanks to Kim Johnson who did a lovely job of keeping us all up to date with great blog posts and photos :)

Other good news is that the formation of a garden committee is taking place in order to decide the future of the garden. My hope is that the committee will better organize and define the community service, research, and student organization aspects. Members of the committee thus far include Myself, Jesse Griffen, Talisha Beha (community service dept.), Dr.Cawley, Dr.O'Neil, and Gail Steehler (Environmental science Department).

Lastly, we are lucky enough to have an Americorps member on campus this year- Charisse Brass! This is good news for the garden as she is assigned to work with Feed America, Roanoke Community Garden, Salem Food Pantry, and Roanoke College Garden!! I am thouroughly looking forward to working with her on the garden this summer:)

I hope to have gardening days planned in the near future so check back here (and also your email if you are on the email list) for schedualed work days.

See you "Playin' in the Dirt"

Carrie Carson
RC Garden Manager

p.s like the facebook page "Roanoke College Serves" and check out the post about the garden in the discussions section