Spreading the Word about Bioneers

Bioneers: Biological pioneers.

Sometimes a person just doesn't know a good thing when she sees it. I grew up in one of the "greenest" environments possible. I lived on a subsistence farm, in which we grew what we ate. We had two cows, two pigs, 100 chickens, and assorted other animals off and on. Our six and a half acres were more than enough for a small orchard, red raspberry patch, and three huge truck gardens. The cows and pigs provided the fertilizer, so we didn't have to worry about chemical runoff. The pigs ate the garbage, and dad took the few tin cans to the dump once or twice a year. We dried the clothes on a line. Dad had a job in town four miles away, but the rest of us only went in once a week, on Saturdays, unless it was a medical emergency. If I wanted to see my friends, I had the choice of walking or riding my bike. And I just couldn't wait to get away from that backward existence to live in town!

Now that I live in the city, those roots keep calling me, and I turn every backyard I've ever had into a mini-farm with what I like to call a "Victorian garden." If a person can't eat something from the plant, why are we growing it? My "city boy" husband puts in flowers, but they have to compete for space with my veggies. (I will admit that the amount of swiss chard last summer was a little excessive, but the red, orange, yellow and green stalks were more colorful than most flowers.).

I've started small this summer in Bay Village, since I don't know what is permitted. The tomato plants are hidden behind the pampas grass, but I'm still considering putting in some fall greens.

That's small scale "greening."

For the larger context, the city of Cleveland is becoming one of the Great Lakes Bioneers. It's hosting several conferences this fall to connect the environment with other networks to combine structured networking to national forums for environmental innovation. Among other things, the conferences aim to go beyond green to creating sustainable cities. To me, that means promoting green industry as well as reclaiming a livable environment.

I've attached a link for your exploring pleasure. If you are one of the subscribers to this blog, I apologize for the earlier, unexplained link. I'm still trying to get the hang of the posts!