Brought to you from the Pond Blog: an informative graphic to convince you of all the benefits of gardening.

What’s not to like about farm to school programs? If you’re not familiar with the term, it means just what it sounds like: programs that bring farm-fresh, local foods to public and even private schools so that kids can enjoy great nutrition. The programs also offer excellent educational opportunities, bringing students to farms, and chefs to classrooms, while at the same time giving local farmers a great place to sell their products. Read on, and we’ll take a look at 10 farm to school programs that are doing a great job.

If you’ve ever felt that tug in your heart to farm, you know the impulse cannot be denied. You might end up in something else, but no matter what you’ll always find yourself wistfully dreaming of rows of summer vegetables, rich, loamy soil, the red splash of ripe tomatoes, and the taste that makes supermarket ‘vegetables’ unworthy of the name.

With Halloween just behind us and Thanksgiving ahead, there are pumpkins everywhere (even in the Northeast where Hurricane Irene severely hampered many farmers). While most people automatically think of pumpkin pie for a fall dessert, another delicious item to consider is pumpkin cheesecake.

Press Release: Charity Food and Cocktail Pairing Event to Feature Two Chefs + Two Mixologists and a Special Five Course Dining Experience

Austin, Texas based charity supper club A TORRID AFFAIR will hold its November dinner event on Wednesday, November 16 at Urban Roots (www.urbanrootsatx.org).

Cleveland, Ohio was founded in 1796 at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River where it emptied into Lake Erie, and it grew, slow and steady, until the years leading up to World War II. The city’s population boomed during and after the war as people moved to the northern industrial states from rural areas in the south and Appalachia. Today, the city has some definite challenges. Many residents and businesses have moved to outlying areas, and it has been widely impacted by the foreclosure crisis, leaving a much smaller tax base to keep things running.

Along with its challenges, the city has some good things on the horizon. One of the more positive changes going on in the city is the establishment of urban farms in blighted areas. Where once there were abandoned and boarded up homes or empty lots due to the foreclosure epidemic, there will now be lush plants, and a much-needed local food source. Innovative programs aimed at involving the community in the process while also producing healthful foods. Churches and neighborhood gardens have been around for many years, but these new urban farms are large-scale operations that will grow crops to sell in local markets.

With the autumn rapidly dwindling into short and cold winter days (sometimes inundated with snow), you may find yourself wondering how you’re going to get your farm-fresh produce. Happily, many areas have winter markets where you can find your favorite veggies and other produce into December and into the new year. As the first installment, here’s a list for New England.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) announces its fourth annual Growing Green Awards to recognize individuals who have demonstrated original leadership in the field of sustainable food. Through this national award, NRDC will recognize extraordinary contributions that advance ecologically integrated farming practices, climate stewardship, water stewardship, farmland preservation, and social responsibility from farm to fork.