Movie/Presentation to Highlight New Campus Prairie Project
Reconstructing native prairie on campus is now a major focus in M.U.M.’s efforts to become sustainable. And to highlight this initiative, the M.U.M. Organic Farms team is offering a movie and PowerPoint presentation on April 16 to explain the goal of the campus project and the extraordinary richness, complexity, and intricacy of native tallgrass prairie.
According to Kathy Brooks, who is helping to head the project, M.U.M. is beginning to reconstruct an area of prairie on the 15 acres south of the Men’s Dome along Crow Creek to the Argiro Student Center parking lot. Site preparation has already begun this spring with a controlled burn and will extend through this fall. Planting will begin in 2010.
Ms. Brooks said that native prairie is a much more sustainable approach to campus landscaping for a variety of reasons. Once it has been reconstructed, it won’t require any care other than annual controlled burning.
In addition, the unusually deep root systems enrich the soil with extensive biomass that absorbs rainwater, decreasing the threat of flooding during storms, increasing water retention in the soil — and ultimately creating some of the richest topsoil in the world.
Also, the dense structure of plant debris provides wildlife habitat year round and becomes fuel for the modern-day prairie management technique of controlled burns. Mimicking the natural prairie fires that once swept across the plains, burns warm the soil and encourage a new round of plant growth from the roots up.
And it’s attractive. “The North American prairie is best known for its self-perpetuating and diverse floral display and beautiful grasses,” Ms. Brooks said. “Of the hundreds of plant varieties found in the prairie, most are wildflowers. Their seasonal sequence of blooms is so delightful, and the nectar attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.”
Iowa was blanketed with a perennial emerald ocean of tallgrass prairie for 8,000 years. Because prairie created such rich topsoil, most of it was plowed under and converted to farmland within the span of one lifetime.
It is one of the most complex and intricate plant communities in the world — and is now one of the rarest ecosystems in North America. Fortunately, because it has so many practical and esthetic benefits, prairie is being reintroduced in landscapes throughout the Midwest.
The University’s first reconstructed prairie plot lies west of the Ladies’ Dome.
The movie, titled America’s Lost Landscape: The Tallgrass Prairie, features extraordinary cinematography of prairie remnants, an original score, and archival images of Native Americans — all delicately interwoven to create a powerful and moving viewing experience about the natural and cultural history of America.
The movie and a presentation on M.U.M.’s prairie restoration will be on Thursday, April 16, at 8:00 p.m. in Dalby Hall in the Argiro Student Center.
Headlines
Students Study in Florida, Travel to Washington, D.C., Conference
BY LEE LEFFLER
Sustainable Living students studied fruit farming in sunny Florida during Block 6, and another group of students went to Washington, D.C., to participate in a conference.
Four students from the “Management for Sustainability” course, taught by David Goodman, attended the Power Shift 09 conference in Washington, D.C., as part of a class project. The trip was sponsored by the Sustainable Living Coalition.
The Power Shift 09 conference was designed to urge elected officials to rebuild the economy, implement “bold” climate policies, and create clean energy policies. From February 27–March 2, approximately 12,000 young people from all over the U.S. participated in meetings, panels, and workshops. The conference culminated in Lobby Day, when the attendees lobbied members of Congress and attended a rally on Capitol Hill.
Teaching Assistant Juliane Neves and Sustainable Living Internship & Placement Coordinator Diana Yepez traveled with the students. “The Power Shift 09 conference was amazing,” Ms. Yepez said. “After the event our students said they felt more focused on what they want to do in the area of sustainability as interns, graduates, or graduate students in the future. The conference helped them to feel empowered to take action.”
The students, Joao Moreira Hooks, Sheila Higgins, Ian Walsh, and Camille Morehead, blogged about their experiences, including photos, videos, comments, and notes on what they learned. See http://2009mgt402.wetpaint.com/page/PowerShift09+-+Sheila.
As part of the weekend the students met with Iowa Senator Charles Grassley and a senior staff member for Iowa Senator Tom Harkin.
The class taking “Exotic Tropical Fruit Farming” traveled to a 150-acre organic farm in Homestead, Florida. They explored organic cultivation and marketing of exotic tropical fruits, the plant-animal-soil connection, and ecological pest and disease control.
They also took field trips to fruit-related sites, attended lectures by experts, and got hands-on experience in the propagation, tending, and harvest of organic tropical fruits, vines, and bamboo.
A third group of students traveled in the Southwest in Blocks 6 & 7. Look for information in the next issue of The Review.
Headlines
M.U.M. Dining Hall Wins Recognition
The M.U.M. dining hall was a finalist in the Best Local Food category in the annual restaurant contest featured in the March issue of the Iowa Source magazine. It is also receiving recognition nationally and has become a model for schools across the nation.
The Iowa Source noted how unusual it is for an institutional food service to receive this recognition: “And finally, in what is probably the first time a university cafeteria has ever won an award in a restaurant contest, readers applauded the M.U.M. Dining Hall, also in Fairfield, for growing as much of their own produce as possible in their own greenhouse.”
The food service, which has been under the management of Aladdin Food Management Services since last summer, was also featured earlier this year in Food Management Magazine. The article said that it’s likely that no other school in the country “can come close to matching the commitment to organic and vegetarian dining practiced at Maharishi University of Management” because of its program meal — including board, retail and catering — that is composed exclusively of vegetarian dishes made with 100 percent organic ingredients.
See http://food-management.com/segments/colleges/whole_earth_campus_0109/
According to University Vice-President Craig Pearson, Aladdin has been so inspired by what they have done at M.U.M. with organic vegetarian food that they decided to make this their market niche.
He said that Michael Bailey, who is CEO of The Trusthouse Services Group that owns Aladdin, and who is very prominent in the food service industry worldwide, made this decision after visiting campus last fall.
Aladdin is leveraging its experience with M.U.M. to extend organic offerings at its other accounts. A pilot project launched in January introduced an organic component to salad bars and organic entree choices to a small number of the company’s other university and private school accounts.
Speaking of the pilot project, Jim McKee, an Aladdin vice president, said that it rolled out with great success and that the students, faculty, and staff are very excited to have this offering in a board meal program.
“Comments range from, ‘Wow!’ to ‘I can’t eat this healthy at home!’” Dr. McKee said. “ I’m happy this worked out, and frankly, Maharishi University of Management was the catalyst to make this happen. This modified program is probably two years ahead of the industry. I still maintain that M.U.M.’s 100% organic is 10 years ahead of where the rest of the world needs to be. It is the right thing to do, and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Aladdin plans to roll out its modified program to its other accounts across the U.S. in the fall.
Headlines
Student Feature Film Selected for Film Festival
Wormtooth Nation, a feature film by Geoff Boothby and Cullen Thomas that was done in 2008 as their senior project has been selected to be shown at the 2009 Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival, Friday and Saturday, April 3 and 4, at the Collins Road Theatres in Marion, Iowa.
The festival will showcase the work of filmmakers from across the state and around the country, all with strong connections to Iowa.
Of the 70 films submitted for consideration, 31 were awarded Official Selection status by a panel of judges. These films will compete for Gold and Silver Eddy Awards and the Audience Choice and Iowa Connection Eddys.
“We are excited to showcase the great work of Iowa filmmakers,” said Scott Chrisman, communications director. “This year entrants have crafted some wonderful stories, and delivered some exceptional films.”
Wormtooth Nation is a 90-minute feature film that tells the story of people living in an underground city, searching for the surface but continually losing their memories. It features a large cast, authentic locations, an intriguing plot, and a memorable score.
To view the movie, go to http://theskyisfree.com/.
Headlines
Students Learn Beekeeping, Build Bee Hives
In a first-of-its-kind course at M.U.M. on natural beekeeping in Block 5, students learned the foundations of biodynamic beekeeping from a visiting top expert, Gunther Hauk of Spikenard Farm in Illinois.
They studied seasonal hive management and constructed nine hives, both conventional and top-bar hives, to expand the M.U.M. apiary.
The hives were artistically painted by the students, and are being added to the five colonies of bees in hives built last year by the students.
According to Alex Kachan, who taught the course, the well-being of the bees is the top priority in biodynamic beekeeping, in contrast to conventional methods where bees are pressed and stressed for maximum honey and pollen production.
He says that the current problem nationwide with Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is a problem that has very serious implications for the entire food production system. “CCD is devastating not only to beekeepers but very much to farmers as well, since it threatens pollination of so many agricultural crops, thus lowering yields to uneconomical levels of harvest and shipment.”
He said it is now accepted that CCD is due to the mistreatment of the bees, including feeding them high fructose corn syrup and other unnatural feed and chemical treatments. The goal of the M.U.M. course was to teach the value and skills of local holistic beekeeping to give students the practical knowledge they need to establish their own backyard apiary or consult communities and groups who wish to establish their own apiary.
“In light of the globally spreading problem of CCD, which so far has annihilated more than 800,000 hives in the U.S., it is crucial to teach people about organic natural beekeeping and inspire them to incorporate one or a few hives in every garden, farm, and even backyard,” Mr. Kachan said. “According to the experts, such diversification and decentralization is a key strategy to neutralize the affect of CCD and ensure proper pollination of so many of our food crops.”
The Bee Collective, a student club, was established last year by student Elisabet Humble and Mr. Kachan to encourage all students to learn more about the art of organic natural beekeeping. The M.U.M. hives will be important for crop pollination on the student minifarm and gardens as well as for educational purposes.
Natural beekeeping will be offered again next year in Block 3.
Students interested in enrolling in the course or in the Bee Collective club are welcome to e-mail Mr. Kachan at akachan@mum.edu.
Headlines
Peace Ceramics to Launch New Line at Pandit Fundraiser
Luscious color, modern pattern, the touch of the skilled potter — that’s the beauty of the handmade tableware from Peace Project Ceramics. Both joyful and functional, they are meant to be used every day.
Now is your chance to acquire one of these unique plates for your own home. Peace Project Ceramics is launching a new line of place settings on Sunday, April 5, 1–4 p.m., at the home of Jon Lipman and Pam Whitworth at 1760 Observatory Drive. The cost for the afternoon is $35. You will enjoy terrific desserts — and will keep the ceramic plate on which they were served.
You can view gorgeous new plate patterns, eat gourmet desserts prepared by some of Fairfield’s top cooks, visit with friends, and support the Pandits (proceeds go to the Pandit Project). To top it off, you’ll go home with your very own plate — a $40 value.
Plus, there will be an opportunity to order the new tableware at a one-time-only special introductory price. It promises to be a fun afternoon, so mark your calendars now! For more information, call 472-7000, ext. 5032.
Headlines
®Transcendental Meditation, Vedic Science, Consciousness-Based, and Maharishi University of Management are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and used under sublicense or with permission. |
