Progress Report. Yipee

This topic submitted by Katie Gibson, Lauren Bratslavsky, Libby Carey, Bethany Weber (bratsllm@muohio.edu) on 4/4/03. Additions were last made on Friday, April 4, 2003. Section: G/G

So far, we have no revisions to our project. Everything is moving smoothly and we feel we will be able to accomplish our goals.

We found some more readings to correspond to our project. The book, "THe Economics of Organic Farming" will give us further information to help us decide if organic farming is more cost effective than convential farming (as well as envirnomentaly freindly). It focuses on issues such as sustainablity, low input farms and their cost effectiveness, the costs of farming and its profit and so on.
LIbby searched the internet and found excellent articles about the psycology behind organic foods and what attracts people to that lifestyle. Also, there are articles on the pros/cons of organic farming, the pesticides/herbacides used and the nutritional value of organic food ersus conventional (this one is particulary interesting, the results show that organic food really has no health advantage over non-organic).
The documentary and research process is going well. We interviewed Bill Renwick, a geology profesor here who has done extensive testing on 4 mile creek. He spoke about the sediment load testing and his phosophorus testing. ALso, he said that the watershed of 4 mile creek and Acton Lake has been improving. A significant reason why the quality has improved is due to the revised farming techniques (which is maily convential, he does not know too much about organic). He was a very helpful voice for our project.
Libby and Bethany went to the MOON meeting- and organic agriculture orgnization on campus. The speakers gave good information. Their main concern is to get Miami to purchase locally grown organic food for the university's food departments. That would help stimulate the econonmy, encourage environmetnally freindly food production and promote healthy eating. Also, we established contact with Bob Harris, an organic farming in the area whom we will soon interview for our film as well.
We have done some water testing as well. Phosphorus and sedimetn load has been tested. We are waiting to test nitrate levels since we do not have the kit yet.

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