DOCSLIB.ORG

Gardening Forest

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Symbiosis in EFGing Definition & Description Native plants & EFGs Symbiosis is an ecological relationship An Edible Forest Garden (EFG) is ‚a There are many native Pacific Northwest between organisms of different species living perennial polyculture of multipurpose plants‛ species that have been identified as well- in direct contact; these interactions are the (Dave Jacke, Edible Forest Gardens). suited for EFGs, and still more that have basis of EFGing, and connect garden layers Gardens are consciously-designed, self- yet to be recognized due to lack of modern and components together to ensure overall renewing, diverse ecosystems that follow a experimentation. The largest barrier to wellbeing. A few examples: In mycorrhizal woodland-like pattern to provide food, widespread use of native plants is relationships, soil-dwelling fungi grow into medicine and other useful products. EFGing availability, as species are sold primarily for cells of roots and use the plant’s sugars to encompasses an entirely new way of thinking re-vegetation projects and are difficult to bring in nutrients and water. Leguminous - an ecological worldview. EFGs provide a find commercially. Shade tolerance is a key plants provide nitrogen surpluses for other more resistant, sustainable, diverse, holistic, characteristic for growing productively below plants through associations with soil bacteria and energy-efficient form of food production a canopy, and this region features many that extract nitrogen from the air. Pollination than modern agriculture. A small-scale, such plants. Perennial vegetables and and seed dispersion create links between locally-cropped system facilitates awareness herbs are generally grown in the herbaceous flora and fauna and lead to co-evolution. about, interaction with, and love of whatever story and rhizosphere, while the shrub and Companion plants constantly exchange patch of earth you are lucky enough to be canopy layers provide nuts, berries, and nutrients, fluids, water, and even hormones a part of. EFGing is the intersection of other fruits. 90% of the world’s food with neighbors. Mixed-age stands create development and preservation, creating comes from just 20 species, and EFGing more systematic stability, and the different productive spaces based around forests to offers the potential to increase this number composition of each plant contributes different help ensure their survival. exponentially by providing diverse habitats nutrients to the soil upon decay. that allow many different plants to flourish. While sustainable through careful cultivation careful through sustainable temperate climates temperate ecosy rainforest concepts ofsymbiosis concepts book In widespread agroforestry and alley cropping are based around similar around arebased cropping alley and agroforestry are over 3.5 million forest gardens, most of which are are which most of 3.5 million gardens, over forest are EFG Java, Java, in tropical regions, and and regions, tropical in Local Resources family Forest Gardening Forest a Terra Commons ing Native Olympia relatively relatively http://www.oly-wa.us/Terra/ dense - owned. owned. Despite this this Despite , notably, it Non-profit, creates edible forest gardens . self Native Plant Salvage been taking been ly populated rural areas rural populated ly been stemhave http://www.nativeplantsalvage.org/ is ancient. ancient. is A ‚ , and , new Non-profit, salvages plants for use in restoration works with works practiced extensive extensive practiced In in Brief History Brief . Fungi Perfecti ‛ the Western world, practice world, theWestern sparked public interest in interest public sparked India, since that point that since http://www.fungi.com/ In the 1990s, Robert Hart 1990s,Robert theIn concept concept Starting in the ‘90s, the the‘90s, in Starting hold in thisreg in hold Fungi resource center and mushroom supplier forest village systems remain remain systems village forest currently currently . ‚ Washington Native Plant Society T F , hailand, ood forests ood traditionally used http://www.wnps.org/index.html rials to in this Region this in Guides and forums on WA’s native plants profit mo . - D.E.A.P. Permaculture Garden for thousands ofy thousands for dern Western Society, Society, Western dern In Kerala, India there there India Kerala, In remain beautiful remain and Student group, garden next to EG organic farm and ing on public and private property. property. private and public on the idea has slowly slowly has theidea ion ‛ that mimic a mimic that parts ofAfrica parts . encourage a diversity of useful species while ofuseful species diversity a encourage Bibliography rainforests totropical only second , Jacke, Dave and Eric Toensmeier. Edible Forest Gardens. White River EFG gardens gardens E s like s Junction: Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 2005 FGing in FGing Hart, Robert. Forest Gardening: Cultivating an Edible Landscape. and his and White River Junction: Chelsea Green Publishing Temperate forests are some of the most productive ofthemostsome productive are forests Temperate Company, 1991. t field of lack is itation ears ears practice has gained more widespread attention. Terra attention. Terra widespread more gained has practice strong historical and ecological foundation, most EFG mostEFG foundation, ecological and historical strong Pojar, Jim and Andy MacKinnon. Plants of the Pacific Northwest ecosystems community members to them help establish edible forest forest edible establish help tothem members community peoples of North America America ofNorth peoples lim . current biggest The regions. other for written is literature patches and patches Coast. Vancouver: Lone Pine Publishing, 1994. non local a Commons, agroforesty, typically using fire management to create habitat habitat tocreate management fire typicallyusing agroforesty, habitat. thedominant as forest still maintaining Garden Structure Ethnobotany Forest gardens come in a gigantic range of Bioregions are areas with a clearly forms, sizes, and ecological contexts, but the recognizable identity in terms of geological principals remain constant. A garden is structure, soil, climate, history, culture, and ‚more than the sum of its parts‛ (Jacke). energy. The patterns found in the way Organisms are mutually beneficial, and all Edible things grow and interact reflect a bioregion’s are integral to the health of the self- character, and this context helps to shape sustaining system. Instead of separating the many aspects of human societies. A diet ecosystem by species, the yield of the whole Forest that is based around native species positively system is taken into account. The 5 main affects human and environmental health, the components of any garden are: vegetation two of which are inextricably linked. Eating layers, soil horizons, vegetation density, Gardening locally, which requires less net energy, is a patterning, and diversity. Species niches are key step towards climate stability. Minerals commonly divided into 4-7 vertical layers, and nutrients are obtained from diverse but these layers overlap without specific at evergreen, the sources, and, in addition to being a source distinctions, and are not necessarily present of food, regional plants also provide in all gardens. These layers encompass a pacific northwest, medicine, fuel, fiber, and fodder for livestock. diversity of species and vary in density and beyond! Traditions and customs of native peoples are accordingly. The structure of a garden both a wealth of ethnobotanical wisdom gained affects and is affected by the larger through millennia of living with the land, and governing ecological patterns and soil. are vital for guiding EFGs. =13= Contents Cover =4= Contents he throat he (Climbing vines) D vines) (Climbing on all layers, adaptable to to adaptable layers, all on *you are here* goals of garden but can can but garden of goals Vertical layer =15= 1 4 Definition 7 be parasitic be =17= fern Licorice The canopy/overstoryThe Helps soot Helps (Taller trees) A trees) (Taller History Found on tree trunks tree on Found nutrients and water, water, and nutrients patches, uses most most uses patches, 2 5 8 =11= glycyrrhiza Polypodium garden’s habitat habitat garden’s undergo photosynthesis This region 3 9 =16= 6 nut Structure evelops evelops es most most es =18= one paper, Symbiosis ffects =1-3= two sides Layer descriptions =10= 16 Ethnobotany food for wildlife for food large shrubs) P shrubs) large ( 13 Low and Low =12= will join overstory join will 10 cornuta Corylus 17 Native plants 14 11 18 =7-8= Hazelnut Beaked Understory Plant bios Large shrub with edible with shrub Large Eaten alone and as flavoring as and alone Eaten maturity young trees and and trees young =5-6= C 15 Garden Garden 12 EG’s garden ( an form thickets, important important thickets, form an Shade ,s =14= rovides key rovides habitat for wildlife for habitat ome trees ome Local resources upon upon - tolerant Shrubs Layers Evergreen’s EFG species) species) As one of Evergreen’s teaching gardens, this bes sanguineum sanguineum bes flowering Currant flowering - layer and banking horizons banking and nutrients) site (located next to the HCC) is meant to Ri material Include ed Bright, fragrant flowers fragrant Bright, provide an opportunity for learning more shrub beloved Beautiful, R make up topsoil up make through key nutrients, nutrients, key through about EFGs and the overall ecology of this diversi insect populations insect highly productive highly s 6horizons: s (accumulates nutrients for nutrients (accumulates
Recommended publications
  • A Short History of Canopy Biology

    A Short History of Canopy Biology

    CHAPTER 23 Tarzan or Jane? A Short History of Canopy Biology Margaret D. Lowrnan Cirowing up in the midwestern United States I knew trees IPPII.I looped~firrzone bare branch to the next in the backyard red maple with, I believed, thp sp~6.d and graw (!fa monkey making its rounds. Like Kiling? Mowgli, I had the po~itio~zand strength tf tcach branch memorized. I learned how to rest my body comfortabb arrzong thp orduly boughs in order to have a clear view of my mother, small as an ant, tending I~Bgarden below. The branches I favored became burnishedjom rqeated scuings. In tim~I ident$ed with the monkey's world. I grew up to be a ~oologist. -Mark Mofett, Thc High Fronticr, 1993 Why Study the Treetops? E.O. Wilson called it "the last frontier" of biological rcscarch on thc planct (Wilson 1992). Andrrw Mitchell referred to its invisible inhabitants as "a ~vorldI could only dream of" (Mitchell 2001). Tom Lolrejoy confessed that "thc canopy rendered me the biologist's equivalent of Tantalus from the \.cry outsidc" (I,o\.r.joy 1995). And Stevc Sutton compared it to "Alice grows up" as canop); science n~o\.csfrom a scnsc of wonder to a reality of hypotheses (Sutton 2001). Nalini Nadklrni esclaimed about "trcc climbing for Lgrown-ups" (Nadkarni 2001) and I simply notcd, "hly career is not conventional. I climb trecs" (Lowman 1999). In 1985, thcsc six indi- viduals may ha1.e represented almost half of thc canopy scientists worldwidc. Today, only two decades later, thrrc arc scveral hundred explorers of Wilson's last frontier.
  • Strengthening Protection of Marojejy National Park

    Strengthening Protection of Marojejy National Park

    SPECIAL POINTS DECEMBER 2016 OF INTEREST: Vol. 5, No. 2 ñ Workshop for Forest GuiDes ñ Brief but Meaningful Conservaton news from the Sambava-Andapa-Vohemar-Antalaha region of NE Madagascar ñ WorlD Lemur Festival Strengthening Protecton of Marojejy Natonal Park INSIDE THIS by Charlie Welch ISSUE: Earlier this year DLC- Strengthening Protec- 1 tion of Marojejy Na- SAVA was fortunate to tional Park receive a grant from Workshop for Forest 3 Save Our Species (SOS) Guides to increase the Brief but Meaningful 4 protecton of Marojejy Natonal Park, in World Lemur Festival 8 collaboraton with “Climate Change and 9 Madagascar Natonal Lemurs” Workshop Parks (MNP). The grant Environmental Educa- 12 supports clearly tion Teacher Training establishing and marking DLC-SAVA “Lamba” 13 the boundary with Now Available! metallic signs to prevent First CURSA Gradua- 14 both intentonal and unintentonal intrusion into the park. Although DLC-SAVA had already tion includes Sylvio sponsored delineaton of certain priority sectons of the park boundary, extensive areas in Exploring Human and 15 remote parts of Marojejy remained unmarked. There was no way for local people to know Environmental Health exactly where the boundary was supposed to be. Agricultural land ofen extends right up to in the SAVA Region the boundary around much of the park, and if Duke Engineers in 18 the limit is not clear, burning and cultvaton SAVA can actually extend into the park. A clear Closing Comments 20 boundary also discourages other illegal actvites in the park, such as wood collecton and huntng. Teams of local people, organized by MNP, installed the signs, which were made in Andapa.
  • Choosing a Forest Definition for the Clean Development Mechanism )$26 FORESTS and CLIMATE CHANGE WORKING PAPER 4

    Choosing a Forest Definition for the Clean Development Mechanism )$26 FORESTS and CLIMATE CHANGE WORKING PAPER 4

    Forests and Climate Change Working Paper 4 Choosing a forest definition for the Clean Development Mechanism )$26 FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE WORKING PAPER 4 CHOOSING A FOREST DEFINITION FOR THE CLEAN DEVELOPMENT MECHANISM Till Neeff Heiner von Luepke Dieter Schoene Table of Contents Abstract.................................................................................................................................................. 3 Forest, afforestation and reforestation as defined for the Clean Development Mechanism .......... 3 Remaining ambiguities of definitions .................................................................................... 4 Considering existing national definitions............................................................................... 5 Choosing parameter values .................................................................................................................. 6 Furthering national policy objectives with the CDM............................................................. 7 Accommodating prior site conditions .................................................................................... 7 Facilitating project types........................................................................................................ 9 Integrating prior site conditions and project types............................................................... 10 What parameter values have NAI countries selected up to the present? ............................. 12 Conclusions .........................................................................................................................................
  • Old-Growth Forests

    Old-Growth Forests

    Pacific Northwest Research Station NEW FINDINGS ABOUT OLD-GROWTH FORESTS I N S U M M A R Y ot all forests with old trees are scientifically defined for many centuries. Today’s old-growth forests developed as old growth. Among those that are, the variations along multiple pathways with many low-severity and some Nare so striking that multiple definitions of old-growth high-severity disturbances along the way. And, scientists forests are needed, even when the discussion is restricted to are learning, the journey matters—old-growth ecosystems Pacific coast old-growth forests from southwestern Oregon contribute to ecological diversity through every stage of to southwestern British Columbia. forest development. Heterogeneity in the pathways to old- growth forests accounts for many of the differences among Scientists understand the basic structural features of old- old-growth forests. growth forests and have learned much about habitat use of forests by spotted owls and other species. Less known, Complexity does not mean chaos or a lack of pattern. Sci- however, are the character and development of the live and entists from the Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station, dead trees and other plants. We are learning much about along with scientists and students from universities, see the structural complexity of these forests and how it leads to some common elements and themes in the many pathways. ecological complexity—which makes possible their famous The new findings suggest we may need to change our strat- biodiversity. For example, we are gaining new insights into egies for conserving and restoring old-growth ecosystems. canopy complexity in old-growth forests.
  • Course Handout for Introduction to Forest Gardening

    Course Handout for Introduction to Forest Gardening

    COURSE HANDOUT FOR INTRODUCTION TO FOREST GARDENING Complied by Jess Clynewood and Rich Wright Held at Coed Hills Rural Art Space 2010 ETHICS AND PRINCIPLES OF PERMACULTURE Care for the Earth v Care for the people v Fair shares PRINCIPLES Make the least change for the greatest effect v Mistakes are tools for learning v The only limits to the yield of a system are imagination and understanding Observation – Protracted and thoughtful observation rather than prolonged and thoughtless action. Observation is a key tool to re-learn. We need to know what is going on already so that we don’t make changes we will later regret. Use and value diversity - Diversity allows us to build a strong web of beneficial connections. Monocultures are incredibly fragile and prone to pests and diseases – diverse systems are far more robust and are intrinsically more resilient. Relative Location and Beneficial Connections – View design components not in isolation but as part of a holistic system. Place elements to maximise their potential to create beneficial connections with other elements. Multi-functional Design – Try and gain as many yields or outputs from each element in your design as possible. Meet every need in multiple ways, as many elements supporting each important function creates stability and resilience. Perennial systems – minimum effort for maximum gain Create no waste - The concept of waste is essentially a reflection of poor design. Every output from one system could become the input to another system. We need to think cyclically rather than in linear systems. Unmet needs = work, unused output = pollution. Stacking – Make use of vertical as well as horizontal space, filling as many niches as possible.
  • Canopy Arthropod Community Structure and Herbivory in Old-Growth and Regenerating Forests in Western Oregon

    Canopy Arthropod Community Structure and Herbivory in Old-Growth and Regenerating Forests in Western Oregon

    318 Canopy arthropod community structure and herbivory in old-growth and regenerating forests in western Oregon T. D. SCHOWALTER Department of Entomology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-2907, UtS.A. Received June 30, 1988 Accepted October 19, 1988 SCHOWALTER, T. D. 1989. Canopy arthropod community structure and herbivory in old-growth and regenerating forests in western Oregon. Can. J. For. Res. 19: 318-322. This paper describes differences in canopy arthropod community structure and herbivory between old-growth and regenerating coniferous forests at the H. 3. Andrews Experimental Forest in western Oregon. Species diversity and functional diversity were much higher in canopies of old-growth trees compared with those of young trees. Aphid bio- mass in young stands was elevated an order of magnitude over biomass in old-growth stands. This study indicated a shift in the defoliator/sap-sucker ratio resulting from forest conversion, as have earlier studies at Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, North Carolina. These data indicated that the taxonomically distinct western coniferous and eastern deciduous forests show similar trends in functional organization of their canopy arthropod communities. SCHOWALTER, T. D. 1989. Canopy arthropod community structure and herbivory in old-growth and regenerating forests in western Oregon. Can. J. For. Res. 19 : 318-322. Cet article expose les differences observees dans la structure communautaire des arthropodes du couvert foliace et des herbivores entre des forets de coniferes de premiere venue et en regeneration a la Foret experimentale H. J. Andrews dans louest de lOregon. La diversit y des especes ainsi que la diversit y fonctionnelle etaient beaucoup plus grandes dans les couverts foliaces des vieux arbres que dans ceux des jeunes arbres.
  • Forest Gardening: Redesigning Modern Agriculture Jacquelyn Tupper, Christine Tang, Patrick Sheppard, Jonathan Rodgers Advisor: Professor Svetlana Nikitina

    Forest Gardening: Redesigning Modern Agriculture Jacquelyn Tupper, Christine Tang, Patrick Sheppard, Jonathan Rodgers Advisor: Professor Svetlana Nikitina

    Forest Gardening: Redesigning Modern Agriculture Jacquelyn Tupper, Christine Tang, Patrick Sheppard, Jonathan Rodgers Advisor: Professor Svetlana Nikitina The Issues The harmful effects of modern agriculture include: •Excessive water and land usage. •A primary source of greenhouse gas emissions. Modern agriculture is one of the •Uses more energy than it produces. primary sources of greenhouse gas •Heavy dependence on oil. Twenty percent of the gasoline and diesel fuel used in the emissions. Over 30% of all United States goes into farming. greenhouse gas emissions are from agriculture and land use. Gases •Polluting the world’s oceans by creating “dead zones” due to chemical runoff. emitted include Methane, Nitrous •Destroying biodiversity with use of monocultures. Natural ecosystems depend on a Oxide and Carbon Dioxide. This variety of different species that all provide individual, necessary functions that contribute statistic does not include Carbon to the stability of the ecosystem. Monocultures eradicate this multitude of functions and Dioxide released from the leave farms fully dependent on synthetic inputs to survive. production of agrichemicals and •Lead to soil infertility, salinization, soil erosion, water and food chain pollution, and land the transportation of agricultural degradation. products. •Fills the food chain with carcinogenic pesticides, herbicides, growth hormones, and antibiotics. •Manual labor jobs replaces by machines. •Cannot feed the world’s current population. There are about one billion undernourished people in the world today. Abstract Goals and Objectives Adequate food supply is one of the greatest problems that humanity will face in the 21st century. Earth’s population is expected to hit 9.5 billion by 2050. To support this population with The overall goal of this project is to see if forest gardens are a plausible our current practices of industrial agriculture, another billion hectares of land would have to be and realistic alternative to current agricultural practices.
  • OSU Gardening with Oregon Native Plants

    OSU Gardening with Oregon Native Plants

    GARDENING WITH OREGON NATIVE PLANTS WEST OF THE CASCADES EC 1577 • Reprinted March 2008 CONTENTS Benefi ts of growing native plants .......................................................................................................................1 Plant selection ....................................................................................................................................................2 Establishment and care ......................................................................................................................................3 Plant combinations ............................................................................................................................................5 Resources ............................................................................................................................................................5 Recommended native plants for home gardens in western Oregon .................................................................8 Trees ...........................................................................................................................................................9 Shrubs ......................................................................................................................................................12 Groundcovers ...........................................................................................................................................19 Herbaceous perennials and ferns ............................................................................................................21
  • Foodscape Knox

    Foodscape Knox

    Written By: Caroline Conley Advisor: Tom Graves Company Description Market and Industry Analysis Company Structure FoodScape Knox is an edible landscaping Political Economic Social Technological Operations Strategy: - Attention on social -Consumer spending -Increase in health and -Increase in Social 1. Initial Contact service and social enterprise located in justice and income increase 3.8% in 4th fitness initiatives Media Usage 2. Consultation and Design inequality quarter 2017 -Increase in social -E-technology and 3. Installation Knoxville, TN. Our target market is the 4. Follow Up Visit - Decrease in - Following Recession, consciousness vertical farming. health conscious middle upper class of 5. Maintenance (Optional) government consumers have not -Increased interest in -Factory Farming Knox county. For every landscape installed, sustainability efforts ceased to continue in food production and techniques another landscape is implemented in a low - Increase in industry the thrifty habits unification of gardeners and grassroots developed during the via social media income neighborhood within Knoxville. sustainability economic downturn -Celebrities are initiatives growing organic The uniqueness of our service combined with the effort towards community development will act as the primary Key Visuals competitive advantage. In the long run, FoodScape Knox will start offering edible Visuals for Landscape designs utilizing Critical Success Factors: landscaping services to businesses and permaculture methodology. Excellent Design- Landscapes
  • How to Grow a Complete Diet with Permaculture Principles: Tropical Subsistence Gardening

    How to Grow a Complete Diet with Permaculture Principles: Tropical Subsistence Gardening

    Plant Aloha Sustainable Farming Series Wade Bauer of Malama Aina Permaculture facilitating Thursday Feb 16, 2017 hawaiiansanctuary.com/plantaloha How to Grow a Complete Diet with Permaculture Principles: Tropical Subsistence Gardening. 24 class series, part 7 Plant Propagation & Home Nursery Maintenance: Learn how to grow all kinds of food plants from seed, cuttings, division, and more. Learn which trees are “true to seed” and which need grafting to produce. Acknowledgements: A special thanks to Hawaiian Sanctuary, County of Hawaii Research and Development and all others involved to make these classes a reality! We are still looking for support to complete and enhance this amazing FREE program. Please give what you can: hawaiiansanctuary.com/donate Introduction: Different plants require different methods of propagation. Propagation from Seed: Planting seeds: As a general rule for planting depth, plant seeds 2.5 times their width. Keep soil moist but not waterlogged. Potting soil has ideal drainage and moisture retention and is free from weed seeds and diseases. Direct seeding: Fast growing garden plants (often with larger seeds) are usually planted directly into their permanent location. For example, beans, pumpkin, radish, Seed in nursery: Plants that are slow growing in the begining may be easier to start in 3-4 in. pots in the nursery and then planted out when about 6 in. tall. Ex. kale, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, or if fruit trees potted into bigger pots till they are 1 to 3 ft tall. Planting fruit trees from seed: Many varieties of tropical fruit trees seeds may die if allowed to dry out. Planting seeds as quickly as possible is a good rule of thumb.
  • What's "Up"? a Critical Loolc at the Basic Terms of Canopy Biology^

    What's "Up"? a Critical Loolc at the Basic Terms of Canopy Biology^

    BIOTROPICA 32(4a): 569-596 2000 REVIEW AND VIEWPOINT What's "Up"? A Critical Loolc at the Basic Terms of Canopy Biology^ Mark W. Moffett Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, 3101 Valley Life Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, U.S.A. ABSTRACT The lack of recent critiques about terminology has led to the frequent misuse or confusingly varied use of the words that are more or less specific to the field of terrestrial canopy biology. I provide definitions for ca 170 terms and subterms, with translations into four languages. Rather than limit coverage to tree crowns, I define canopy biology as the study of life within any aboveground parts of all plant communities, temperate and tropical. This broadened perspective enables ecologists to consider the entire range of challenges faced by organisms living in aboveground plant life, from just above the rhizosphere to the outer limits of plant growth into the atmosphere. Further, this redefinition may reduce the potential for anthropocentric biases in interpreting life on trees or other plants; encourage the use of alternative ecosystems for hypotheses that may be difficult to address in treetops; and promote more general conceptual thinking about life on vegetation, most notably the importance of scaling in ecology. Among the salient points in terminology: the concept of "stratification" has been criticized in part because strata have been defined many ways, but a flexible application of the word is central to its utility; the source of nutrients is pivotal in distinguishing
  • At God's Table

    At God's Table

    At God’s Table Food Justice for a Healthy World April 5-8, 2013 Welcome to EAD 2013! — the 11th annual national gathering of men and women of faith who want to be a force for change for the betterment of all. This high impact weekend, sponsored by the ecumenical Christian community, is grounded in biblical witness and shared traditions of justice, peace and integrity of creation. Our goal is to strengthen the Christian voice and mobilize for advocacy on specific U.S. domestic and international policy issues. This weekend, we will explore At God’s Table: Food Justice for a Healthy World. You will join nearly a thousand Christians advocating for a world in which every person, in present and future generations, has a place “At God’s Table.” EAD 2013 follows in the wake of national elections, a new Congress, a lingering Farm Bill debate, and devastating droughts and floods, all with lasting consequences for our society and world. Monday’s Lobby Day will be a critical time to raise our faith voices in support of ending hunger, improving nutrition, creating more just and sustainable food systems and protecting God’s creation – while advocating for a “Faithful Federal Budget.” In a world that produces enough food for everyone, EAD 2013 will explore the injustices in global food systems that leave one billion people hungry, create food price shocks that destabilize communities everywhere, and undermine God’s creation. At God’s Table, all are invited and fed, and the poorest in our midst are given a special place. Together we will seek the abundance and equality that we find reflected in the biblical image of God’s great banquet table (Exodus 16:16-18 & Luke 14:12-24).