Dr. Owusu Bandele is a professor of horticulture at the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center. He has been active in coordinating and participating in numerous workshops in the southeast United States and abroad that highlight organic production practices.
Bandele has also assisted in the establishment of farmers markets and community gardens in Louisiana. He also served as Crops Committee Chairman on the National Organic Standards Board, an advisory panel that recommends national standards for organic crops and products. In 1997, he and his wife established the Food for Thought Organic Farm in Baton Rouge to encourage more small-scale farmers in the South to grow organically.
Presenting at LMG09:
Track - The Edible Garden
Friday, May 22, 2009 - 10:15a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
"Community Gardens: Planting The Seeds of Social Sustainability"
Low income communities often lack access to fresh produce because of the absence of supermarkets and farmers markets. However, community gardens enable citizens in these neighborhoods to obtain locally grown food that may otherwise be unavailable or unaffordable. Thus, community gardens can address a very critical need. Community gardens can also be powerful models in educating communities about sustainable agriculture. Concurrently, these gardens can provide a sense of pride and accomplishment to inner city students, homeless shelter residents, and other citizens who are typically under served.