It is with pride that I tell you about the University of Delaware teaming up with the Food Bank of Delaware to create a "Garden for the Community."
The University of Delaware will devote 16,000 square feet of its Newark farm to a community garden, with the produce donated to the food bank. On May 15 and 16, the college will hold "Plant a Garden for the Community Day," when volunteers can help get the garden into shape. (If I weren't due that weekend I would be there with bells on!)
"Our goal is simple - to help the Food Bank meet their mission - a community without hunger - by providing Delaware families with fresh, local food."
The success of the garden will depend on the generosity of local business donors, community volunteers, and CANR faculty, students and professionals. Please consider helping us establish this garden.
To join as a business partner or volunteer, please contact Alyssa Collins at (302) 831-2882.
Working for the University of Delaware as their web developer has been such an amazing experience. Being fortunate enough to be the developer for their College of Agriculture & Natural Resources in addition to their Cooperative Extension Programs for each county in Delaware has been an even greater experience. I'm learning so much about what is going on with the farms and environment around my own home. Things I never would have known about otherwise. This has piqued my interested in finding more Energy resource information to do my part in helping out.
For the last two years, UD has been leading the solar cell initiative. There are fifteen other participating colleges in the nation. Partial funding is being received from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). At UD, the goal is to create solar cells that operate at about 54 percent efficiency in the laboratory and 50 percent in production.
This spring, the U.S. Department of Energy highlighted 13 industry-led solar technology development projects for negotiation of up to $168 million (FY’07-’09), subject to appropriation from Congress; Newark, Delaware (home to the University of Delaware's main campus) was one of the 13 highlighted. There has been an abundant amount of people furiously working to find alternative energy plans. There are websites which give more information and explanations of why this is so important. Energy resources information.
I believe more and more colleges and companies will begin to put forth stronger efforts to harness solar energy as a form of electricity. Solar energy is a clean, renewable energy source and with the price of electricity and gas these days it is imperative to find other means of not only creating, but storing solar power. It is very exciting for me to be able to spread the word about what my employer is doing to aide this cause. And it's even more thrilling to know I will be developing sites to further promote alternative energy methods.
