Foundation Journal

There's always a pleasant surprise during visits to sites on the KC Urban Farm Tour. This year was no different when a lively discussion on growing plants from seeds ensued at City Bitty Farm. The owners of City Bitty, a husband and wife team, gave tours of their 2.5 acre property, which included a demonstration tunnel, large rainwater container, and microgreens. One of the tour participants asked Jennifer of City Bitty Farm about their success with growing edible plants from seeds, mentioning his difficulty in consistent plant growth this year. Others described how they saved and used seeds. Another person added that corporate seed producers are engineering the seeds to prevent using them in subsequent years. Still another tour participant remarked that a failsafe way to find seeds that allow growers to save plant seeds is to use "heirloom" varieties. Someone else in the tour group mentioned that Belton's new policy on beekeeping has affected their growing. ...

Riding bicycles along the Katy Trail in Missouri is a reminder of bygone years between Clinton and Calhoun. The ride east out of Clinton traverses farm fields for three miles, so the sky is clearly visible along the mainly flat route. At this point, the trail crosses several creeks -- Deer Creek, Sand Creek, and two forks of the Tebo Creek, among others -- and the landscape and noises change significantly. Sights and Sounds on the Katy Trail The ride along the trail between Clinton and Calhoun is an easy one as the elevation changes little except for small rises and falls leading to creeks. We saw only a few bicycle riders along the trail. Pictures of solitude are a little misleading because of occasional loud motor engines from the highway 50 feet away. However, the visual beauty is accented by the sounds of nature -- what seems like millions of frogs in the area marked "prairie restoration" and the early sounds of Missouri cicadas. The cicadas are as loud as bird scree...

Local, state, and federal agency representatives spoke about efforts to extend broadband connectivity to small businesses and individuals as a crucial stepping stone towards economic development and civic involvement. The speakers were part of a presentation during the "Broadband Technology Summit" held as part of the United Minority Media Association's Midwest/Southeast conference on October 15. Calvin Osborne, an attorney with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), underscored the urgency in improving broadband -- essentially fast Internet access -- to keep the US from lagging behind other nations. While the US is 24th worldwide in broadband adoption, the real gap is found in low-income urban households and rural areas in the US. He spoke about FCC's expansive efforts to increase "digital literacy" for both individuals and small businesses. (Photo caption -- from left: Bill Grace, WEB Dubois Center; LT Toombs, WEB Dubois Center; Kevin Williams, Will...