Jim Schnur, owner of Schnur's Greenhouse, waters flowers recently at the Summit Township facility. The home and garden show on Saturday will offer a variety of roses, shrubs and small trees.

The word is everywhere. Sustainable gardening, sustainable agriculture, sustainable landscaping, sustainable urban living, sustainable lifestyle ... the list goes on.

Along with phrases containing sustainable, we find terms like CSA, co-op, organic and local food system. How do we make sense of it all? I set out to find some answers and started my search with sustainable.

After considerable searching, I found no widely-accepted definition of sustainability, but I did find a definition I could work with.

Touted as the most widely quoted definition of sustainability, it relates specifically to sustainable development and came from the group formerly known as the World Commission on Environment and Development or the Bruntland Commission, in honor of its chair.

Its March 29, 1987, report declared “sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

I find other definitions, but I like this one best. Substitute gardening, agriculture, landscaping, urban living or lifestyle for development and the definition still makes sense. Sustainable gardening (or agriculture) becomes gardening (or agriculture) that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Great! I have my starting point and move on to search for a sound definition of organic.

We generally hear or read that organic is better. It's healthier to eat organic. It's safer for our children and pets if we practice organic gardening and lawn care methods. We can buy organic cleaning and personal care products.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program defines organic as “(response) to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity.”

In practical terms, organic applies to gardening or agricultural practices that maintain or improve the health of vital natural resources, including soil and water and optimize plant production without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or fungicides.

Organic practices support gardening and agricultural sustainability, which in turn support the likelihood that our grandchildren will have a healthy food supply. Let's see how local food systems, CSA's and co-ops fit into our overall picture.

A local food system is the means by which consumers obtain foods produced in close proximity to where they live and work.

Some advantages of locally grown food are obvious. The food is ultra-fresh, so it contains optimal nutrients and it costs less to get it to the table since there's little travel time. Components of the local food system include CSA's, co-ops and farmers markets.CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, which began gaining momentum about 20 years ago. Consumers buy local, seasonal food directly from the grower.Here's how it works. A grower offers memberships or shares to interested consumers. The member then receives a pre-defined amount of vegetables and possibly other farm products each week throughout the farming season. This is a win-win for farmer and consumer. The income from the memberships helps the farmer with cash flow and marketing is completed early in the year, well before the growing season begins. Consumers get fresh food, which retains all its flavor and vitamins.Co-ops, short for cooperatives, are another component of the local food system. In the context of local food systems, food cooperatives are dedicated to providing the highest possible quality grocery items to their members. They support the local food system by selling products grown or created by local family farms or businesses.One term we don't have to define is farmers market. For a long time, they've been an integral part of local food systems and their numbers are increasing. In 2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported an increase of 16 percent in the number of farmers markets from 2009.To sum up what we've learned, consumers are increasingly concerned with the quality of their nutrition. Local food systems are an excellent source of top-quality fresh produce with high levels of nutrient retention. Much of this food is grown organically, which in turn supports gardening and agricultural sustainability, helping us preserve our precious resources for the use of future generations.To learn more about local food systems, visit the Spring Garden Market and Home Show on Saturday. At 11 a.m., Maggie Robertson, representative of PA Women's Agricultural Network and Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, will provide details about local food systems and why they are so important to sustaining our vital natural resources and the health of our region.<u>Susan Struthers is a member of the Penn State Master Gardeners of Butler County.</U>

Lady Bell Sweet Peppers grow in the greenhouse at Schnur Greenhouse in Summit Township. Locally grown food is ultra-fresh, so it contains optimal nutrients and it costs less to get to the table since there is little travel time.