Cultivating change through gardening

Cabbage from the garden

It was great to read about vegetable gardens that have been developed at Minnesota prisons (Cultivating Change).  Gardening is not only good for the soul, the vegetables are also good for our nutrition.  Kudos to those responsible for developing and passing a statute that directs the Minnesota Department of Corrections to consider establishing gardens at facilities where space and security allow.

One of the prisoners at Red Wing, Cory Shilling, reflected on his gardening experience... "It sounds cliched. But doing something for someone else, feeding hungry children... it builds self-esteem. I had to come to prison to learn it, and I'm grateful for the lesson."

Expansion of local gardening efforts

Snap peas in the backyard garden

Did you know that in 1943 the United States had 20 million gardens that produced 8 million tons of food?  Up to 41 percent of all the vegetables consumed in the nation were produced in these Victory Gardens.  (City Bountiful: A century of community gardening in America, Laura Lawson).

With the nation's dependence upon oil, vast dependence upon corporate farming and unhealthy diets, I would vote that we reenact the Victory Garden movement.  There are indications that this movement has already begun.  Certainly First Lady Michelle Obama has been a great example, planting a vegetable garden in 2009 at the White House.  She has recently written a book "American Grown" that tells the stories of the White House garden among others.

I'm excited to be going to three days of workshops starting today on "The Business of Food".  Photos and stories sure to come in the days ahead.

Pictures from our vegetable garden.

Backyard garden

Raised bed gardens
(new this year)

Gardening as a subversive activity

Urban farm

I would highly recommend people interested in the production and consumption of healthy foods watch a powerful and humorous 8 minute educational video by Roger Doiron, "My subversive (garden) plot".

This video reminds us that gardening is a form of power... over diet, health and pocket books. Roger also recognizes gardening as a "healthy gateway drug" which entices people to then learn about cooking, food preservation and farmers markets.  By planting a garden we might also influence our neighbors to do likewise.

Swiss chard 

Why should we be concerned about growing more food?  Consider that 900 million people are affected by hunger, while food prices are increasing around the world.  It is projected that we are going to need to grow more food in the next 50 years than we have over the past 10,000 years combined! We will also have to do this with less... oil, water, climate stability farmland,  genetic diversity, and time to grow food.

Where do we go if we only have one planet?

One of the suggestions Mr. Doiron provides is to transform our yards into full service green grocers.  Why?

1. Because gardens grow good food
2. Gardens grow healthy families
3. Gardens also grow economic savings  

Check out their website to learn more about the organization that Roger Doiron heads up, Kitchen Gardens International.