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Start Now Gardens on Bloomington Avenue
There are some flower beds along the sidewalk
outside the fence, and along the front of the house. Otherwise, vegetables grow in the yard at 1134 Bloomington Avenue, and also on the roofs of the garage, the carport and the back room of
the house. Oh, and some fruit also. This is how we feed ourselves, and raise some food for others as well, but mainly, this is how
we make the point that lawns are pretty much a wasteful relic of the value system that preceded global warming. This is a time of massive readjustment in how we live our lives.
Suburbs and commuting don’t work any more. Heating and cooling costs are rising dramatically. Shipping (and packing and refrigeration and storage) takes a larger
and larger share of dollars spent on food. Many of the ramifications of climate change are negative and beyond our direct
control, but growing our own food is something we can do, and doing it reverses global warming in our space, and brings a cornucopia of benefits
at the same time.
Gardening
makes sense – Gardening makes us happy
Gardening is America’s favorite hobby. For us,
it’s so favorite that it has become our avocation. Garden planning, preparing garden structures and working with soil,
composting, planting, transplanting, weeding and watering, and of course, harvesting, capture our interest, challenge our ingenuity and fill our
days with enjoyable and rewarding activity. The plants we raise suck carbon dioxide out of the air and replace it with
pure oxygen. This might be the best thing we’ve ever done.
At first our goal was to grow our own food. That was easy. Then a
neighbor who loved gardening but no longer could gave us space in her yard
for garden beds, and the neighbor on the other side who didn’t want to
have to mow the inconvenient front strip of his yard gave us more space. More beds on the roof, more beds along the alley, and soon we were
raising enough vegetables and berries to stock a table at the farmers
market. We are now the proprietors of an urban farm, set right in our busy neighborhood!
People walking along the sidewalk stop to
look. Some ask questions. Maybe they are getting the idea that they can do something similar
at their homes. When we go for walks we see lots of yard space that would work just fine for gardens.
We are even starting to see more gardens. The local food idea is taking hold around the country, around the
world for that matter. See the local food news reported here. People
are understanding the powerful ecological reasons to eat local food, and
realizing that besides doing good, it IS good, the very best food there is! We know now that “fresh” produce shipped from a distance isn’t fresh. We can all tell the difference.
Imagine vegetable gardens in every yard, and big ones in public spaces. If we have the will, there is a way.
Eating local food is important, and it’s possible.
It can happen as soon as right now. People can take care of their own needs, and then the needs of
others. Cities can spend money cultivating gardens instead of spreading toxic lawn chemicals and driving
mowers. Gardens can provide healthy employment for those out of work. Governments will learn quickly from citizen action. It’s still true. When
the people lead, the leaders will follow. Values will change, cities will change, the atmosphere will change.
There is nothing but benefit to be had from the local food movement. Join us!
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Local Food
In the News
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Start Now Gardens
Kitsap Sun, Aug. 17, 2006 |
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Food safety at issue, local farming praised
CNNMoney.com May 1 2007 |
Farming a Local Economy
Aspen Daily News April 25, 2007 |
Why Do You Eat Local Food?
Worldwatch Institute April 23, 2007 |
Joseph Kiefer, Martin Kemple and Food Works: Feeding a hungry state
Barre Montpelier Time Argus
April 23, 2007 |
Farmers cultivate local produce market
Daily American April 21, 2007 |
| Eating local starts with organic gardening
Billings Outpost April 19, 2007 |
| Effort sprouts to link local diners with local produce
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review April 19, 2007 |
| Local grown food takes root
Nanaimo News Bulletin April 19, 2007 |
| Green Guide: Miles to Go Before I Eat
April 18, 2007 |
Greener Seattle: How to navigate organic foods
Seattle PI
April 18, 2007 |
| Think globally, eat locally
Seattle PI April 18, 2007 |
"Out
with the lawn . . . "
Seattle PI, April 9, 2007 |
| Conscientious grocer wants his healthy frozen meals to nurture the community
Seattle PI March 27, 2007 |
Eco-kashrut? A New Way of Eating Jewishly
March 20, 2007 |
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