Seems every time I turn my head there is an article about growing food. Sometimes food growing is shown in good light, sometimes not. Many of them give me the feeling gardening isn't simply about plants, but as much about the people cultivating them.
Image from Edible Estates
Most recently, I've seen a rash of newspapers covering HOA feuds and court and cases proving local governments are not necessarily wild about literally seeing food growing. Of course, that's not the case everywhere.
Think about it, decreasing grass and increasing organic food crops can help heal our water supplies by reducing chemical run off while increasing ground water absorption. I say three cheers for that! And another three cheers for: Less mowing! Yay! Less of a burden on municipal water filtration! Yay! You get food from your yard! Yay! You can share with neighbors! Yay! (Wait, that made 4 cheers.)
Image from Flickr user edibleoffice
All sorts of people are involved and affected by food production. It's reaching way beyond farms and scaling down to the individual. Fritz Haeg's Edible Estates has been at the forefront of the front yard food movement. Yesterday the New York Times used the word permaculture in a pretty lengthy piece about creating a landscape of sustenance. No matter where gardens are garnering attention, one thing is for sure - the practice of growing food has a surprisingly large impact.
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Image from Flickr user waltarrrrr
Each time food gardening is in the spotlight I grow increasingly convinced that growing food is a viable way to grow community. After all, if an act so simple as planting a seed can divide communities, the reverse should also hold true, right?
How about you? Have a recent run-in with rhubarb or do the neighbor's tomatoes taunt you? Do you think growing food brings you closer or further apart with others in your community?
Renee Garner has a passion to make things grow, although her brownish thumb wants her to believe otherwise. When mud pies aren't on the menu, you can find her doodling the days away at Wolfie and the Sneak.
