“We work with property owners on the short-term use of their land to enhance the community in which they eventually plan to develop.” “Participating in a community garden
serves up a lot of individual victories,” says Joy. “Improved health and nutrition, learning a new skill, teaching kids where food comes from, productive exercise, mental well-being, connecting with others and saving money—community gardens help make all of this possible.”
Being Prepared “How many recalls have we seen because some food item has been contaminated and people have suffered or died as a re- sult? I am concerned about the safety and security of our food supply,” says Wendy Brown, whose family tends a quarter-acre garden with raised and landscaped beds and containers wrapped around their home plus an onsite greenhouse in a beach resort suburb of Portland, Maine. “As a mother, it concerns me that I might feed my children something that will hurt them. High-fructose corn syrup, geneti- cally engineered crops and BPA-lined cans are all making headlines. It just seems smarter to grow it myself; that way, we have more control over what our fam- ily is eating.” Brown is one of more than 3 million Americans that are following FEMA rec-
ommendations in preparing for any event that might disrupt food supplies. Her book, Surviving the Apocalypse in the Suburbs, shares everything her family has done to safeguard themselves, including growing produce, caring for animals and canning, freezing, drying, cold storage or fermenting foods for later use. “For me, it’s more about being prepared for the everyday things that are happening, like increases in food and fuel prices or a loss of family income,” Brown says. “If we’re growing at least some of our own food, I have a lot less to worry about when such things happen.” The family also keeps rabbits and
ducks, plus egg-laying and meat-provid- ing chickens that can total 40 animals in the summer at their “nanofarm”. These also supply natural fertilizer for the crops. Nearby beehives provide 20 pounds of honey each year. Because the foods they produce are solely for their personal use, the Browns are exempt from regulatory restrictions.
“Our neighbors love what we’re
doing,” says Brown, whose house is close enough they can chat across their front porches. “One says our initiative reminds him of growing up in Maine pretty much self-sufficient. The other tells friends and coworkers they aren’t worried if things really go bad because they have us as neighbors.”
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Helpful Resources
Green Restaurant Association,
DineGreen.com Kitchen Gardeners International,
KGI.org Northwest Edible Life,
NWEdible.com
The Peterson Garden Project,
PetersonGarden.org Uncommon Ground,
UncommonGround.com Urban Farm Online,
UrbanFarmOnline.com Urban Garden Magazine,
UrbanGardenMagazine.com Urban Gardens,
UrbanGardensWeb.com
After you’re through with Natural Awakenings please recycle natural awakenings March 2013 41
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