LocalHarvest.org lists some 2,500 community gardens in its database, as does the American Community Gardening Association (
CommunityGarden.org).
Vacant Lots “Community gardens are an excellent solution for those with the garden itch and no good land to scratch,” advises Roger Doiron, founder of Kitchen Gardeners International (Kitchen
Gardeners.org), a nonprofit community of 20,000 members that has been cultivating change since 2008. Community gardens have taken over empty city lots, church lawns and schoolyards that are collectively farmed for food, relaxation or social camaraderie. Co-gardening a neighbor’s lot and sharing the harvest is another option.
Eating the Lawn Put into food production, America’s 25 million acres of lawns could go a long way toward reducing the environmental cost of transporting produce hundreds or thousands of miles. Americans growing their own food isn’t a pie-in-the-sky
fantasy. As University of California garden historian Rose Hayden-Smith confirms, “During the peak year for Victory Gardens, 1943, some government estimates indicated that up to 40 percent of the fresh fruits and vegetables consumed on the American home front were produced in school, home, community and workplace gardens.” “One of the first steps in bringing healthy foods to the
forefront of society is bringing them to the front and center of our living spaces,” concludes Doiron. “Growing food in small spaces is all about doing what you can with what you have. It’s a matter of changing our notion of potential food- producing landscapes.” It does wonders for people’s connec- tion to nature, too.
John Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist are co-authors of Farmstead Chef (
FarmsteadChef.com), ECOpreneuring and Rural Renaissance. Their award-winning Inn Serendipity B&B (
InnSerendipity.com) operates completely on renewable energy.
The Biggest and BEST
Body~Mind~Spirit~Green Expo North of NYC
Our 10th Anniversary!
Exhibitors • Speakers Practitioners • Readers
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wellness fair DoubleTree Hotel, Tarrytown NY
April 29, 2012 from 10 am to 5 pm
www.AwakenFair.com natural awakenings March 2012
Awaken to your best self... 25
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