Let's Fight for Homeland (Food) Security

I recall vividly the first time that I ever heard the term "food security." It was during my first attendance of a monthly board of directors' meeting for a very good regional food bank. As it was explained to me then, "food security" is a critical issue most people fail to understand fully. Essentially, food security means freedom from fear of hunger or starvation. Too often, many people (especially the elderly and the very poor) cannot rely on a steady diet; food comes not steadily but in fits and spurts, creating anxiety on top of poor nutrition.

That day, I think what resonated with me more than the simple definition of the phrase was my realization that I actually knew someone who faced food insecurity on a regular basis. She still does, in fact. She's not poor, but she is elderly and disabled and has little immediate support on which to rely. Friends offer help…but sometimes that just isn't enough. The realization that I knew someone living with food insecurity was a real A-HA! moment for me because it was the first time, honestly, that food security became an issue not of my "helping them" but of my "helping us." 

That this clarity came to me in my mid-30s, after two decades of participating in canned good drives and giving money to food banks on a regular basis, illustrates how much room there is for us all to grow in our knowledge and understanding of the real challenges that exist for the people around us. Even the most charitable among us can discover in an instant that there's so much  more to do.

And how does this little anecdote fit into a blog mostly about Victory Gardens (VGs)? Well, for starters, I (and others) feel passionately that we should begin right now to conceive of the VG renaissance as a movement not just to feed ourselves but the hungry in our own communities. How often have you heard gardeners grumble about too many squash, too many tomatoes, too many whatever and not enough willing neighbors to take the overflow? What if we worked together to link proactively our own VGs with local food banks and groups like Food Not Bombs and Meals on Wheels from the get-go to ensure no fresh produce goes uneaten? What might we learn if we began to see our efforts in our gardens as not only beneficial to us but to our entire community as well?

It could be truly transformative.

More than that, when it comes to the particular needs of the elderly, many of whom are isolated from family and friends in an increasingly mobile world, what might we gained if we invited them into our gardens and asked them to share with us their VG knowledge? (Although it should be noted that many of the ideas central to the modern movement (organic material, for instance) will be new to many of these gardeners.) And for young people, especially those who live in impoverished conditions, what might they gain if we embraced…and took inspiration…from the adage "Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day…teach a man to fish, and he will fish for a lifetime" and opened great numbers of community gardens not just in urban areas (where they are more common) but in communities of every size and shape from sea to shining sea.

Yes, there are some great organizations and individuals doing some of these things across the country (and around the globe), but frankly…it's just not enough. Here in the U.S., we need to demand a national call-to-action. We need to push our leaders to make the issue of food security a top-of-mind matter. And we need to place the intention to care for others at the very center of the nascent VG movement.

For Further Exploration:

• America's Second Harvest is the nation's food bank network. On their site, you can read about hunger, discover how to donate perishable food, and learn how to donate money or time.

• Community Food Security Coalition  has some great online resources for individuals and organizations looking to address the issue of food security head-on. They are especially (and laudably!) committed to connecting hungry people with local agriculture. Good, quality food simply should not be the sole domain of wealthy individuals. Period.
• Meals On Wheels targets need individuals in homes across America.
• Food Not Bombs is on the cutting edge of addressing hunger issues in communities around the globe. They are also about to celebrate their 28th birthday. More here on that milestone.
• Even though I'm no longer affiliated with the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, I'm still very proud of their FOUR STAR rating with Charity Navigator. I'd also like to give a plug for these fantastic limited edition posters) made by renowned food photographer David Humphreys, which the food bank still offers for sale. (Disclosure: I helped launch this art project while still based in Baton Rouge, and remain grateful to David for agreeing to participate.)