As one would expect, with summer gardens now planted and most of the nation far from considering fall/winter plantings, the chatter about Victory Gardens in the mainstream media has died back a wee bit. That's fine...it just leaves us time to think, read more blogs, evaluate and regroup...all in preparation for the next round of interest. (Don't worry, it'll come.)
At the same time, given the quality of this week's round-up, there's no shortage of worthy reading right now. Looking to be inspired with the "possible"? Read on...
• Eat the View.org - On the day it launched last week, I was so excited that I posted a cute widget featuring Obama and McCain. The site is still young...the by-product of Roger Doiron's On Day One petition to bring back a White House veg bed...but it's DEFINITELY worth a visit NOW.
In the short run, the ETV plan is to approach our future president-elect with a petition and a collection of heirloom seeds to encourage a Spring 2009 planting. Down the road, Doiron hopes to see "edible landscapes" in prominent locations (including governor's residences), too. If you're interested in joining the group as a "Campaigner" (It's free! I did it--took just a few seconds!) to network with like-minded folks, then you'll want to check it out.
Plus, if you want to write Congress and encourage your reps to get behind a formal national Victory Garden revival, here's how.
• "The Incredible Edible Front Lawn" (Time, 26 June 2008) - Good coverage of "edible estates," architect Fritz Haeg's imaginative effort to create high-visibility prototype home gardens in various regions of the country. To riff on something that someone said recently, there are lots of people "singing the same songs from the same songbook" regarding the variations of what are essentially Victory Gardens. Nice to see Time give high-profile coverage to Haeg's work! Props to Haeg, too, for emphasizing the need for regional approaches rather than offering up cookie cutter solutions. Be sure to check out this link from the article: Edible Estates. (If anyone has read Haeg's book by the same name, please feel free to weigh in with a comment/review!)
• "Using Gardens to Build Community" (The Intelligencer, 28 June 2008)
• "Victory Gardens Fight Price Wars" (The Republican, 23 June 2008)
• "SF Firm Harvest Potential of Unused Land" (San Francisco Chronicle, 23 June 2008)
• "Go Loco about Eating Local" (Kudzu.com, no date) - Good sustainable agriculture advice from copywriter/pro-VG blogger Pattie (Foodshedplanet.com)
• "Support a Farm" (Natural Health (magazine), July/August 2008) The article (part of Natural Health's "Make One Change" series) isn't online, but the mag encourages readers to "become a member of Community Supported Agriculture and reap the benefits of a healthier you and a happier earth
• "Experimental Station: Urban Hub for Community Renewal and Green Initiatives" (Green Parent Chicago (blog), 27 June 2008) - In Chicago, a non-profit green "incubator" offers one stop shoppin' for veggies, art, education and social activism
Just a couple of more stories about global models of sustainability...and if Cuba and Mexico can take imaginative approaches in face of challenges...well, um, how about the rest of us?
• "Cuba's Urban Farming Program a Stunning Success" (The Associated Press, 8 June 2008) The last 'graph...a quote from David Leon about the improved nutrition that came with Cuba's urban farming efforts...made me think of interviewing my friend, Joyce, a few weeks back. It's not mentioned in the final post, but she did comment in our chat that she believed Britain's WWII-era Dig for Victory promoted better health across the board. Worth keeping in mind...
• "Mexico City Plants Lawns on Roofs to Fight Warming" (Reuters, 6 June 2008) Two cities that I long to visit...Mexico City and San Miguel d'Allende...good to know that one is taking some imaginative approaches to address climate change.
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