Back in the 1940’s there was a lot going on that was beyond anyone’s control. With transportation and other issues during that time, fresh fruits and vegetables weren’t able to be shipped like they had been. Because of this, people were not eating as well as they should have been.
The government decided to ask people to grow victory gardens, which people agreed to. These gardens would provide them with much needed fruits and vegetables.
I believe that, today, low-income families (particularly apartment dwellers) have a hard time financially for two major reasons:
- They aren’t allowed to really have much of anything that would be truly helpful to them on the financial front: Washers and dryers, gardens, etc.
- Many were never taught the important basic skills that our grand and great-grandparents had: Canning, drying foods, gardening, sewing, quilting, etc.
This, it seems, has caused many issues for low-income families.
Now, I am aware that some low-income individuals do have such skills and opportunities. That is great, but the majority probably do not.
I believe that allowing low-income families to have their own garden spaces, designed in their own way, would help these families out immensely. They should also be allowed to compost in one way or another. And, they should be able to grow what they choose, what their families will eat.
These gardens could be in the form of community gardens, or they could have garden space in front of their homes. Gardens are certainly better than grass for many reasons.
All gardens should be organic, using only heirloom and open-pollinated varieties of seeds and plants. This will allow the families to learn and practice seed saving, providing them with not only a way to save money, but also a way to feed their family healthy foods without any chemicals.
Allowing low-income families to have their own gardens, requiring this of them, would help them out so much, providing them with their own victories each harvest season. They could be growing their own, healthier fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers, rather than wasting much needed money on these items.
I also believe that each landlord should already be provide a well-managed, completely organic, well-balanced soil plot for such a purpose. this plot would be to the specifications of the tenent, and each subsequent tenent would have less work ahead of them.
Shannon
P.S. Here are some resources that you may find helpful:
Organizing Your Community Garden
Creating a Three Sisters Garden
Penobscot, ME 04476
(207)326-0751
No web address.Devoted to preserving and sharing heirlooms, this organization hosts an annual seed swap each spring, and serves gardeners and organic farmers in Maine and the Northeast.
2 comments
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March 24, 2009 at 2:28 am
backyardheirloomseeds
I totally agree!! I think they should not be just given a “plate full of food” (or a debit card) but rather be given an opportunity to feel the joy and taste the rewards of the fruit of their own labors…….it is truly a freeing feeling- very liberating to know I CAN PROVIDE FOR MYSELF. I think every community should open up any areas that would be useful garden spaces for these type projects. Especially in these harsh times.
Affordable seeds here (A FULL garden of Heirloom Seeds $30 )
http://www.backyardheirloomseeds.net
March 29, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Shannon Buck
Yes, one has to wonder why no one has incorporated such activities yet. Maybe it is because they know how many people will be out of work when all low-income families are self-sufficient: We will have just put all/most welfare workers out of work.