Well, today is the first weekend day in weeks when it hasn't been bitter cold here in Greenbelt, Maryland. So what better time to break out the seed collection, rake the last of Fall's leaves
from the raised beds, and get started with the early spring garden? It's also a great time to plan for the entire growing season ahead. What shall we plant? Where shall we plant it?
I did a bit of Web surfing while planning for the Woodland Gardens 2007 season, and
happened upon Liz' Pocket Farm blog. What a lovely and inspiring discovery! Her recent post about Victory Gardens got me thinking. During World Wars I and II the US government encouraged everyone to grow as much of their own food as possible via family and community "Victory Gardens." And the public responded enthusiastically. In 1943, more than half the US
population grew some fraction of their own food right in their own backyards or in neighborhood plots.
Now there is a move to bring back this concept. But for 2007, the goal is to combat global warming. The produce you consume has to be transported from someplace, on average 1500 miles away. So every bit you grow on your own turf helps reduce your personal impact on the planet. A good goal. Plus it's fun, tasty and satisfying to consume your own Earthly delights.
Well another blogger named Szarka left a comment on Liz's blog about hoping to share her produce with a local chef who could then create a "half-mile menu", on which all offerings were prepared using ingredients that were grown within a half a mile.
So I have gotten motivated now. I suggested that our local restaurant, the New Deal Cafe, come up with a "half-mile menu" in which they serve up soups, salads and what-not based as much as possible on the fruits, vegetables and herbs grown by Greenbelt's very own Victory Gardeners. There are many of us here in our little town. All that remains is linking up the avid gardeners with the New Deal Cafe chef! I did manage to get the president of the New Deal Cafe board interested. I'll keep this blog updated on our progress as the garden season progresses.
Coming back down to Earth, today we planted peas, three kinds of lettuce, and Kale.
There is plenty of rosemary to be had, and the last of the 2006 carrots and parsnips came out
of the ground this afteroon. Yippee, and yum!
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3 comments:
Great idea to get a local restaurant involved in your victory garden project! Those connections are so important. (and I'm tickled that my post helped motivate you to act! :)
aloha from mark. i found your blog through kyla's blog. i like the notion of at least planting chocolate chips.
I know this comment is way more than a year late--but I wanted to pass on that this is a very exciting idea!
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