We have been here before... and I'm imagining that we'll be here again. When? How?
During WWI & WWII, there was a national movement to grow food in yards and parks. It was deemed a patriotic part of the war efforts. I can imagine various ways our current agribusiness model might fail us as a society or become strained, returning us to a rather sudden demand for "victory gardens."
Over the last six years or so, I've seen how the South Bronx is increasingly embracing community and school gardens. Of course, this city has a rich history with gardening and farmer's markets. Meanwhile, our wider society is increasingly dependent on a centralized food industry where a handful of companies manage the entire production and distribution infrastructure. Is our food system sustainable?
This question is compelling, for me, as both a citizen and as a fiction writer.
Some historical links re: NYC's community gardens.
- History of the Operation GreenThumb and the Green Guerillas
- Brief History of the Grassroots Greening in NYC
- History of the Community Garden Movement & Farm Gardens
- History of NYC School Gardens
- Green Guerillas
These two books appear packed with historical information: City Bountiful and Avant Gardening.
 |
| How resilient are we as a society? |
