I sincerely believe that our species needs stories. I think we need to confront new paths, voices, settings, emotions, identities, possibilities, and thus new types of stories which can transform and transport our hearts. We need diversity for reflection and growth. Right?
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.
