I am hearing, more and more, reports about countries who depend on importing their food to feed themselves and when that system breaks down they are now scrambling to start learning how to grow food…and food doesn’t grow overnight, so this is a huge challenge.
I call this a real crisis.
What I’ve also seen is that sometimes people in those situations come together to start growing their own food independence and they are now thriving.
“In Havana, Cuba, the farming movement has evolved as an amazing response to the loss of food imports and agricultural inputs towards the end of last century. Following dramatic political changes, and the ensuing economic, ecological and social crisis, agrarian production was seen as key to food security. This movement towards urban cultivation systems continues to sweep across the city, and according to recent reports, now over 50 per cent of the city’s fresh produce is grown with its boundaries.” Check out Cuba in the article below!
So, maybe we need to heed the warning signs and begin to establish our ability to grow some of our own food so that we are not at the mercy of others for our most basic human need.
In this country, many people are beginning to learn the skills to grow some of their own personal food independence in their yard or other shared space. Can you imagine the impact that this could make on our food security if most people just put in a very small plot in their yard or just helped with someone else who has a plot. We did it in WWII.
I am not comfortable being dependent on big corporations to feed me.
For me, my gardening plots which are scattered around the city (I live in an apartment), are real food security. (And I eat very well!) I am taking personal responsibility for my personal freedom.
But besides my own personal responsibility, I am passionate to help others learn to grow as well. Why? The more of us that grow, the more food secure we are locally.
GRASSROOTS collaboration is powerful.
Grow something. Eat together.
Build our local neighborhood annual/perennial food forest system that when established, can feed all of us with little effort.
Power is truly in the hands of a united people who find common ground. Is there a more basic “common ground” than food?
You’ve heard, “Let food be thy medicine”…. I believe that growing our own food and doing this together can heal a nation.
Urban Farming Movement Sweeps Across Havana, Cuba Providing 50% of Fresh Food