Archive for the ‘poverty’ Category

• Fighting Poverty with Community Gardening

  Date: 2008.10.15 | Category: Horticulture, poverty | Response: 1

  There is a lot of stuff packaged into just one little seed. There is a ton of genetic material and there is also the potential to feed a whole family. Just one little bean seed can produce a beautiful plant with a bountiful crop of food. Giving people the knowledge and skills to grow their own food, is giving them empowerment and food security. Food security is a basic human right.

  

  Community gardens are a wonderful way for people to learn these skills and share information, swap seeds and food crops. Through my own experience in community gardening I have found that they bring all people together who share a common goal. Community gardens are popular the world over, from large scale acreages to rooftop gardens and small urban high density housing areas. Community gardens are a helping hand and often a listening ear to many marginalised people struggling with hunger and poverty.

  Another benefit of growing your own food is the ability to be able to sell it at a profit. This is certainly the case in many communities where we are now seeing more and more ‘Farmers Markets’.

  

  The local community garden near where I live has a community lunch every week. People from the area pitch in on the day to help beautify the gardens by weeding, raking, digging or planting. The food that is harvested on the day is cooked up for a special communal meal that is shared amongst everyone.

  There are so many community gardens that I am sure if you were to look you would most probably find one in your area. It may be at the local school where students from all economic backgrounds can share in and enjoy the bounty! If you find that there isn’t one then maybe that’s your cue…approach your local council or lands authority and help to create food security in your own backyard.