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What you have to remember about Flores' methods is
that she's primarily an in-your-face urban activist. I think her methods
are meant to make people think and act, rather than straightforward food
growing. Another book along similar philosophical lines is Hope's
Edge by Frances and Anna Lappe.
They attempt to cover global social injustice and tie it to food. Hard to
do well - too big a subject.
In both cases, they are trying to get people to
think differently - the first two steps in Ken's Proven Practices for Profitable
Crop Production.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 10:20
AM
Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] More on
Food, Not Lawns
The website you included http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net
and
http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/IndividualItemPages/FoodNotLawns.html
is
a useful source of information and books. Books from Carla Emery
and
Seymour I have and draw from. As always we can't necessarily agree
with
everything every author writes, but all in all it's wise to be growing
food
instead of grass you can't eat. At least for those who have their own
lawns
to begin with. But looking at Flores I have to point out that
street
theater and art swaps won't feed the hungry, though it may appeal to
a
certain crowd I don't have time for. As for growing in medians and
vacant
lots, it's a fool's errand. Flores apparently hasn't a clue about
building
healthy soil. Put some work into a median (know what kind of dirt
and stuff
they backfill medians with, Flores?) and you'll find it walked on
and
polluted with exhaust fumes. Mess with medians around here and you'll
have
police all over you. That's city property, not yours. That vacant lot
she
rhapsodises about may be toxic, and if not and you manage to
grow
something, you're not likely to be the one to harvest it. I wonder if
she
ever grew anything, since most gardens need watering and people
living
beside vacant lots aren't likely to do it for you. Maybe you could
carry a
lot of water every week in summer. And if the owner doesn't call
you on
trespassing.
paul tradingpost@lobo.net
***********
REPLY SEPARATOR ***********
On 4/2/2007 at 5:36 AM Douglas
Willhite wrote:
>For those of you interested to learn more about
Food, Not Lawns here is
>an overview from the
publisher:
>
>Food Not Lawns combines practical wisdom on
ecological design and
>community-building with a fresh, green
perspective on an age-old subject.
>Activist and urban gardener Heather
Flores shares her nine-step
>permaculture design to help farmsteaders
and city dwellers alike build
>fertile soil, promote biodiversity, and
increase natural habitat in their
>own "paradise gardens."
>
>
>
>But Food Not Lawns doesn't begin and end in
the seed bed. This joyful
>permaculture lifestyle manual inspires
readers to apply the principles of
>the paradise garden-simplicity,
resourcefulness, creativity, mindfulness,
>and community-to all aspects
of life. Plant "guerilla gardens" in barren
>intersections and medians;
organize community meals; start a street
>theater troupe or host a local
art swap; free your kitchen from
>refrigeration and enjoy truly fresh,
nourishing foods from your own plot
>of land; work with children to
create garden play spaces.
>
>
>
>Flores cares
passionately about the damaged state of our environment and
>the ills of
our throwaway society. In Food Not Lawns, she shows us how to
>reclaim
the earth one garden at a time.
>
>
>
>You can also
read a book excerpt from chapter 2, Urban Ecology
here:
>http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/IndividualItemPages/FoodNotLawns.html
>
>Cheers,
>Doug
>
>_______________________________________________
>Livingontheland
mailing
list
>Livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
>http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/livingontheland
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