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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] UK: A Good Life for all as 'grow your own' booms

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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  • From: Liz <liz@allslash.org>
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] UK: A Good Life for all as 'grow your own' booms
  • Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2007 13:24:09 -0400

At 12:36 PM 9/16/2007, you wrote:

"Both have tapped into public concern about the carbon footprint of food
and
how it is produced. 'Celebrity chefs have done a lot to encourage people to
start growing their own vegetables and herbs through the large number of
cookery shows on television,' Knowles said. 'Food traceability is another
key factor; more and more people want to know where their food comes from
and that it is free from pesticides.' "

This is good news, and I hope it translates to more interest on this side of the pond. I have 29 acres, so growing things in pots on the kitchen windowsill is not a necessity (though I do have herbs growing there--much easier to snip some chives if the pot is at hand). But a couple of years ago I spent one year house-sitting for someone in an apartment with only a 6 x 8 foot balcony for growing space. We had tomatoes and cucumbers on trellises, squash in pots hanging over the rail, pole beans and peas growing up the rainwater downspouts (though I had to move those because the landlord was concerned that the heavily laden plants would pull the downspouts off the wall!), and lettuce in more planters on the rail. I was very fortunate to be on the east-facing side of the building, but even if the orientation had been less ideal, I could have had greens and herbs and probably beans too. You can grow much more than city people usually think is possible, even without an allotment.

Time to get out there and plant some winter greens.

Liz in SW VA
http://life-as-a-spectator-sport.com




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