Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>]

Americans Going Back to the Garden
July 01, 2008 06:02 AM
by Sarah Amandolare
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/environment/May-June-08/Americans-Going-
Back-to-the-Garden-.html

With food banks hit hard by high food costs and surging gas prices,
Americans are growing more vegetables at home to donate, as well as to save
some cash themselves.

According to the Garden Writers Association Foundation, vegetable gardening
is a “significant new trend” in the United States, based on a national
survey completed in February 2008. Local nurseries from Minneapolis to
Pittsburgh have seen a surge in seed orders for greens, peas and beets.

Prompted by a “shaky economy, concerns about food safety and an urge to
reconnect with the land,” a new generation of gardeners has emerged; and
many are young, female and urban, said an article in the Minneapolis Star
Tribune.

Business expert Jay W. Sukits of the University of Pittsburgh credits the
“triple whammy” of high gas prices, ethanol production and exorbitant
diesel fuel costs for the increased interest in vegetable gardening.

Over the past several months, the demand for ethanol has led to a surge in
prices of dairy products in the United States. In addition, the sub-prime
mortgage crisis, and surging inflation and unemployment have made it
tougher for Americans to feed their families.

In addition to feeding themselves with fruits and vegetables grown in the
backyard, more Americans are growing produce for their neighbors. Programs
such as "Grow a Row" encourage home gardeners to cultivate extra produce
for donation at local food banks and pantries.

Americans are not alone in their efforts to grow their own food. Urban
gardening programs have been highly successful in Cuba and Sierra Leone.

Headline Links: The gardening trend

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that according to the Garden Writers
Association Foundation, vegetable gardening is a “significant new
trend” in the United States, based on a national survey completed in
February 2008. Local nurseries in Minneapolis have seen an increase in sale
of greens, peas and beets, as more Americans, prompted by the weak economy
and the trend of simple living, have taken up gardening.
Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune
go to site »
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/homegarden/19489319.html?location_refer
=sectionName'

In Pittsburgh, community gardens led by first-time gardeners are sprouting
up, and local gardening retailers are thriving, according to the Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review. Business expert Jay W. Sukits of the University of
Pittsburgh credits the “triple whammy” of high gas prices, ethanol
production and exorbitant diesel fuel costs for the increased interest in
vegetable gardening.
Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
go to site »
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/living/homegarden/s_570461.ht
ml

NPR reports that the trend of growing vegetables in home gardens has
provided a boost for seed companies in the United States.
Source: NPR
go to site »
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90714696

CNN reports that increased food and fuel costs and the fragile economy have
led to "alarming shortages at food banks and pantries around the country at
the same time that demand is surging." In response, more programs
encouraging home gardeners to cultivate extra fruits and vegetables for
donation have been created.
Source: CNN
go to site »
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/06/26/growing.xtra.ap/index.html

Background: Americans struggling to pay the bills
As unemployment and inflation increase, and the sub-prime mortgage crisis
sinks in, the purchasing power of Americans has been impacted, and more
have applied for charity and government aid. “Getting food on the table
is a challenge many Americans are finding harder to meet,” said British
paper The Independent.
Source: findingDulcinea
go to site »
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/business/March-April-08/Middle-Class-Fee
ls-the-Pain-of-Ailing-Economy.html

Due to spiking gas prices, urban policy experts predicted in May 2008 that
Americans would likely shift away from car-powered suburbia, unable to
afford the cost of commuting. At the time, gasoline was close to $4 per
gallon.
Source: findingDulcinea
go to site »
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/Americas/March-April-08/Rising-Oil-Price
s-May-End-Suburban-Way-of-Life.html

The demand for ethanol, which is extracted from corn, has not only prompted
concern over energy-efficiency, but also made life more expensive for U.S.
consumers. Dairy farmers, forced to pay more for cattle feed, have had to
raise prices. Ice cream, made of several dairy products, has never been
more expensive, for example.
Source: findingDulcinea
go to site »
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/business/US-Pursuit-of-Ethanol-Spikes-th
e-Cost-of-Dairy.html

In response to the increasing cost of living in the United States, and the
weakened dollar, a backlash against consumerism has resulted. The voluntary
simplicity movement, which thrived in the extravagant 1980s, has reemerged.
Young families who stockpiled cars, homes, clothes, furniture and toys are
now finding joy in downsizing.
Source: findingDulcinea
go to site »
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/Americas/May-June-08/Many-Americans-Opt-
for-Voluntary-Simplicity.html

Related Topics: Urban and school farming
In Cuba, the urban farming program has been extremely successful. Farms on
small plots now yield a large portion of the country’s vegetables, and
provide jobs for 350,000 people each year. Eating habits in Cuba have
entirely changed, from rice and beans with canned goods from Easter Europe,
to fresh fruits and vegetables.
Source: Mercury News
go to site »
http://www.mercurynews.com/nationworld/ci_9522139?nclick_check=1

Across Ethiopia, a program of urban gardens is managed and maintained by
women and children affected by AIDS. Participants are given a plot of
government-owned land, as well as tools, seeds and basic agricultural
training, according to IRIN. For many of the women and children,
Ethiopia’s urban farm project is their sole source for fresh produce.
Source: IRIN
go to site »
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=70776

Student-run school gardens are growing in popularity throughout the United
States, benefiting the environment and helping students gain respect for
the food they consume. Schools such as The Samuel J. Green Charter School
in New Orleans are allowing students to harvest fruits and vegetables for
cafeteria meals.
Source: findingDulcinea
go to site »
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/Americas/May-June-08/School-Gardens-Aid-
National-Green-movement.html

Reference: The Garden Writers Association
The Garden Writers Association conducts research into the lawn and garden
industry and makes communication with the public a priority. The
association conducted the previously mentioned survey that found an
increased interest in vegetable gardening among Americans.
Source: Garden Writers Association
go to site »
http://www.gardenwriters.org/