Ban Grass?

Michael Ableman is a visionary, a radical thinker. Perhaps ahead of his time in many regards, Ableman recently spoke in Toronto in front of a crowd of eager foodies about survival. Perhaps it seems a bit drastic, his talk on "survival," but I see no reason to think of it any differently. Survival from what, then? Starvation. Though North Americans rarely need to worry about having enough food (relatively speaking) because of our wealth, prosperity, and climate, we have come to rely on others to "feed us" so to speak. But our control over the growth of our food has been willingly turned over to others. People we don't see, or have any connection with are growing our food, manipulating it in a way that they see fit. We are gradually becoming increasingly separated from the source. And in a day of dwindling food security, we are in an increasingly precarious situation with respect to a how-are-we-going-to-feed-ourselves dilemma. Potential dilemma, yes, but one that should be considered.

Ableman could have easily used scare tactics in his presentation. Instead he was informative, educated on the subject, and practical. He was thinking big, and what he was thinking about was Urban Agriculture (UA). People blink tiwce when they hear "urban agriculture" - an oxy-moron? But there has been this idea that food growth takes place away from the rest of our lives. It has no part in our daily, or weekly, or even seasonal routines. Because of this, people have become vulnerable, and powerless. Money can buy food, yes, but what if there is no food to buy? But when the sources of food are jeopardized (flood, draught, hurricaine, you name it), what will you eat? By bringing the growing of food back to the cities, back to the lives of ordinary people, we are empowered to succeed. We are empowered to live.

As I am writing this, I am thinking about something that Wendell Berry wrote in his essay The Pleasures of Eating . Though not speaking specifically about UA, Berry talks about the idea of eating responsibly, of knowing where the food we eat comes from, and understanding the ethics about the food we choose to eat. I think it translates incredibly well to this topic of UA. He writes:

There is, then, a politics of food that, like any politics, involves our freedom. We still (sometimes) remember that we cannot be free if our minds and voices are controlled by someone else. But we have neglected to understand that we cannot be free if our food and its sources are controlled by someone else. The condition of the passive consumer of food is not a democratic condition. One reason to eat responsibly is to live free.

UA can be accomplished in cities. Ableman is the founder of The Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens in Los Angeles, CA. It was small in scale in comparison to many modern farms, but fed a whole whack of people, and is proof that food need not grow only in the country. He was not speaking from empty ideas, but from experience, passion, and belief that change is possible and certainly within reach. He gave many suggestions, not all of which I jotted down (they were fast and furious). His thoughts were well received, especially his suggestion to ban grass, if you will. Phase out grass, teach people how to grow food in whatever kind of space they have, and then do it. Education is also key, he says, and teaching practical and tangible gardening, canning, preserving, in schools is desperately needed to revive a food culture and understanding that has just about met its maker.
Food is fundamental for life. The satisfaction that comes from planting a seed, caring for it, and then reaping the benefits of it is enormous. The understanding of the life of the food I eat is reassuring, and in a way, peaceful. Certainly, this is a relatively new appreciation for me. Two years ago I started growing food. I had a small plot in a community garden where I planted seeds and transplants. I knew it was going to be a learning experience, and a challenge, but it was exciting. Last year I tried again, with a great deal more success. I had a plot of maybe 5' by 10' and I packed all kinds of plants in there: cucumber, green onions, lettuce, tomatoes, basil, broccoli, spinach, beets, zucchini, cilantro...all sorts of things. I was amazed at how much will grow in such a small spot. The photographs included here are from the community garden, in Sackville, NB, where I gardened. But even planting a few things in a small space was empowering! I was in complete control, and as Wendell Berry would say, I was able to "live free" in that small corner of my life.

Urban Agriculture is not out of reach. It will take effort, and energy, but I hope that I will live to see the day when people regain this knowledge and independence that comes with food growth. Who needs grass, anyway?

More info on Michael Ableman:
http://www.fieldsofplenty.com/

The Pleasures of Eating, by Wendell Berry:
http://www.ecoliteracy.org/publications/rsl/wendell-berry.html