Soul Food and Gardens

Soul Food and Gardeners: I’ve read Organic Gardening Magazine, on and off, since the mid 80’s and have yet to be disappointed. In fact, if anything,

I might be considered an OG magazine hoarder, or one would think considering the boxes of past issues tucked away upstairs.

Thankfully, I now have the digital subscription on my Kindle Fire, which is how I stumbled upon Gardens for Good and 1 soul and Greensgrow Garden.. on the inside cover.

Gardens for Good is a grant program offered by Nature’s Path, who’s principle is “Always leave the Earth better than you found it.”  This urban garden grant program helps those who want to make changes in their neighborhoods, so of which without any greenspace.  Three recipients split the annual $65,000 funding, to learn more about the Gardens for Good grant programs visit them on Natures Path.

This is from their website:

“With a mission to increase organic acreage and access to organic food, we created an organic garden grant program in partnership with Organic Gardening Magazine. The program, aptly name Gardens for Good, invites non-profit organizations to put their communities forward for a chance to inspire change from the ground up!”

One of the first recipients of the Gardens of Good was SoleFood Urban Farm, I really love this project for everything they are doing. First they take urban lots in Vancouver BC, then convert them into a growing space. Community residents  are employed to grow, harvest and retail the product; for many of them this is their first experience with nature or food sources. Once the produce is harvested it is delivered to one local distribution center then sold to restaurants, at farmers markets and to community organizations.  Looking at their series of photos you can clearly see how they have taken what was once a parking lot and converted it into a lovely green space.

Then there is non-profit Greens Grow Farms, located 5 minutes from Philadelphia, the farm is located on a former galvanized steel plant and spans a city block. The produce is grown both hydroponically and in raised beds; not only do they raise produce but also nursery plants and farm goods.  I had to laugh when researching their blog and saw that 11 years ago people thought they were nuts for what they were doing and now they are seen as pioneers.

Not only are they helping fill the gap in “food deserts” they are also bringing the food outside their neighborhood with a mobile farmers market. Subaru and Greensgrow have a beautiful mobile service that brings produce to Camden NJ, who only has one major super market and access to fresh foods was very limited.

I have the ability to watch more documentaries about food and our nation, that is both good and bad.  Learning and understanding how we came to be in the mess we are in can be rather draining, alright, it is downright depressing! Reading how people are getting around mass production and growing, then sharing, close to home makes me happy once more..