Victory Gardens – In favor of food independence

Our modern food system relies heavily on logistics, chemicals and technology, so any disruption to the production or supply chain causes a stress on the availability of edible products (yes, I intentionally reserve the term ‘food’ for truly natural, nutritional and healthy items), especially in cities. 

During WWI and WWII the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and Germany promoted the creation of “Victory Gardens” or “Gardens for defense” to ease the stress on public food supply. The initiative consisted of planting fruits, vegetables and herbs in public parks and private residences, with the double aim of growing food and improving morale in the home front.

I believe that, context and intentions aside, the base idea is a great one. Feels like governments should promote food independence, that every person should be taught to grow and prepare their own food, that we should reconnect with nature and the Earth. Working the soil with your own hands, caring for the seedlings and being aware of the weather outside of our four walls expands our minds and spirits. Knowing when and how to water and harvest fosters empathy and builds a sense of community in the individual.

At Latinlingua we’re committed to exploring ways in which we can improve our life in the city. In future posts we’ll dive deeper into the things we’re trying out as individuals and as a group, and our experience so far. We’d love to hear about your own experiences in making your life a fuller one, especially when at work or in the city.

Let’s plant the seed of self and other-awareness.