To celebrate Spring and Michelle Obama's new garden, I'd like to point you at Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden and Your Neighborhood into a Community, by H.C. Flores (Chelsea Green Publishing, $25)
This book gives you all the basics for growing food on that most wasted ground in America, the manicured lawn. The lawn itself is a hold over from romanticizing Colonist's desire to best the "old country". Our suburbs and cities do not have the acreage to support vistas of lawns for each household and the result is a cramped bit of yard. Why not turn it over and quit using the chemical broadleaf suppressant fertilizers? You'll mow less, and eat better.
Flores' work in Eugene has now blossomed into a global movement, and you can find many resources at foodnotlawns.com.
The community building suggestions here are quite simple, seed exchanges, offering surplus produce to neighbors and helping supply your local food bank to Superhero Bike Rides.
Still think it's too difficult? Here's a nifty video to show you how one garden started a movement.
If you're in the greater NW this next week, check out the Second Annual Greenfestival. Keynote speaker will be Alice Waters.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Sign the Thank the Obamas petition!
Thanks to the good folks over at The Political Carnival for pointing out the Alice Waters interview.
democommie turned tail and ran when he learned this book report would actually entail use of a spade and turning shovel. Order the book anyway!
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