17 Jan Thu 2013
State of the Community Garden II: What are the PROs and the Challenges?
From an experienced horticulturist point of fiew(20 years of community urban farming in S.Florida), I asum up the Pros and challenges as follows.
A:The Pros-
1)Urban Farming as a THERAPY:I have been interviewed by the Sun-sentinel back in 2008 and the topic was :Gardening as a THERAPY!People who grow their own food have access to fresh food which supports nutritional health, decreases susceptibility to illnesses and overall reduces the burden on the health care system ,inhancing IMMUNE SYSTEM and offcourse shrinking the doctors and grocery bill by reducing STRESS.
2)Spreading GREEN AWARENESS and SUSTAINABILITY!I have fascilitated classes on Organic Urban Farming at colleges(Palm BeachState College-Green Expo 2011,Cities,Churches,Wellness centers,Firefighters group,Scouts,Homeowners etc..).I am indebted to Natural Awakening Magazine and localharvest.org for their support .You may find out about ongoing classes by visiting:localharvest.org/farms/M20618.Or by checking out the Natural Awakening Magazine-Palm Beach edition"Mark your calender".The community garden has inspired me to reach out for those who want to grow their own food and did not have access for land , just like myself.Swinton Community Garden is the latest community garden I am involved with and it has been a great experience for the last four years and going.Thank you SCG!
I fascilitated Composting classes at the city of Lake Worth from 2010-2011.The composting program was was created to reduce waste especially coming from the kitchen and the GARDEN INTO THE lAND FILL AND RECYCLE IT INSTEAD INTO COMPOST AT THE BACKYARD GARDEN .
3)Community Urban Farming can create GREEN JOBS:I personally MADE A LIVING FROM 2001 TO 2008 from ONE OF MY LARGER COMMUNITY GARDENS and created a network of CSA back then , before it was turned into a LAND FILL in 2009!
Community gardens can be a significant source of food and income for members. This is especially helpful for families and individuals without JOBS or land .
4)Community Gardens are a venue for cultural DIVERSITY and PRODUCTIVE community social interaction between local officials and the public.Community garden projects give community members the opportunity to work side-by-side, regardless of cultural background ,ethnicity,nationality,religion etc...
Studies show that legal immigrants produced traditional crops that are otherwise unavailable locally.Community gardens does not have a generation gap ,mixing youth and adults together.
Community gardens bring officials and local residents closer.In a recent volunteer work ,two weeks ago ,at the Hollywood community garden project, I met a local commissioner Mr.Pete Hernandez.Upon explaining to him that the soil is lacking nutrients and full of pebbles and debris , he invited me to accompany him to chose a fertile soil which he donated into the garden as a good will gesture to help improve the status of the community garden under construction.Studies have shown that areas with above average green vegetation have less graffiti and littering, and lower crime rates .People caring for their neighborhoods learn how to care about each others from growing their own food to beautifying their community with flowers and greenery.I personally experienced that while volunteering at the Chief Sitting Bull garden in Lake Worth and Carver Community Garden IN Delray.Both gardens do not exist anymore unfortunately!
5)Community gardens can turn neighborhoods infested with crime, into safe communities.They can be a good food source for soup kitchens.I personally donated crops from my community garden to the Caring Kitchen from 2001 till 2008.Giving back to our community through volunteering at community garden and donating crops to soup kitchens help enrich our community spirit and nourish so many who are in dire need for food.
B)The Challenges-
1-Out of 10 community gardens I tended for the last ten years two are still existing while one was available for sale and the other one has already downsized!Many reasons among the short term life of community gardens among which:Sale for developers,repocession by owner,failure of members to maintain the garden,lack of funding ,convert site into landfill,abandonment,etc..
2-Community gardens being used as platforms for political agendas.Some join to boost their community Organization resume references,others to assume and boost a socialist profile,and many just to experiment their green nostalgia then quit after finding out that it takes sweat and gets their hands dirty...
The Swine Flu and You! .What are the symptoms and how to fight back HERBALLY!!!??
Locally speaking:This is the first time I come across so many sneezing and coughing , may be because I am taking more trips on the bus and the train..How about you and the Flu?Have you noticed that there is a scare going on GLOBALLY ,but not locally!!!.
With the absence of health insurance to many especially farmers and the unemployed or underemployed, one needs to gaurd his or her health .Knowledge and courage play an important role by spreading the AWARENESS and stressing the HERBAl SOLUTIONS.The fight or flight response to sustain life naturally directs us to look for NATURAL solutions ESPECIALLY USING herbal medicine .FARMERS , GARDENERS AND HERBALISTS NOW can educate the public from their experience with growing herbs and using them as FOOD that help the immune system,beside vaccination offcourse!.Disclaimer:The information listed here is for educational purposes only and not to treat ,prevent or diagnose any disease .Consult with your health provider who is the only authority to help you incase you seek treatment for any medical condition.
To start with the EDUCATIONAL AWARENESS:Here is what the MedWeb tells us about the Symptoms of the Swine Flu FYI: I qoute:"
H1N1 Influenza (Swine Flu) - Symptoms
The symptoms of H1N1 flu are a lot like the regular seasonal flu. They can include:
- Fever or shaking chills.
- Cough.
- Sore throat.
- Body aches.
- Headache.
- Extreme tiredness (fatigue).
Some people also have vomiting and diarrhea. Most of the time, the illness is not serious. But in some cases, H1N1 flu can be severe and can lead to pneumonia, serious lung problems, and death
.Swine Flu FAQThe H1N1 swine flu virus appeared in the U.S. in April 2009 and never went away. After sweeping the globe, U.S. H1N1 swine flu cases surged as schools opened in the fall. What is H1N1 swine flu? What can we do about it? WebMD answers your questions. What is swine flu? What are swine flu symptoms? Who is at highest risk of H1N1 swine flu? Help! I've been exposed to swine flu. What should I do? If I think I have swine flu,...
Some people are more likely to have serious problems from H1N1 flu, including:
- Pregnant women. The developing baby also is at risk for problems if the mother gets H1N1 flu.
- People with long-term (chronic) health problems such as asthma or diabetes.
- People with a weak immune system.
- People who have serious heart or kidney disease or some diseases that affect nerves and muscles.
- People younger than 25 years old.
Incubation and contagious periods
The time between getting infected with H1N1 virus and feeling sick (called the incubation period) is usually about 2 days but can be from 1 to 7 days.1 You can infect others starting 1 day before your symptoms start. And you may infect others up to 12 days after you get sick, although most people are infectious for about 6 days.1
Further Reading:
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise