Alternative Community Farmer/WPB.FL

I want to share with you a REAL story about one of the COMMUNITY GARDENS in South Florida that are becoming history!

This community garden I am talking about was more than 15 years old.It started at a neglected African American neighborfood back in the 90's.Dads Against Drugs were the ones who intiated the idea ,the volunteers and the city provided the land for the community garden.There was a soup kitchen involved and a local college kids program as well in addition to many local volunteers.The media was summoned upon opening and lots of propaganda followed.Two years ago a local newspaper did  a report on urban farming and a columnist did the coverage.That was then!Until the times when the folks volunteers community gardeners started to get behind in paying their mortgage ,insurance and so forth bills.One by one they left the garden to work a second job or find a way to pay the bills!Come 2003 ,I was the only one left .The Parks city co-ordinator was fired  due to  budget cuts .There were lots of crimes and murder not to mention the drug dealing before the garden.situation now is back .Recently "someone" came and demolished the almost one acre garden without notice at least to salvage the trees ,containers,tools etc..Rare neem trees,grape vines and garden accessories ...all were gone.Now piles of land fill occupy the garden and soon they will be building on the lot.No notice.No nothing.Tell me about respect for the land and volunteers who work community gardens!

Urban farming is a necessity to neglected neighborhood where drug dealers and crime brew and foster.Add to this a crowd of human beings who travel from all over  to seek rehabilitation from DRUGS at this sobriety world known retreat capital.Guns and ordinances can not solve the problems of neighborhoods infested by crime, poverty and drug dealers and users!Community outreach programs like PRODUCTIVE COMMUNITY GARDENS can be one of the solutions!

Check out this: In Japan and Finland...gardening is being introduced as a THERAPY at hospitalls,rehabilitation and wellness centers..How about learning from those programs and implementing them in our own backyard.Lots of people now have no jobs,no homes and are flooding the food stamp system .I suggest giving those who are able bodied a "PRODUCE YOUR OWN FOOD" voucher instead ,payable at a COMMUNITY ORGANIC GARDEN near you!

Yes, we can save millions if not billions by calling all vollunteers to work the community gardens.

There are by this moment around ONE MILLION FLORIDIANS who have no jobs.Most of them will be applying for FOOD STAMPS ,if they did not already.We have hundreds and thousands of neglected lots that are either owned by city or county.Why not start a program like the VICTORY GARDEN for example and earmark some bail out funding or budget? People can be productive producing their own food especially here in the South where we are in the 8-9-10 agricultural zone .. Produce can be grown almost the whole year round!

Now please be advised that we have THREE COMMISSIONERS ALREADY IN JAIL here and an INSPECTOR GENERAL: position now is being contemplated to investigate FRAUD etc...so we need some one from above to come first and have a look from below to find out what is going on.

Food is a necessity.People who are unemployed can produce their own ib community gardens if HELP is available.

Ask me about help and I tell you:No body listens!They were dumping the mulch from the Hurricane destroyed trees at the cemetry while there was  a need to use it at the community garden but no one would care, no matter whom and how many times you asked for help.Money talks loud around here.

Save those kids from the drug dealers by teaching them how to grow their own food.Save those neglected neighborhoods by growing fruit and vegetable community gardens in their neighborhoods.Let us produce Organic food locally by those who are able and  unemployed.We can do it .