Outrageous Gardens!

One of my teachers, Dattatreya Siva Baba, encourages his students to serve food to those who are hungry. Not just buy some commodities and drop it off at the food bank. No. He means SERVE them. Literally, by going to any place where a hungry person might be and offering them food you have prepared yourself–with love and care. In this way, we honor and respect our brothers and sisters who are truly the same as we are….except they are lacking food.

The underlying goal of this website has always been offering another avenue for ending hunger, for leveling the field so ALL can benefit from the abundance of this Earth. In the following article written by one of my personal heroines, France Moore Lappe, [included in today's post in its entirety] you will see  just how possible it is even for large cities to reverse hunger and poverty…if there is the compassion and the WILL to do so. Not surprising for me, the person who engineered this system in the third largest city in Brazil is also a woman.

Austin (TX) Capitol Area Food Bank campaign, 2008 (http://www.austinfoodbank.org/)

The City that Ended Hunger

A city in Brazil recruited local farmers to help do something U.S. cities have yet to do: end hunger.
by Frances Moore Lappé, YES! Magazine

Friday, March 13, 2009

“To search for solutions to hunger means to act within the principle that the status of a citizen surpasses that of a mere consumer.” City of Belo Horizonte, Brazil (more…)

“Unemployment is capitalism’s way of getting you to plant a garden.” – Orson Scott Card.

You don’t have to be unemployed to join us on March 21st for our “Outrageous Gardens Party” in the near North Valley in Albuquerque.  But if you are, we can show you some creative ways to increase your food security. Here’s what we hope to accomplish in just one day:

With a little help from some friends (YOU!) and some donated materials, we will do an extreme makeover of a former parking area into an attractive and functional community garden space in just a few hours!!

You’ll learn how to create highly productive above-ground gardens using straw bales, tires, burlap bags, rocks, old terrones, fencing and other recycled items all without tilling. These gardens are designed for intensive planting with a minimum of labor and materials. They come from all over the world, are fun, inexpensive and quick to set-up.

DATE: Saturday, March 21st

TIME: 10-3pm

Children are encouraged to participate accompanied by parents.

For more information, to register and for directions, contact outrageousgardener [at] yahoo.com.

Don’ forget: hats, sunscreen, water bottles, garden and hand tools to use on site and gloves.  Snacks will be provided.

COST: $20 + ONE of the following: Small bottles of toiletries (unopened); 2 canned goods; gently-used children’s books.

Donated items will support food pantries, homeless shelter clients, & reading programs for shelter children.

WE BELIEVE EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A GARDEN!

…and produce 60-80% of the world’s food supply in Asia and Africa. Yet these same women–who also bear the children, tend the children, haul the water and wood and cook the food they grow–share few if any of the benefits and incentives their male counterparts receive. (more…)