"Every politically engaged person should have a garden."
"At the beginning of the book, you write: 'Every politically engaged person should have a garden.' You bring in Anne Spencer's garden, which was a hub of civil rights activism. What is the relationship between gardening and political engagement?
Well, for one thing, a garden is a resource that can be materially useful if you grow your own food. But it's also a resource in terms of being a place to see beauty, and see hope and potential and revitalization and growth and development."
https://www.bbg.org/article/poet_camille_dungy_on_soil_the_story_of_a_black_mothers_garden
I love this quote. It really sums up how I feel about gardening and growing fruits and vegetables. The act of putting your hands in the soil, getting a little dirty and seeing something come alive from where there was nothing but dirt before is life altering. A political act if ever there was one - Because it gets you engaged.
And, given the right climate, there is ALWAYS something to grow. Vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchinis, peppers and snap peas in the mid summer months, grapes and various berries throughout summer, stone fruits like plums, apricots and pluots in the late summer months, apples and persimmons in the fall, lemons, oranges, tangelos and grapefruit in the winter months. Before you know it, it's time to start all over again. You can't ever grow too much either - Since everything can be preserved and canned. Marinara sauce, plum preserve, apple butter, orange marmalade...My pantry and fridges are stocked year round, with friends and neighbors getting some too. All unlike anything in the store, since they're all free of chemicals and preservatives.
Maybe it sounds daunting. It's not. If you've got gardening gloves and a hand spade, you can be a gardener. Maybe it sounds like you need to own land. You don't. There are thousands of community gardens throughout the United States - Places where people collectively grow fruits and vegetables to feed themselves and their communities. A vital source of sustenance during times when food prices are soaring due to the misguided policies of one man. And, trust me on this...You'll meet some wonderful people. Gardeners are the finest people there are. We have to be. The act of gardening requires love and patience and the reward isn't measured in terms of dollars but rather in smiles.
Enjoy. And, don't forget your Miracle Gro. It's basically a cheat code.
https://www.communitygarden.org/garden
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