Flip of the Coyne

Published Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Vol. 61 Issue 6 Page A4

Since I have started writing about food security people have been coming up to me on the streets in shops and even at work and have asked me, “What can I do?”

This week I am going to focus on what we can do.  Although there will be a role for local government I believe that most of our local food economy needs to be driven by we the people.  Food security needs to be a grassroots movement.  Food has become part of the global economy and when this happened government stopped concerning itself with feeding the local population and became more concerned about imports and exports and how it affects GDP.  We all need to eat; without food you die.  For this reason food is something that we need to take ownership in and work together to secure.

I have talked to many local residents who all say they would shop at a local farmers’ market.  I love this idea but saying you would shop there is one thing.  If there is to be a farmers’ market there needs to be two things: a group of residents who are willing to organize it, and farmers who will supply the market.  Before farmers will grow produce for a market they need a market for which to grow, so if people in Princeton really want a farmers’ market they need to get one organized.  It’s that old saying; if you build it they will come.

Plant a garden this spring.  People think that gardening is hard.  Growing is easy.  Some of the preparation is hard.  With the economic climate everyone should be thinking about planting a small garden even if it is just some lettuce and tomatoes you can offset some of the hard times with only a few dollars in initial expenses.

A program I have been reading about lately is called “Grow a Row, Share a Row”.  This program helps those who might not have the ability to help themselves.  If you have a garden, you grow an extra row and it goes to a local food bank or other local social program.  This could be taken a step farther if you have a neighbour who cannot garden due to health, age or living condition.  You could grow a garden with them in mind.  I am starting to really love this idea as it is not about me but about helping my community.

Lastly we come to a community garden project.  I have stayed off this topic for a reason. I was once an elected official and when I look at projects now I have to admit I look at them and ask how much will this cost the taxpayers?  For this reason I have been looking at how can we do a local community garden plan that costs taxpayers little to nothing at all.  I have come up with two ideas: firstly, Town Council grants use of some public land to a community garden society to develop.  I am not sure if this would work.  My second idea costs taxpayers upfront but would see the costs recovered over a period of time.  Town Council would need to see if there is really a need first then depending on demand council would develop a percent of a park or parks with a deer fence and plots and water.  Water is already accessible in the parks so there would only be a need for some hydrants.  The costs would then be recovered with a plot rental or lease.  The recovery cost would be spread across the plots and time to make it affordable to those who need the plots.