Food Not Lawns- the Underground Food Revolution that Promotes Suburban Sustainability

There is a grassroots effort underway in the United States. This movement promotes sustainability for people just like you who live in the suburbs, but are disheartened with the state of food in our country. Food not lawns is a movement which encourages everyone to grow food. It is a term that was originally coined by the group of the same name in Cascadia Oregon but now has turned into an underground movement. There are now at least a dozen regional groups in the United States and more on the way! Food not lawns is a movement that supports organic agriculture methods, permaculture, peace and sustainability within the community. It is even encouraged for those living in small spaces and in urban environments.

In the United States alone more money is spent annually on lawn care than the cost of all agriculture put together. That is so much wasted money and space! Wouldn't you rather grow your own food in your yard? With the rising cost of organic produce this is the answer for many families. Edible landscaping is a big hit for many gardeners. It's even used at Disneyland! Not only can you grow your own food but you can also reduce the amount of gas and pesticides used to grow your food. Using permaculture techniques you can save on water as well. Or maybe you would rather use square foot gardening or lasagna gardening techniques. Whichever way you choose to grow your garden is up to you and will be determined by your specific circumstances.

Even apartment dwellers can grow some if not all of their own food. Using sprouting and potted or vermiculite mediums it's also possible to grow things indoors. If you have no space at all you could join a community garden plot. These are a very good way to grow produce within an urban setting and most major cities have them. If your's does not find an empty lot and get to work trying to convert it!

Sustainability is one thing but creating community is another. When you start using the Food not Lawns! concept and making your landscaping edible you may get lots of questions from your neighbors. A lot of times they might try it out as well. Folks have found it brings a real sense of community to their neighborhoods. You might encourage the neighbors to grow their own veggies and have an annual event to cook and share them.

Start out small. You can replace one plant at a time with edible plants. You might be surprised how much you actually like having food growing in your landscaping.

There are many popular books about edible landscaping and the Food not Lawns movement so be sure to check out your local library for more books on the topic. You can also find a plethora of information on the internet of course.