Local Food Movement: Grow Your Own Food in Your Backyard

Do you wish for fresh vegetables and fruits in the springtime. Are you concerned about the recent contaminations that have taken place around our country? If so, the slow food movement may be part of your solution.

The Slow Food Movement began in Italy in 1986 to forestall the opening of a McDonald's in Rome - but it has since blossomed into an international movement with chapters all over the world.

One option for those who love fresh, clean food is membership with a CSA.

Community Supported Agriculture or a CSA is a farm based way to offer subscriptions to those who would like to receive basic good foods grown locally (within 100 miles) of their own homes. For an agreed upon amount a CSA will sell shares to the individual or family and it will be distributed at an agreed upon time.

Community gardens, such as the Garden Angels Project, organized by Ephraim Smiley, of Fort Wayne, Indiana is another way that citizens are getting the bounty of fresh foods, locally grown. Smiley works with area children who grow produce and distribute it among low-income residents. Kids learn to plant, cultivate, and bring to those in need the best of local foods.

The World War II model of the victory garden is still in place, and is becoming more and more prevalent throughout. These types of gardens can be planted and cultivated, not only in your own backyard, but in container gardens, on your roof, or balcony. Or even inside your home.

Thankfully, for those of us, who live in the northern part of the United States, spring is just around the corner. Now is the time to begin to plan your garden, join a CSA or become involved in your local community garden.

Most cities have extension branches at their local universities that can help with any type of question concerning these issues.

In Fort Wayne, the Allen County Purdue Extension Office is on hand to offer an abundance of information concerning gardening, and the natural world. This year they have offered a Master Naturalist program which exists to not only bring information to their students, but to also train those students to bring their learned expertise to the community.

So, let's think about it. This year instead of having the most beautiful landscape or prettiest flowerbed, maybe it's time your neighborhood association gave a prize for most productive garden.