Every ‘Hood should grow Food!
At Everything Sustainable, we believe there are many things people can do to make this a better world for people and for the environment. The truth is, many of these things are going on right now in communities across the nation. One way to have a positive impact is to focus on the food you eat and where you get it from. According to many studies, food production, transportation, and storage account for around 25% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. There has to be a better way, and there are community gardens.
What Are Community Gardens?
A community garden is a plot of land that is used by a group of people to grow vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers. The land is often owned by a municipality and is rented out to people who want to grow their own plants but who live in condos, apartments or houses without much land.
This concept has been in place for many years in nations around the world. Nearly every large community in the U.S. has multiple community gardens, and many medium and small communities do as well. There is even an organization called the American Community Gardening Association that helps people find a nearby community garden. The benefits of these gardens include the following:
- Conserve open space
- Beautify the community
- Provide a meeting place for gardeners
- Improve mental health
- Encourage community
These are all great things for people and the community. Perhaps, though, the greatest benefits are to the environment.
How Do They Help?
Much of the food today is produced on large farms. That uses pesticides and chemicals to increase productivity and expand yield. This isn’t always a good thing for the health of people and the planet. In community gardens, people grow food on a small scale. So they can control what goes into the soil and on their plants.
It’s also a great place to use composting materials that are recycled from a home or even from the gardens. In addition, The plants in the garden produce oxygen and have a positive effect on air pollution.
When you grow your own food, you contribute to a decrease in packaging and all of its associated environmental impacts. There is also much less energy used in the transportation of food. This reduces greenhouse gasses and the warming of our planet. In addition, a large garden in a city or town works to absorb rainwater and reduce pollution going into lakes and streams.
What Can You Do?
By joining a community garden in your town, you can grow your own healthy food. Save on grocery expenses and get a little exercise ch. You also can contribute to a cleaner, healthier planet where birds, bees, and other pollinators can thrive with fewer pesticides.
If no community gardens exist in your area, you can have an even bigger impact by starting one. Moreover, the ACGA offers helpful information on how to talk to neighbors, find helpful resources, identify a suitable site, and more. Here we believe helping your community and finding smart environmental solutions is a key part of our future together.
