this post is dedicated to Mr. Hadley

very pretty booth by a local grower at Provo's Farmers Market

Check out this RadioWest show about The New Victory Garden. It explains the history of the victory garden movement as well as interviews Utah growers. One of the farmers moved here from Michigan and talks about how much easier it is to grow in Utah (provided you have water rights) than many places. I'll be writing a post about that soon. Thanks for bringing this awesome interview to my attention Susan KB! (and why didn't Doug call me to be on the show?)

Coincidentally, last Thursday I was at the city offices and ran into council member Cindy Richards. She stopped me and excitedly said that I would have loved the lecture the municipal council recently attended about the future of zoning. She said the expert speaker was urging new zoning regulations that would support green building and sustainable living practices by allowing victory gardens and city chickens. When I expressed interest Cindy then said that our city council is way too conservative to actually implement any of the suggestions.

WHAT?!

When did allowing chickens and victory gardens become a liberal thing? I don't believe it! I was asking her more when someone pulled her attention away.

I'm starting to think it's all about the spin. Conservatives and Liberals like the same things when it's packaged in their own language. I really doubt that Mr. Hadley, my conservative neighbor thinks he's being progressive by having a garden in the vacant lot down the street from me.

Raising food is a way I've connected to people of all backgrounds. I don't want it to be used as another way to create divisiveness.

But food is political. It's a matter of national security, it's the physical health and spiritual well being of our country. How we grow it and ship it impacts the planet. Measures to curtail the destructive practices of the food industry are a source of political strife. People take sides as they define their priorities: to be regulated or not to be regulated, that is the question.

I think its urgent that we contemplate the ethics of food production. I want to find a way to live that I feel good about.

Do I need the government to tell me how to live? Not really. I guess that makes me conservative.

Do I want the government to incentivize good old-fashioned innovations through cap and trades to curtail pollution? A HOLY YES SIREE. I guess that would be progressive.

Am I glad that my wonderful neighbor Mr. Hadley opens the back door to our kitchen (without knocking!) and leaves a pile of eggplant and peppers on our counter? YES! I guess that makes me human.

Thanks Mr. Hadley.

xo,
quel