Posted December 9, 2013 by laurabruno in Uncategorized. Tagged: Food Security, Local Food, Permaculture, Sustainability, Sustainable Living. 1 Comment
While riding the synchronicity train this weekend, I passed several stops on the way to Whitley Strieber Station, most of which had to do with local food and the phrase, "You are where you eat," which I found in a book and then online. The following series of videos from Canada's ChekNews explores "the importance of self-sufficient food farming on Vancouver Island, British Columbia."
I love, love, love that this appeared on mainstream news and that they later posted the videos on YouTube! Even though Jennifer Crosby investigates Vancouver's local food scene, she includes copious details about North American agriculture in general and why we would all benefit from stronger local food security. This video series interviews farmers, chefs, grocery store owners and gardeners, and it gives lots of tips for ways that anyone — from consumers to growers — can contribute to a strong, local food movement. Each video, shown throughout the week, explores a different facet of local food security.
If It's Not Fun, Then It's Not Sustainable
Synchronously — or should I just say, "in the ever more intricately and obviously organized and expanding web that is my life" — my friend Mitch sent me the last video below, which finishes with the title of today's post: "If it's not fun, then it's not sustainable." Yep! Pretty much sums it up for me. Education, community, delicious food, creativity … fun! What's not to love?
The why of local food security:
The economics of farming and the importance of supporting local farmers if you want access to local food:
Creative use of space: "beyond the backyard" … using public space:
Part 4 is MIA!
"Have attitudes changed enough for farmers to have a future on Vancouver Island?" This farmer is so enthusiastic!
And finally, the video I found in my inbox this morning explores a new type of community garden using a new model in order to make use of vacant land that might sell again if/when the economy recovers. It's "an excerpt from the upcoming feature-length documentary: Promises of Urban Agriculture, directed by Joseph Redwood-Martinez. Jay Rosenberg speaks about Hayes Valley Farm demonstrating urban agriculture as a strategy for interim land use in San Francisco." As with the Vancouver information above, this video offers ideas applicable to any town or city with vacant or underutilized land:
On Wednesday, I'll also be meeting with some people from our Historic South Side Neighborhood to discuss ways to connect non-gardening people with sunny yards with would-be gardeners blessed with tall trees, shady yards or no yards. Land use in exchange for produce — one step at a time towards local food security!
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