Transforming from an agricultural to an industrialized society has been a long walk for mankind. Along the way we automated every process for growth and mass production. By doing so, especially in the food production area, we lost some good nutrition and now have ended up with unwanted adverse factors affecting our health.
Going back to basics for good and wholesome nutrition with these community gardens is a concept with a whole lot of potential and endless possibilities.
As a dietitian who has taken care of cancer patients for last twenty years, putting wholesome and fresh items back in our diets is music to my ears, since over 50 % of cancer deaths are diet related.
Community gardens allow small communities to grow fresh produce in a small area, and consume the same crop. A lot of urban organizations provide support from conception of the idea to subsidized materials and tools and techniques of growing crops.
Every summer, so many gardeners grow their own vegetables and herbs and enjoy every bite of those foods. Their family, friends and neighbors all await an invitation for the summer barbeque or a picnic to that household. And along with the good food, we all enjoy the nurturing stories of the bounty and the joy and pride of the cultivator, just like a set of new parents sharing the arrival of their new and gorgeous baby.
The idea of using only fresh and pure foods in one’s menu was made popular by Alice Water in 1971 with the opening of her café in San Francisco. Today after 37 years, this tiny idea has grown into an enchanted garden with community involvement from across our nation. The dearest thing of this idea is the involvement of our children in nurturing these gardens and learning about eating right. The garden is the classroom.
These gardens can provide self reliance to the community and my vision would have community involvement at all levels, from small children to elderly- all having a different job function. This might include growing the food, cooking and eating the fresh foods and marketing the bounty either in raw or cooked form to self-finance the project.
Today, with the obesity epidemic in the US, having children learn first hand on eating low fat, farm-fresh produce is not only rewarding but also very healthy. The experience of eating nutritionally dense fruits and vegetables that they have grown themselves will be priceless. This learning will go a long way towards a healthy and active lifestyle.
Kanan Thakore, RD,CNSD
