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Opinion

Free food for all

PERSPECTIVE - Cherry Piquero Ballescas - The Freeman

In history, when humans discovered they could collaborate with nature through planting, agriculture revolutionized lifestyles and civilizations were built.

The simple act of  planting and harvesting in one's land led to stable food supply that then allowed people to engage in other creative initiatives to live more comfortable and fuller lives.

The profound significance of discovering that we can be active agents for producing our own food within our own backyard, sadly, has been lost as a consumer world, engaged in trade, in buying and selling, took over households and prioritized markets instead of  homes and communities.

A very simple yet beautiful video shared by Edna Lee entitled THE STORY OF FOOD IS FREE (check outhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlC-4MgfICU&feature=youtu.be) reminded us to reclaim that profound and valuable legacy of our ancestors who survived through their creativity and partnership with nature, had their own food and rich culture and history, before and without markets and money.

This video illustrates the simple decision of one person or household to grow a garden within one's home. Starting simply with plants that can provide food for one's family, the video relayed the simple but precious value of producing our own food through our own effort and within one's home!

Imagine your garden providing you daily with your fresh supply of tomatoes, vegetables, and fruits! And free food at that!

Imagine if everyone decides to grow a home garden, then can you envision a whole community assured of their own stable food supply within their own immediate reach?

The video moves on to illustrate the possible subsequent exchange among neighbors of home garden produce (note! not trade, not profit- oriented selling!) Not only will one's food supply widen in terms of more natural food items, social interaction and human exchange will be more enriched among neighbors and communities linking happily together!

Home gardens will also provide color and fragrance and again, can you imagine so much greens and rainbow colors and sweet scents throughout communities with their own home gardens?

Having stable food supply, happy social networks, colorful and fragrant surroundings will improve health and cleanliness among residents and communities!

Aside from planting just food sources, each home may wish to add medicinal herbs in their gardens. Then not only is hunger solved, health is also restored and assured!

Who needs to work for measly salary and stressful jobs when one has steady, sufficient, healthy food right in one's one backyard?

What about those who have no land, no area, no space for planting? Many of the poor in their communities surely cannot have their own home gardens?

Oh, but recall that humans are endowed with creativity and faith in themselves and God. One can raise and grow plants in one's roof, inside sacks, and other cute but safe plastic bags, pots, and containers. Rain water is free or household members can agree to save some clean bath water for their plants! Surely, creative minds will not run out of alternatives to have those home gardens, as long as the will and diligence to grow own gardens are present!

If creativity is restored and better, if community residents can come together to create a system of communal land use sharing for community gardens, then everyone can proceed to sing, "what a wonderful world this could be!"

Shall we all start and grow our own food in our own home garden? You may wish to do so as well in offices, schools, churches, and street islands? Let us have all those colors everywhere! And food, most precious healthy food and herbs for one and all!

A simple home garden for one, a possible revolution for all, like the one started by agriculture?

The real revolution will take place in our own abode, in our homes, in our hearts, among our family friends, neighbors, and among and with our people!

***

Email : [email protected]

 

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EDNA LEE

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