One of the great things about living in Jericho is that driving through the countryside is a daily occurrence. My commute to the 'city' is longer than most people would care for, but when I cross that town line into Jericho I feel at home. The larger farms with their heavy machinery are hard at work this week prepping the soil for plants. The smell of manure no longer bothers me and the 'shit-spreading trucks' that you get stuck behind make me smile now instead of grimace. I think it is the transformation from being a flatlander (which I was called for the first 15 years I lived in Vermont) to being a local (which I feel I have earned even if the natives won't allow me the title).
What has become increasing more apparent in recent years is the small scale growing operations that are happening virtually everywhere. From immaculately organized raised beds to perfectly rototilled plots, more and more people are growing their own food. Our conversations are definitely changing to reflect this uprise of gardeners and small scale farmers. It used to be that you asked your co-workers and friends "do you have a garden?" and now we ask "what'cha growin' this year?" In fact, I don't think a single person has answered the later question with a "no" in recent years. It may be as simple as some basil or as complex as 13' pole beans, but people that run in my circles are talking about growing food.
I have to admit that I actually know more about the growing conditions and crop preferences of the people that I work and socialize with more than I do about their children. One friend sticks to herbs only, that's her thing and she loves it. Another has a small amount of lead in her soil and doesn't want to invest in raised beds so she avoids growing root crops. My co-worker thinks her husband doesn't place the tomatoes in the optimal lighting location and is left with a freezer full of green tomatoes, but she chooses her marital battles.
So what am I growing this year? I installed a new elevated raised bed on my deck that will serve as my Chef's Garden full of herbs, salad greens, rainbow swiss chard, carrots and beets. Plans so far for the main garden are blueberries (blue and pink), raspberries (red and yellow), horseradish, catnip, catmint, hyssop, garlic, peas (pod and shell), kale (curly red, meadowlark and westlander), carrots (dragon, atomic red, white satin, yellowstone and orange jeannette), pole beans, sunflowers, asparagus, parsnips, poppies, snap peas, cardinal climbers, nasturtium and beets (chioggia, golden, bull's blood and tall top).
We are coming alive with the knowledge that we don't have to rely on big business to feed us. We are empowered to make choices about the food that we put into our bodies and we know that 'real food' comes from farms, big or small. I respect and rely on the larger farms in my community that I know can grow the crops that I am unable to cultivate in my small space, but I know that I can take responsibility for growing what I can, locally in my own backyard. We all need to take responsibility for the vitality of our local food system so try growing some of your own food, in whatever scale is possible for you.