Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack announces National Community Gardening Week
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Michael Thompson
Aug 10, 2009, 11:10:01 PM8/10/09
to Political Ecology of Food and Agriculture S08
WASHINGTON, Aug. 6, 2009 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today
encouraged Americans to connect with the land, the food it grows and their
local communities by proclaiming August 23-29, National Community Gardening
Week. A community garden is an opportunity to educate everyone about from
where food comes, whether that is a Farmers Market or a garden, and is
important to increasing generations of healthy eaters. Community gardens can
be anywhere whether it is in the country, a city or a suburb. It can be one
community plot or can be many individual plots.
"Community gardens provide numerous benefits including opportunities for
local food production, resource conservation, and neighborhood
beautification," said Vilsack. "But they also promote family and community
interaction and enhance opportunities to eat healthy, nutritious foods. Each
of these benefits is something we can and should strive for."
The American Community Gardening Association was presented with the
official proclamation at the association's 30th Annual Conference today in
Columbus, Ohio. USDA continues its work across the country to promote the
value and importance of how people can benefit from healthy food in their
communities. Resources available to community gardens through the USDA
include grants, site technical assistance and informational materials on
gardening and food production methods.
There are thousands of community gardens nationwide including 'The People's
Garden' at USDA Headquarters on the National Mall. Earlier this year,
Vilsack broke ground on 'The People's Garden' - a vegetable garden on USDA
property that recently was expanded to include sustainable landscaping for
the entire grounds. Since May 21, USDA has harvested and donated more than
170 pounds of produce to the DC Central Kitchen. The DC Central Kitchen
offers job training in culinary and food service skills to DC's homeless.
'The People's Garden,' a USDA domestic and international initiative, will
help illustrate the many ways USDA works to provide a sustainable, safe and
nutritious food supply as well as protect and preserve the landscape where
that food is produced. It is the Nation's demonstration plot designed to
provide a sampling of USDA's efforts throughout the world as well as teach
others how to nurture, maintain and protect a healthy landscape. 'The
People's Garden' landscape demonstrates environmentally responsible
practices and educates and engages the public via accessible exhibits. It
also provides social benefits for employees and serves as a model for other
public institutions in the region. USDA plans to reduce stormwater runoff
with rain gardens, green roofs and bioretention practices. USDA also is
reducing its impervious surfaces and enhancing the USDA's Farmers Market.
The garden concepts that USDA is practicing serves as a living example of
how to provide healthy food, air and water for people and communities as
well as food and shelter for wildlife, while improving soil health and water
quality. Information about 'The People's Garden' initiative is available at
www.usda.gov/peoplesgarden or follow 'The People's Garden' at
www.twitter.com/peoplesgarden for the latest updates, harvests and events.
And as the federal partner in the Cooperative Extension Service, USDA's
Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service provides funding
and national leadership to the Master Gardener program. The program, which
began in 1972 in Washington, is another important example of how people can
contribute to promoting healthier food and communities. Since its inception,
the program has grown to 94,865 volunteers across the country who give
horticulture information to the public through a variety of locally-based
programs. Volunteers receive 40 to 80 hours of instruction and, in return,
give an equal number of volunteer hours during the next year.
--
-------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Thompson
Masters Candidate
Global Environmental Politics Program
School of International Service
American University
Political Ecology of Food and Agriculture
http://groups.google.com/group/pefas08
encouraged Americans to connect with the land, the food it grows and their
local communities by proclaiming August 23-29, National Community Gardening
Week. A community garden is an opportunity to educate everyone about from
where food comes, whether that is a Farmers Market or a garden, and is
important to increasing generations of healthy eaters. Community gardens can
be anywhere whether it is in the country, a city or a suburb. It can be one
community plot or can be many individual plots.
"Community gardens provide numerous benefits including opportunities for
local food production, resource conservation, and neighborhood
beautification," said Vilsack. "But they also promote family and community
interaction and enhance opportunities to eat healthy, nutritious foods. Each
of these benefits is something we can and should strive for."
The American Community Gardening Association was presented with the
official proclamation at the association's 30th Annual Conference today in
Columbus, Ohio. USDA continues its work across the country to promote the
value and importance of how people can benefit from healthy food in their
communities. Resources available to community gardens through the USDA
include grants, site technical assistance and informational materials on
gardening and food production methods.
There are thousands of community gardens nationwide including 'The People's
Garden' at USDA Headquarters on the National Mall. Earlier this year,
Vilsack broke ground on 'The People's Garden' - a vegetable garden on USDA
property that recently was expanded to include sustainable landscaping for
the entire grounds. Since May 21, USDA has harvested and donated more than
170 pounds of produce to the DC Central Kitchen. The DC Central Kitchen
offers job training in culinary and food service skills to DC's homeless.
'The People's Garden,' a USDA domestic and international initiative, will
help illustrate the many ways USDA works to provide a sustainable, safe and
nutritious food supply as well as protect and preserve the landscape where
that food is produced. It is the Nation's demonstration plot designed to
provide a sampling of USDA's efforts throughout the world as well as teach
others how to nurture, maintain and protect a healthy landscape. 'The
People's Garden' landscape demonstrates environmentally responsible
practices and educates and engages the public via accessible exhibits. It
also provides social benefits for employees and serves as a model for other
public institutions in the region. USDA plans to reduce stormwater runoff
with rain gardens, green roofs and bioretention practices. USDA also is
reducing its impervious surfaces and enhancing the USDA's Farmers Market.
The garden concepts that USDA is practicing serves as a living example of
how to provide healthy food, air and water for people and communities as
well as food and shelter for wildlife, while improving soil health and water
quality. Information about 'The People's Garden' initiative is available at
www.usda.gov/peoplesgarden or follow 'The People's Garden' at
www.twitter.com/peoplesgarden for the latest updates, harvests and events.
And as the federal partner in the Cooperative Extension Service, USDA's
Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service provides funding
and national leadership to the Master Gardener program. The program, which
began in 1972 in Washington, is another important example of how people can
contribute to promoting healthier food and communities. Since its inception,
the program has grown to 94,865 volunteers across the country who give
horticulture information to the public through a variety of locally-based
programs. Volunteers receive 40 to 80 hours of instruction and, in return,
give an equal number of volunteer hours during the next year.
--
-------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Thompson
Masters Candidate
Global Environmental Politics Program
School of International Service
American University
Political Ecology of Food and Agriculture
http://groups.google.com/group/pefas08
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