Seem to be doing a lot of blogging lately. It comes and goes.On Sunday I caught the first programme of a new series on BBC2 TV, Around the World in 80 Gardens. We started in Central America. I loved it all but it was the section on the urban gardening movement in Cuba - something I knew absolutely nothing about - that really grabbed me. If you wonder how city dwellers will manage when the oil starts to run out and it is no longer economically viable to transport food long distances, this may be at least part of the answer.
From necessity after the collapse of the Soviet empire and the subsequent withdrawal of aid, in the early 1990s the Cubans set to and started growing vegetables on spare pockets of land in urban environments in order to feed themselves. And, amazingly - to me anyway - the project is a success. Locally grown, organic fruit and vegetables feeding urban communities.
Here's an excerpt from a longer piece on the Cuban urban gardens:
For the vast majority of urban Cubans since the Revolution, food came from a grocery store or supermarket. Growing food was generally considered a part of campesino (peasant) life, left behind on the move to the city. To encourage small scale food production in urban areas, the government gave unused land to anyone who wanted to cultivate it. Havana, with a fifth of the island's population, was a priority area for urban food production .....Read the whole thing. The programme is being repeated tonight at 7.00pm on BBC2.
This all created, almost overnight, a new urban gardening culture. By the mid 1990's there were over 28,000 huertos in Havana city province, run by 50-100,000 individuals. Some of this new army of gardeners could remember farming with their parents 35 years ago, before they moved to Havana. For many it was an entirely new occupation.
Huerto is Spanish for 'kitchen garden' and these are the equivalent of allotments or smallholdings in Britain. They may be individual, family or collective and some are attached to institutions such as day care centres and schools. They range in size from postage stamp to two or more hectares. Garden clubs are comparable to allotment societies ... there are more than 19,000 individuals organised into more than 800 clubs throughout Havana.
It's probably not a one size fits all solution - there must be other factors involved: culture, climate, population density, social cohesion. A reminder nonetheless that homo sapiens can and will adapt in order to survive. When we have to.
Photo: http://www.cosg.org.uk/gardens.htm
11 comments:
I heard about the Cuban urban gardening a while ago, its a great idea. That sounds like a tv programme I should watch...
Two of my daughter's teachers in primary school had a little garden that the students helped them tend all year. I was always amazed at how much the kids loved it. When their friends were in class, sitting down, learning whatever they were learning, Zeke and her classmates were outside, gardening, learning biology and maths and reading from all the activities arranged around the garden. It was a refreshing and effortless way to learn. Gardens are so healing.
Oh, whoops. That last comment was left by me, tarakuanyin!
mm,
You're back!!! I'm so glad. I found just last night that you'd returned (was too sleepy to leave a comment then),and was just delighted. Will look forward to catching up a bit. While I don't know that I ever commented much, I've followed your blog off and on for a very long time.
As for the urban gardens, they have been happening here in the U.S. too. One of the more publicized ones was in Los Angeles, I believe. Tilled and cared for by a very poor and large inner city community. Was a huge success, with an immeasurably positive impact on the people. Last I knew, sadly, some mogul (or maybe it was the city government, can't recall) was about to confiscate the land. I should see if I can find out what ended up happening. Certainly, the citizens were fighting like crazy, as the gardens were such a far-reaching and integral part of their lives.
Most of the towns in my area have city-sponsored community gardens, both organic and conventional. Citizens pay a very small fee to help cover watering costs and the like. I was all set to participate in one when I became and ill and had to withdraw, but the fee was just $30 for the whole season.
I'd give anything to have a garden (an organic one, of course). I'll make do by trying to grow things on my north-east facing balcony. (And now I've prattled on far too long.)
Glad to see you again,
Stella
mm,
It just this minute occurred to me -- are you the "mm" that has left comments at my blog? If so, thank you -- I didn't know it was someone I 'knew'.
Take care,
Stella
when i was a young social worker we planted a large urban garden behind our office building and filled it full of veggies which we nurtured until ripe. then we gave them to our clients who were living under the federal poverty level. i loved the team spirit which went into it and how helpful it was to people who rarely could afford fresh produce!
there are many urban gardens in the US. wish i could get that television channel! i will look around and see if PBS will air the program over here. nice post! :)
I love watching shows when they tell me about stuff I have never seen about before and find very interesting and new! Sorry we dont have that show here yet...maybe it will still come here!! hope so it sounds good.
I have a post coming soon on the whopper tomatos that I' ve grown this year!!the amazing thing being is that I dont particuarly have green fingers either.
Thanks everyone. I'm really struck by the comments from the US about the urban gardens and the benefits (other than vegetable production) that they bring to the gardeners. They've reminded me that it's not just about food - there are benefits from gardening on all sorts of levels.
CGP. Wasn't it good?
TkY; I had my own garden as a child. It was an incredible teaching tool. Yes, and healing too.
Stella: Welcome and thank you! Yes the commenter at your place was me. :-)
Now that you've jogged my memory I remember hearing about the LA urban garden and the battle to preserve it. I don't know the outcome either.
Growing fruit and vegetables in pots for those who don't have gardens is becoming more and more popular over here.
Sky: It would be so good if PBS does show the programme .....
Krissie .... and it might even reach Australia. I agree about the exciement of learning new things. Wonderful. Will look out for the whopper tomatoes :-).
What a wonderful programme this is! The Cuban urban gardens are such an innovative idea.
I have just watched and really enjoyed the programme tonight on Australia and New Zealand it was fascinating.
Wonderful post! Even though developers are building over our best farm land, maybe there really is hope for the future!
Starnitesky: I'm really enjoying the series as well.
DK: Welcome and thank you for dropping by. It was indeed a hopeful piece of television.
Post a Comment