"Starting with the economies of food and farming, we should promote at home, and encourage abroad, the ideal of local self-sufficiency. We should recognize that this is the surest, the safest, and the cheapest way for the world to live. We should not countenance the loss or destruction of any local capacity to produce the necessary goods."
-Wendell Berry, "Thoughts in the Presence of Fear"
The sky is warming, the sky is warming, the sky is warming! Once, not too long ago in a fact, anyone who muttered those words was immediately branded as a tree-hugging, environmental nutcase. Chicken Little in Birkenstocks.
Now, however, with the weight of the world's scientific community on their side, these once rare birds are starting to crow more confidently and are finding friends in unusual places.
The National Farmers Union in the UK has just released a report talking about how climate change might impact the UK's ability to feed itself. With 60% of the country's best farmland at 15 feet (5 meters) above sea level or less, these impacts would be nothing less than catastrophic. The report also warns that if oil prices continue to rise it will no longer be cost effective to bring in food from abroad, and far more will have to be produced in the UK.
One more argument and ally in the movement to localize and decentralize the global food system.
Winterbor kale under freshly fallen Maine snow.
The news wires are currently running a story about the rising number of fruits and vegetables contaminated with food-borne illnesses such as salmonella and E.coli.
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), produce triggered 554 outbreaks of food-borne illness between 1990 and 2003, sickening 28,315 people. Of those 554 outbreaks, 111 were due to Salmonella. Although poultry has historically been responsible for far more Salmonella infections, in the most recent years in CSPI’s database, produce seems to be catching up.
The CSPI rightly calls for stricter standards for how food is handled as one way of reducing the risks to consumers. To address the root cause of the problem, however, one must look at the big picture of our food system. Since 1980, the distance that food travels from field to fork is up by 25%. A significant percentage of this increase is due to well-traveled produce. Consumers have come to expect that they can have any foods they want anytime of the year, regardless of the season and the fossil fuels needed to make the global supermarket function.
If we're serious about health, both our own and that of the planet, we'll need to think about how to "relocalize" the global food system. Health officials like to talk about increasing the traceability of foods through high-tech labels. Surely, the easiest way to trace where food comes from is to have it grown and processed as close as possible to where it will be consumed.
This comes too late to be of use for most Americans in the market for a real turkey (as opposed to one raised industrially, inside, with a cocktail of antibiotics). Nonetheless, better late than never right?
There are many sources for turkey eaters to find a happy, healthy, pasture-raised and/or heritage turkeys. Here are just a few:
* Land Stewardship Project Stewardship Farm Network
* New Farms – Farm Locator
* Eat Wild Pastured Products directory
* Eat Well Guide of the GRACE Project
* Local Harvest’s Turkey website
This is the time of the year in the Northern Hemisphere where we turn to food for warmth and comfort. For many of us, it's that time of the year most of the time. According to some new research out of Cornell University, we don't all turn to the same foods items for comfort.
The researchers found that women are more prone to eat comfort foods high in fat and sugar, such as cakes and ice cream. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to turn to soups, pasta and steaks when seeking a comfort-food fix. As one writer recently put it, "women are from Ben and Jerry’s and men are from Outback".
This story takes me back a couple of years to when I was living in Belgium and asked my Belgian mother-in-law what comfort food was to her. She answered "potatoes". To which, I replied "Prepared in what way...fries with mayonnaise, au gratin, roasted with herbs?" To my surprise, she said "No, just plain boiled potatoes...maybe with a bit of salt". When I dug deeper, I discovered that potatoes connote well-being for her because they are what kept her family alive in the lean years following World War II.
This is something that we'd all do well to keep in mind with Thanksgiving coming up next week. While many of us seek comfort from our food, many more - 900 million according to the UN - seek enough calories to get them through another day. At KGI, we invite you to think about how you can help more people in your local community and in the world to enjoy the comfort of full belly.
© 2005 Peter Menzel from 'Hungry Planet: What the World Eats'
Are we what we eat? A fascinating new book called The Hungry Planet
So, who eats the healthiest and most appetizing foods? Who pays the most for food and who the least. The answers may surprise you.
© 2005 Peter Menzel from 'Hungry Planet: What the World Eats'
USA: The Revises of North Carolina
Grains & Other Starchy Foods: $17.92
Red potatoes, 2.3 lb; Natures Own bread, sliced, 1 loaf; Trix cereal, 1.5 lb; Mueller fettuccini, 1 lb; Mueller spaghetti, 1 lb; Uncle Ben’s Original white rice, 1 lb; Flatout flatbread wraps, 14 oz; New York Original Texas garlic toast, 11.3 oz; Harris Teeter (store brand) Flaky Brown-n-Serve dinner rolls, 11 oz.
Dairy: $14.51
Harris Teeter milk, 1 gal; Kraft cheese, shredded, 8 oz; Kraft sharp Cheddar cheese, sliced, 8 oz; Kraft Swiss cheese, sliced, 8 oz; Kraft Cheese Singles, 6 oz; Kraft Parmesan cheese, grated, 3 oz; Harris Teeter butter, 2 oz.
Meat, Fish & Eggs: $54.92
Harris Teeter beef, pot roast, 2.5 lb; Harris Teeter pork chops, 1.9 lb; Harris Teeter chicken drumsticks, 1.7 lb; eggs, 12; Harris Teeter chicken wings, 1.5 lb; Armour Italian-style meat balls, 1 lb; Gwaltney bacon, Virginia-cured with brown sugar, 1 lb; Harris Teeter ground turkey, 1 lb; shrimp,‡ 1 lb; StarKist tuna, canned, 12 oz; honey-baked ham, sliced, 9 oz; smoked turkey, sliced, 7.8 oz.
Fruits, Vegetables & Nuts: $41.07
Dole yellow bananas, 2.9 lb; red seedless grapes, 2.4 lb; green seedless grapes, 2.2 lb; Birds Eye baby broccoli, frozen, 4 lb; yellow onions, 3 lb; Green Giant corn, canned, 1.9 lb; Green Giant green beans, canned, 1.8 lb; Bush’s vegetarian baked beans, canned, 1.8 lb; cucumbers, 1.4 lb; Harris Teeter tomatoes, vine-ripened, 1.2 lb; Del Monte whole leaf spinach, canned, 13.5 oz; garden salad, packaged, 10 oz; Italian salad mix, packaged, 8.8 oz; pickled mushrooms, 7.3 oz; Harris Teeter peanuts, 1 lb.
Condiments: $12.51
White sugar, 1.6 lb; Ruffles ranch dip, 11 oz; Crisco vegetable oil, 6 fl oz; Nestle Coffee-Mate, French vanilla, nonfat, 6 fl oz; Food Lion garlic salt, 5.3 oz; Hellmann’s mayonnaise, 4 oz; Newman’s Own salad dressing, 4 oz; Jiffy peanut butter,‡ 3 oz; black pepper, 2 oz; Harris Teeter Original yellow mustard, 2 oz; Heinz ketchup, 2 oz; salt, 2 oz; Colonial Kitchen meat tenderizer, 1 oz; Durkee celery seed, 1 oz; Encore garlic powder, 1 oz.
Snacks & Desserts: $21.27
Mott’s apple sauce, 1.5 lb; Munchies Classic mix, 15.5 oz; Kellogg’s yogurt-flavored pop tarts,‡ 14.7 oz; Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn, 9 oz; Harris Teeter sunflower seeds, 7.3 oz; Lays Classic potato chips, 5.5 oz; Lays Wavy potato chips, 5.5 oz; Del Monte fruit in cherry gel, 4.5 oz; Extra chewing gum, 3 pks; Snickers candy bar, 2.1 oz; M&M’s peanut candy, 1.7 oz.
Prepared Food: $24.27
Bertolli portobello alfredo sauce, 1 lb; Ragu spaghetti sauce, chunky mushroom and bell peppers, 1 lb; Maruchan shrimp flavored ramen, 15 oz; California sushi rolls, 14 oz; Campbell’s cream of celery soup, 10.8 oz; Hot Pockets, jalapeño, steak & cheese, 9 oz; shrimp sushi rolls, 7 oz.
Fast Food: $71.61
McDonald’s: 10-pc chicken McNuggets, large fries, large Coca-Cola, Filet-o-Fish meal; Taco Bell: 4 nachos Bell Grande, 2 soft tacos, taco supreme, taco pizza, taco, bean burrito, large lemonade; Burger King: double cheeseburger, onion rings, large Coca-Cola; KFC: 2-pc chicken with mashed potatoes, large Coca-Cola; Subway: 6-inch wheat veggie sub, 6-inch wheat seafood crab sub; Milano’s Pizzeria: large sausage pizza, large pepperoni pizza; I Love NY Pizza: 4 pizza slices.
Restaurants: $6.15
China Market: shrimp fried rice, 2 orders; large fruit punch.
Beverages: $77.75
Budweiser, 24 12-fl -oz cans; bottled water, 2 gal; Harris Teeter cranberry-apple juice cocktail, 4 2-qt bottles; diet Coca-Cola, 12 12-fl -oz cans; A&W cream soda, 2 2.1-qt bottles; 7UP, 6 16.9- fl -oz bottles; Harris Teeter cranberry-raspberry juice cocktail, 2 2-qt bottles; Harris Teeter ruby grapefruit juice cocktail, 2 2-qt bottles; Capri Sun, 10 6.8-fl -oz pkgs; soda,‡ 5 12-fl -oz cans, purchased daily by Brandon at school; Arbor Mist strawberry wine blenders, 1.1 qt; Gatorade,‡ 16 fl oz; Powerade,‡ 16 fl oz; Snapple, Go Bananas juice drink, 16 fl oz; Maxwell House instant coffee, 1.5 oz; Kool-Aid, black cherry, 0.5 oz; breakfast tea, 5 teabags; tap water for drinking and cooking. ‡ Not in Photo
Food Expenditure for One Week: $341.98
© 2005 Peter Menzel from 'Hungry Planet: What the World Eats'
Germany: The Melanders of Bargteheide
Grains & Other Starchy Foods: $31.98
Kölln muesli, 3.3 lb; Golden Toast whole grain bread, 3.3 lb; potatoes, 2.8 lb; brown bread, 2.2 lb; white bread (Italian style), 2.2 lb; bakery buns, 1.3 lb; Barilla linguini, 1.1 lb; Barilla rotini, 1.1 lb; Harry rye bread, 1.1 lb; wheat flour, 10.6 oz; croissants, with chocolate, 9 oz.
Dairy: $64.33
Milk, low fat, 3.2 gal; Onken yogurt, low fat, 9.9 lb; Velfrisk Danish fruit yogurt, 2.1 qt; Froop fruit yogurt, 3.6 lb; Langnese banana split ice cream, 2.2 lb; hard cheeses, assorted, 1.8 lb; Greek yogurt spreads, assorted, 1.1 lb; whipping cream, bio (organic), 14.1 oz; sour cream, 10.6 oz; Milsani butter, 8.8 oz.
Meat, Fish & Eggs: $51.31
Beef, 2.6 lb; goulash beef, 2.5 lb; eggs, 12; cold cuts, 1.4 lb; beef, ground, 1.3 lb; Iglo fish sticks, frozen, 1.3 lb; pork, thinly sliced, 1.1 lb; Lloyd herring fillets, canned, 14.1 oz; bacon, 4.6 oz.
Fruits, Vegetables & Nuts: $78.10
Oranges, 9 lb; apples, 3.9 lb, from family apple tree; yellow bananas, bio, 2.6 lb; red grapes, 10.6 oz; white cabbage, 1 large head, 11 lb; cherry tomatoes, 3.3 lb; green peas, frozen, 2.2 lb; yellow onions, 2.2 lb; cucumbers, 2.1 lb; kohlrabi (turniplike vegetable), 2.1 lb; butter lettuce, 2 heads; iceberg lettuce, 2 heads; fennel root, 1.8 lb; sour pickles, 24.4 fl oz; arugula, 1.2 lb; carrots, 1.1 lb; leeks, 1.1 lb; mushrooms, 10.6 oz; radishes, 9.8 oz; red bell peppers, 8.6 oz; yellow bell peppers, 8.6 oz; pickled peppers, 7.2 oz; green onions, 6.4 oz; garlic, 0.2 oz.
Condiments: $31.83
Extra-virgin olive oil, 16.9 fl oz; Homann 1,000 Islands salad dressing, 10.6 oz; Kühne mustard, 8.8 oz; sugar, 8.8 oz; Heinz tomato ketchup, 8.5 fl oz; sea salt, 7.1 oz; lard, 4.4 oz, for frying; powdered sugar, 4.4 oz; LÄTTA margarine, low fat, 4.4 oz; paprika, 3.5 oz; black peppercorns, 1.8 oz; balsamic vinegar, 1.7 fl oz; oregano, 0.2 oz; Bourbon vanilla bean, 1.
Snacks & Desserts: $14.56
Chocolate, assorted, 1.1 lb; stollen (a buttery German cake), 1.1 lb; pistachios, 10.6 oz; bakery cinnamon rolls, 2.
Prepared Food: $66.78
Dr. Oetker pizza, frozen, 2.5 lb; Knorr tortelloni, frozen, 2 lb; vegetables in butter, frozen, 2 lb; Erbsen-Eintopf pea soup, canned, 27.1 fl oz; Bertolli tomato, garlic, and pecorino cheese pasta sauce, 13.5 fl oz; olives with almonds, 10 oz; dried tomatoes in olive oil, 8.6 oz; instant soup, 7.1 oz; vegetable stock, 6 tablespoons. Cafeteria meals, five days a week: Finn at school, pizza or spaghetti; Kjell eats lunch at home (already listed); Jörg at work, green salad, meat salad, rouladen with potatoes and vegetables, spinach with potatoes and sausage, chili con carne. Susanne eats yogurt at work.
Beverages: $70.17
Jakobus soda water, 12 25.4-fl -oz bottles; Erdinger beer, alcoholfree, 10 16.9-fl -oz bottles; Frucht-Oase multi vitamin fruit
juice, 4 1.1-qt cartons; Einbecker Ur-Bock beer, 10 11.1-fl -oz bottles; Quinta Hinojal red wine, 4 25.4-fl -oz bottles; Flensburger malt beer, 8 11.2-fl -oz bottles; Frucht-Oase multi vitamin orange juice, 2 1.1-qt cartons; cocoa powder, 14.1 oz; Lavazza espresso, 8.8 oz; fruit tea, 7.1 oz; black tea, 25 teabags; tap water, for cooking and drinking.
Miscellaneous: $91.01
Centrum vitamins, 7 pills, taken by Susanne daily. Vitamins and supplements taken by Susanne and children: Herbalife products: Formula 1, powder, 7.3 oz; AloeMAX, 2 fl oz; Formula 2, 45 pills; vitamin B, 45 pills; Formula 3, 23 pills; Formula 4, 23 pills; Herba-Lifeline, 23 pills; Coenzyme Q10 Plus, 8 pills.
Food Expenditure for One Week: 375.39 euros/$500.07
It's taken a while, but the term "food security" is finding its way into public discourse and not a moment too soon. As garden writer Barbara Damrosch eloquently points out in a recent column in the Washington Post, kitchen gardeners have an important role to play in making our food system more secure.
Here's an excerpt:
A growing food security movement views local, community-based agriculture, quite rightly, as an important means of lifting people out of poverty, and its best efforts give them the pride of growing their own sustenance. Our towns and even our cities abound in arable land waiting to be tilled, currently disguised as "lawn." I can imagine a day when the greenswards surrounding empty industrial parks become our salvation. Ironically it was Henry Ford, the godfather of motorized transport who said, "No unemployment insurance can be compared to an alliance between man and a plot of land."
The reasons why I grow my own food have nothing to do with a sense of fear and foreboding. I make time for it because I enjoy the work and because I love the taste of what I grow. Still, it is reassuring to know that if push came to shove, my family could be fed within the closed circle of our yard. We would plant in soil enriched with compost from wastes the garden and kitchen provide. By eating food appropriate to the season, root cellaring some crops, drying and canning others, making sure we grew enough staples such as corn, potatoes and dried beans, we could be self-sufficient. We wouldn't even have to buy seeds if we grew only open-pollinated varieties rather than hybrids, so that we could save the seed from each year's crop to plant the next.
If we told you that I knew of a deliciously tender salad green with a mild, nutty flavor that isn't too fussy about where it's planted, would you be interested in trying it in your own garden? Maybe, we bet. Now, what if we sweetened the deal by mentioning that it laughs at weather in the 20s (subzero Celsius) and springs back into shape even after the hardest of hard frosts? "Now, this is getting interesting", you'd probably say. Well, this miracle green is not a joke or, worse, some freakish cross between a plant and a rare arctic fish. This green is mâche and it will quickly become one of your best friends if it isn't already. 
In these times of great political, economic, and environmental upheaval, we crave a bit of certainty in our lives. Here's some for you: if you plant a seed and give it what it needs, it will grow into a plant. If you give the plant what it needs, it will not only bear the fruit of today's feast but the seeds of tomorrow's as well. How's that for return on investment?
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Thanks to all of our supporters who have contributed testimonials on our behalf. Here's a representative sampling of what you're saying about KGI and its founder.
KGI is the meeting place for the world’s gardeners.
-Brian Halweil, Senior Researcher, WorldWatch Institute from his book "Eat Here"
KGI is one of my favorite organizations.
-Healthy Chef Alex Jamieson, author of "The Great American Detox Diet" and co-star of the documentary "Supersize Me".
Roger Doiron was referred to me by Rob Johnston, the founder and owner of Johnny's Selected Seeds. He said that he had been very impressed with him as a person and thought we should meet, as we shared some of the same goals. In my capacity as a weekly columnist for The Washington Post I have a mission to try to get people to start growing their own food again. About a year ago Roger and his wife came and met with me and my husband for several hours and we had a terrific discussion. I was quite excited about his plans. An organization for kitchen gardeners is a great idea. Since then I have been reading his newsletter and like it very much. I look forward to watching the project grow.Roger is clearly an intelligent, resourceful and well-organized person. He is a good networker and gives the impression of one who understands the business end of things, and seems to have the dedication and enthusiasm needed to make an ambitious project succeed. I think he would be good at speaking to others in the larger spheres of food and gardening. and getting them excited and involved.
-Barbara Damrosch, Maine
Sustainable food production in this country--both on a home and small farm scale--are being threatened by many forces. Anyone working to change this is to be encouraged. In my meeting with Roger Doiron about a year ago he struck me as someone with the enthusiasm and drive to make a real difference. His project sounded very interesting and I had a very favorable impression of his ability to pull it off. Since then I have been reading the KGI newsletter and think he's doing a great job. He's made real progress toward his goal.
-Eliot Coleman, Maine
We were very happy to discover KGI and intend to be actively involved in its development and activities. The Harmony Foundation is a non profit organization working to help the most disadvantaged communities of Pakistan through kitchen gardening projects. To date, we have helped more than 500 women to have their own food and enabled them to be self reliant and positive examples for other communities. It is very useful for us to be able to connect with people and groups doing similar work in other parts of the world.
-Mariam Nawab, Pakistan
Kitchen Gardeners International fills a hitherto empty gap by creating a focal point for people from all round the world who share a common interest in, and love of growing and cooking good food. In reaching out to those who reflect on the origins of their food, and encouraging others to do likewise, KGI reinforces the fact that "good" doesn't just mean tasty but also that the food was grown or raised in a healthy and sustainable way. By highlighting the social and environmental issues associated with food, KGI encourages responsible consumerism and healthy eating, while at the same time celebrating the fun side of food and all the delicious ingredients that gardeners/cooks around the world have at their disposal.
-Gill Thompson, France
Kitchen Gardeners International is more than an organization of gardening hobbyists. Its founders clearly have grasped that local, small-scale food production provides a very sane and accessible answer to the problems of toxics in the environment from Big Ag farming and related transport; the poor food choices that contribute to the epidemic of obesity in our nation; and the certain impact that the end of cheap oil will have on all aspects of our lives, but especially food access. I endorse KGI's mission, and support its efforts to increase its effectiveness in reaching a wider community with its important message.
-Kate Mullinger, California
Personally the importance of kitchen garden movement is obvious to me in creating healthier and more self-sufficient communities. Professionally it is sometimes a challenge to convince community members and grant sources. KGI has given me inspiration and practical tools for approaching at risk youth, food stamp recipients and others with gardening opportunities. I'm constantly looking for new ideas and innovative approaches to make kitchen gardening more realistic, affordable and enjoyable for people with limited resources. I can count on Kitchen Gardeners International to provide the inspiration and ideas I need to make my little corner of the world a healthier and more self-sufficient place.
-Susannah Reese, Master Gardener Program Manager, Cornell University Cooperative Extension
KGI has wisely tapped into an underserved area. Today I encounter many gardeners wishing to connect their love of gardening and good wholesome food to the world at large. KGI’s effort to develop an international community of gardeners is original and creative and I think meets a need and desire for an international fellowship of gardeners.
-Rose Marie Nichols McGee, Oregon
What I best like about KGI is that it is international - I think it's important and of great value to learn how other people do things - I feel that here in the USA farming/gardening lost a lot in technique due to the industrialization of food.
-K Handschuh, Connecticut
I strongly believe that the only way to preserve our planet is to grow organically, cook or preserve what we grow, and to pass this on to the next generation. Processed and chemically treated foods are slowly (or not so slowly) killing us. Plus on the good side, I find it rewarding and cost effective in my household.
-Ruth T. Colona, Illinois
"I admire the grass roots, ‘down to earth’ approach that KGI offers to encourage people worldwide to create kitchen gardens. Articles are well-written, easy to read, informative and inspiring. Roger Doiron is clearly committed to encouraging and assisting all people to create a vegetable garden - large or small. KGI recognizes the importance of people having a close connection to their food and is helping the world to become a healthier place – one vegetable garden at a time."
-Ann Myers, Georgia
I strongly believe in the critical urgency of local food home scale food production and preparation, and the desperate need to educate people on how to do this. That's KGI’s mission; I'm not aware of any other organization dedicated in this way.
-Lisa Almarode Ashland, Oregon
As a professional kitchen gardener and one of KGI's profile gardeners, I strongly believe their "mission" can make the world a better place. The range of activities and information provided through KGI maintains the continuum sense of how food connects every aspect of community, health, environment and economy. It also links me to a global network of people with shared values who enjoy the gifts of the earth as nourishing "soulfood". I have been involved with many gardening and farming organizations over the last 30 years but have never seen one dedicated so fully to the mission KGI puts forth with a home garden & kitchen driven focus. I love the community aspect, the "real" people profiles, ways of preserving the bounty. I strongly sense kitchen gardening will once again gain momentum in the very near future as demands on personal resources move people closer to home for recreation and pleasure. I am offering a workshop February 2006 at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show, Seattle, on Kitchen Gardens of the World...I have submitted this proposal for 10 years and the seminar committee has finally agreed this is a timely topic. Thank-you for all of your efforts and know that KGI will be part of my workshop's resource information. In the falling leaves,
-EagleSong, Washington
We are so disconnected from our food. Fast and easy has taken over for healthy and delicious. There may be no more fundamental and important work than restoring a culture of backyard gardens and home cooked meals.
-Chip Shepherd Whitehouse Station, New Jersey
I think KGI is a great resource for all gardeners, and especially for those with limited space. There are so many global issues in our world today, and this organization gives us the opportunity to speak to one another about the issues, and to share important information about gardening and becoming self sustaining. We as people of the planet earth need to be more aware of the cost of shipping food, the high cost of pollution from herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers, the loss of our water resources from irrigation and things such as watering the lawns and golf courses of America. KGI helps keep gardeners in touch with each other who are trying to remedy some of the sad situations for our earth, it's plants, animals, water and soil.
-Bonnie Krause-Gams, Wisconsin
II write a weekly garden column for a small Maine newspaper. Last September I met KGI's founder, Roger Doiron, at Maine Fare, a gathering of growers, chefs, and suppliers who are ardently promoting eating local foods. This is the area where I believe Roger's efforts are singular: he's not trying to save the world, but he is trying to get people eating well and growing some of their own food. His newsletter gives his readers lots of relevant information to think about and also shows them how to get started growing right in their own back yard. His newsletter is low-key, eclectic, and user-friendly, providing growing, storing and cooking information for gardeners old, new and potential each month, as well as an online forum. I believe these local efforts — not world summit meetings or governmental programs — are ultimately the only ones that have a chance to make a difference in reversing climate change and bringing a measure of dignity and self-determination to people all over the globe.
-Georgeanne Davis, Maine
Nothing is more important or more basic than good, healthy food. Huge societal problems can be alleviated by helping people connect with the Earth and their food.
-Elizabeth Petersen, Oregon
As the health and environmental problems created by factory farming and mass-production of fruits and vegetables become more documented, increasing numbers of people are returning to the pleasures of growing their own food gardens. Unfortunately, the "common knowledge" of gardening isn't around in every family or community any longer. What helps is novice and experienced gardeners having a forum where they can exchange ideas and inspiration. KGI has been creating this place online, bringing food gardeners of all levels together to create an ongoing web community for support and ideas. Their dedication to the goal of growing more abundant, healthy gardens and communities is admirable. With adequate financial support, this effort can be expanded from "cyberspace" to local communities and actual gardening projects.
-Sybil Mays, Virginia
It is so critical in these modern times to educate and inform the public of the culinary importance, the financial value and the joy of home gardening for our local tables. KGI is an essential component in the ongoing education in this seemingly lost art of growing our own healthy and fresh food.
-Pamela Mason Cole Canyon Farm Aromas, California
It was a wonderful day when I discovered KGI. I am a team member in an NGO that goes to India yearly. My part of the team is setting up a project to re introduce kitchen gardens to the Indian people. We are confidant that through this the average Indian family can increase their nutrition without excessive expense. I have already learned a great deal from KGI and happy to know that there are Kitchen Gardener members in India. Some of my happiest moments with my father as a small child were spent working by his side in our "Victory" garden. And now as an adult some of the most peaceful and insightful moments I have, come when I am in my garden. I believe that promotion of kitchen gardens are very important not just for raising our own highly nutritious food, but for calming, thought provoking, peaceful living. Gardens are therapeutic and I am proud to be a KGI member.
-Jessieann Riggs-Wade, Arizona
Promoting the benefits of kitchen gardening in suburbia can be an uphill battle. It often happens that just when I'm reaching the point when I don't want to explain the connection between food, gardening, outdoor activity, and health to another school administrator, I get the KGI newsletter in my inbox. The newsletter always leads me on a binge of research and connections, following one link after another. I always forward something from KGI to colleagues and friends around the world. Last month I forwarded a video clip to a friend in Spain, passed on local food connections to neighbors, and compared resources with a researcher in Australia. KGI continually inspires me to focus on where my family's food comes from.
-Maya Howard, Maine
KGI has reminded me each month that I receive the newsletter, to keep at it and to learn to become a kitchen gardener. I am a novice garderner but a believer in self sufficiency--so I need help in learning new skills and food growing and preservation techniques. KGI's newsletters are a true joy and a great inspriation to shut off the computer and get outside and dig in the dirt.
-Laela, California
Reshaping the worldwide food system back to personal responsibility for our own health and self-sufficiency and away from the corporate monster and its disregard for all things local and personal seems like a problem too large to tackle. KGI breaks it down into personal acts and personal choices. Each of us can be a part in our own backyards and garden plots. We can't change the world unless we each change "our world". KGI helps individuals make those steps. Steps to change our individual lives are steps on the path to change others' lives.
-Bill Nunes Gustine, California
KGI has tapped into a resource often overlooked: gardeners who garden for the love of food. By calling out to this group of people, KGI has managed to cross the line between the solitary act of gardening for the enjoyment of gardening, to bring others into the effort to find ways to feed those in need, as well as bring the joy of gardening and the self respect and self sufficiency that comes with it, to people who have not yet discovered this unique pleasure.
-Brian Tomlinson, Texas
KGI is a vital link to a brave new future in which we rediscover the power of small-scale and local agriculture. Keep up the great work.
-Mike Comer, General Manager, Johnny's Selected Seeds, Maine
