January 2006 Survey Results

1. We're interested to learn from our members and supporters what they see to be best way of starting a "kitchen garden revolution" that brings individuals and communities in closer contact with nutritious, earth-friendly food and its origins. What, in your view, are the main obstacles to starting this revolution?
Respondent Number Response
1 laziness...we've grown accustomed to packaged,high-sodium, fast food
2 I filled in this box and apparently submitted it before editing ...
3 On a small and personal scale, I always tell people I am not in it for financial reasons but because the food I produce is the BEST food in the world. I grow varieties that are simply unavailable for purchase at any price and know that they are absolutely fresh and organic. These qualities are questionable at most major food sources and not guaranteed even with "organic" labelelled foods. On a larger scale, I see home gardening looked at with some disdain by many. Getting ones hands dirty and willingly sacrificing oneself to the vagaries of the natural world, ie insects, heat, cold, rain(gasp) etc are thought foolish by people who prize comfort above all else. The only way I see this large segment of mainstream modern society changing their views of the process is to have gardening be "glamorous". During the "great wars", Victory gardens were common and it was considered to be ones patriotic duty to support the national effort. It may take something drastic of this nature to popularize home gardening on a large scale.
4 Chain restaurants, fast food and grocery stores. Cost of financing new unconventional businesses.
5 Too many folks feel a veggie garden will be detrimental to their landscape and that it is easier to shop the local store than to grow their own fresh veggies
6 Time. People have little to no time to cook, much less to gardent to grown their own food to cook.
7 Lack of awareness about the importance of eating locally grown foods.
8 mainly busy lives, stress and pressure of work, lack of time
9 Laziness. And most people don't understand how depleted the soil is and why the food they buy that they don't grow or which is not grown organically probable contains little if any nutritional energetic value.
10 Grocery stores selling cheap food
11 the competition w/ the big guys, commercial farming, offering lower prices to people who don't know better. I would suspect it would take A HUGE amount of continuous ongoing consumer education to make a difference.
12 People know so little about food and producing food. So few are interested in gardening. Here in Lubbock TX there were 25 community gardens and now there are 4.
13 I think that a perceived obstacle for the general public is that a kitchen garden demands a lot of expensive preparation with added soil amendments and organic fertilizers as well as expensive planting beds like raised beds using costly lumber. That is what is often pictured in magazines and on the media. Gardens look more like plantings in the local botanical garden than somebody's backyard vegetable plot and there is the feeling that fruits and vegetables are difficult to grow. and that a fleet of gardeners are required to handle the hard physical work. Potential gardeners are also troubled about their lack of horticultural knowledge and worry that an incorrect pruning cut will destroy their fruit tree or that an unknown pest or disease will infect their vegetables. They don't know what seeds to buy or when to plant them. There is a perception that gardening is best left to experts like the organic farmers they encounter at the local farmer's market. I am old enough to remember when gardening magazines mostly featured gardens grown on a shoestring by people that looked like my grandparents or my neighbors. "If they could do that, well so could I!" seemed like the motto. Growing fruits and vegetables for the kitchen is just not as difficult as magazines, books, media sources, advertising, and home improvement stores make it appear. It is a lot more like growing those lima beans in a mason jar in the second grade. Put them in, water, and watch them grow.
14 the extra money it takes to shop and the time from the scedule of the homemaker.
15 the established food distribution system, so entrenched that it is hard to break out, and allied with that is the perception of consumers that they want to be able to buy anything, whether in season or not.
16 Ignorance
17 Time & creating the interest from others
18 So many people are overextended, they may think they just don't have the time for gardening.
19 Time, and people's imagined lack of it to start something as 'time-consuming' as a garden. It can be something that takes over your summer or it can be as simple as a few tomatoes in containers. Getting a person started is the first obstacle and educating them that it can be simple and small, even no brainer simple like joining a CSA, can conteract the no time! no time! march hare whine.
20 Time and cost
21 In my community, (Northern NJ) people say they have no time, or no skill at growing. The suburbs where I live, there may be also the problem of not enough land for gardening, (everyone loves their lawns) and there is a lot of deer. My solutions, personally, have been that I grow my stuff in the community garden in my town. And I grow some things (raspberries, herbs, greens) at home in spite of the deer and shade issues. Urban or community gardening is a good solution for local food issues. And it builds community, too. One other way of growing a revolution is to have children's programs-- I have taught in a local "Sprouts" that teaches kids gardening, weather, cooking, nutrrition, even counting and measuring seed rows for the littlest ones. They are enthusiastic to eat carrots or peppers that they grew themselves. ( Plus i had fun)
22 American public apathy from having lost contact with where food comes from, and the corporate "need" to keep us ignorant.
23 Lack of educational opportunities for potential kitchen gardeners
24 lack of space for gardens for some people. lack of interest/time in gardening.
25 I let people taste my produce and then tell them how to grow their own tasty food.
26 Joining a local, organic foods co-op is an excellent way to meet other like-minded kitchen gardeners, support local organic growers, and share ideas on growing, cooking, and eating good wholesome foods. I think the main obstacle to starting a "kitchen garden revolution," is inertia, another word for laziness. ;-)
27 Lack of knowing who is like minded.
28 Not part of culture, don't see characters on tv or in movies growing their own food. Children's books don't show families like theirs growing vegetable gardens.
29 Price is an obstacle. Many people cannot afford to spend more for organic or non-grocery store food. Also, it is not always convenient to visit the farm markets or to grow your own food. Time is of the essence.
30 The apathy and disassociation of the american public from the realities of their consumer driven indoctrination
31 Educating people about the health benefits of growing your own vegetables.
32 letting the consumer taste & experience the difference between home grown & store bought.
33 time and money
34 Probably the general addiction to processed 'convenience' food. Also a general lack of knowledge about plants and nature,and a fear that gardening is complicated, laborious and time-consuming. The farmers' markets in areas of the country where I've lived (Providence, RI, Rochester NY, Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor MI) are extremely popular, but since they are typically only one or two days a week, it takes more planning than some people can do, to get there on a regular basis.
35 People aren't exposed to the joys of gardening; food is relatively cheap in dollar terms; not everyone has the capacity to follow through on a complex task like a vegetable garden
36 Motivation,awareness, opportunity.
37 time constraints on the typical Ameriacn family-instant is easier
 
2. What role do you feel that Kitchen Gardeners International as an organization could or should play in helping to bring about this change?
Respondent Number Response
1 maybe a scare tactic, as to the sodium content, its effect and environmental issues
2 Those who could be helped probably wouldn't be persuaded even if they visited the site :-(
3 Education and exposure. People need to know the benefits of gardening--primarily improved health.
4 Education - how to:start a market garden, organic catering service, get financing fora restaurant or store, etc. Publish success stories- develop a network of people who have suceeded and would like to help others do the same.
5 Develop plans for attractive gardens that include veggies of various color, texture and interesting foliage. Veggies among your flower beds and foundation plantings can be quite beautiful
6 Focus on promoting the kitchen garden as healthy, good for the environment, etc.
7 Seek nation exposure in 'print'magazines in order to reach consumers.
8 ideas for little steps in the right direction
9 Keep it simple. The more ideas people can replicate easily, the more likely they are to try them. Also, promoting ways to cook collectively or garden colletively. Here in albuquerque, we have a group of people scouring neighborhoods for alley space they can turn into gardens. The owners get some produce, the gardeners get some produce and everyone wins.
10 Letting folks know the importance of getting off the couch , pave a new path work with others to seek out real local foods and start gardens
11 I'm not sure. But I must say, I did not realize your committment & involvement in these matters until I subscribed to this email newsletter. I have found it to be very educational for me. Before I probably viewed you as one of my many seed catalogs, but one I have learned to rely on for quality seed and offerings of varieties in just the last yr or two.
12 I do not know how to solve the problem. I guess just keep talking.
13 Publicize how easy gardening is and how anyone can grow a seed or plant a fruit tree. And how a vegetable garden doesn't have to look aesthically beautiful but can still bring great joy and satisfaction.
14 something that everyday people could do successfully like container tomatoes.
15 Education sure helps, I was also interested in adding to my delemas the seed origin quandry mentioned in this newsletter. Which brings to mind the emerging problem ofmaintaining and continuing the organic standards we know when the large companies will shoulder their way in if the popularity of this new gardening takes hold.
16 Go to the public school system to educate, not indoctrinate, our children
17 Easily implimented directions for a small raised garden plot (4 x 8)with suggestions for several companion plants.
18 An enabler, helping people to learn simple techniques for simplifying gardening tasks.
19 Encourage new or potential gardeners to take the first step -- campaign for a Plant a Seed Day and find a source of free seeds for those willing to try gardening. Keep up the recipes on the site-- nothing makes you more excited about basil than knowing how to make pesto. Encourage existing gardeners to try more challenging things like celery or 'exotics' like cardoon, especially with first hand accounts or how-to articles. Keep vegetable gardening new and fresh in everyone's mind.
20 be involved in the making aware of the rewards of the time factor
21 I see that the agenda is to illustrate that food, eating, health, land use, care for the earth, corporate food supply--- all of those issues are integrated, and that's what kind of a network I'm interested in. Slow Food movement is a little elitist for my taste, I'm talking about city gardeners, school, prison gardens, even getting edible landscaping in high-rises and townhouse window boxes. Its a starting point for people who are not farmers or even country people to get local food and see global issues.
22 Open public debates on food systems issues. Keep the issues public with press releases, protests, seminars, publications, talk, lots of talk. Perhaps develop a course or unit for school use.
23 Obviously, given the preceeding answer, I think KGI can help with providing necessary educational opportunities.
24 no idea
25 I think you are do a good job now
26 I'm too new to the group to have an opinion on this, so I'll have to pass on commenting.
27 Give us sources of seeds, fruit, veggies, etc.
28 Find a method to reach children, may be through school gardening projects, books, churches.
29 Marketing is essential. Market the health benefits, the freshness, the fun of eating good, fresh food from people's gardens vs. food from the grocery store.
30 Similar to the slowfood movement in engaging those who are ready to engage and helping spread the message
31 media releases and publications put out through libraries and other easily accessible outlets.
32 as much publicity as you can afford
33 inspiring new gardeners to try it out
34 Is there any way of starting local kitchen gardeners' groups, or putting people in touch with groups existing in their area? I know there are community gardens, but if there was some way to get in touch with backyard gardeners who may not have a lot of time to put into a community garden, but would still like to meet other gardeners...I personally would love that. If there was a group, we could generate some action on the local level.
35 I think what you are doing now is good, trying to connect people with ideas and stories. The International Kitchen Garden day is also a neat idea. I could imagine your project being much bigger, however, to cover these themes in greater breadth and depth, and therefore generate more involvement
36 Am brand-new to KGI, so don't know yet.
37 keep doing what you are doing and it will grow-as you stated "word of mouth" works
 
3. What role do you feel that you or individual members could or should play in helping to bring about this change?
Respondent Number Response
1 education,education,education
2 Simply by banging on and on about the superiority of our products and the enjoyment of the gadening activity.
3 Once again, education and exposure. I have a difficult time imagining a large scale revolution but on a one person at a time basis it is very easy to convince others of the value of gardening.
4 It's up to us to make it happen. This government sure isn't going to do/support anything unconventional. We must be willing to want to help others succeed.
5 When asked what to plant. include plants like colorful kale, swiss chard, parsley planted among your annuals.
6 That old word of mouth.
7 Help organize local initiatives to increase awareness.
8 spreading the word to friends etc. and participating to whatever extent possible in local/regional/global ' projects'
9 I work to restore the natural soil food web in everything I do. I remind people that all food is not created equal and that the health issues we struggle with are the result of this ignorance. A box of Kraft macaroni is not equivalent to a salad of homemade greens. Also, working with people on limited incomes, the most vulnerable. We just have to learn how to share, plain and simple.
10 I am and have been an activist in this movement for 40 years in my small way. We are possibly being published in several magazines this spring both local and international. It HELPS to have media cover supporting small and local as a goal to seek out the best foods .
11 Like you have already said, I believe the best way is probably BY WORD OF MOUTH and teaching other cooks & gardeners how easy it is to produce your own quality fresh food, for everyone's own area.
12 I send a one page on organic, no-till gardening on permanent beds to any address I can find that have any interest in food growing.
13 Possibly by distributing brochures locally. The brochures could be provided on-line and be downloaded and printed. Or they could be mailed if requested. An idea site could provide ideas where to distribute brochures, how to organize potential kitchen gardeners, etc.
14 give pratical suggestions that every day people could do as a family project
15 I try to encourage others by word of mouth, that is one way. we could be more dilligent in asking for local foods at our local stores, seeing local foods is an encouragement to those of us who grow food, and helps use resources better, for we do not each have to grow everything.
16 I don't know
17 I am a Master Gardener. I put my time and talents into trying to accomplish this. I also sell at a Farmers Market and hand out recipes and tastes so that people can try new things. I have brought the Master Gardeners into the Market once a month to answer questions and offer advice.
18 Word of mouth, passing along extra veggies with an explanation of just what is involved in producing them.
19 Join a Master Gardeners program and get out in the community. Contribute articles and recipes to the site, host a blog if possible.
20 Start teaching our children and grandchildren
21 if you eat food, this is your issue. regardless if you consider yourself a green-thumb gardener or "country" person.
22 Grow our own gardens, share the produce, support CSAs and farmer's markets. Teach our children and grandchildren to garden so it exists in their blood.
23 I suppose that those experienced in implementing Kitchen Gardening in their households could and should spread the message.
24 getting more people interested in gardening and growing their own food. show people how easy it can be.
25 Encourage friends to garden
26 Reading and learning more about it, then passing on the information through word of mouth. Then, once I'm armed with good information, actually doing something, no matter how small at first.
27 petitions, letters
28 By growing a vegetable garden in the city or suburbs, children come around and can't help but be curious; be generous with explanations are allowing the children to look and touch.
29 I grow my own vegetables and fruits and I take excess to work and to the local food pantry. I stress the freshness and the health benefits whenever I bring my produce to work or share with friends.
30 perhaps modeling and trying to bring about community awareness of the need to support local and sustainable foods and to be a part of what we eat
31 Word of mouth
32 talk up our home gardens with co-workers & others.
33 providing useful and helpful information on how to grow veggies...
34 I give plants and vegetables to neighbors and try to promote gardening informally. I bought a membership in KGI. I am still looking for a kitchen-gardener kindred spirit in my area, however.
35 Share my food with neighbors, involve my children and their friends in my garden, and just enjoy it; people recognize when something makes one happy, I think.
36 See # 2
37 again word of mouth to spread the word is best
 
 
4. Kitchen Gardeners International is a small, volunteer-led organization for now with very limited financial and human resources. We're looking for input from the grassroots as to the best way of using these resources. We are looking for new activities that fit with our mission and that will give us good bang for the buck. Of the new activities listed below, which would be the most desirable from your perspective?

An online discussion forum for bringing kitchen gardeners together virtually (with the thinking being that new ideas and activities could spring from that)


3
9%
A toolkit for people interested in starting a local KGI chapter in their area.
5 15%
More and better online educational materials (articles, video tutorials, etc) to help the next generation of kitchen gardeners to learn what their parents didn't teach them.
5 15%
A paper member magazine/newsletter as a way of offering more value to paying members and thereby increasing the number of new memberships
2 6%
Creating a small grants program that could offer microgrants to groups interested in funding kitchen garden projects in their communities
3 9%
Media outreach: trying to have stories by us and about us in local, regional or national media.
10 29%
VIEW
 Other, Please Specify
6 18%
  34 100%

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Comments

I still consider myself a new gardener, because I still get excited if seeds I haven't tried before actually sprout. Then I still get nervous about whether they'll make it.

One problem is education. I've learned quite a bit from surfing the web, BUT I think it's difficult to read advice from someone from a very cold climate, when I'm from a very warm climate. It's harder for me to find info like 'rosemary will not grow where you live, unless you grow it inside, because your climate is too hot'.

Planting times are also confusing when advice isn't localized. We're already wearing shorts and sandals when some seed packets recommend planting, so I plant half the seeds from a pack around the first few weeds of February. That way if we don't get a freeze after I plant them, the plants will have plenty of time to produce w/o having to worry about it being too hot, but I'll also have a cushion of time for the occasional 'late' freezes here.

So what if I became somewhat experienced at gardening? I cerntainly couldn't give good advice to someone living near the US/Ca border.

I'm going to plant a little lettuce this week to see if it will grow for me (I'm wearing shorts today, and trying not to turn on the air-conditioner while I type this LOL).

I'd like to learn more about companion planting and edible landscaping (since my street doesn't get much traffic, I'd like to have some edibles in the front yard, yet still be attractive).

Posted by: weddy | October 18, 2006 2:03 PM

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