Dear Kitchen Gardener,

Those of you who have been reading this space for a while know a bit about me and my subversive plot to get more people growing subversive plots, but what do you know about you? Or, to put it more bluntly, just who do you think you are anyway?

 

Well, it depends on who you ask.  If you were to ask me, I'd tell you that you're a kitchen gardener, one of nearly 5900 in our network from one of about 100 countries. 

 

If you were to ask one of the web marketing companies that occasionally approaches us to see if they can buy or sell advertising space on our busy site (the answer, by the way, is "no"), they'd have a slightly different answer.  According to their knowledge of web usage and internet demographics, you are most likely "well-educated", "slightly female" (sorry gents),  "55+" (sorry kiddoes), and, more likely than not American, "62%" they estimate. 

 

And, if we are to believe the member profile photos many of you have posted to our community website, roughly 8% of you are in fact computer-savvy dogs and, one of you, a VERY well-educated goat. 

 

So, the answer to "who are you?" is still a little bit fuzzy.  What I can say with great certainty is that you are part of growing movement of people who are trying to achieve a greater level of food self-reliance while having some fun and delicious meals along the way. 

 

And what's really exciting is that you're finding new ways to connect with each other, both near and far.  If you haven't explored our community site recently, virtual groups are springing up much faster than my rain-thirsty peas. 

 

In some cases, you are using these groups and our forums to link up with people who are interested in the same issues as you (e.g. urban agriculture, school gardens, frontyard gardens, veganism, Master Gardeners, etc) and in other cases to find people in the same geographic area (Portland (ME), Kentucky, Ontario, Michigan, Adirondacks, Southern Gardeners (USA).  If you don't see the geographic or issue group that you'd like to join, then it might be time for you start it!  We'll be happy to give you the tools and exposure you need to grow your group.

 

Another exciting development is that some of you have started using our new web calendar for posting your kitchen garden related events, including Kitchen Garden Day celebrations.  For those of you who really like to plan in advance or who enjoy vicarious travel, you can already start saving your pennies, Euros, or pesos for a trip to France, Australia, or Maine.  Some food-growing bloggers will be gathering in those locations in 2009, 2010, and 2011.  Don't worry if you're not a blogger: starting your own garden blog on our new community site is as easy as getting squash seeds to germinate in warm, wet soil. 

 

While global trips and connections are nice to think about, don't underestimate the power of the internet to bring people together at the local level.  Last spring, we had over 100 people from New York City alone join our network.  With a little luck, you might be able to use the KGI network and website to meet a kitchen gardening neighbor you didn't realize you had. 

 

I look forward to connecting with you online and - who knows - maybe in my garden or yours one day.