How is life going to change over the coming months? What old ways of doing things could we salvage and what new ways could be implemented? One thing that has become increasingly prevalent is gardening. People who may never have considered it before are realizing that the availability of food could become scarce in light of the pandemic and other threats to our way of life. More people are spending time at home, giving them the opportunity to reevaluate what is truly important. They are discovering that their yards can be used to grow food, instead of lawns. Lawns require copious amounts of water (which makes no sense in arid climates that are already experiencing drought). Grass also needs constant applications of fertilizers and herbicides, where the runoff into waterways, causes algae blooms, fish die-offs, and numerous other problems. Far too many yards are filled with rock, in lieu of grass, where weeds grow through, and on top of, landscape fabric that has been tacked down beneath it. It then requires a constant dose of herbicides to kill the weeds. Lawn and rock offer nothing to us or to wildlife, other than it is pretty to look at. Enormous amounts of food could be grown in the yards of homeowners – enough to feed their families and the wildlife, too. Many veggies can be grown year round with the aid of cold frames and greenhouses. A few chickens can also provide essential protein from their eggs, as well as provide pest control to earn their keep.
I am not sure how the farmer’s markets are doing since the pandemic and social distancing requirements went into effect; but their popularity has been steadily increasing in recent years. They bring a sense of community and help to support local economies. In many parts of the world, it is common for people to buy their daily meat, fish, and produce at the market each morning. They are buying food at its freshest – food that requires no preservatives, and that will be used for that day’s meal.
There is a song by folk singer, Chris Smither, called No Love Today. The song was inspired by his memory of living in the deep south, when the produce wagon would make its daily rounds and all of the housewives would run out to get the best of the farmer’s morning harvest. Many people remember having their milk and eggs delivered fresh each morning where it was left in a box by their front door. Is it conceivable that we could return to some of these old ways? Could we have community markets where neighbors could buy, sell, and trade produce from their gardens? We do not have to be dependent on grocery chains for our survival if we are willing to explore both old and new ideas. Can we bring back the produce wagon and the milkman? What can we do in our own yards and our own communities to ensure a steady supply of fresh food?
