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The Cincinnati Beacon
Grow Food, Not Lawns!
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
 Photo courtesy of here.
Though the story is not hard-hitting or particularly investigative, I was still pleased to see this story in today’s Enquirer about people who make it a point to eat local food. I’d like to take it a step further, and remind people that in addition to buying food that has been grown locally, you can also grow your own local food—right in all that unused farmland you call a backyard! So let’s take a moment to learn about “square foot gardening.”
According to the concept’s official web page, square foot gardening:
* Requires very little space; 80% less than conventional gardening.
* Can be done in as little as 4 feet by 4 feet,—or as large as you want.
* Your existing (bad) soil doesn’t matter because we don’t use it. Start with an ideal soil mix that is weed-free and requires no tilling.
* Uses much less water; only about 20% compared to conventional gardening.
* No fertilizers or pesticides to handle—it’s all natural
* The planting method requires no thinning and very few seeds.
* All the hard work has been removed in the Square Foot method - only the enjoyable part remains.
* Can be started in any season.
* Produces 5 times the harvest of a conventional garden.
* Can be done by those with physical or mental limitations. If getting down is a problem, raise the boxes to a wheelchair level.
* Makes a great family project, all ages can participate - kids love to garden.
What appeals to me about the square foot gardening concept is that it takes relatively little space, it is relatively easy to maintain, and it can produce a high yield.
I admit that I did not spend much time gardening this past summer for whatever reason, but I can remember summers of literally not knowing what to do with all the tomatoes, green beans, and potatoes I had grown. And it was cheap! The price of starter plants and seeds was significantly less than the price of fresh vegetables at a market.
I remember a few plants of collard greens. I just kept ripping off leaves, and it kept growing new ones! It was the plant that kept on giving!
Anyway, I first got inspired to garden when I saw some graffiti that said “Plant Food, not Lawns.” So I thought I’d give that idea a try. Maybe more of us should play with the concept.
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