The family and I have been working hard this spring on our new Square Foot Garden (post on that to follow). Our goal is to plant salad green and snack foods close at hand so we don’t have to bike to our community garden every time we want a snap pea or cherry tomato. We are also planning a Pollinator Paradise (post upcoming on that too) to replace a random gravel rectangle near our new house.
We are so lucky to have the land, the resources, and the knowledge to make these things happen. We are also lucky to have farmers markets and grocery stores nearby with tons of fresh, healthy, organic produce. Many people in the United States are not that lucky.
The Million Gardens Movement wants to create a million new vegetable gardens to fight food insecurity and empower people to grow their own healthy food. By donating to the project, you will help families in food deserts gain access to the resources they need to provide their own food. By adding your own vegetable garden to their database, you are helping to strengthen the community of gardeners. You will also gain access to tons of helpful gardening advice and resources, including a step-by-step garden planner and specific information on growing all kinds of vegetables.
The fight to protect pollinators is not just about saving beautiful butterflies, pollinators are responsible for 1/3 of the food we eat! Planting your own pollinator garden adds beauty to your yard and diversifies your local ecosystem. Not all flowers attract pollinators, but you can find your regionally specific pollinators and their plants of choice at the Pollinator Partnership (super helpful resource). Once you’ve planted your garden, you can add your garden to the Million Garden Pollinator Challenge, which seeks to create a national system of gardens to give refuge and food to pollinators of all shapes and sizes.
Not ready to start your own vegetable or pollinator garden? You can still be part of the movement by donating to the Million Gardens Movement and the Million Garden Pollinator Challenge. Encourage family, friends, and businesses to help too.
– Hannah