GARDENS ALIVE!

For residents of Fargo-Moorhead the winter of 2013/2014 has proven to be one of the coldest on record. The extreme wind chill and prolonged cold snaps have kept even the hardiest of residents indoors, with summer weekends at the lake all but a distant memory. Gardeners, outdoor enthusiasts and laypeople alike, however, may have started noticing the lengthening days and the arrival of events such as the Home & Garden Show heralding the onset of spring.

Along with the change in seasons comes the reopening of F-M’s over 330,000 feet of community gardens. Food banks and community connections alike have benefited for years from these community gardens, which in turn have helped to spark a grassroots initiative called Gardensalive!, the “effort to grow one million square feet of vegetable gardens and fruit trees in the Fargo-Moorhead area in 2014.”

Anita Marocco, community member, prolific volunteer and coordinator of Gardensalive!, lights up when discussing the impact of gardening in her own life. “You come to a point where you realize what you’re passionate about, and for me it’s therapeutic, being outside. Nowadays we’re so connected by a wire that when we do go outside it’s so foreign to us, and what’s foreign becomes fearful. Texting and the Internet support a virtual, disposable world, and that’s what our kids are being raised on.”

Further discussing the effect of “food miles” (or the distance that food travels to reach our community) and the reality of growing populations relying on diminishing resources, Marocco relays how the stress of modern life leaves many individuals feeling so pressed for time that nutrition and sustainability become secondary to convenience.

The benefits of growing a garden cannot be overstated however, and community organizations such as the Cass Clay Food Systems Initiative, Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County Victory Gardens, NDSU and University of Minnesota Extension Services, Prairie Roots Food Coop, One Vegetable One Community Campaign and the Northern Plains Botanic Gardening Society have come together to encourage F-M members to eat local and help make this community one of the healthiest in the U.S. overall. In addition, 2014 has been marked as the “year of remembrance” of WWII, and both experienced and novice gardeners are encouraged to plant a Victory Garden commemorating the home gardens that supported the war effort by helping to increase overall food production.

Beginner gardeners are encouraged to consider a 4’ x 4’ box, easily placed on a patio or deck. In one square foot, Marocco explains, you can plant sixteen carrots, two tomato plants or even four corn plants, as “you can grow a lot in a little space.” Having even a small backyard garden encourages greater vegetable consumption while lowering grocery bills, thereby becoming a nutritious and cost-effective way to meet the daily recommendations for fruit and vegetable servings. Studies also show that children who are involved in growing their own food are more likely to consume it. [AWM]

For more information and/or to register your gardening space online, please go to fmgardensalive.org