Wow, Greengardener! I was thinking about this, this morning, when I started watching Diane Sawyer's tv bits about her special on tonight. It's about the poverty stricken Appalachian children and their families.

We as a society, really need to learn how to be more self-sustaining. Growing our own food has to be our first step. It's more than affordability though. We aren't polluting in order to get that food to and from the market, and we know what's in it, so it's much safer.

There's an organization called Kitchen Gardeners International that promotes food self-sufficiency.

I see winter sowing as an essential part of food self-sufficiency, even though I grow a lot of my veggies indoors under lights (because of our short growing season). I winter sow things like most herbs and cool-weather veggies.

So, what you're saying is that we all HAVE to buy seeds because it's our patriotic duty to help the economy? LOL!

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen Gardeners International

Didn't know about the segment about the Appalachian children and familes. A freind of my neighbors goes there every year with a church and helps rebuild homes for them.
The stories he comes back with are hard to believe in this day and age!
I don't know why the First Lady doesn't start to promote the Victory Gardens again, plus many don't know but you can still buy plants with your food stamps. That was/is apart of the original intent.

Personally I think the school system should be more aware, teaching kids to grow veggies as a whole life circle project. They can take a cucumber, sweet pepper, tomatoes take the seeds out, make a salad, plant the seeds.
They will be taught healthy eating, math for the quantity, english for the recipe, maybe a little art for the recipe card, and add a little history of the veggies.

So many young kids are given a cup sow a seed that needs too much care to survive, take it home and have a failure.

Go o whitehouse.gov and voice your thoughts. It certainly can't hurt. If you think it's something Mrs. Obama or the schools should promote and get more involved with the only way they are going to know about it is if you tell them.

Great ideas here.....but in addition to wanting our government to do more...how about We do more?

How many gardeners do we have just on the winter sowing site? HUNDREDS! If even half of us did some sort of volunteer work in regard to teaching the method of winter sowing, starting and sharing vegetables, just think of the amount of information and education we would be spreading to the public.
My favorite is teaching gardening and winter sowing to children. I did several classes last spring and summer at our library for their summer reading program. I'm not a teacher, by any means, I just "flew by the seat of my pants" so to speak. I did a short program on "good bugs and bad bugs", printing some pictures of each off the internet and making flash cards from them. We then went outside and each child filled and planted a water bottle with sunflower seeds to take home. I had brought several milk jugs full of sunflower seedlings, these the children planted around the library. I had a flyer about milk jug greenhouses and winter sowing and seeds for them to take home. The kids had a great time...one little guy, about 4, stuck to me like glue and had to tell me all about the time he was in the garden and he got "bit by a worm". I will remember that little guy and the fun I had forever. This year, we could do a veggie theme with the kids and they can plant a squash or zucchini seed to take home if they "promise" to taste it when Mom cooks it.

At Christmas time, I do a pinecone birdfeeder station at a children's Christmas party. We talk about how good birds are to have in your garden in summer and what kind of plants you can grow for them to eat. Again, they get winter sowing info and seeds to take home.

I winter sow many, many veggie seeds and transplant them into cell packs. I take out what I want for my small garden and set the rest in front of my house to sell. I only charge .50 a cell pack, I figure that covers my dirt and seeds. I feel this gives people a chance to try alot of different veggies that they normally wouldn't due to cost at a greenhouse. I have done this for 3 years now and I have many repeat customers, all saying how hardy the plants were. Of course, I tell them about winter sowing and give them as much info as I can to take home.

So I guess what I'm saying is.....let's US spread the word...I guarantee the rewards will be all yours!

Well put April. It is up to US.

We have two charities - national is the Susan Koman Race for the Cure and local is Cat Welfare. I tell my kids that no matter what, they must give back and have a local and national charity. I don't have extra cash, but we do give time in terms of volunteerism.

Teach and share. And oh yes, I need more noobies.

There are a lot of people already wanting Obama to plant a Victory Garden at the White House. Just like in the past, I would expect BigAgriculture to fight this cause. Growing your own food reduces their profits at the grocery store. I still buy a lot of veggies from the local fruit stand. It's easier than growing my own of some things especially fruit.

A google search for "Obama Victory Garden"

Great thread!
Pls see this link for a garden project I'm involved in with the goal of reducing food scarcity:
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/wtrsow/msg020711306453.html

Since I got involved, seems people all over the country are doing similar things. My SIL in Virginia told me about a similar group in her town, a friend in PA also.

Also, see this article-
Sec'y of Ag Vilsack broke ground for a garden at the USDA, and promises one at every USDA facility. Now I am one of the ones very critical of Vilsack, his alliance with big agri-business for one.
Nevertheless, as someone said, "Any time concrete is broken up and a garden planted, that is a good thing."

"During today's ceremony, Secretary Vilsack announced
the goal of creating a community garden at each USDA facility worldwide. The USDA community garden project will include a wide variety of garden activities including Embassy window boxes, tree planting, and field office plots. The gardens will be designed to promote "going green" concepts, including landscaping and building
design to retain water and reduce runoff; roof gardens for energy efficiency; utilizing native plantings and using sound conservation practices."

Here is a link that might be useful: USDA plants community garden

Plant A Row for the Hungry is a nationwide effort often run through your local Co-Operative Extension Service and Master Gardener Program. Check with them and see if they have the program.

Anyone can plant some extra veggies but you do need a central distribution center. We are planting more veggies this year and our Christmas presents the last year or two have been canned veggies of some kind - salsa, relish, pickles, ect. We do need to be more self reliant - economy wise and health wise .....

Lynne

There are several petition drives underway aimed at getting an organic vegetable garden planted at the White House. The main one is here http://www.eattheview.org/petition

There is a veggie plot on the White House roof already but it would be terrific if they had a a larger one installed elsewhere on the grounds.

Well there shouldn't be a shortage of fertilizer in Washington, with all of that bullcrap available.

soonergrandmom, LOLOLOL.
So true!