The Hub City Farmers’ Market accepts EBT (food stamps) and has a community action person who is working with communities in the county to start community gardens.

I worked the farmers’ market for about 2/3 of the season this past year and saw people from all walks of life shopping. Not only the elite. In fact many of the “elite” didn’t even know what to do with some of the vegetables offered.

That brings me to some things I see that could be improved on…

Educating people on not only good for you local food, but how to prepare such food.
It is so difficult to change the mindsets of people, but slowly working at it things can change.

I tried the “locavore” diet for a week…

http://joeysbrainwork.blogspot.com/2009/07/locavore.html

It wasn’t without it’s challenges, but wasn’t what I would consider cost prohibitive. I enjoyed cooking new things, and just being in the kitchen again.

I still shop at Ingles, Bi-Lo, Publix, etc, but when the market opens up again this Spring I’ll be there, supporting farmers…not because it’s the right thing to do but because fresher really does taste better.

And in response to this article, I went and bought a little herb starter kit from Home Depot. Should have parsley, chives, oregano and cilantro in a few weeks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tractor

I don’t think I told you, but it’s original intent was to put some of your chickens in it and set it up over garden space. Then you gradually move down the row, and they eat all the weeds and grass, fertilize and soften and till over the ground by scratching.

When I finally get it mine, I’ll just mainly use it to put chickens in so I can move them onto fresh grass and insects everyday.

Also, not only are they great for keeping chickens on a diet of fresh clean forage and insects, these little chicken tractors are perfect for a small backyard. Like you said, 30 chickens are way too many for a neighborhood backyard. You don’t even need half that. Only 3-5 hens will put you at about 1-2 dozen eggs a week if they’re on a good pellet feed along with forage.

Some of my fondest memories are fallowing my Grandaddy like a puppy up and down the rows picking strawberries and watermelons and even yucky squash. My Uncle Austin lived next door to my other Grandma and I loved chasing his chickens and gathering eggs there. The Cobbs, our lifelong neighbors at Grandma’s had a pigs and horses and real crops like corn and soybeans. My Grandma was a widow my whole life and her family and friends helped her with her garden and my summer memories are of front porch sittin’ and pea shellin’ and talkin’. I probably learned more from those old women by osmosis than I can recall. Everyone would drop by “Extra” produce from their gardens – but I know now they were really helping their widow friend stay fed all winter. They would can and freeze together. It really was amazing, now that I think about it.

My father’s occupation had us moving every year or two to different suburban areas in medium to large cities across the southeast through my childhood. My mother did her best to grow small plots of herbs and vegetables – especially yucky asparagus. Sadly, I have not kept up the tradition as well as I should have. I grow a pitiful few peppers and tomatoes and a few herbs but haven’t built a REAL garden in a long time.

My weekends at the different Grandparent homes in that little town in TN define my childhood much more than our more urbane living situation. Those long hot summer evenings when the coolest place to pass the time was the front porch swing and chasing fireflies in the yard stand out as perfect much more than cranking the air and watching 398 useless cable channels that my kids prefer. My dad would laugh and say on the weekends half the town would drive around around wave at the folks out on the front porch and then switch. It was like impromptu reunions parties. My parents’ high school chums would see us or our car at my grandparents house and stop and sit a spell. My mother has been dead thirty two years; I am now within two years of passing her age at death. I can still walk down main street in that tiny town that I visit oh so rarely and someone will say “Aren’t you Larry and Martha’s girl?” or “I sure miss your Grandma Minnie Mae.” and I won’t know them from Adam’s house cat.

Christopher, thank you for the added inspiration to plan better this year. Maybe I really will try to make Minnie Mae’s Chow Chow recipe this year – from the most local choices I am able to find and afford.

I also vividly remember as a child going to the local farm to get butter, milk and eggs. I also learned first hand what an electric fence was. My folks always bought a beef from that farmer as well.

I see your point Chris, I didn’t see what was wrong with a few chickens in ones backyard. I also agree that 30 is extreme for a subdivided neighborhood. The idea of encouraging backyard gardens is a great one for all neighborhoods. A small garden is something the whole family can participate in and benefit from, and often neighbors can receive surpluses of a over-productive tomato or cucumber plant.