Please tell us the story about the 150k garden!!!!
Can't wait to hear it...
Deborah
----- Original Message -----
From: Jim Call
To: John Verin
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2002 7:30 PM
Subject: Re: [cg] land options
This past spring, an elderly gentleman was out walking about when he strolled
into our garden. After greeting him (shaking hands, exchanging names, we do
that a lot in the south), he began talking about his past. He told me when he
was about 20 or so, the land our garden now occupies once belonged to farmers
who tried to make a living growing crops and selling their harvest locally. He
said when WWII began, the gov't (Feds) bought up alot of the farms in the area
to expand their military base, the Redstone Arsenal.
Today, this land our garden now occupies had been vacant for many years. The
elderly genteman looked around and said "What is this garden for?" I thought
about his story and said "Ya know, its really strange how things work out".
He said "what do you mean?".
I said "this land once belong to farmers feeding the community, then
purchased by the gov't, and now today this land helps feed the community again
(elderly and homebound)".
The land is still owned by the Feds but the City of Huntsville leases it from
them for a buck a year for the next 99 years. No taxes. No additional
charges. The labor is free via local volunteers who plant, maintain and
distribute its harvest freely to those less fortunate.
Funny how things work out.
Jim Call, CASA Community Garden Volunteer Director
www.casagarden.com
Oh yeah. When I get a chance, I will have to tell you this one.
"What would you do if you received a gov't grant for 150K to start a
community garden?" An unbelievable story.
Unfortunately, this is not related to the CASA Community Garden.
----- Original Message -----
From: John Verin
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2002 2:55 PM
Subject: RE: [cg] land options
Paraphrasing Einstein, problems cannot be solved with the mindset that
created them.
Thus, how are we to have land that serves Earth and humans, when those who
"own" it want it to serve as a profit generator. In the end, can't really.
I encourage people to realize and promote the idea that not ever square
inch of land needs to be taxed and/or earning dollars, particularly if that
land serves wellness of ecology and humans. That service IS the profit. Doubly
so if that land is being maintained by volunteers, that is, unpaid labor. Put a
dollar value on that labor and suddenly the land has "paid for itself."
So, if a piece of land is feeding people 17,000 pounds of food, why the
heck does someone have to pay for the land? If the food weren't being grown,
somehow money would have to be spent to feed the people.
NO TAXES OR LEASES OR COSTS FOR LAND THAT IS BEING USED TO KEEP EARTH AND
US ALIVE AND WELL.
Free your head, your tail will follow. So let's drop the old school land
ownership scam and really start living.
Paco John Verin
City Wide Coordinator - Philadelphia Green
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
100 North 20th Street, 5th floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103-1495
Phone: 215-988-8885; Fax 215-988-8810
http://www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Richmond
Fruit Tree Project
Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2002 1:51 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [cg] land options
Hi Folks,
I work for a nonprofit organization in Richmond, BC(Canada). Just to give
you some background: We are a nonprofit organization that finds people/farms
that have surplus fruit and vegetables and matches them with volunteers who
have the time and energy to harvest it. All of the produce goes to the food
bank and community kitchens. This year we have harvested over 17,000 lbs. We
have a vision for next year of attaining our own land to grow food for the food
bank. Ideally we would like to see us growing the 100,000 lbs of produce that
the food bank distributes each year so the food bank no longer needs to buy
it(part of this would consist of a small orchard, we would like 1-5 acres). So
I have a few questions, does anyone know of any similar projects that we may
want to gain some advice from? Also we are thinking that we will have a small
farmers market to help raise funds and use the farm/market as a training and
educational site for youth/low income individuals. The city h! as also
approached us to act as stewards for their community gardens. We would like to
see this happen, if people in the gardens grow a small portion for the food
bank, is this unrealistic? We are also trying to find the best way of attaining
the land. Leasing? Donated(wishful)? Any suggestions or contacts would be
welcome Thanks!
Erin Mullett
Project Coordinator
Richmond Fruit Tree Sharing Project
604-270-9874(phone/fax)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.richmondfruittree.com
"teach a person to garden and they will lead a delicious life"
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