I hope what I am saying will answer Phil's question... racism and prejudice (in the forum of gardening) can be found a variety of ways. One idea is that low income neighborhoods, inner city neighborhoods where mostly minority people may live (and certianly "poor" of any race) have less access to healthy foods than those in other communities. Quickie-mart type stores are usually much closer than markets, and less expensive. Therefore the food choices are more likely to be a bag of chips than an apple because of access and cost. By having less access to healthy/fresh foods, the quality and quantity of life is reduced. Due to their finances, these are people who generally will have less access to preventative healthcare or treatment, and so a "double whammy" on their health and so live a shorter lifespan. Basically, low income people have less access to the "good" food supply. Who you blame this on is probably up for debate. So the idea that prejudice, whether it is racial or economic, plays out in the garden is an extrapolation of this....(Maybe it should be garden with a capital G). People in low income neighborhoods NEED community gardens to create better quality of life and health, impower the community (reduce crime and raise property value), etc etc.
I hope that helps to explain at least my understanding of your question. samantha --- On Mon, 2/9/09, Judith Gardner <[email protected]> wrote: From: Judith Gardner <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Community_garden] Racist gardening To: [email protected], "ACGA listserve" <[email protected]> Date: Monday, February 9, 2009, 8:01 PM Dear Phil,Speaking as a so-called "white" person who has been involved in anti-racist organizing for many years and in community gardens in Detroit for the last several, i have the following comments on your questions.1. If by racism you mean "institutional racism", it's only recently that enough people of color have wielded sufficient institutional power to be able exercise that power in a racist way. That doesn't mean that people of color cannot be as bigoted, discriminatory, bitter and/or ignorant as anyone else. For whites to ignore the legacy of slavery and modern day discrimination, however, only perpetuates the problem.2. Most EuroAmericans do not understand the degree of white skin privilege that we have and do enjoy. If you really want to challenge yourself to understand race relations in America i suggest that you read White Like Me by Tim Wise. Yes, i agree that one cannot be reared in America, with white skin, without having some racist attitudes. The challenge is to become aware of them and learn to grow beyond them.3. In the garden, forget about race. Each of us has things to learn and things to teach. We can all work together and reap together. In our community garden we find that as the years pass we are more inclined to sit in the shade and chat when the day's work is done--no agendas, just telling tales and getting to know each other. Good luck to you,Judy in Detroit> From: [email protected]> To: [email protected]> Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2009 09:34:59 -0500> Subject: [Community_garden] Racist gardening> > I genuinely need some help on better understanding the modern concept of> racism and justice, particularly as it impacts on community gardens. I am a> very recent newcomer to these discussions and find myself at a loss for> understanding all that I read. I grew up in the south in the civil rights> era and experienced first hand all the emotion, violence and strife that> occurred. It was far worse than anyone would believe, if you were not there.>! I belie ved Dr. King when he said that the day would come when people would> be judged on the quality of their character rather than the color of their> skin. But sadly that day is not here yet; at least not where I live. But> more importantly perhaps, there seems to have developed a concept that those> who were once in the minority cannot be racist, while the others cannot be> anything but racist. (In my area I am now a minority) I personally look to a> person's character/culture and care not what his/her ethnic genetics might> be, but some others around me find that unacceptable and short sighted. I> have absolutely no desire to be or appear to be "politically correct", but I> would greatly appreciate anyone's input on this so I can better understand.> We are working very hard on our new community garden and the better we> understand everyone's philosophy, the more likely we are to succeed. > Thanks,> Phil > > -----Original Message-----> From: [email protected]> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of> [email protected]> Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2009 12:02 PM> To: [email protected]> Subject: Community_garden Digest, Vol 654, Issue 1> > Send Community_garden mailing list submissions to> [email protected]> > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit> > http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.commu> nitygarden.org> > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to> [email protected]> > You can reach the person managing the list at> [email protected]> > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific> than "Re: Contents of Community_garden digest..."> > > Today's Topics:> > 1. Who Gets Good Food?-updated link--oops sorry about that!> (Marliese Franklin)> 2. Water issue (Susan H. Rohm)> 3. community garden marke! ting col laborative (Eliza Sutton)> 4. Re: community garden marketing collaborative (Mike McGrath)> > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------> > Message: 1> Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2009 14:41:20 -0800> From: Marliese Franklin <[email protected]>> Subject: [Community_garden] Who Gets Good Food?-updated link--oops> sorry about that!> To: [email protected]> Message-ID:> <[email protected]>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"> > Can I try again????> Thanks for the feedback!> > > > > Hello All!> > Here is the newest episode of Our Neighbor's Table on WomensRadio.com> Just follow the link, here:> > *http://www.womensradio.com/content/templates/?a=3360&z=11*<http://womensrad> io.com/content/menu.aspx>> > I hope you will enjoy listening to what this sharp young woman has to say> about> the way food is distributed around the world.> I support of healthy, affordable, local food,> Marliese> > > > > Who Gets Good Food?> > *Alison Alkon* is a young professor of Sociology at the *University of the> Pacific* <http://web.pacific.edu/> in Stockton, California. She recently> wrote the definition of food security for an up and coming online green> directory. She says she found it necessary to include the concepts of food> justice along with those of food security and *food*> *sovereignty*<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_sovereignty>,> "because I wanted to also deal with the kind of rising movement that takes> the idea of food security and challenges it to be even more explicitly> anti-racist."> > In this edition of "*Our Neighbor's Table*" Alison talks about the> corelation of food security and food justice, in other words: who gets the> healthy food and why? Alison answers questions like: What is subsistance> farming? Which terms seem inadequate when discussing food security? How> are orgainizations like *Food First* <http://www.foodfirst.org/> and> *Growing> Power* <http://www.growingpower.org/> challenging the "tr! aditiona l"> approaches to food sovereignty? How does hunger exhibit itself in the US in> comparison to the rest of the world?> > You can visit Alison online at the University of the Pacific website. We'll> also keep you updated about the release of the online Green Encyclopedia as> it progresses towards publication.> > ** <http://www.womensradio.com/content/templates/?a=3213&z=0>> *More about Alison Alkon*> Alison Hope Alkon is a professor in the Sociology department at University> of the Pacific in Stockton, California. Her research explores how issues of> race and class shape and are shaped by the environmental and economic> underpinnings of the emerging green economy. She is currently working on> two books. One compares the environmental and social justice ethics> embodied by farmers markets in two East Bay neighborhoods that differ by> race and class. The other is an edited volume that examines the role of> inequality in structuring the food system, and the activism undertaken by> low-income people of color to produce an anti-racist politics of food.> > Alison has played a variety of roles in the movements for sustainable> agriculture and food justice including garden co-ordinator, farm apprentice,> volunteer, cook and grant-writer. She currently lives in Berkeley> California with her partner and two dogs, where she holds great appreciation> for her local farmers markets as well as the beauty of the East Bay hills.> > > If you would no longer like these updates, just reply and let me know.> Thanks! Marliese> -------------- next part --------------> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...> URL:> <http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communityga> rden.org/attachments/20090204/1b62251b/attachment.html>> > > ------------------------------> > Message: 2> Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:18:07 -0500> From: "Susan H. Rohm" <[email protected]>> Subject: [Community_garden] Water issue> To: "[email protected]"> <[email protected]>> Message-ID: <98! fdb2f489 [email protected]>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"> > I hope the "experts" may be able to provide some advice or insight for our> committee. Here is our story:> > > > North Hills Community Outreach (NHCO) is in the process of starting a local> organic community garden to provide fresh produce for two food pantries. A> parcel of land was donated to NHCO last year, for this purpose. This land> has since been cleared and soil tests are currently being done. > > > > Years ago when this land was used as a garden, the family used the natural> spring on the land to provide its water. This spring still exists; however,> it is not adequate to provide enough water for a future garden. This land> has no public water source and there is no structure or building on the land> from which to collect water, although a storage shed is planned for the> future.> > > > Any help, information or resources you can provide regarding this water> issue is greatly appreciated. We understand that many community gardens are> started on vacant lots, many of which also have issues of adequate water to> sustain a garden.> > > > Thanks!> > > > Susan H. Rohm> > Manager for Program Development> > North Hills Community Outreach> > 1975 Ferguson Road> > Allison Park, PA 15101> > 412.487.6316, opt. 1, x3120> > www.nhco.org> > > > Please consider sharing your experience as a supporter, volunteer or service> recipient by posting a review about NHCO on the Great Nonprofits website.> > > > This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended> solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.> If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or> copy this email. Please notify the sender immediately by email if you have> received this email by mistake.> > > > > > -------------- next part --------------> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...> URL:> <http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communityga> rden.or! g/attach ments/20090205/a49a56dd/attachment.html>> > > ------------------------------> > Message: 3> Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2009 08:38:34 -0800 (PST)> From: Eliza Sutton <[email protected]>> Subject: [Community_garden] community garden marketing collaborative> To: [email protected]> Message-ID: <[email protected]>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"> > hello> i work with community gardeners in providence, ri.? i'm starting a marketing> cooperative with a handful of community gardeners so that they can sell> their produce at farmers markets.? has anyone had experience with this model> working with community gardeners?? or know of any organization that has??> thanks> liza sutton, southside community land trust, providence ri > > > > > > -------------- next part --------------> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...> URL:> <http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communityga> rden.org/attachments/20090205/4b094334/attachment.html>> > > ------------------------------> > Message: 4> Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2009 11:56:04 -0500> From: "Mike McGrath" <[email protected]>> Subject: Re: [Community_garden] community garden marketing> collaborative> To: <[email protected]>,> <[email protected]>> Message-ID: <2760f6308fcc4854b2db0c28cc985...@mikedell4100>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";> reply-type=original> > It could work well if the produce looks great and it can be sold at a market> > that's already established; otherwise, there's a lot of building and > marketing to do.> Click here for some basic tips:> http://www.gardensalive.com/article.asp?ai=907> > Best, McG> ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Eliza Sutton" <[email protected]>> To: <[email protected]>> Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2009 11:38 AM> Subject: [Community_garden] community garden marketing collaborative> > > hello> i work with community gardene! rs in pr ovidence, ri. i'm starting a marketing > cooperative with a handful of community gardeners so that they can sell > their produce at farmers markets. has anyone had experience with this model > working with community gardeners? or know of any organization that has? > thanks> liza sutton, southside community land trust, providence ri> > > > > > -------------- next part --------------> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...> URL: > <http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communityga> rden.org/attachments/20090205/4b094334/attachment.html>> _______________________________________________> The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's> > services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find > out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org> > To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected]> > To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: > http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.commu> nitygarden.org> > > > > > > ------------------------------> > _______________________________________________> The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's> services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find> out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org> > To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected]> To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription:> http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.commu> nitygarden.org> > End of Community_garden Digest, Vol 654, Issue 1> ************************************************> > > _______________________________________________> The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org> > To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected]! rg> > To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected] To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org
