DCist: Eating DC: Urban Gardeners

Lionel M Hutz

Thu, 01 May 2008 11:51:24 -0500

I haven't been there in a while but I'm pretty sure there are a bunch of signs around the garden behind the Masonic Temple indicating that it is a community garden. Checking the list of community gardens on the website in the article confirms it. http://www.dc-urban-gardeners.com/communitygardens.html

IMGoph

Thu, 01 May 2008 09:11:41 -0500

I'm a 9th Level Vegan who won't eat anything that casts a shadow and I "pocket mulch." that is, bar none, one of the best simpsons lines ever.

monkeyrotica

Thu, 01 May 2008 08:47:36 -0500

Storebought shrinkwrapped Hostess Apple Pies always taste better than ones made at home from scratch, particularly if you leave the cellophane on during the baking process. I like burning plastic fumes. That's just how I roll. Then again, I'm a 9th Level Vegan who won't eat anything that casts a shadow and I "pocket mulch."

Politburo

Thu, 01 May 2008 08:31:19 -0500

Nature isn't economics. While there are some efficiencies of scale, just because you're growing 50 acres of a plant doesn't mean it magically needs less water or nutrients.

monkeyrotica

Thu, 01 May 2008 08:10:05 -0500

What's the deal with that big honking garden behind the Masonic "library" on 16th Street? Is that a neighborhood thing, or are the Freemasons growing triffids and pod people? That would go a long way towards explaining the lines at Cakelove. That last cupcake was dryer than Oscar Wilde, and I've had better cake in prison.

IMGoph

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:41:49 -0500

wait a minute, doesn't he have to worry about this?

DCster

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:40:08 -0500

I don't know how much energy went into our balcony planting, but I can say that we reaped a spicy radish and arugula salad from it tonight. Granted the radishes were the size of peas (perhaps because we didn't follow a gardening plan), but they sure were spicy!

indiecognition

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:17:53 -0500

Who the fuck's growing wheat in their DC lawn?!? That'd be like trying to grow carrot cake on a Chia Pet. Most of the home gardens I know of around the area feature tomatoes, squash, berries, and of course herbs. Not necessary cash crops or staples, but fruits and veggies that grow easily and tastily in the garden. And those species don't need fertilizer, water, or costly/polluting/unsustainable energy to meet most non-farmers' needs. Maltose, unless you require fuel-burning machinery or costly transactions to provide your garden with dirt, rain, and sun, you're sowing a sickly argument. You can get seeds and maybe a bag of mulch with one trip to the nursery or hardware store in the car, then have seasons' worth of food growing right in your backyard to reduce the need for trips to the grocery store or farmer's market. But at least all that bullshit would make some good, cheap fertilizer.

Bethesdaist

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:59:32 -0500

I appreciate a veggie post after all these tempting free ice cream announcements.

Maltose

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:44:33 -0500

While growing and eating food locally might have benefits such as freshness, feeling of community, better taste, etc the notion that backyard gardens are making an impact on carbon emissions or "food-miles" is just false. If you look at the situation in a single variable sense, it seems that walking to your garden to pluck a pepper produces less carbon than driving to Safeway. But, once you take into account all the energy use factors (fertilizer, water use, etc) the amount of energy it takes to ship wheat in from Illinois to DC is dwarfed by the energy efficiencies in scale the wheat farmer has over backyard gardens. I like to buy produce at farmers markets and do think there is something to be said for the taste of veggies grown on smaller scales, but I don't kid myself that I am helping to curb carbon emissions by doing so.