Wow. I have so much to say about my weekend adventures! On
Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending a fundraiser for the directors of the
movie Edible City, hosted by a
Berkeley couple who graciously opened up their beautiful home and stunning
backyard farm. Their yard was a beautiful backdrop for the event, as it doubled
as a demonstration garden that illustrated the possibilities of productive
farming in a dense, urban environment. The garden was developed by Willow
Rosenthal, founder of City Slicker
Farms, who I had the pleasure of meeting, and with whom I’d love to work.
I was pleasantly surprised that award-winning author,
Michael Pollan (Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food, The Botany of Desire),
made an appearance, and spoke about the many encouraging developments taking
place in the food movement; and also the strong opposition and challenges that
lie ahead.
By the way, I encourage you read more about the Edible City
project, and watch a short of the film on their website. It’s about the many
facets, people, politics and programs involved in the food movement – focusing
on the Bay Area. Just a quick note regarding the photos: Clearly, not everyone
will have the resources to create such a beautifully landscaped urban farm, but
that’s not the point. Take a corner of your yard, apartment deck, window box,
or whatever - and plant what you can. If nothing else, get inspiration
from this home, and apply some of the ideas found here to your own
situation.
Happy Harvesting!
Remi
*Notice that the 20+ chickens are kept under the house in
a custom coop. Great idea! Thanks, Lindsey for the invite!
