Cultivating a Suburban Foodshed

[1hseibel]

While I don't believe in global warming, I do think he's right about using our yards as gardens and urban homesteading is a fabulous way to live.

[OceanJeff37]

should have included the conversation with the mailman! LOL

[survivesimply]

lol @ the mailman, gotta love random events - good video with some informative ideas. :)

[gregmbullock]

I really appreciate your message owen - Food, shelter or building materials grown sustainably, bring neighbors together on bikes - I'm sold.

[itisaduck]

I'm into clean air and water, organic food. . I grow edibles in Southern California, Great Grandfather was into farming here in SoCal. I have experimented with solar and wind power. Not very efficient. Oil and natural gas is cheaper. The Warming Hoax is now busted. The English head of this quit, says he may committ suicide. That would help as less evil Methane gas, but we are actually cooling, not warming. Good fences make good neighbors! A Firearm keeps neighbors friendly! Giive extra food away

[peakmoment]

Since oil and nat'l gas are cheaper, it prevents many folks from transitioning to non-renewables. Yet. Fossil fuels will get more costly, and we may not be prepared with alternatives.

"Global Warming" is a misleading term. We are witnessing rapid climate change: systems are becoming less stable, less able to absorb the additional carbon in the atmosphere. Oceans are becoming more acid (destroying coral reefs), glaciers melting and chunks of Antarctic ice shelves coming off far more rapidly.

[peakingout]

Keep up the great work Janaia and Robyn!

[peakmoment]

Thanks! We hope you're enjoying some of the recent programs, too.

[rob741258]

It's also very worthwhile searching keywords: PERMACULTURE CONCEPT  and BILL MOLLISON

[rob741258]

Well done, I'm doing exactly the same thing here in Feilding, New Zealand =) these food forests and permaculture principals work so easily and so well... pass it on! save the planet =)

[PaulChekLive]

Thanks for showing this

[DoblyTufnell]

Owen

I love what you are doing on your block yet at the start of the video you say that is 'impossible' to grow everything and that you idea is that each home in your suburb idea would grow just one crop. Words to that effect anyway.

I would not encourage anyone to grow just one or a few types of food plants. Single crops encourage single pests. It is the diversity that makes a garden system strong and resilient.

[ozinba]

If, however, you put a walnut tree in your yard, you probably won't get that much else in. And you could swap with your neighbours...

[kaisenji]

I have heard that corn and raspberries are somewhat resistant to the tree's poisons. We have way more trees in our neighborhood than ppl can use so I don't have to plant it. My think is what to do under the pine tree-blueberries I heard.

[OwenEDell]

I don't suggest that each person grow only one crop. Diversity is indeed essential. I do recommend "tuning" the neighborhood for a balanced diet, selecting crops for particular locations and microclimates that are ideal for those spots. If peaches are missing from your neighborhood, find a spot in someone's yard to plant a few peach trees. If you have a neighbor with suitable land, but for one reason or another they're not able to garden, do it for them and share the bounty.

Owen

[rob741258]

Hi DoblyTufnell, I agree that monoculture leads to the pest/disease problems you mentioned. However, if each alotment grew a different type of useful plant then the "village" itself becomes biodiverse. I feel that for non-gardeners, the idea of having to look after so many plants can be daunting, so starting small, learning along the way, would work for this demographic quite well. Spread the word, spread the value, spread the skills... Pass It On.

[dugfriendly]

This dude might be my new hero.

[JeffreyRodriguez]

Then you should check out the Dervaes:

/user/dervaes

They're a family living in Pasadena, growing so much food they sell the excess to local restaurants and live off the profits.

[impalapez]

grow food not lawns

[jojo808]

check out bbbleaver's "eat your lawn" for starters

[700eyesonly007]

Thank you so much, I learned new things from this video. Is he growing catnip up on that roof,even cat treats,very nice? Can an asphalt roof harm the rain water collected-what I mean is, are there chemicals in an asphalt roof that might be unsafe in the rain water? I have a very big cherry tree and wonder if the cherries (it produces hundreds)are ok to eat, I have looked but can't find out this info-does anyone know who to check with to get an answer on this?

[kaisenji]

Take it to nursery-they will know. How did that asphalt roof question go? We have the same thing and I'd love to collect the water here.