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A Victory Garden in Flemington

by: Rosi Efthim

Fri Mar 20, 2009 at 12:57:36 PM EDT

Let us know if community gardens are popping up by you too- - Rosi

Today, next to her kids' shiny new swingset, Michelle Obama will begin digging for a little vegetable garden, the first food-producing garden at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt planted her Victory Garden.

Cilantro, tomatilloes, hot peppers. Lettuces. Spinach, chard, collards, kale. Berries. Herbs and heirloom tomatoes. That's what the Obamas will plant, alongside school children and a local-foods expert the family brought to Washington.

On Monday night, some people in Hunterdon will ask Flemington Borough Council for permission to plant on a grassy plot by one of its water towers. Iff they say yes, we'll plant an organic garden we'll call The Victory Garden.

It will be a community garden, meaning many will participate, growing things together on one blessed, slightly sloping piece of land.

How is this political? This idea emerged from a group I've worked with for five years, Hunterdon's Democracy for America (DFA). These folks have become a permanent progressive community where - believe me - nobody expected one.

The group's met in the same hip little coffeehouse since 2004 in Flemington, a red town in a red county. We've made that town a kind of workshop for grassroots action. A tipping point came one frigid February day in 2007. That same heady night, the first candidate to emerge wholly from Hunterdon DFA, announced she'd run next. And with that win, this town's direction shifted. Democrats now drive the agenda.

None of them owe us anything; they owe their voters more. But we hope that this new Council will see The Victory Garden as an opportunity to strengthen community bonds, improve nutrition and environmental awareness, and provide for our neighbors in need, some of whom will tend garden and some simply receive good food.

This feels like a very American, progressive and patriotic thing to do right now, and we're encouraged by how many people show up ready to work and advise. We have a new President who speaks of self-reliance, community-building, and responsibility for the people around us. The economy is dark, and the times are challenging. But we remember our elders and the resourcefulness, how 20 million Americans on the homefront produced up to 40% of the vegetables consumed nationally.

Community gardens are popping up all over, in nearby Readington, East Amwell, maybe in High Bridge. The Victory Garden, if we get the land, will have a built-in mission of addressing some of the needs of people living paycheck-to-paycheck, or worse. If you're a local, join us Monday.

Rosi Efthim :: A Victory Garden in Flemington

Tags: Democracy for America, DFA, Hunterdon, Flemington, community gardens, (All Tags)

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A Victory Garden in Flemington | 10 comments

Well, it was me (0.00 / 0)

Who offered to run that cold, victorious night. And DFA/NJ4D were my support all through the campaign. Thanks, Rosi!

Having said that, we think we've found a good spot. Lots of sun, a water source, and an amazing way for the community to come together. As someone who's struggled financially since I moved to NJ, I can appreciate the need for a supply of a nutritious and plentiful food source.

It's a large undertaking. But there are good people who know what they are doing to shepard this project.

The Council seems receptive. So, with a good presentation and support, this project looks good.

See you Monday.

Linda

by: the pollster @ Fri Mar 20, 2009 at 17:22:54 PM UTC

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Fantastic Idea ! (0.00 / 0)

Rosi and Linda,

This is such a wonderful idea for so many reasons ! Although we live too far away to participate fully, I hope that Mom and I can at least get down there and help with some weeding occasionally !

Joyce

by: JCL @ Fri Mar 20, 2009 at 18:09:09 PM UTC

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Weeding help especially welcomed (0.00 / 0)

That's the best offer I've had all day. You and your mom are always, always welcome.

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.

by: Rosi Efthim @ Fri Mar 20, 2009 at 18:50:12 PM UTC

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Weeds (0.00 / 0)

Bah!

Saw a few photos of the First Lady digging to prep the veggie garden. If I had her biceps, I would do that too. I have Bette Midler biceps.

I've gardened for a while now, but stopped for the past few years after I was stung not once, but twice in one week. Both times I developed an anaphylactic reaction and almost died.

Now my garden consists mostly of poison ivy.

But I digress....

IMHO, 2 of the worst aspects of gardening in north Jersey are amending the soil and weeding.

The soil here is clay and has the consistency of dry cement. Trying to insert compost and other good stuff can create a herniated disk or just a plain hernia.

Even with mulch, those pesky weeds still seem to grow better than anything I plant.

So this year I'm going to try again, using the concept of Lasagna Gardening. The how to book (by Patricia Lanza) has been around for a while. In fact, the concept of layered gardening predates the book by a lot of years.

It's basically a raised bed that is begun by recycling newspapers on the first layer to tamp out those weeds (I'm skeptical). The next steps are to layer compost, soil and peat moss (the Canadians swear that we are not depleting the world of non-renewable peat, 'cause they have a bazillion tons of it and we are using a fraction of that. I dunno.)

Anyways, I can't recommend this method, because I haven't tried it. But it might be worth a look-see.

I know you will get permission to use the site. Great PR for Flemington, methinks.

by: SmartyJones @ Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 19:45:48 PM UTC

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A good thing to do (0.00 / 0)

if you are having trouble getting things to grow is to get the soil checked by the folks at Rutgers.

http://njaes.rutgers.edu/soilt...

My dad had this done after spending DECADES trying to figure out why his neighbors always had a nicer lawn. He found out what to do and now has much better gardening luck.

One Vote. Yours. It really does matter.

by: carolh @ Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 20:11:56 PM UTC

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I agree (0.00 / 0)

Soil testing is important for finding out the pH and missing nutrients.

OTOH, cement is just cement.

I was just trying to be funny. Bette Midler has a bit about her flabby triceps, not her biceps. It just sounded better to say biceps. I know, bad alliteration.

And my garden is not completely poison ivy. It is flecked with goldenrod, some things with stickers attached (not roses) that bite back and some unknown vines that try to strangle everything else.

Here's a fun article from the NYT about the White House garden.

http://roomfordebate.blogs.nyt...

Some of the commentors noticed that the First Lady was using a rake. Gah! A rake is (litterally) the last thing you use when prepping soil.

by: SmartyJones @ Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 21:57:21 PM UTC

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You can join the Council meeting over the Web (0.00 / 0)

For those of you who can't attend the meeting, you can view and participate over those Internets.

Go to the Borough's web site at www.HistoricFlemington.com and click Watch Council Meetings Live at the bottom of the navigation pane. There's a chat feature, if you want to pose questions or comments (these are moderated by one of the council members, who also happens to be a DFA member).

If you miss the meeting, you can watch it archived at the same link.

by: tunghoy @ Fri Mar 20, 2009 at 22:54:52 PM UTC

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This may be happening out here. (0.00 / 0)

I heard that one intrepid teenaged young woman brought the same idea before the Washington Boro(Warren) Council and the reaction is, to date, positive.

Good stuff. Gardening is great fun and quite relaxing. It can also pull people together, especially when they sit down together and enjoy the bounty.

The nom de plume has a long and distinguished history.

by: Tandalayo Scheisskopf @ Sat Mar 21, 2009 at 12:55:26 PM UTC

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Broccoli (0.00 / 0)

And of course, you have a head start out there, you know, with all the broccoli.
:-)

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.

by: Rosi Efthim @ Sat Mar 21, 2009 at 19:58:52 PM UTC

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Mmmm...Broccoli. (0.00 / 0)

Cut into florets, lots of them. Put into a pyrex baking dish. Add liberal amounts of extra-virgin olive oil and a few pars of butter. Salt, pepper, breadcrumbs to suit. Bake in 375 degree oven until caramelization starts on the top and you can smell baking broccoli in the house. Mix around in the oil and butter and serve.

A light vinegarette on top makes it extra yummy.

The same recipe works for cauliflower, brussel sprouts and asparagus(It's springtime! The time for smelly pee!).

The nom de plume has a long and distinguished history.

by: Tandalayo Scheisskopf @ Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 11:46:41 AM UTC

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A Victory Garden in Flemington | 10 comments