Interest in gardening, local food grows

During World War II, Americans planted "victory gardens" — raising fruits and vegetables in 20 million backyards to help the war effort.

As Earth Day approaches, more Americans are getting back to the Earth with a new twist on the victory gardens of old.

Modern-day "recession gardens" are being planted with a dual purpose: to save money on food budgets during tough economic times and as a way to help save planet Earth.

"The interest is growing exponentially," Elesa Wedemeyer, a teacher with Iowa City-based Taproot, said of gardening, canning and other life basics. "People are really taking stock of what's important."

Advocates say eating locally grown produce reduces "food miles" that contribute to climate change.

With the average distance food travels in the United States estimated at 4,000 to 5,000 miles, Carnegie Mellon researchers reported that 11 percent of the average American household's food-related greenhouse gas emissions come from food miles.

First lady Michelle Obama is leading by example, with an organic garden planted on the White House lawn, in part, to advocate for locally grown food.

"It doesn't get any more local than your own backyard," said Sally Worley, communications director for Practical Farmers of Iowa.

Worley said the non-profit group, which promotes ecologically sound approaches to agriculture, has seen a surge in interest in local foods in Iowa.

On a nationwide level, the National Gardening Association predicts a nearly 20 percent increase in home gardening this year. 


Eager learners
Wedemeyer, 34, of North English, sees the upsurge in gardening as a convergence of several factors.

The downturn in the economy, the "green" movement and insecurity over the safety of the food system have turned many people toward local foods, she said.

Taproot, the non-profit organization launched by Wedemeyer's husband, Zac, offers nature experience workshops for children through adults. 

Evidence of the interest in getting back to the Earth is abundant at Taproot and elsewhere in Eastern Iowa.

Adults are flocking to vegetable gardening classes offered through Iowa State University Extension master gardeners and other venues. 

Fred Meyer, director of the Iowa City-based Backyard Abundance, said he has been overwhelmed with requests from clubs asking him to give presentations on gardening.

Meyer, 39, a Web designer at Pearson in Iowa City, turned much of his yard into a low-maintenance vegetable and herb oasis in the city.

In the summer, Meyer has tomatoes, fresh from the vine, and other produce he grows in his backyard.

"Iowa has some of the best soil on the planet, but we primarily grow fuel here," he said of row-crop corn that is used for ethanol.

His group encourages homeowners to help the environment by making ecological improvements to their yards.

Advocates say vegetables, native grasses and other plants are eco-friendly alternatives to turf lawns, which require high maintenance and chemicals that can pollute ground water.

To Meyer, gardening is also a way to reconnect with the Earth.

"That connection to nature — that is where that excitement comes from," he said. "It's about connecting to the source of our survival." 


Buying local
Iowans who don't garden are increasingly finding local foods within Community Supported Agriculture, or CSAs, in which farmers provide fresh produce to local subscribers.

Those producers, in turn, are finding ways to extend Iowa's growing season to offer fresh produce more months of the year.

About 50 people attended a two-day workshop earlier this month to learn how to build a hoophouse, a low-tech greenhouse that doesn't require supplemental light or heat.

Hosted by Practical Farmers of Iowa, the group built a 35-by-96-foot hoophouse at Laura Krouse's Abbe Hills Farm by Mount Vernon.

Krouse's CSA produces vegetables for 200 families from June through October. She hopes the hoophouse will extend the garden season until Christmas. 

Susan Jutz, another CSA grower, has eight acres in vegetable production near Solon.

"I started in '96 when nobody knew what a CSA was," she said. 

From 18 families the first year, Jutz, 56, now supplies produce for 250 families.

"There's a demand, clearly," she said. "They're making a choice to get their food from a local farmer."