Vendor encourages homegrown vittles

Keeping in tune with the eco-friendly intentions of the Bonnaroo music festival, one vendor encourages attendees to "Eat Your ZIP code."




By not only demonstrating how individuals can grow their own produce and providing a social forum for information and trading tips, Homegrown.org's mission is to better educate people about what they're consuming, according to Cornelia Hoskin, homegrown shepherdess.

Whether they're growing their own produce or raising bees, being personally involved provides quality control and food sovergnty, Hoskin stressed.

"You know what you're consuming because you know how you're growing it," she said. "Farming has a long history of mixing music and social change. We're mission-based, but we use arts and culture to get the message out."

Homegrown.org is a project of Farm Aid, a non-profit founded in the 1980s when Willie Nelson wanted to bring the plight of farmers building sustainable food systems, explained Anne Bedarf, project manager at GreenBlue and volunteer at the booth.

She added that many of the booth's visitors have mentioned that their family members have gardens.

"It becomes a tradition — growing together," she said.

The same is true for Atlanta-native Adrienne Calk, whose mom had a garden.

"I grew up in a house where my mom had a vegetable garden, but I just moved to Charleston where there's no room for a garden in the city," she said, adding that the garden buckets provide an alternative.

"I've been wanting to grow tomatoes and herbs, but didn't have a place for it, so it's good to know I can use the (garden tubs)," Calk said.

Bedarf also pointed out that "if you can't grow your own, you can at least connect with local farmers and shop at local farmers markets."

Across from the Homegrown booth was another dedicated to educating attendees about the importance of developing composts.

"Last year, Clean Vibes collected 20,000 pounds of compost from the vendors," explained Sarah Bush, who headed the booth.

Bonnaroo staff created their first-ever on-site vegetable garden with the compost.

"The garden is intended to be teaching tool to inspire people to think about where their food comes from and to take control of where their food comes from, even if it's on a small scale," Bush explained.

She added that once produce is picked, it begins to lose its nutrients and vitamins. Factor in the amount of time it takes to transport the produce, and it becomes even less nutritious.

By using homemade compost, which Bush called "rock fuel for the soil," consumers can grow more nutritious produce.