Gardens for Change

A Victory Garden on the White House lawn seems a no brainer to me:

the most influential house in the nation + edible garden

= inspiration for more gardens

President-elect Barack Obama has pledged to "open the doors of government" and asks us "to be involved in your own democracy again" on his change.org site. To speed this along, staffers have created an open forum to propose and vote on ideas for change. The 10 ideas with the most votes will be presented to the Obama on Jan 16th. Ideas for change range from "Free Single payer Healthcare" to "End the War in Iraq" to "Make the grid green in 10 years" to "Forgive student loans" and many ideas in between.

I cast my first vote for "Victory Gardens 2.0"- not because the other ideas aren't important, they are, but because in a time when a we are facing several major crises, simple, practical, and beautiful solutions should be considered. Gardening for change addresses health, environmental stewardship, resource conservation, hunger and economics. As a dietitian, I like to start health promotion and disease prevention from the ground up.

Voting ends on January 15th. Vote now.

Petition for Change

The nation's next president is expected to soon decide on his Secretary of Agriculture.  This important role impacts food, nutrition programs, jobs, and the environment.  A petition to request that Obama consider certain  key candidates outside the fold of the industrial ag lobby is circulating on the web.  Brought to us by many of the same folks who drafted the Food Declaration, I urge everyone who cares about good, clean, and fair food to sign the Food Democracy Now petition.  

Seeds of Hope

The seeds of hope have been planted with Obama's election to the presidency. Now the world is watching to see if these seeds will grow and the sustainable food community is abuzz with the recipes for growth (literally). Politics determine the policies that determine the health and wellness of our society. Whether Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Green, Independent, or Other, the next president of the United States will have an impact on your world.

A number of recent articles & weblogs celebrate Obama's position on food while others urge reform and offer recommendations to the new administration for promoting food justice, public health, and sustainable agriculture.

• From Slow Food USA: Yes We Can: Change Our Broken Food System
• From Grist: Michael Pollan and other food authors and activists offer their elevator pitches for Obama
• From FamilyFarmed.org: Obama to Support Local and Organic Food
• From FarmAid: Willie Nelson's Open Letter to Obama
• From Marion Nestle's What To Eat Blog: Who Will Obama Appoint?