Organising for Food Sovereignty

by belfast a bloomin' - dirty fingers of the world unite Sat Feb 28, 2009 10:41

so goes news, via the lists, of greening the city action in belfast
http://eglantine-community-garden.blogspot.com/

here in BCN, tonight we have a party for all the garden groups of the city, see poster attached
http://horteres.org/?p=250

and we have finished editing the
The Gracia Community Garden Radio Documentary Trilogy
http://itsafunnyoldworld.wordpress.com/2009/02/16/tugz/...t-137

see yez soon

dunk

"the community garden thing is blimmin' exploding here. people and places popping up everywhere"

BCN garden party tonight, green zones sprouting there too!

by dunk Mon Feb 16, 2009 18:31

If things get as bad as they can, as quick as they can, this type of thing will become quite common, quite quickly. See, for example, what happened to Cuba, when oil went, its peak oil period. many green dots, join up to make chains, CPULS (continous productive urban landscapes)....

This crisis: (y)our opportunity to green the city

read full transition handbook, now online: Transition Handbook: http://uniteddiversity.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/t...k.pdf

cuba film:
The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil (full film-53 min)
http://global-ecoforum.ning.com/video/2251574:Video:2743

TUGZ - Temporary Urban Green Zones

by DUNK Mon Feb 16, 2009 13:48

Furter by, and in connection with, Corks plans, dreams and actions. Here in Barcelona we are trying to develop deeper our urban food systems; to try to create TUGZ, maybe ye might be on there in cork, or dublin, or tralee, ardee....wherever to try the same...

Strange times indeed, but in this time of crisis, its our opportunity to let leash the eco, food, healthy, fun, revolution.... Its already well underway.

Greening the city: Temporary urban green zones

For some time here in Barcelona, and globally via email etc, many of us have been talking about an inititiave that is simple, practical, ecological, cheap to do and can be a massive benefit to healthy urban communites. Some precedents exist already: New York City is perhaps the best that I have heard of. Perhaps Erik might be able to provide links for this. Some say it is impossible to do it here, I disagree, I think it is not only possible, but that it is feasible, and as the “eco awareness” grows and the city looks for answers to its eco problems, this is a simple, small, nice step.

This mail is to propose the idea to you, see what you think, seek support, seek your knowledge, ideas etc. Its also an invite to learn about, visit, share experiences and learning with us in the existing catalyst and example of this idea, that is alive and growing as I type: the new community garden in Gracia, Barcelona.

The idea is to seek legal authorisation to turn existing unoccupied urban solars (the sites where buildings once stood, but now demolished and awaiting re-construction) in green zones, breathing spaces for the city. This could happen at a series of levels:

1- Simply, gaining permission to enter a “grey zone”, break open the concrete, open up the earth again, enter biochar to the soil, plant certain carbon storage planting…and let it grow untill time comes (if it comes) for the site to be cleared and built upon.

2- As above, but using the space as a food production zone, a community garden, along with all the beneficial affects involved with that.

Presently Barcelona has big problems; pollution, water crisis, lack of green spaces, hi electricity use in hot summers…all of these, to an extent are related to 2 big problems we collectively need to adress and start solving; climate change and peak oil. While this project would not solve all the problems, it might begin a process by which a strategy might develop and from that, eventually, the problems might be solved.

As things stand at present, BCN is a very dense urban city, very little greenery, all this adds to the effect of heat island, that makes it even hotter in summer, this project, initially would help alleviate that effect. Presently in Gracia, my barrio and where we are trying to develop a transition initiave, a new space has been opened; our lovely urban community garden, or in catalan, HORT COMUNITARI GRACIA. This garden, is 4 months old, has much support from and is used by the neighbourhood, all types of people. A half hour audio documentary about the opening of it can be listened to here. This solar had been abandoned for 5 years and now it is amazing and growing. The thing is that people have not asked to use the space, they have taken it, they have occupied the space, and with that it could be evicted and returned to a grey zone. If we manage to develop this project I am outlining, well then, maybe our garden, and more, far more, might exist for many years. The NYC garden, apparently, uses mobile gardens, so when they have to move, they can simply to the next vacant lot.

Arial view of BCN and the the solar which is now a (TUGZ) Temporary urban green zone

Mobile garden, Image from Gracia hort

by dunk Fri Feb 13, 2009 13:36

Maybe might add to your productive and culinery fun and games in cork

3 page manual: http://www.rebargroup.org/projects/parking/src/PARK(ing)_Manual.pdf
web: http://www.rebargroup.org/projects/parking/index.html#
source: http://www.postoilcities.org/

Related vids on Transitioning from the BCN / SPANISH TI community, which surely park(ing) will soon play a part: http://transicion.ning.com/video/video

happy weekend, happy planting, tmrw we work more in our gracia garden and paint a mural, heres recent half hour radio show about our garden, enjoy, dunk

http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2009/02/12/the_gracia_community_garden_radio_doc-final.mp3

Embedded audio: http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2009/02/12/the_gracia_community_garden_radio_doc-final.mp3

by dunk Thu Feb 12, 2009 14:36

Again, the rebels show the way..

And if any of ye want to read a very inspiring story from Barcelana about food production and what it can lead to: rurbano_revolution
http://www.inthefield.info/rurbano_revolution.pdf
from the can masdeu collective, http://www.canmasdeu.net/

heres 2 gardens from the Barcelona transition movement (early stages)
http://lhortetdelforat.blogspot.com/
http://horteres.wordpress.com/acerca-de/

cork food web - seed planted, roots growing, enjoy your fruits

by dunk Thu Feb 12, 2009 14:29

No more feckin new zealand apples, with all their oil miles and killing off local organic food markets.

Yes, to seedsavers apples, cork food network apples, dolphins barn garden apples etc....

like the seed, planted, it grows...

In this time of crisis, there is the opportunity for a radical reshape of how we live, work, eat....

G´on da rebels...

by ECO Guy Wed Feb 11, 2009 18:17

Theres no reason why this country cannot provide all its citizens with top quality affordable organic food given the tremendous natural resources Ireland has in terms of world class farmland, climate variety of soil types etc. Sadly this is being stymied by the state, IFA etc. pandering to the interests of big agri-business, large multiples like Tesco, developers and speculators all of whom dictate that farming and farmland is simply used and abused for the benefit of those in the golden circle.

by sam - sinn féin bantry Mon Feb 09, 2009 15:28 samsimpson at utvinternet dot com

This is a great idea, I think it's time might well be come already.
There are many things we need to do to create a viable and sustainable society, and far greater self-sufficiency and co-operation between communities at a grass roots level is definately crucial.
Maith sibh!

by We the People Mon Feb 09, 2009 14:41

The only sure 'investment' in this era,is Food.

You may remember the old Indian saying....'.......not until the last tree is standing will man realize that he cannot eat Money.

It's getting that time again.

Below is a good Food source in Co.Kerry that will sell Food in bulk or in small quantities on Saturdays just in case you cannot wait for it to grow. Irish seed savers in Scarriff Co.Clare are another great source for indigenous seeds. It is great to see People making moves in this way towards growing their own food , the necessity of which may be sooner rather than later.

http://www.iihealthfoods.com/index.php?t=2

by Conor.M - S.E.E.D Sun Feb 08, 2009 23:26 liberalconormurphy at ymail dot com

Amazing, well done... I feel proud for some strange reason, even though I have nothing to do with it and its the first Ive heard of it. Dublin next?!?