Improving America one Veggie at a Time!

by Sarah
(Lacey, Washington, USA)

As an American citizen, wife of 1, mother of 2 and grandmother of 3, I am concerned about the current trend of "let the government do it for us". Knowing full well that "the government" means tax dollars and dependence on "the government", I strive to encourage self-sufficiency in my family and friends.

This year my focus on self sufficiency includes a victory garden. Victory over the idea that I "need" somebody else to pay my way. Victory over the thought that "the government knows best". Victory over the idea that I'm incapable of doing for myself.

"We're just fine in 2009" has become our family motto. To encourage "do it yourself", we recycled plastic barrels from a local company that blends mint oil. We turned 2 of the barrels into compost tumblers. We started a worm bin. We're soon setting up a rain barrel system, and we discovered alfalfa "tea". We're reading everything we can to learn how to grow more...better, cheaper, and with less "gotta buy's".

We're spending family time hoeing and planting instead of driving or shopping. This is our first victory garden...a garden that includes corn, beans, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, squash and herbs...but the whole family (ages 9 through 62) is involved, learning and getting excited about our growing garden.

We read recently that Mrs. "Gnomebama" has started an organic garden at the White House. We hope that our family's vocal enthusiasm for OUR victory garden and news reports of the Gnomebama garden will encourage self-sufficiency instead of entitlement in MORE American families. GO GARDENERS!!!