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Americans Going Back to the Garden

July 01, 2008 06:02 AM

by Sarah Amandolare

With food banks hit hard by high food costs and surging gas prices, Americans are growing more vegetables at home to donate, as well as to save some cash themselves.

According to the Garden Writers Association Foundation, vegetable gardening is a “significant new trend” in the United States, based on a national survey completed in February 2008. Local nurseries from Minneapolis to Pittsburgh have seen a surge in seed orders for greens, peas and beets.

Prompted by a “shaky economy, concerns about food safety and an urge to reconnect with the land,” a new generation of gardeners has emerged; and many are young, female and urban, said an article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Business expert Jay W. Sukits of the University of Pittsburgh credits the “triple whammy” of high gas prices, ethanol production and exorbitant diesel fuel costs for the increased interest in vegetable gardening.

Over the past several months, the demand for ethanol has led to a surge in prices of dairy products in the United States. In addition, the sub-prime mortgage crisis, and surging inflation and unemployment have made it tougher for Americans to feed their families.

In addition to feeding themselves with fruits and vegetables grown in the backyard, more Americans are growing produce for their neighbors. Programs such as "Grow a Row" encourage home gardeners to cultivate extra produce for donation at local food banks and pantries.

Americans are not alone in their efforts to grow their own food. Urban gardening programs have been highly successful in Cuba and Sierra Leone.

Headline Links: The gardening trend

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that according to the Garden Writers Association Foundation, vegetable gardening is a “significant new trend” in the United States, based on a national survey completed in February 2008. Local nurseries in Minneapolis have seen an increase in sale of greens, peas and beets, as more Americans, prompted by the weak economy and the trend of simple living, have taken up gardening.

Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune

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In Pittsburgh, community gardens led by first-time gardeners are sprouting up, and local gardening retailers are thriving, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Business expert Jay W. Sukits of the University of Pittsburgh credits the “triple whammy” of high gas prices, ethanol production and exorbitant diesel fuel costs for the increased interest in vegetable gardening.

Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

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NPR reports that the trend of growing vegetables in home gardens has provided a boost for seed companies in the United States.

Source: NPR

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CNN reports that increased food and fuel costs and the fragile economy have led to "alarming shortages at food banks and pantries around the country at the same time that demand is surging." In response, more programs encouraging home gardeners to cultivate extra fruits and vegetables for donation have been created.

Source: CNN

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Background: Americans struggling to pay the bills

As unemployment and inflation increase, and the sub-prime mortgage crisis sinks in, the purchasing power of Americans has been impacted, and more have applied for charity and government aid. “Getting food on the table is a challenge many Americans are finding harder to meet,” said British paper The Independent.

Source: findingDulcinea

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Due to spiking gas prices, urban policy experts predicted in May 2008 that Americans would likely shift away from car-powered suburbia, unable to afford the cost of commuting. At the time, gasoline was close to $4 per gallon.

Source: findingDulcinea

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The demand for ethanol, which is extracted from corn, has not only prompted concern over energy-efficiency, but also made life more expensive for U.S. consumers. Dairy farmers, forced to pay more for cattle feed, have had to raise prices. Ice cream, made of several dairy products, has never been more expensive, for example.

Source: findingDulcinea

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In response to the increasing cost of living in the United States, and the weakened dollar, a backlash against consumerism has resulted. The voluntary simplicity movement, which thrived in the extravagant 1980s, has reemerged. Young families who stockpiled cars, homes, clothes, furniture and toys are now finding joy in downsizing.

Source: findingDulcinea

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Reference: The Garden Writers Association

The Garden Writers Association conducts research into the lawn and garden industry and makes communication with the public a priority. The association conducted the previously mentioned survey that found an increased interest in vegetable gardening among Americans.