Cuba got those Greens

Some answers are the simplest. With the looming specter of an 'economic collapse' always on the horizon people start to think about the essentials with more clarity; food, clothing and shelter. How can one secure those three things for their family in uncertain times. Well, for me, it is always about taking it back to basics. Once you start to do that you begin to realize that you should've never departed from basics.

For me that has been my garden. I have a small garden outside and a hydroponic garden. I've been able to grow some nice green leafy things and other treats that has definitely lightened my economic food bill. Now the real question is, why isn't EVERYONE doing this?

Several reasons pop to the mental. Some just don't know how, some don't think they have the time, yet the prevailing reason that I see is that we just have this disconnect from what we eat and where it comes from. That is really troubling because that means we can get fed the wrong food and not even question if it is wrong food.

"..they want us to think that we are all different"

Another thing going down is that many in power have demonized other countries and peoples that we don't even look to see how they are getting things done. Think about it. Cuba has been ostracized on many levels from the world stage. How does an island survive in such a state? They've been living under an 'economic crisis' forever. Maybe we should check them out.

Cuba Relies on Urban Gardens to Feed Hungry Populace

by Eliza Barclay, Nomad on 12.17.08

Planet Ark/Reuters has a nice piece out of Havana about how urban gardens are filling a key void in food production after three hurricanes wiped out 30 percent of the country's farm crops. In Cuba, urban gardens have proliferated in vacant lots, alongside parking lots, in the suburbs and on city rooftops, taking up some 35,000 hectares (86,000 acres). Most gardens sell their produce directly to the community and, because the economic embargo restricts agricultural input imports, grow their crops organically.

"Urban agriculture is going to play a key role in guaranteeing the feeding of the people much more quickly than the traditional farms," Richard Haep, Cuba coordinator for German aid group Welthungerhilfe, which has supported urban garden projects since 1994, told Planet Ark.

Some 15 percent of the world's food is grown in urban areas, according to the US Department of Agriculture. That number is expected to risk as food prices rise, urban populations grow and environmental concerns compound.

One cooperative garden in Havana called Alamar produces more than 240 tons of vegetables annually on its 11 hectares (27 acres) of land. : Via Planet Ark/Reuters

Photo credit: Enrique De La Osa/ Files

More on Cuba:

Cuba Does Its Part in Billion Tree Campaign
Cuba's Organic Revolution
How We Will Eat Come the Revolution: The Cuba Diet
Cuba's Environment Threatened as Embargo's End Looms
Economic Crisis Kept Cubans Healthier and Biking

Jacked the above from Treehuger.com