(ThyBlackMan.com) Many of us are watching the direction the country is headed. We don’t know what the full ramifications of this administration will be on everyday necessities for Americans. Many of us know someone that is dependent on the government for something. While we are pushing self sufficiency financially and in the area of employment we can’t forget about the very basic needs necessary for survival, food. We are seeing more occurrences whereby food items are being recalled for contamination. In all honesty what would we go if the local grocery store was no longer an option? Our people need to look at investing in agriculture as a way to increase revenue and ensure a food source should anything devastating happen.
This doesn’t have to be begin on a large scale. We can start by using the spaces we have available to grow gardens. If several people in
the community planted small urban gardens even now we could help feed people in the neighborhood that we know are experiencing hardships. We may not be able to feed all the hungry, but we can start by taking care of our family, and immediate community. This is another step in taking the initiative to care for our own knowing that we can’t rely on the government to work in our best interest.
It is becoming harder to trust the food we see in grocery stores. The preservatives and method of preparation is proving to be more unhealthy with each passing day. Meat contamination is also part of the argument of vegetarians and vegans against eating meat. We cannot guarantee the safety of the meat we are buying. Fruits and vegetables are growing larger than they should with abnormal shapes. No one whether you eat mat or not is safe in terms of our food supply being clean. We are getting to the point whereby to know what we are eating we will need to grow it ourselves. It is important that we involve our children by teaching them to grow their own food, and in doing so teach them to feed themselves and the people.
Growing, and raising our food source can also help rebuild the community dynamic of our people. There is a lot of discussion about violence in our community. One way to decrease the violence is to give the young people something to care about beyond themselves. Tending the gardens, experiencing a harvest, being able to eat what they grew and share it with others can help our children understand the humanity in themselves and others. Furthermore, it fosters a sense of hard work, benefiting directly for said work, and an understanding of patience as it takes time for food to grow.
We need farms, and gardens. This will give us a sense of self sufficiency in making sure we can eat should anything go left in this country that prevents us from obtaining food in the ways we are accustom. It is getting to the point whereby our government is making decisions that we are not sure about regarding our safety, and we must have a way to survive. Furthermore, producing our own food as a community very well maybe the healing we need.
Staff Writer; Chelle’ St James
May also connect with this sister via Twitter; ChelleStJames.