Urban Gardeners – Shifting Perspectives

When deeply-rooted urban citizens start sharing tips about pruning and local seed varieties, you know something is shifting.

In Pondicherry (1 million inhabitants) there is a movement stirring, tugging at the threads that have been holding consumers back, away from the soil and the food they eat. Gradually people are looking at tree leaves not as waste to be cleaned up, but as mulching material. People are looking at vacant plots assessing if there is enough sunlight and water to warrant a veggie plot.

Maybe it’s too early to cry victory, but the following facts are worth noting:

• Every other week 10 new people sign up on a local WhatsApp group to start a new community kitchen garden.
• The traditional religious ceremony of Aadi Peruku, marking the beginning of the growing season, was celebrated in the local gardens.
• In Auroville, the world’s largest ecovillage 12 km from the city, permaculture and growers from both places are now starting to interact.
• Citizens are not only learning about cultivation of crops, but also picking wild edible weeds and medicinal plants.
• The first collective harvest-and-cook event took place in Auroville.
• A shared cooking and eating event is planned in Pondy, inviting farmers from the bioregion and local restaurants to bond over food.
• A local mutual credit exchange was launched to facilitate sharing of goods and services.
• There is even a dedicated radio programme hosted by Krishna Mc Kenzie, master-grower and musician.
• The SEEDS community awarded a grant of 100,000 Seeds to reward 100 active gardeners who visibly increase food sovereignty!

To find out more, check out these FB pages:

https://www.facebook.com/edibleweedwalk
https://www.facebook.com/solitudefarm/

And the radio show:
https://www.aurovilleradio.org/nutritional-cultural-redemption-ep-3-community-gardens-changing-a-paradigm/