We need to bring back food gardens, like our abuelitas used to have

There’s no substituting a good idea, no matter how old it may be. But it’s fair to renew them, in mind and in practice.

Remember the garden your abuela had? My Mama Grande had chiles (of course!). I have an aunt whose house in Nuevo Laredo was a wonderland of fig trees (higos) and all manner of vegetables and citrus. The house I lived in as a small child had an orange tree that sprouted small, bitter oranges. I’m sure that if you put your mind to it you can recall gardens in your family.

Somewhere along the line we forgot them, or better said, we forgot to keep them. Our lives, we think, are much too cluttered and fast paced for a garden. But that doesn’t mean that they’re a bad idea, especially now.

My friend Pamela Price reminded me of that fact recently when we sat to chat at a Chick-fil-a (it’s a long but wonderful story that I’ll share soon.).  She’s the founder of Redwhiteandgrew.com, a website dedicated to “promote the victory garden revival and other simple, earth-friendly endeavors as bipartisan, patriotic acts in an age of uncertainty. ”

Like I said, it’s not a new idea, it’s a needed one. Our abuelas knew this… Pamela, along with Holly Hirsberg (check out her site thedinnergarden.org) did the opening talk at the recent TEDxSanAntonio.  She’s posted a blog touching the main points of her presentation.

Check out the site, grab your palas and talaches and get to work! And call me when you’ve grown enough for a good caldo.