Keep it busy

You know,
Life is not easy, it is hard getting through sometimes. Thats why I like to keep busy. The busier I keep myself the better my brain is, on all levels. I don't worry, I don't think crazy unhealthy things like my boyfriend doesn't love me or I suck or somehthing like that.
Moving on then in an effort to keep my mind from wondring to the negative side of my psyche I read some more chapters of Farm City by Novella Carpenter. Who is my mini hero until I find the space in my life to start my own urban farm or join some kind of urban farming initiative.
Today I read about the nineteenth century urban market plots, about 2 acres in size, that Paris had available for its citizens to farm. It was estimated that from 1,800 plots 100,000 tons of produce was harvested annually. So much that they actually exported produce to other countries.
The more I read her book and check out http://www.cityfarmer.info/, my new favorite blog, the more I find that our world has a deep history of urban farming.
Many immigrants to the states kept pigs and chickens in and around their urban dwellings, during war times people in Great Britain and in the US were encouraged to turn their yards and limited green space into Victory Gardens, in New York in the 1970's there was a city initiative that supported community gardens throughout the city in abandoned lots, Havana, Cuba has been a urban farming city for quite sometime and their urban farming only becomes more prolific with time,"Shanghai raises 85 percent of its produce within city limits." Farm City, and urban farming is also encouraged in Poland and Tanzania.
Many people in cities in the US have slowly been getting their feet wet,even more so in recent months since the recession started in late 2008. With the poor only finding it harder to survive and the federal aid becoming more and more scarce for the growing numbers on unemployment, urban farming is sounding a lot more enticing to many people. When you're unemployed what you don't have is money but what you do have is a whole lot of time. Might as well spend it outside making yourself useful. Unless you have a allergy to the sun I don't think it will hurt you.
Don't have soil start making it yourself. I have a wormbin at my parents house and my boyfriend and I's apartment. It is so easy and they are the most low maintenance pets you'll ever have. Worms eat My Garbage by Mary Applehof is a great way to get started. You don't have to buy the super expensive 20 dollar lb. bag of worms either, most bait shops sell red wigglers, $4 for 50 worms. Feed them eggshells and in no time you'll have a pound of worms.
anywho I have to get back to painting folks
Peace out
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