Image by Dandelion Salad via Flickr
TEDtalksDirector·Mar 6, 2013
Ron Finley plants vegetable gardens in South Central LA — in abandoned lots, traffic medians, along the curbs. Why? For fun, for defiance, for beauty and to offer some alternative to fast food in a community where “the drive-thrus are killing more people than the drive-bys.”
see
Earth Focus Episode 48 – Meeting Tomorrow’s Food Needs
The Financialization of Food and the Profitability of Poverty by Andrew Gavin Marshall
Urban Forest Erupts In San Francisco’s Edgy Tenderloin Neighborhood
Detroit: Urban Farming Revolution
Portland’s Backyard Fruit – From Waste to Feast
Pam Warhurst: How We Can Eat Our Landscapes + Stephen Ritz: Green Walls Feeding the Bronx
Dandelion Salad 
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Political Power to right the many wrongs
Co-op’s are an integral part of our political institutions. Those who are in control of the city, county in many forms of districts could be persuaded to transfer some of those large tracts of land to Co-op’s . With the title’s in hand and a approved form of governance by the co-op’s capital expended in all ways could be assured of existing without being over run by the next administration that might have another idea what that land should be used for.
That is true all over the world — squatters in the end have no rights expect what they have on their backs each day. So those who do care the only way to get there is using the political systems in place when the land is selected and bargaining begins.
The coy looks and chagrins coming from the thieves that see’s all the work they can steal will upset most that have no ideas of what power the politicians do have when in office. But the bottom line is who holds the title deed free and clear and have taxes abated along with public utilities for 100 years or more has that power to begin food growing projects that will feed the many thousands maybe millions for years and in the end keep our youth with their hands in the dirt tied once again to our Mother Earth.
Finally in this day we live Lawyers must play their part to give back, in doing they must work the work of gaining clear titles for the land then prepare documents that the politicians at the time can sign off on without fear — yes we have to paint pictures of our future and the only way to do that is in good formed legal words that will endure.
Pure genius! real “commons” sense!!
I love this guy ~ hey Lo, this could really be something so great, it might even get people out of their cars!!!
Glad you liked it, David. This is the future for activism. It’s one of the most revolutionary things to do (plant a garden).
In case you missed these:
https://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/roger-doiron-a-subversive-plot-how-to-grow-a-revolution-in-your-own-backyard/
https://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2011/02/28/urban-farming-for-food-security/
https://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2008/05/20/sustainable-food-ucla-lecture-homegrown-revolution/
Fantastic, I so agree. Thank you! No more powerful statement can be made.
As Oren Lyons and many others have shown with such abundant clarity, a tree is more than just a single organism, it is a community ~ all of life EVERYWHERE (so it must be true of galactic worlds also) depends on inter-species mutual synergies, symbiotic relationships…I believe this is the true politics, even the religion of the future: the visionary bio-dynamics of intelligent life itself.
Bankers and gardeners need to get to know each other! Then plant up the Pentagon inner sanctum courtyard, why not?.