Gardeners battle high food prices in their backyards

Back in World War II, victory gardens were grown as a way both to relieve the pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort and to boost morale, by giving a person a sense of empowered contribution and reward in raising produce. They were vegetable, herb and fruit gardens that were planted at any private residence C backyards, apartment building rooftops and the occasional vacant lot.

Nowadays, because of the high cost of anything dependent on fuel, including food, more and more people seem to have taken to growing or raising their own food in either a family or community garden. Local farmers and gardeners who have grown their own food for some time now encourage this possible trend, citing a shared view that the taste of one's own or locally farmed produce is better and much more pronounced.

"A lot of people aren't gardening, but people are talking about it," says Susan Lehnen of Baring, who grows her own produce and has organized local gardeners with an e-mail list that allows people to send out gardening tips.

"It's going to happen more often, what with the floods in Iowa, just trying to help keep food costs down," says Marie Orrell of Eastport, who, along with friends Pat Desmond and Pat Derry, grows produce in a garden shared between the three women.

"I've never had to do a vegetable garden before," says Orrell, chalking hers up as a learning experience. "We thought we could help our own economy by harvesting our own produce. Growing up, I never had to do this sort of thing. Pat Desmond and Pat Derry and I thought it'd be a good learning experience, and we hope to do this every year. The soil is newly used for our gardening. We got a late start and not a lot of sun or warm weather."

Karen Baldauski and Bob Foster of Lubec made the decision to grow their own food in 2002. They started a farm stand then to sell their excess produce. After moving to Lubec in 2007, they had more land to work with in order to grow more crops and share their excess through their farm stand. Baldauski credits her inspiration to garden from memories of childhood growing up in the country and having fresh produce there. "It's a beautiful thing to watch things grow," says Baldauski. "Gardening is a joy!"

A concern for what might delay community response to this idea is that commercial advertising suggests that people should stay the same route and obtain produce through the same means as they usually do, subscribing to that value system. Baldauski offers food for thought on the subject. "Home gardeners can grow one tomato plant and get four to ten pounds of tomatoes," says Baldauski. "Think how much four to ten pounds of tomatoes would cost you at the store versus buying a single tomato seed and growing it into those four to ten pounds."

"You can't really preach to folks to try this," says Lehnen. "They either do it and experience it or they don't. Human nature is such that people don't make a change unless it comes back to bite them."

"People should be growing their own food if they can," says Baldauski. "It's cheaper than buying it. More importantly, it's more fresh. Lettuce and fresh produce won't lose nutritional value from a long trip. You also know what you're putting into the ground."

A common concern is that, when shipped out, the fresh and green produce emits natural gases that can actually degrade it during its journey to the supermarket. Or there is also the question of produce that has been grown with chemicals or synthetic fertilizers present. It is believed that the reliance on synthetic chemicals in corporate agriculture is contributing to the destruction of soil.

"I love to have it right at hand and know it's fresh," says Pat Derry, a gardening associate of both Marie Orrell and Pat Desmond. "There's a great satisfaction in seeing your plants grow and thrive."

"Growing your own garden is great, but it's hard work," Lehnen says.

Marie Orrell's shared garden has seen, according to her, a lot of hard work and a lot of sighing, pulling weeds, watering, putting up fences for deer and other critters. Thus it has earned the name the "Garden of Sighs," for all of the sighs put into its creation.

However, Derry points out, "I love having friends to garden with. It's fun! We have lots of laughs."

"Lots of hands make for light work," Orrell says. "People can take turns with the responsibilities and enjoy the fruits of their labor."

Orrell, Desmond and Derry recently had their first garden dinner, having harvested some of their own lettuce and served it with scallions or pasta. Their husbands came and fixed up fences around the garden. "The reward was the meal that we all enjoyed," says Derry. "Our next will center around spinach and salad."

The Cobscook Community Learning Center in Trescott has a community garden plot with spaces available and a new raised planting bed for those who are unable to work on the ground. They have also received a generous contribution of composted soil from Coast of Maine. The produce is grown for the gardeners' families and for the local food pantry. Deb Shields helped to bring about the community garden at the CCLC.

"Deb is here every Saturday to work with volunteers and teach them how to garden or share ideas," says Alan Furth, executive director of the CCLC.

Lehnen advises those interested in gardening to look into local farmers' markets, adding that exchange and trading are part of the answer. Gardening at home and providing for the community can benefit everyone.

"People should rely on more locally produced vegetables and fruits," says Baldauski. "Maybe they will, since it costs $25 to go elsewhere and buy their produce."

"Try to be conscious," says Lehnen. "Grow your own produce, make sure what you purchase is local, and put some of what you grow away."