Resistance Gardening
Food is a human right and it is necessary every day for every single human being on Earth. Unfortunately, under a capitalist system, food is not seen as a human right by capitalists but as a commodity, a chance to make a profit regardless of the consequences. This causes a lot of food insecurity because, while there is enough food being produced on Earth to feed around 10 billion people, there is a problem with how this food is distributed among people. Instead of meeting needs, profits are sought after and food is allocated based on who has the money to pay for it.
Resistance gardening is a growing movement where people recognize the neglect of the people's needs by the system and the State and take matters into their own hands. Resistance gardening looks very different for different people. Some are patio gardens, others backyard gardens, some are community gardens tended to by many. There is no one-size-fits-all approach for tending to a garden so it's best to get creative.
During World War I, the United States government advertised and encouraged US residents to make "Victory Gardens" as a way (for white US Americans) to survive through a tough economic time during the war. Resistance gardens could be considered similar, but completely and intentionally divorced from the imperialism, colonialism, and capitalism of the United States. Growing a resistance garden is in response to these systems of oppression and also the violent actions of the United States in the past and present, of which there are too many to begin to list here.
As the political climate continues to destabilize alongside the environmental climate, it is necessary for people to create alternative systems to the ones we are seeing begin to fail. When it comes to food, relying solely on small individual gardens will not cut it, but it is an extremely vital strategy to fill in the gaps and while society is beginning to be organized differently.
People who are resisting capitalism, colonialism, and all other systems of oppression need food to eat and to continue surviving and begin to thrive. As people create and tend to their gardens, new worlds are created. As people work together to meet their needs outside of capitalism, new social systems are created.
How To Get Started
For beginner gardeners, I always recommend starting small and building from there. A good way to start right away is by saving your kitchen scraps and starting a compost pile or bin. Compost is homemade fertilizer for your garden plants and extremely beneficial for the soil's ecosystem. It takes many weeks to have compost ready so it's better to get started on that as soon as possible.
I also recommend keeping a gardening journal where you take note of your local climate, when are the first and last frost dates? What's the average high temperature and low temperature during different seasons? What are the records for highest and lowest temperatures in your area? What kind of soil is in your area or accessible to you? What is the average rainfall in your area? What zone are you in on the U.S Plant Hardiness Map? Start with finding out these facts about your local sub-climate.
Once you know your sub-climate then you can pick one to three plants to begin experimenting with. Choose plants that are edible and that you enjoy eating. If they can provide a macronutrient, even better. For example, potatoes will provide carbohydrates and pinto beans will provide protein and carbohydrates. Take a look at good sources of macronutrients here.
Going forward, it is imperative that needs are met. Resistance gardening is one way to begin meeting the nutritional needs of the proletariat. Producing food on a small scale and on a larger scale as well will need to be prioritized. For those who are interested in plants or gardening, this is one way contribute efforts into meeting people's needs.
