Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Tucson's Summer Blossoms


Come One, Come All!
Join the Hoe-down!
Who are Food Hoes?
We are an informal club of urban & rural gardeners around the globe who use a hoe to bring gardening back into family living. Food Hoes are committed to:
+ Saving, trading, & preserving heirloom, open-pollenated, & land-race varieties of vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, herbs, medicinal plants, and native plants
+ Acting as responsible stewards of the Earth's soil, by using compost, vermaculture & organic soil amendments
+ Respecting every drop of water by reducing household use & using grey water, water harvesting, & xeroscaping & other conservation measures
+ Using, sharing, trading & selling vegetables, herbs, &/or fruits assuring no food waste
+ Connecting with your neighbors to provide good, healthy food for all
Why join the Hoe-down?
+ Eat tastier, fresher, and more nutritional foods
+ Reduce your food costs
+ Connect your food to the Earth
+ Enjoy the peace, & physical & mental exercise of gardening
+ Build self sufficiency for your family & your community
+ Act responsibly for food security for ourselves, our children & our children's children
+ Improve the global environment by: reducing fossil fuels used to grow & transport food; stopping pesticide & herbicide use = cleaner soil & water
+ Create micro environments
+ Build soil fertility
+ Increase seed diversity
+ Increase insect & bird diversity
+ Create & nurture a sense of community among neighbors, family & friends
What Does the Food Hoes Want to Weed Out?
x Unsafe food due to lack of oversight of non-local & imported foods
x Processed foods, high in fat, salt, & sugar, which can lead to sickness & chronic bad health
x Genetically engineered ingredients & irradiated foods
x Maltreatment of animals
x Fruits, nuts, herbs, & vegetables contaminated by fungicides, herbicides, & pesticides
x Farm subsidies to large-scale farming operations at the expense of small farms
x Dumping of subsidized food on undeveloped countries, undercutting small farmers overseas
x Misuse of water