Photo: United Nations Photo

By: Melaina Gasbarrino

We all have at least a vague understanding of gardening, but what about heirloom gardening? We hear about heirloom tomatoes all the time, but what exactly does that mean? I have to be honest, the first book that I picked up on heirloom gardening I had no idea what wonderful world I was getting myself into. After reading that book, I now want to purchase heirloom seeds so every one of my fruits and vegetables will have a unique story behind them. If you’re wondering why I’ve been so inspired by heirloom seeds, well that’s because they are seeds originating from plant varieties introduced at least 50 years ago. Heirlooms are also non-hybrid and open-pollinated, in laymen’s terms, an heirloom seed will grow just as its parent seed year after year unlike genetically modified seeds.

Because the seeds have not been tampered with, like that of genetically modified seeds, the varieties of fruits and vegetables that come about are nutritious and certainly delicious. Read More

Photo: Oxfam International

Finding a backyard with a garden can be a blessing and often a rarity for many homeowners in the United States. However, take a gander over to Africa and not only will you see things in a different light but you will find one of the biggest and newest initiatives taking place in the Western Hemisphere. “A Thousand Gardens in Africa,” is the latest from the Slow Food Movement and the plan is, in itself, self-explanatory. The mission: to build 1,000 gardens in 26 different countries throughout Africa.

Slow Food USA, the national non-profit organization dedicated to the slow food movement is teaming up with Slow Food International to carry out this enormous project. Throughout different countries in the Terre Madre region, including Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Morocco, Slow Food International advocates are working on building three different garden models in various African communities and villages. Read More