There is an old Chinese proverb that states, “Give a man a fish and he can eat for a day. Teach him to fish and he can feed himself for a lifetime.” The same can be said for fresh produce. However, if you look at some of the lowest income areas in our world, you will see that they do not have gardens to grow food in, nor can they afford to buy it from others. If the people who live in these areas could learn how to grow their own food, many of them would cease to be hungry.
Teaching Man to Produce Foods
The people who live in these areas would have to put forth the effort to grow foods. They would need to understand that certain vegetables and fruits are only able to grow during certain times of the year. They would need to be given seeds to get started and perhaps taught how to tend to their garden. They would also need the space that growing a garden requires. This may be difficult in cities where not everyone has a back yard, but it is still doable. People who live in those areas can make use of living walls inside of their living room if there is someone willing to help them build the wall.
Getting Started
You and a group of friends can start changing the world through teaching people to grow a garden. You can provide the seeds and encourage others to plant them. If someone in your group has a lot of spare lumber or the ability to create a few shelves, they can offer to give low income families the ability to grow food inside of their home. If someone is homeless, you may be able to plant vegetables in an old wagon or even a cardboard box. You do not have to provide a lot of anything. An old wagon that your children no longer play with can be used. If you do not have the ability to help others in this way, you may opt to grow your own garden and invite lower income families to come and take a small bag full or something.
Do Only What You Can
A cucumber, a tomato, or a head of lettuce may not seem like much. However, to someone who hasn’t eaten in a week, it can seem like a banquet. It can mean that their child does not go to sleep hungry tonight. It can be a hope for a better tomorrow and it really does not have to cost you anything. Especially if you already love gardening. Then perhaps you can take it further and teach that person or that child how to grow their own tomato plant or their own carrots. It is then that the possibilities for those people become endless.