How to Feed Ourselves and Others Amidst Coronavirus #PlantASeedDay
Now, more than ever, is the time to remind ourselves and teach our kids the power of planting seeds and growing food
I finally realized the societal implications of the Coronavirus pandemic last week when I went to the supermarket and discovered lines around the corner to purchase the last of the food on the shelves.
Turning instead to online delivery from Amazon.com, many of the goods were out of stock or rationed so that only one unit of an item could be purchased at a time in order to prevent people from hoarding food which results in supply shortages. It hit me that people were becoming afraid of food scarcity and preparing for the worst.
Although the Coronavirus does not pass through food and there truly is a surplus of food available in America the contagion of chaotic behavior can disrupt the food system and put access to food at risk for those who need it most. In America, despite all the efficiencies of our modern food system working at its best, nearly 15 million households are food insecure. That’s 40 million people. While we are making sure to prevent food scarcity for ourselves, it is vital that we consider those most in need.
Understandably, food, water and air are our most primal necessities and when we fear that one of those may be at risk for ourselves and loved ones, it is human nature to try to stock up for potential famine. Crisis like pandemics cause breakdowns in the infrastructure we have all come to depend upon. We learn how quickly our systems become vulnerable and how dependent we are upon others to feed us.
Given our dependence upon a food supply we cannot control, we can feel powerless in the face of uncertainty and chaos. However, there is something positive that we can do (beyond washing our hands) to empower ourselves and others.
As it turns out, we are all moving into social isolation at the same time as we approach the first day of Spring which happens to be the ideal time of year to sow seeds for future abundance.
March 19th, 2020 is Plant a Seed Day, a different kind of viral social movement aims to inspire and empower millions of people around the world to plant seeds in order to grow food for their loved ones by planting a seed on the first day of spring.
Although it sounds small, growing food at home can have a powerful impact.
In the Spring of 1917, the US National War Garden Commission launched the war garden campaign which resulted in over five million Victory Gardens in the USA. The food produced exceeded $1.2 billion in value by the end of the war. During the second world war 20 million homes –two-thirds of American households — planted Victory Gardens in their front and back yards, empty lots and community parks. Over a vast network of distributed gardens in communities across the country citizens just like you and I were able to grow over 40% of America’s fruits and vegetables.
Now, with schools closed and millions of our children staying at home this Spring, is a good time to remind ourselves and teach our kids the power of planting seeds. Whether one small seed of mint in a windowsill pot to brew nourishing tea, or a front lawn sprawling with beans -planting even a few seeds with our kids is a joyous way to teach them if they care for something, over time it can grow and thrive and provide.
In the winter of 2006, I found myself stranded by a natural disaster.
My three year old daughter and I were visiting a friend in rural Washington State when the Hanukkah Eve Windstorm struck which took down the electricity grid upon which millions of people depended. The grocery stores ran out of power, gave away their food and shut down. After several days without power, people had eaten through their pantries and hit the streets begging for help from neighbors. Being the peak of winter, many were crowding in their cars to keep one another warm. My friends, my toddler and I were fortunate to be fed and kept warm by the generosity of a family whose home was a modest wooden house they had built themselves and powered with solar panels and a backup generator. For years, every spring they had been growing food, enjoying the summer bounty and then freezing and canning in the fall as a passionate family hobby.
During the peak of the crisis, their simple home was lit by candlelight and packed with all the children in the neighborhood, all of whom were nourished and playing together joyously instead of hungry and alone in the cold.
I learned then, at a time when money had no value, that true abundance is being able to provide for your family and others in need when it matters most.
The coronavirus is a different kind of disaster. While we are in no risk of power outages or shortage of food, we are at risk of consistent access to food, as well as suffering from fear and isolation.
But while we are at home during this time of social distancing, we can take advantage of the opportunity to get grounded in the garden.
We can take a break from the physical and mental toll that results from sitting inside behind screens watching the crisis unfold. Growing our own food allows us to fill up on vitamin D from the sun, absorb good bacteria from the soil, reduce stress thus reducing cortisol and feel a sense of pride in our practice of self-reliance.
If you have kids, this is an opportunity to introduce them to the wondrous world of plants and the ancient human capacity we have developed over the past 10,000 years since the dawn of agriculture — to cultivate our own food.
At Big Green, an organization co-founded by my husband Kimbal Musk to build Learning Gardens in schools across America, we have learned that children find planting seeds, nurturing them, and watching them transform sunlight, water and soil into a rainbow of colorful and nutritious foods to be nothing short of magic. But rather than fictional magic, it is the magic of science. Kids learn planning and organizational skills as well as science and math through the growing of food while soaking up sunshine, fresh air and learning the rewards that abound from taking responsibility for something as small as a seed. While we currently reach over 350,000 students around the country each day (and growing)
we started Plant a Seed Day to go really big with something very small.
Plant a Seed Day exists to encourage millions of people to plant anywhere and everywhere across the world.
Whether it is one tiny bean planted in a cup, a window-sill garden of basil or an entire front lawn full of squash, growing food invites a sense of awe and wonder and teaches kids an understanding of the cycles of nature.
Just like millions of others, my family members and I have lived through hurricanes, earthquakes, riots, fires, floods, and now — a pandemic. And what I have learned is to keep calm, and plant on.
To stay responsive to adapt to circumstances as they arrive taking all precautions to stay safe. In this case, washing hands and minimizing contact with others.
To actively find ways to provide immediate support the most vulnerable among us. In this case, supporting local food banks for families in urgent need of food today and Meals on Wheels to deliver food to the elderly who are unable to leave their homes.
But also to plan food for tomorrow by planting seeds of hope that we may harvest in the coming weeks and enjoy all year long. Just a handful of seeds go a very long way. In fact, you can click here to send Big Green your address and we will send you seeds for free!
In 1917 Woodrow Wilson said; “food will win the war.” I believe that food will also win us peace of mind in a time of uncertainty and chaos.
How to Join the Movement:
- PLEDGE: to plant a seed at plantaseedday.org to access gardening resources and to stay connected to a global community of planters all growing seeds and sharing progress through the hashtag #plantassedday.
- PLANT: plant a seed and snap a photo or video for social. Here is a social media toolkit with sample messaging and images to help you join and share the movement on social media.
- CHALLENGE: challenge someone (or many someones!) in your network to plant a seed too! The more seeds we plant, the bigger impact we make.
- POST: Share your post using #plantaseedday. Other tags include @plantaseedday @biggreen @seedsofchange #BeASeedOfChange and @kimbal on Twitter or @kimbalmusk on Instagram.
Throughout the next few months my husband Kimbal and I will be planting our own Victory Garden and sharing planting tips and recipes on our Instagram accounts. Share your gardens and recipes with us too!
