What’s New is Old

Intersections of history and gardening in the era of COVID-19

Ernest Keith is in his 80s, but he still tends a big garden every year and gives the produce to his neighbors. In the film Sharecrop he said “I always was a person who loved to give…there’s a joy in giving.” Photo by Claudia Stack do not use without permission

Being sequestered at home during the COVID-19 pandemic has many people thinking about self-sufficiency. In my article “Grow Some Food: It will make you feel better”, I presented a few easy ways you can nourish your body and calm your mind by producing some of your own food.

When I think about producing food, it brings to mind the stories I heard while doing oral history interviews for my documentaries about historic African American schools and rural life. Hearing these stories made me realize that some of the approaches used in today’s self-sufficiency movement are really techniques that small farmers used since time immemorial.

A handbook issued in North Carolina during WWII to encourage families to garden photo by Claudia Stack do not use without permission

Flip through any magazine about sustainable agriculture or self-sufficiency, and you’ll find techniques that echo the wisdom of prior generations. From composting to co-grazing, these approaches are really about relationships, whether with the land, livestock or neighbors. As a teacher and filmmaker, I have a deep interest in these echoes of the rural past. On our modest (14 acre) farm in North Carolina we garden, keep chickens, and have small herd of beef cattle.