New Yorkers grow seedlings to survive the epidemic

New Yorkers began to grow potted vegetables and herbs to shop less during the coronavirus epidemic. The publication shared the details "Voice of America".

Garden in the apartment

Brooklyn resident Lucy Lesser never liked tomatoes, as well as other vegetables.

“They always seemed to me viscous, tasteless, disgusting - until I tried a tomato grown at home,” - said Lucy.

After that, the girl decided to grow not only tomatoes, but also other vegetables, as well as berries and fruits right at home. To do this, she uses every square centimeter of the apartment. For example, seeds are stored in the kitchen, seedlings are sprouting in the bedroom, and a real vegetable garden is laid out in the backyard - with beds of garlic, collard greens, strawberries, and various herbs. There is even a fig tree that bears fruit.

After the coronavirus epidemic took out of her job, she realized that her neighbors were in the same dire situation. Therefore, from mid-March, she began to display containers with seedlings in front of the house, so that people could take them for themselves completely free of charge. Already on the first day, 150 plants were dismantled, and after a week - 250.

“I'm just trying to help. In this difficult time, even those who have money try not to go to the store again, ”explained Lucy. "Nobody wants to take risks."

She also said that people began to write to her from all over the city, who set up kitchen gardens on the roofs, on balconies and back yards.

Assistance to affected areas

Marcel Van Owen, director of Grow Food NYC, said that he loves to grow herbs and spices, because they are expensive and grow quickly and unpretentiously. Marcel leads a charity that has persuaded New Yorkers to do gardening for the past 30 years.

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They used to set up blooming gardens in abandoned parking lots. However, today all collective gardens are closed by decision of the mayor of Bill de Blasio. So now they are delivering boxes of food to those in particular need.

Today, Grow Food NYC's goal is to deliver thousands of food boxes to areas hit hard by the epidemic. “Where people don't have access to fresh vegetables,” explained the head of the organization. The list of such places includes parts of Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx.

Life in harmony with nature

Today, 50 million people live in the so-called Northeast Corridor - a conglomeration of cities from Baltimore to Boston. Historically, products were brought here from the agricultural states. For example, chicken is delivered to New York from North Carolina, eggs from Ohio, apples from the west coast.

The disadvantages of this system became especially apparent during the pandemic of the new coronavirus.

Professor Andrew Faust teaches New England residents to live in harmony with nature. He owns the Ellenville Eco Center, located north of New York. There he grows all kinds of organic vegetables and fruits.

According to him, with the advent of the epidemic, planning errors became obvious. He wants to believe the city has set up a disaster storage facility that holds food for many months. Such places could store pasta, beans, canned food, he said. Faust even knows where in the city there are empty buildings suitable for this purpose. “Instead, they (the city authorities - Ed.) Completely trusted the businessmen and said:“ They will feed the residents, no matter what, ”says Faust.

Today, tubs with plants are visible from different roofs in New York. The largest garden on the roof of Brooklyn-Grange - they harvested the first crop, while Lucy Lesser from Brooklyn had already planted buckwheat and peas.