I had a real eye-opening last night, given to me by a friend's lecture on Cuba. For those of you who might be reading me Internationally, let me explain - Americans are not allowed to travel to Cuba. It's the only country in the world where we are not permitted to go, or in which we cannot spend money. This travel ban has been in place since 1961. The money ban, since the Reagan years. The idea is, if an American goes to Cuba, when they come back they get hassled by the police. They get fined. Some get arrested.
The United States has been blockading Cuba since the Kennedy years. This means we have boats in the water - RIGHT NOW - preventing all imports to Cuba (if there are materials that are allowed, I'd like to hear about what they are... please send comments). So the Cuban people have been driving 1940 Buicks and 1970 Russian-made cars and trucks for all of this time. I don't know how they get spare parts for them. I don't know why our Navy has to make sure they can't...
The people of Cuba have had a rough time of it, because of what HAS TO BE an illegal blockade (we're not at War with Cuba - why are we surrounding them with the Navy?). But they have managed to do remarkable things - with no help from us, and almost no help from anywhere else.
Here are some lessons we might learn from Cuba...
They have ration books for every man, woman, and child on the island. These are supposed to ensure that each person gets at least the basics to eat - every day. Even in the US we don't have anything like that. I'm not saying it's A LOT or always what they might CHOOSE, but it's something. For those of us going hungry in other countries and in the US, we know that something beats the crud out of NOTHING AT ALL.
Their workforce is comprised of 35% women - the women have unions to protect them - and they hold positions at EVERY LEVEL of work, from maid to CEO. Men there GAVE UP THEIR HIGH POSITIONS to women who were qualified in order to make sure this would get started! Imagine doing that HERE!!!
Most of their doctors are women. All areas, even the rural ones, have local doctors and free clinics.
There is a Medical School there - the Latin American Medical School - that educates doctors in Cuba, from all over the world! Their program runs 6 years, and the education is FREE. The deal is, when the doctors graduate and return to their countries, they are supposed to work in areas that are under-served, and they are supposed to promote public health-building and education. So in other words, when they go home, they're supposed to teach sexual health, nutritional health, basic exercise, and make people aware of vaccination information, vitamin information, etc.
Our doctors (in the US) wait for you to go to them. They don't do much for free (there ARE exceptions, God bless them!), and they don't promote and teach public health. I think if more people knew basically how their bodies worked, if they knew about right foods and right portions and right storage and right cooking, if they knew about good exercise and good sleeping habits, if they knew about their sexuality and how to handle all involved with it, like protection from disease, or how to stay healthy while pregnant - they would USE THIS INFORMATION. And our doctors would have less to worry about when they DO see us.
The Cubans can only eat the food they grow themselves. So they have "gone organic" - completely! That makes, say, weeding, labor-intensive! And they DEAL WITH IT! There are few to no pesticides and only natural fertilizers. That has got to mean that their soil is better, their ground water is better and their air is better. And that their foods are healthier. There has GOT to be a lesson in THAT!
You might be thinking, "well, Cuba is a mixed bag at best", because they are supposedly Communist. (They call themselves Socialists.) I am not saying I know everything about how they are getting stuff done. I am not saying that living there is Paradise - probably not. But they have a lot of really great ideas and they are implementing them. We don't have to take EVERY LESSON from them, but we can take what is best. A good idea is a good idea no matter where it comes from, right?
Personally, I think the Cuban people are very brave, very hard-working, and very forward-thinking. Who could not learn from people like that?
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Fellow Landless Peasants!
Cities that feed themselves and their neighbors...
Hello Fellow Landless Peasants! So you want a garden too? I don't blame you. I used to garden on my parents' property, but I have never owned land. Hard to keep a Green Thumb with no Brown Dirt of your own.
Lots of apartment dwellers and low-income housing renters are in the same boat. You can't exactly go sticking a shovel in the landlord's lawn. But you still want the advantages of home-grown, fresh fruits and vegetables - they're cheaper, you can control what goes into them and on them, and they are near to hand and fresh off the vine. You can't get that at the local supermarket!
But what can you do? There are lots of places you are not thinking about, just outside, and also inside, your little place.
People put flowers in window boxes, which attach with small metal arms, over any window frame. Instead of flowers, why not strawberry vines? If you are on the first floor, why not use the top of the air conditioner? (I say first floor, because I don't want second floor dwellers openning the window to water the plants and have the air conditioner fall out onto someone's head!)
Along the tops of cabinets or dressers in every room - any place where there is sun exposure - you can put an old pickle jar with potting soil or even just water - and grow tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, eggplant, etc. How about on top of the fridge?
Weirdly, you might also try saving large plastic juice jugs (clear ones are best) - cut them in half to make start-up trays - or cut just the tops off to make potato or onion growing tubs. (These don't even need as much sun exposure as some other plants.) You can try carrots and turnips in these too.
Think about the kinds of vegetable or fruits you would like to have and think you can grow. Only you know what kind of space you have, window exposure, etc. and also what your family likes to eat. Make a plan accordingly. Seeds and even some starter plants are cheap, and if you have gardening friends, they can be FREE!
As a side note - when your plants really take off, and you get all that you need - think about donating the extra stuff to your neighbors, or to the local food pantry or soup kitchen! Don't let anything go to waste.
Let me know how you make out! All stories welcome!
Hello Fellow Landless Peasants! So you want a garden too? I don't blame you. I used to garden on my parents' property, but I have never owned land. Hard to keep a Green Thumb with no Brown Dirt of your own.
Lots of apartment dwellers and low-income housing renters are in the same boat. You can't exactly go sticking a shovel in the landlord's lawn. But you still want the advantages of home-grown, fresh fruits and vegetables - they're cheaper, you can control what goes into them and on them, and they are near to hand and fresh off the vine. You can't get that at the local supermarket!
But what can you do? There are lots of places you are not thinking about, just outside, and also inside, your little place.
People put flowers in window boxes, which attach with small metal arms, over any window frame. Instead of flowers, why not strawberry vines? If you are on the first floor, why not use the top of the air conditioner? (I say first floor, because I don't want second floor dwellers openning the window to water the plants and have the air conditioner fall out onto someone's head!)
Along the tops of cabinets or dressers in every room - any place where there is sun exposure - you can put an old pickle jar with potting soil or even just water - and grow tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, eggplant, etc. How about on top of the fridge?
Weirdly, you might also try saving large plastic juice jugs (clear ones are best) - cut them in half to make start-up trays - or cut just the tops off to make potato or onion growing tubs. (These don't even need as much sun exposure as some other plants.) You can try carrots and turnips in these too.
Think about the kinds of vegetable or fruits you would like to have and think you can grow. Only you know what kind of space you have, window exposure, etc. and also what your family likes to eat. Make a plan accordingly. Seeds and even some starter plants are cheap, and if you have gardening friends, they can be FREE!
As a side note - when your plants really take off, and you get all that you need - think about donating the extra stuff to your neighbors, or to the local food pantry or soup kitchen! Don't let anything go to waste.
Let me know how you make out! All stories welcome!
Your Extra Garden Vegetables
Every Summer, at every party, in every office, they come. You know the ones I mean: THE GARDENERS. Those people either in your family or in your office that grow about 5 times the number of tomatoes any family might need, and then try to give them to you.
It becomes almost a joke. But instead, it could be really helpful. Tell these Green-Thumb Do-Gooders they're giving their produce to the wrong people!
Recently, I have found out what it's like to have to ASK FOR HELP - as in, I became too poor to be able to buy enough food for myself and my family. And it is an education, let me tell you! People tend to donate the off-brands, dented cans, dry goods they can't use. And they almost never give fresh fruits and vegetables.
I am asking you - if you garden, but you get more corn, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers than you can use, consider donating them to the local soup kitchen or food pantry. There, the people won't smile politely and then look at your gift like it's a third arm. The people at soup kitchens and food pantries won't consider it "extra"; they'll consider themselves really really LUCKY.
You know that for your own family, fresh fruits and vegetables are a NECESSITY for good health. Don't forget the people who can't quite make it this Season. They would like for their families to stay healthy too.
And wouldn't it be nice to know that your gardening effort really helped someone?
From those of us on the Chow Lines, thank you.
It becomes almost a joke. But instead, it could be really helpful. Tell these Green-Thumb Do-Gooders they're giving their produce to the wrong people!
Recently, I have found out what it's like to have to ASK FOR HELP - as in, I became too poor to be able to buy enough food for myself and my family. And it is an education, let me tell you! People tend to donate the off-brands, dented cans, dry goods they can't use. And they almost never give fresh fruits and vegetables.
I am asking you - if you garden, but you get more corn, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers than you can use, consider donating them to the local soup kitchen or food pantry. There, the people won't smile politely and then look at your gift like it's a third arm. The people at soup kitchens and food pantries won't consider it "extra"; they'll consider themselves really really LUCKY.
You know that for your own family, fresh fruits and vegetables are a NECESSITY for good health. Don't forget the people who can't quite make it this Season. They would like for their families to stay healthy too.
And wouldn't it be nice to know that your gardening effort really helped someone?
From those of us on the Chow Lines, thank you.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Canada, eh? Nosher of the North!
I wanted to put you all onto another Blogger that writes on our topics! I think he's very good - give him a shot.
The Ethicurean - http://www.ethicurean.com/
At the Ethicurean site - see Peter, the Nosher of the North! http://www.ethicurean.com/2007/01/28/winter-realities-in-montreal-canada/#comment-91216
Peter lives in the Montreal, Canada area and is currently experimenting with local cheeses! Check him out.
The Ethicurean - http://www.ethicurean.com/
At the Ethicurean site - see Peter, the Nosher of the North! http://www.ethicurean.com/2007/01/28/winter-realities-in-montreal-canada/#comment-91216
Peter lives in the Montreal, Canada area and is currently experimenting with local cheeses! Check him out.
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