The Grass Doctor

Food prices going way up in the next few months. What will Bush do about it, and is it time to grow gardens?

According to economists in the US, shortages of grain and other food elements, combined with a falling US dollar, means that food prices will be shooting way up in the next several months (in the US - if you live somewhere with a strong currency like the Euro, congrats!). What does Bush plan to do to arrest this trend, and given how incompetent he is, is it fair to assume he WON'T be able to stop the trend, and therefore we should look out for ourselves? How come so many people have lawns, but not gardens? That doesn't make sense. Grass is idle. It doesn't produce anything you can use to sustain your life. But just by tearing up some grass and putting seeds in there, you can make the ground work for YOU. Even if you are lazy, just plant a bunch of very hardy root vegetables, like potatoes or turnips or something. They'll grow on their own, and you just harvest them when they are ready. Why don't more people do this? All you need to grow your own food is dirt. At their peak in WWII, victory gardens provided 25% of all vegetables consumed in the US. We should do this again. The president claims that he is "the decider."

Public Comments

1. Grow away!!!!, at least you'll know where it is coming from.
2. Don't just grow your own food, but buy it from local farmers in season. Greener living also means gardens and not green lawn. I fully agree with you. If you have space to grow a garden--grow it! We consume a gallon of petrol a day the way we eat, doing so will help reduce our dependence on oil.
3. I guess you don't live in the south... lots of gardens down here.. always have been. My family does well for themselves... and they have two gardens anyway... it's good food and good exercise. And the city I live in has land at some of the local parks set aside for public gardening use.
4. Great idea! Tomatoes cost an arm and a leg, along with peppers etc. I had heard food prices were going up 3-4%. Since Bush didn't do anything about rising gas prices and the ridiculous price of milk, I doubt he will do anything about this.
5. That could have been a nice inspirational statement and you made it angry.
6. I already have a huge garden. I plant one every year..great way to insure your vegetables are insecticide free as well. I don't have to blame Bush before doing something to help myself and my family.
7. Bush won't do a thing, he's been coasting for 7 years. I mean why start now ? This is exactly why we need change in the White House. I'm not sure who said it but this quote sums it up pretty good. It's the Economy Stupid !
8. I have been thinking about this for a while. It is, for several reasons, becoming important for people to start growing their own food. I don't know if there will be a shortage in the classical sense, but it may become too expensive for some. The Corporate Farms have done so much to poison the food supply. Growing your own food locally and becoming members of cooperatives frees you from the business cycle
9. It is going up because of the cost of fuel, and many farmers are growing "green" products to be made into fuel. That creates a shortage of food and supply and demand dictates the price will go up. Pretty hard to have a garden in our major cities which are the largest consumers. A New York flat of 450 sq. feet has little room for growing turnips, potatoes and wheat.
10. Oddly, enough I do grow corn,beans, tomatoes,snap peas,cabbage, potatoes and green peppers- this year I will add broccoli . People don't do this because it takes more than just dirt - it takes commitment and work. You do most of your harvesting here in the dog days of summer and it can be wearing. Don't forget about the honeybee shortage- that will soon be driving up the cost of produce.
11. Not only that but since you're fat start riding that bike.
12. I have a garden. It's a good idea to have one and a bad idea to want the President to mandate it. Part of our problem is that the liberals are pushing ethanol and what was once our food is now our fuel. (and not a good fuel at that.)
13. Food is going up because gas is going up. The better question is how do we reduce the price of oil? The answer is simple. Disregard all those environmentalist wackos who are paying our Congress to prevent us from drilling for oil in our own country. Further, make it cheaper for industries to do business by reducing the cost of doing business and make it more expensive to import products. Our trade deficit will be greatly reduces, "Made in America" will be the most popular words in the world again, and our economy will stimulate the entire world again as it has in the past. We will once again take our rightful seat as the world's greatest country to live and work in.
14. Already doing that since 911. i have a great greenhouse now. Its the gas prices that are in control of everything, and Yes as much as I hate to say it, the government needs to do something to curtail their gross profits
15. The nanny state needs to take care of you. Therefore the nanny state is incompetent. Keep looking for you help from the government and hate big business and see where that gets you.
16. I have no idea what Bush's plans are, but I do know it is good for Americans to grow gardens. There's nothing better than eating fresh vegetables you grew yourself, and sharing with your neighbors who may plant different things. They taste better, they're grown locally, and usually little to no pesticides are used.
17. My parents had a victory garden a block from their house. We are in a slow recession, and it is going to get harder to make ends meet than probably since WW11. We might as well make preparations for this, because Bush can not do anything in the time he has in office to try and insert help into the economy. He has authorized a rebate this spring if you qualify for it. I predict that this recession in going to be in a class all by itself. It won't be called a depression because that panics the general public. We as citizens can do our share in making our groceries stretch, not take unnecessary trips in the car and cut down on gas assumption. It is not going to be an easy task, and all the population should take the first step to change their way of living. Water conservation should be important as well as prices going sky high. Water comsumption in this country is too high. Golf courses, factories, large skyscrapers, massive car transportation , and supplies should be purchased with care. and people should be taught how to do without and wait until they can afford it. Jobs as well as housing is really going to feel the pinch. By summer we should have a pretty good idea what is in store for the American citizen!!!!!