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Description |
A college friend’s wishful desire to replace the concrete parking lot outside her college dorm for a small garden plot led to a discussion about our mutual difficulties finding a location to grow our own vegetables. Brainstorming expanded our ides from planting a -garden in a small trailer to larger garden mobiles and finally to the concept of a bus-field (raising vegetables inside a bus).
Although the idea was an exciting one, research soon revealed the amount of work and commitment required to make this a possibility. I also felt the need to work for a purpose greater than growing food for my own use. And so began the Urban Green Lunch Box Project.
We know a bus is not the most logical place to plant a garden; however, not much about our current food system is logical. With the increasing cost of food (due in large part to the cost of transporting mass-produced vegetables), we feel the small initial expense in starting a garden supports the benefits of taste, cost savings, health, exercise and a clean environment.
While growing food and transporting it across the country produces food that is tasteless, expensive and very damaging to the environment. We understand, however, that growing food in a converted school bus will not solve the many problems in our current food system. But we hope to begin by using the Urban Green Urban Lunch Box to educate and motivate individuals about issues related to food production and also to eating in a more healthy way.
We anticipate that the creative artwork and related advertising on the exterior of the bus will capture immediate attention, and once inside, informative displays, tiers of plants in various stages of growth, and interactive projects will introduce visitors to the many varied possibilities of raising a productive and tasty urban garden.
The Green Urban Lunch Box will tour local schools, farmers markets, concerts in the parks, festivals, and wherever groups of people, especially children, gather. Our intent is to create a fun hands-on approach to gardening. Once our program is introduced, we will expand into areas such as community supported agriculture (CSA), urban garden, eating locally, and the benefits of growing and eating our own fresh food. (read less)
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Mission |
Our mission is to demonstrate the creative possibility of urban agriculture by promoting local farms, healthy eating, and sustainability. This will be accomplished by means of a mobile greenhouse (The Green Urban Lunch Box): a converted 35-foot school bus. We will take the bus on visits to schools, farmers’ markets, fairs, and other community events. We will focus on educating citizens about producing nutritious food, conserving resources, and encouraging self-reliance.
Our goal is to be self-sufficient. Funding support will come from the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, advertising space on the bus, and consulting with schools and community groups in building their own bus-fields.
Our first priority is sustainability and doing what is best for the community. We will freely share information with others trying to make the world a better place. |
Copyright 2013 OUTFOX Prevention LLC