In a caveat to the 1973 Farm Bill, food stamps, now called SNAP, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance, benefits were first allowed to be used at farmers’ markets and grocery stores to buy fruit and vegetable seeds and seedlings to help people grow gardens and produce food at home for themselves.
Nutrition, cultural geography and public health research indicate that even if it’s just a tomato in a bucket, home garden food production is widely recognized have multiple benefits.
Vegetables and fruit grown in a home garden contribute to household nutrition and self-reliance. Swapping and sharing tomatoes and zucchini strengthen ties between neighbors and home gardens maintain traditional food-ways as gardening stories, seeds, cooking skills and recipes are shared with family and friends.
—Liz Kirchner
