The Dutch examples

Creativity is needed when space is scarce

Oke. Let’s start this research on green in the city in The Netherlands. The country I’ve lived most of my life and in which I have some connections in the field.

Holland is known for its organized structure. This tradition dates a long way back to the period in which water management was started to guarantee the Dutch dry feet. Thanks to centuries of experience the country now has quite a clear tax system, takes care of the young the old and the in between and seems to be able to win economic importance in the fight with the big ones. The Dutch are a lucky nation not having to worry about anything.

But as all happy people they have found something to complain about. The country is too organized, governments is to bureaucratic, things are too slow. So they started to look for ways to obviate the laws and initiated the things which lacked in their happy lives.

Some years ago the Dutch realized they missed green in their cities and decided to make a change. Left over places in the city - which are ample thanks to/ caused by the current economic crisis – were squattered (also a famous Dutch tradition). In a country as small as the Netherlands, we cannot leave too much space unplanned. So seeds were spread, plants were planted and nature did the rest. Well almost.

It took a few years but now the governments and (big) companies have realized that these Dutch rebels made a point. Next to the economic crisis, causing many people to find it harder to fill their plates, we are heading for a social, a climate and a food crisis. And this spontaneous urban farming on places which were no use before seems to be the solution for it all! 

All these ideas broad-up and executed by brave citizens have shaken our local governments awake. Thanks to their efforts many cities now offer subsidies to make green roofs, not only good for insulation and water intake but also for our hungry stomachs. It even might be used as a way of city marketing.  Individuals have developed themselves in specialists dealing with roof gardening. Artists have created greener, healthier and more social neighborhoods. Multinationals have spent their money. Ideologists have realized their dream.

Now food is hip. Or a hype. I don’t know (yet). At least more and more people realize that it is not really hard to grow your own food. And that it is important to know where your food comes from, how it is produced and so on. Many brave citizens have followed the rebels. And the government did.

Could this happen in other countries too? You will read it next week.

Next week on Food in the Streets facebook page many examples of Dutch’ with green thumbs. 

Where is the green

This garden shows that you don't need that much space to grow food

Ok. This is maybe not the time to complain about a lack of green. The trees now deserve a good break to be able to carry fresh green leaves in the next spring. But this doesn’t mean that we do not have to think about the near future.

Milano is a green city. It has some big parks in and around the centre and most streets are wide and have room for large trees. The city also has many fruit and veggie sellers and regular markets. We even have a bosco verticale It actually lacks only one thing.

Many cities are now searching for ways to bring their citizens in contact with the origin of their food. Now the countryside it getting empty while cities continue to grow it is more difficult to feed them all. Who is there to grow our food, how to keep it fresh and what about the factual costs as energy price and environmental impact?

As part of the Italian culinary tradition many people in small and medium sized villages use parts of their gardens to grow food. Some of these gardens are built out of necessity (economic, long distance to fresh food) but most of them are there just for the fun. Because it is enjoyable to grow your own food, it is healthy, tasteful and so on.

Opposing to this wealth of gardens around Milano there is hardly any vegetable or food garden to see in the city. Why not. Are the fashion designers, models, architects, and others afraid to get their hands dirty?

I don’t know, but I think it is just a matter of tradition. The city developed thanks to its industry. And in developed cities is no time to work the soil. People work all day and at night they want to be able to go out to a theatre or meet friends in a bar or a restaurant. In the weekends one needs to visit friends or family or goes to take a look in the nearby mountains. No time for any other obligations.

Now the development has stopped and maybe even diminishes there is a great opportunity to change the tradition in a way from which we all might profit. The unfortunate unemployed can spend parts of their days working in a vegetable garden. Newly planted trees give fruits which we can all enjoy. Fresh herbs can be picked from nearby mini gardens. The city gets full of edible green pearls.

It is time we start to grow real kilometro zero food here. The coming weeks I will show you how!

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Hunting the Streets

Signs telling us hunting is allowed

You must have noticed it’s autumn. While most people decide to slowly crawl back in their houses (it’s cold, rainy and dark) other are just about to be out as much as possible. It’s game time!

Hunting has been done since mankind lives on this earth. It has been the start of what now is our civilization. More specifically hunting once was the only thing that kept us alive. We used to run behind the animals until we were able to catch them. No catch meant no food.

During the centuries hunting became less necessary. Nomads learned to settle down and found out how to keep and bread animals. There was no need to get out in nature for daily nutrients; they could just be ‘picked’ from the backyard. Later on - when cities started to grow bigger - the backyards where further away and run by people specialized in these kind of things. Growing food became a profession.

While hunting once used to be something for the everyday man, it suddenly became something which was only done by the bored rich. Mostly they were given an easy job as they had horses, special trained dogs, shotguns and a piece of land full of game. No need to stress. If no one was able to catch anything there would not be any problem except the landlord’s ego hurt.

Lately  I have made some walks in the beautiful hills around Milano. Apparently these areas are full of tasteful animals as gun shots were heard regularly. Hunters – some legal some illegal – were walking around dressed in camouflage green wearing a shotgun. Hunting for innocent birds, rabbits and wild boars.

During the season( which lasts a few weeks) the woods are full of people and signs warning the other visitors to be careful. I wonder how many animals are shot and how they are sold to the ones preparing them. Most hunters I met where allowed to hunt given the tags they were wearing. Is there a central market place where chefs can buy them per kilo?

At least it gives us lazy restaurant visitors the opportunity to enjoy the wild taste of rough nature.

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