Although this post has very little to do with olive oil, it does concern farmers and food.

As I sat on a plane to Hong Kong, I came across a few articles in the Wall Street Journal that really got me thinking.  One article was the story of a man who is talking his neighbors into planting gardens of vegetables in place of their lawns. I think that the idea is outstanding on a number of levels.  First, these people are getting produce in return for letting go of their lawns.  Second, the amount of water and fertilizer needed for the lawn is greatly reduced. Third (I could go on), it really builds a connection in people with the food that they consume.

But, there is a problem.  Some of the neighbors dislike the idea very strongly and are now suing this urban farmer. They contend that he is reducing their property values by getting people to convert their perfectly trimmed lawns to “ugly” gardens.  Wow. The “bad” neighbors are taking their complaint to the courts, so we’ll see how it turns out.

There are times when one can have hope in the human race and there are times when one simply cannot…