Famine Solution

Hunger in any nation is ridiculous! As far back as 1989, I had an epiphany while truck driving across America and I still think my idea will work today to prevent food shortages or famine. Very simply, I think that instead of mowing most areas on the side of the road (sometimes the median), we should plow up areas and sow seeds or potato eyes and other vegetables. 

We should also sew berries on fence rows or beside retainer walls, as well as asparagus and other vine plants to climb the walls. Corn stalks can be sewn with bean vines, etc. Also, we should plant all kinds of fruit trees and nut trees. It does not matter where we plant them because you really don’t know what wild plants will do in any climate. If they survive and thrive there, great! If not, we can plant or sew them in another location.

I believe that we should feed America first! Make it mandatory for agriculture to flood our country with our nation's crops! Then, we can sell it to or send it to other countries. We have food insecurity here, too! When we in this country do well, the world does better. It is my belief that American land should feed the people who are citizens in this country before making one dollar or profit from people who are suffering under our umbrella. It is like a pebble in a pond. Begin in the middle and the rings of bounty ripple outward. This solution can be applied in other countries as well so that the ripples begin to collide with each other all over the world.

Do you know how many seeds go to waste in the world because people throw away their seeds into the trash? What I propose is that every person collect their seeds into a plastic bag saving them until planting season where they are then given to their National Garden Program organizer in their area. They can even be shipped to needy areas or countries so that they have starter seeds for their program. We need as many seeds as we can gather in order to feed the world! In fact, when we pay farms to produce seeds, we may have plenty left over for either storage or helping other nations. 

This solution is not just about feeding everyone. It is also about providing re-forestation and fresh clean air and water. As the world-wide planting of fruit and nut trees and plants, we begin to benefit from their oxygen-production and cleaning our air. Water is drawn up through the roots and as the vegetation grows, it gives off clean humidity which then falls to earth as rain, ice, or snow. This process of falling to Earth waters actually cleans the very air we breathe. 

As you read the rest of my article (chapter), please remember that my and my company's purpose is to help all living things safely grow, thrive, and benefit each other going forward into the future. When you read further, different people will take away different parts of this piece. But the overall idea is to give good people the tools needed to help other good people, plants, waters, and animals. 

We begin these efforts by adhering to the simplicity of it and do not add or subtract from the initial process. To do so would be efforts by some to profit with money from this humanitarian hunger relief program. It is a free and easy solution that can be implemented anywhere on Earth, my contribution to societies world-wide. You get the idea. Now you know who and what to look for as we journey forward with my designs and solutions.

For the most part, we can make pull-off areas beside roadways, highways, and freeways with signs telling people what we threw out behind the plow or simply begin the National Garden Program around rest areas. These signs can have pictures of edibles that may be growing underground and what their leaves or vines look like. We can explain about the berries and their growing season and the trees with fruit and nuts and their growing season. We should plow and plant right before a good soaking rain in as many places as possible. 

This program eliminates most mowing on highways and freeways and gives us all kinds of food. We are never hungry again. In fact, we can have one mower outfitted with a plow, then another one behind it throwing out all manner of seeds, cuttings, and plants. Then, another plow that gently rakes over the plowed areas. Then, maybe another water truck to help generate seed growth. You would not believe how resilient seeds and plants are. They will naturally want to thrive, and shoots will come out of them in short order, especially if we seed before a rain. No need to water them, but we can in some desert areas to help them take root.

As far as the weeds are concerned, I think that agriculture began with someone's big idea that they could get rid of bugs if they row crop foods and use pesticides and fertilizers to mass produce. However, I believe that many weeds that we allow to grow in between and around plants we intend to harvest actually ward off bugs and that is what has been wrong with agriculture. As we allow nature and organic agriculture to flourish, weeds play an important role in making food-producing plants hardier and more sustainable. 

The vegetable plants, especially root plants, will aggressively attempt to rise above the weeds. And the weeds will be below them warding off the bugs threatening the food plants. It may take a little time for everyone to get used to this idea, but I think it has merit. Why can't we just let our foods grow naturally and organically and see what happens? What harm is there in experimenting? At the worst, we would have to go back to mowing these areas. At the best, we feed the world!

We can have a federal website set up for this agricultural endeavor to feed all of America (other countries can do this, too), the National Garden Program. On the website can be maps and seasonal harvest dates and even updates on every area seeded or planted with trees and what kind. The website can have pictures of what each plant and foods look like and what to look for on your hunt. Our Rangers or Fish and Game officials can have stands set up to in-person instruct foragers on how to can, preserve, filet fish, make flour out of the wheat or how to harvest foods like rice, etc. 

Properties or large acreage can be bought by the federal government that meets these freeways that can be sewn with wheat, barley, rice, sugar cane, or other foods. People can be allowed to clean their catches right at the pond and throw the carcasses back into the pond to feed the fish. And, because we throw out massive amounts of seeds and small starter plants, there is plenty for animals too. We do NOT need to fertilize or pesticide these plants, bushes, or trees. Simply allow to grow whatever Mother Nature decides to let flourish, then allow people to pull off to the side of the road whenever they want to, to eat whatever they can harvest. 

Like I said, if you take a basket with you, you can harvest enough to freeze or can. Naturally, some people will "weed" certain areas just because they want easier access or as a volunteer to make these wild areas a little better access for disabled, elders, or children. Top to bottom, left to right, all citizens in every state will have this free food program! We make it federal so that the states cannot prevent their people from foraging.

Families can make a day of it and teach our children to eat food right there on the spot. These kinds of food do not have to be “cleaned” and can be eaten right away! No pesticides, no fertilizers, and the insects and animals can’t eat all of it either. Much of it will go back to seed to come up again next year if we just leave it alone to perpetuate and propagate. From muscadine to grapes and blue berries to strawberries, we can have any kind of berry we want! Finding that big fat watermelon or other ripe melons is exciting and worth the trip down your local highway! Just remember to be cautious when exiting into gravel or grassy pull-off and then easing back onto the highway. We want to make these foraging trips as safe as possible. 

I am sure the highway department can come up with an entry and exit or new lane beside the road to allow people access to our wild foods. We can begin in rest areas properties so that people can park at rest areas and forage close-by. We can also spread-out flower seeds with the other seeds so that people can gather flowers for their tables. Businesses like restaurants can have professional foragers they pay to provide seasonal daily food for their customers to enjoy! It just takes a little forethought and planning to make this a reality for our next planting season.

People can wear waders to prevent snake bites and long sleeves to ward off bugs as they forage. If you want to, because there will be so much, you can harvest enough to can some things or freezer bag things for the winter. Like I said, we will mass sew and plant all different kinds of foods. With our federal program, every state will have agricultural workers sewing and planting our roadsides, making pull-offs, and putting up helpful signs about our National Garden Program. 

This federal program prohibits states from opting out of this hunger relief program. You wouldn’t think this would be necessary, but there are people who belong to the agriculture industry who would fight tooth and nail to prevent their state from providing free food to the rest of us. Bluntly put, it is all about money in somebody else’s pocket, not yours. I guess we can have much of our agricultural farms growing seeds and seedlings or trees to plant.

I do have one request, however. We should plant about two or three times as many cherry trees as any other tree because bears are known to absolutely love cherries and will break down the tree sometimes to the point of killing it when they visit their favorite treat. And here all the time we thought it was honey! The wild animals will not bother with us and will not chase us, they will be busy foraging for their own food! We can also have wild honey hives put at these garden areas to pollinate edible flowers or fruits and vegetable flowers, then some brave souls can put on their gear to gather the honey at harvest time. Or we can have those tiny stingless honeybees for our hives because the kids can play with them as they dip their fingers into the honey.

Just think. What would it be like to make a day of it and harvest your own natural and organic food? You can wear things to ward off any ticks, chiggers, insects, or snakes and we do not have to mow these areas because you never know where the wild things are. Even mushrooms of all kinds can be sewn many places, especially around the trees we plant. They love shade most times. We can have notices of what kinds (pictures on signs) are edible and which ones like the angel mushroom that is poisonous teaching our children how to hunt and gather delicious herbs and spices as well.

Here is another way to feed us all and it involves the meat industry. We can go ahead and grow chickens, ducks, geese, grouse, pheasants, ostrich, other edible fowl and rabbits and simply put them out in these garden areas or around ponds (free to fish). We stock ponds alongside the road too. Or buy land beyond the highway right-of-way for stocked ponds or rice or wheat fields that are free to individuals to harvest. Then, we make nest areas for these different fowl so that they will lay their eggs and we can harvest these too. 

Also, we can have hunters use live traps (registered, checked daily by them) to provide fresh meats for our tables. Sure, some fowl will be caught by wild animals, but who cares? This is natural too. They used to fend for themselves a long time ago before we came along, and I am sure instinct will kick in allowing them to escape if they are young and healthy.

Are you really concerned about food deserts and food insecurities, especially in your area? Do you want to know how you can be a part of this solution - on your own or with other concerned people? Simply use your money to buy green space, in town or country, and plant nut and fruit trees, and plow, sow seeds or seedlings, rake, then water your land. Do not attempt to put wild organic foods in pesticide, fertilized boxes with paths in between. This solution works best just as simple as it is. 

Hang a sign over the gate, if you have an entry to your property, that they enter at their own risk and they can only carry baskets in to gather free food. The food not eaten will go to seed and may come up again next year or be carried to other spaces by animals and birds. You can take up any wild oak, pine, or cedar trees and such and replant them along the edges of the property if they get too big in the green space. 

This effort on your part can even be done in town. Tear down a dilapidated building and use the space as our National Garden Program. Free food for anyone who is struggling or who just needs a place to destress, eat clean, and teach their children what it means to be good to others and themselves.

Are you just living to die? Are you saving your money and property to hand down to your child or loved one? Why? The day after you die, they could step out the door and be run over by a bus. Then, your scrimping and saving may go to someone you don't even know. Why not make that leap of faith and do good now while you can smile with inner peace and happiness that you made the world a better place? Take that step. You know, we all have choices. Some are good like this one. Some are bad like buying a lottery ticket. 

Make the good choice and feel free for the first time in your life. You, yes you, can be all the difference in the world to, not only someone else, but yourself as well. If you need my help, I am right here. I've been here all along. So have you. Together we change our world and our future. You can start small or on a grand scale. It is, after all, your choice.

You know, this solution is not as expensive as people would think. It is a cheap and easy way for organizations to pitch in to plant oxygen-producing fruit and nut trees. Let them put their money where it matters most. Even inside cities can be planted fruit and nut trees instead of "pretty" trees allowing people to enjoy eating fresh foods. Empty lots can become foraging gardens plowed, seeded, raked, and watered every year or so benefiting all in the community. And truly, there will be volunteers who mow a little path or areas around with picnic tables so you can eat right there where you gather. 

Remember, we do not want to mow in areas where wild growth may occur! The whole point here is to allow things to grow naturally and organically and plentiful for all in their communities or just travelers coming through the area. One of my company mottos for Round Robin Distribution Designs, LLC is “Live Well Where You Work, Work Well Where You Live”. That is what my company and me are all about…choices and possibilities.

We should promote this National Garden Program with our representatives, and we should have this federal program set up to feed our nation. We can prevent hunger! This is the best and cheapest way no child goes hungry in America, the richest nation on Earth! You should all be ashamed of yourselves if you go to churches, and they have not solved this problem. No, they did not come up with it, I did! It is indeed shameful that organizations have not spent your tithes and time providing this very basic need in society. Food banks do not do the job! Once per week sack full of food is not enough! For, with my solution, even the homeless will not go hungry. They do not have a vehicle nor a refrigerator. Please do your part and start the conversation with earnest and forthright demands that we should shine a beacon of hope to other countries who may be going hungry too. Have you ever heard the phrase, "You reap what you sew?" This is it. Just sew and let it residually grow!

This solution is free to read and for governments to implement, but I and my company would like credit for this thought, idea, and solution. Thank you for caring about living things. RRDD – Solutions For Our Future!

© Copyright, 8/30/2022, Famine Solution, April Graves-Minton, Love MoonEagle. All Rights Reserved.