About

In the early 20^th century, when Montpelier was known as “the City of Gardens” and Vermont was producing the bulk of its own food, the project we’re proposing – growing vegetables on a small part of the State House lawn – would not have been necessary. Back then, backyard gardens were as ubiquitous as front lawns are today, and everyone knew a farmer – or at least knew where their food came from.

Today, most Vermonters have lost the knowledge of how to grow their own food. Shopping in supermarkets, we are familiar with plenty of brand names but few vegetable varieties, and the only tool we use to produce our food is a credit card.

Now a faltering economy, soaring supermarket prices and concerns about food security have combined to spark an astonishing renewal of interest in locally-sourced food and home vegetable gardening. In Vermont and across the United States, communities are coming together to ask how they can best feed themselves in these uncertain times.

Yet despite the attention that the local food movement has brought to gardening, thousands of Vermonters are still not aware that a simple backyard or porch garden can save them money, increase self sufficiency, provide fresh produce, and guarantee a steady source of food. Even if they do understand these benefits, many people don’t know how to start a garden. Inspiring and instructing Vermonters about how to grow some of their own food is the goal of our State House Food Garden Project.

Why the State House lawn?

One reason many Vermonters don’t grow their own food today is that they lack examples from which to learn or be inspired. If you don’t know someone with a garden, you’re unlikely to ever see one, and you’re even less likely to understand how gardening works.

If, however, you hear that vegetables are being grown on part of the State House lawn, you might feel compelled to visit the garden, learn from it, and perhaps start one of your own. Since the State House is the one public space shared by all Vermonters, people would not feel intimidated to visit a garden there. It would truly be “Vermont’s Garden.” And since so many Vermonters make trips to Montpelier for business, rallies, lobbying, parades, State House tours, and shopping, the garden would be heavily visited.

There is also symbolic value in planting a food garden in such a high-profile place. Nearly 150,000 people visit the State House every year, making it almost as popular with tourists as Ben & Jerry’s and the Shelburne Museum. Were all these visitors to see edible plants growing on the State House lawn, they would immediately recognize that the State of Vermont is committed to farming and food production. The statue of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, atop the Capitol dome would take on a whole new significance.

Since Vermont is a state of so many “firsts,” it should also be said that with this project, Vermont would likely become the first state in the nation to have a publicly-oriented food garden on its statehouse lawn. President and Michelle Obama, to encourage the consumption of healthy food, have already established a vegetable garden on the White House lawn. In Maine and California, vegetable gardens are reportedly being planned by first ladies Karen Baldacci and Maria Shriver. Vermont’s garden, however, would be the first statehouse food garden organized by members of the public for the benefit of the public. We plan to recruit citizens to serve as volunteer stewards, and the food grown in the garden will be donated to local food banks.

It is our hope that the State House food garden will inspire similarly organized public/private gardens on portions of county courthouse lawns, in public parks, and on town greens around our state, providing vital food assistance to those in need.