The following article appeared in today’s edition of The Age, (the day’s 5th most popular article!) outlining the argument for why there should be water restriction exemptions for home food growers in Victoria. It’s a good article, big kudos to Marika and the reporter Denise Gadd, for pointing out such absurdities as the fact that swimming pools can be filled legally while gardens can not be watered most days of the week. However, I also agree with the Minister that twice a week mains watering should be enough, if we have greywater and roof tanks.

The Russian-American writer Dimitry Orlov has argued, that the dysfunctional aspects of the Soviet Union created community resilience and black economies which helped during the collapse — so too this particular kind of backwards policy might be a good thing in the long run. It forces us to be more self-reliant.

The article stops short of noting a plain fact: that home food production saves water. The industrial food system and broadacre agriculture are hugely wasteful — the real gushing fractures in Australia’s water system.

This article hits an emotive note, mentioning that some elderly people are losing gardens they have tended sometimes for decades. As such it might give the impression the issue is one of appealing to the governments kindness to allow some concessions to indulge these perhaps antiquated but endearing hobbies. In fact, the issue is also a hard nosed one — it’s about saving this county’s parched arse. It’s about feeding ourselves in an era of worsening climate and decreasing energy availability.

I’m just about to update the work-in-progress reference piece, Grow Your Own - Doing the Maths with the following graph, (this version taken from a powerpoint by David Holmgren — I should have the original soon):

Lenzen and Foran applied the methodologies of embodied energy research to find out how much ‘embodied water’ was being used by various household activities. Food production was by far the largest water cost. By using existing resources combined with more rain tanks and greywater to shift large portions of food production to the suburbs (not such a radical concept insofar as in someways it’s just a return to the 1950s), we can radically reduce Australia’s water use.

So here’s the article, and a link to Marika’s petition down the bottom:

Vegie growers carry the can for everyone else

Denise Gadd
December 3, 2007

East Brunswick’s Marika Wagner says Victoria’s water restrictions make it hard to maintain her vegie plot. She wants exemptions for home growers.
Photo: Joe Armao

KEEPING thirsty tomatoes and lettuces alive has become a political hot potato.

Hundreds of gardeners have signed an online petition asking the State Government to grant an exemption under the restrictions to allow them extra water for vegetable and herb plots.

The petition asks the Government to acknowledge that home produce gardens are different from ornamental gardens and education was the key to saving water, “not wiping out the humble vegie patch”.

Under stage 3A restrictions, gardeners are restricted to hand watering from 6am to 8am two days a week, but petition campaigner Marika Wagner says this is untenable for home produce gardens.

“It’s too long between drinks for many soft-leafed vegetables such as tomatoes, lettuces and spinach given there is a four-day hiatus between watering sessions,” she said.

Ms Wagner, who works at Bulleen Art and Garden, is supported by gardening presenter and author of Waterwise Gardening, Kevin Walsh, who said a level “E” should be introduced — for the elderly and edibles.

Mr Walsh said it was time to review the water restrictions, set at stage 3A until the middle of next year.

“It’s silly that people can top up swimming pools with a bucket yet you can’t use a bucket to keep your edible plants alive,” he said.

Steven Potts, chief executive of the Nursery and Garden Industry Victoria, backed Ms Wagner, saying that an industry survey earlier this year showed many Victorians grew their own vegetables.

“We’d support this, as for many people it’s a health issue to grow and eat their own food. It’s a good idea.”

Melbourne’s dams are below 40% capacity, and there is dissatisfaction about the Victorian Government’s management of water.

There is concern the Government picks on the most vulnerable in the community — including the elderly, many of whom have nurtured their gardens for decades — instead of dealing with large-scale recycling, outdated infrastructure, water lost through evaporation, leaky pipes, broken mains and metering errors.

Compared with the savings to be made in these areas, garden watering is marginal.

But Water Minister Tim Holding said there would be no concessions for vegetable plots. “Households can still water their vegetable garden twice a week and can use rain water (from tanks) and grey water at any time,” he told The Age.

Ms Wagner started the campaign after struggling last summer with her small vegetable patch in Brunswick, using water collected in the kitchen sink and elsewhere to supplement the twice-weekly rations.

“All I’m asking for is to be able to use a watering can on the off days; not for sprinklers or anything, that would be ridiculous,” she said.

http://baag.com.au

You can sign the online version of the petitions at www.gopetition.com