On the front page of the April 3, 2009 edition of the Raleigh News & Observer, the capital newspaper for the State of North Carolina, is a giant dirty hand, Keith Shaljian’s hand to be exact: one of the members of the pionerring Durham edible landscaping collective, Bountiful Backyards.

On the newspaper, front-page-above-the-fold, are two stories: The one linked below, and one about President Obama discussing the world financial crisis with G-20 members. In the paper edition, Keith’s picture is about ten times as big as the Prez.

Just so happened that a film festival has downtown packed today, and the N&O has sold out of the stands.

It’s also a very pleasant day so far, warm, breezy, and sunny. Pathetic Fallacy, no?

Jane Ruffin is to be commended too, for doing this piece, which I understand took a good deal of time and real work. This sister might be able to cover our nascent local food underground.

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More people try to grow own food

Food safety, finances swell interest; professionals help out

By Jane Ruffin - Staff Writer

Beth Granai of Cary yearned for a vegetable garden, but her history with home-grown produce was not pretty.

“I just put the tomatoes in the dirt, no soil preparation,” she said. “We weren’t really sure what happened to those tomato plants. They didn’t produce a single fruit.”

It’s a situation many others face as they pursue home gardens, often for the first time…

FULL ARTICLE