So you think Kev’s Patch is a great idea? Here’s how to make it happen:
- If you have a blog or web site, write a post calling for Mr Rudd to start a vegie garden.
- Pitch the idea in any online forums you frequent.
- Talk about it at garden clubs, SeedSavers meetings, community groups, etc and see if you can get the group to write him a letter.
- Call your favourite radio station or write to your local paper.
- You can even leave a message for Mr Rudd at the PM’s official web site (see below for some examples).
The more people that get behind this idea, and the more places it’s seen, the better the chance that it will actually happen. Feel free to copy stuff from this page, but please link back here if you do!
Write a letter
If you decide to leave a message for Mr Rudd at his website (link is above), or write him a letter, please be polite and clear about your request. Humour is encouraged, and if you think of a creative way to get the message across, please let us know and we’ll feature it here on the site.
You might like to use one of these sample emails as a starting point for your own message:
Dear Mr Prime Minister Rudd,
I was very impressed with the way that Barack Obama and his family planted an organic vegetable garden in the Whitehouse grounds, and was wondering if you would consider planting a similar garden at the Lodge.
I believe that by setting an example, other Australians would follow your example and begin to grow their own wholesome veggies, and therefore begin to learn how to provide for themselves in a small way. I have also read that Peter Cundall has offered to help you in this endeavour and has even persuaded some organic veggie gardeners to maintain it for you. I think this is an offer too good to refuse!
Please consider this proposal, as I believe it will give hope and offer inspiration to many ordinary Australians.
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Dear Prime Minister,I’ve been reading about how Peter Cundall suggested that PM Rudd put a vegie patch in at The Lodge, and I’d like to say that I think it’s a fantastic idea that I would love to see happen.
There’s more to preventing climate change than just plonking an ETS on top of business-as-usual methods. We’ve got to change the way we think of our everday lives, and our Prime Minister should lead by example.
An organic vegie patch is great for the environment – it allows you to grow crops suited to the local weather, prevents excess CO2 emissions caused by over-use of fertiliser and pesticides, and the pollution caused by trucking fruit and veg all over Australia. It would also help reduce waste, because kitchen scraps could be turned into compost and reused instead of going to landfill to create methane, another powerful greenhouse gas. The garden could include native vegies and fruits like warrigal greens and finger limes.
Imagine how special it would be to serve visiting dignitaries homegrown foods they can’t get anywhere else in the world! Imagine what a great example you could set for school kids and householders doing it tough, by showing a frugal yet fun way to save money, get some exercise and help the environment all at once.
I hope that you will consider this idea seriously. Australians are in need of some inspiring leadership, and our Prime Minister can provide it through more than just legislation.
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Dear Prime Minister,I am writing to encourage you to consider having a vegetable patch at The Lodge or Kirrabili House.
Recently we have seen Her Majesty The Queen, Prime Minister Gordon Brown and President Barack Obama add vegetable gardens to their place of residence.
A productive edible garden can be used to illustrate the solution to a number of important issues facing all Australians.
- Growing our own fruit and vegetables reduces carbon emissions by reducing the transportation of produce, and reduce household waste with composting.
- Home-grown vegetables save water. David Holgrem states that “every dollar’s worth of fruit and vegetables has needed at least 103 litres of water to mature. Every equivalent dollar’s worth of home grown food uses only 20 litres.”
- Water conservation can also be demonstrated with the use of rainwater tanks and greywater systems– one of your Government’s own initiatives.
- There are a number of drought tolerant edible plants (amaranth, beans, broccoli, cucumber, quinoa, rockmelon, tomato, watermelon) including Australian natives (bush tomato, davidson’s plum, lemon myrtle, midyim, native lime, native ginger, native rosella, scrub cherry, riberry, warrigal greens, wild raspberry) that could be grown to show that drought conditions are not an impediment to having a productive garden.
- Gardening is a good way to exercise and can assist families save money in these trying economic times.
Clive Blazey of the Diggers Club has worked out that you need “only 24% of the potential water from roof collection or just 37% of the potential recycled greywater” to grow enough fruit and vegetables to support a family of four. Clive’s article uses figures that are based on Melbourne, which has a similar annual rainfall to Canberra. Alternatively, Sydney has a higher rainfall and more relaxed water restrictions, so there’s no reason why Kirrabili House couldn’t have a vegetable patch.
I would love to see the Australian Prime Minister take the initiative on this relatively inexpensive project to set an example on how gardening can play a part in tackling water conservation and climate change.
Yours sincerely,
Buttons and badges for your website
We are making some graphics that you can put on your website to show your support for Kev’s Patch. Check back here soon to get yours!
