Lawns to Loaves

As a first post for me, Mat here, I admit that this a bit lazy. And those of you who know me, know I'm not exactly the biggest sports fan... but, as a Vancouverite away from home, I can't help but get wrapped up in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup. Watching it as I write in fact, and have Vancouver in my mind.

So for those of you who have a lawn and want to do something more useful than feed non-edible grass, this is for you.

A great new initiative from the Environmental Youth Alliance Society in Vancouver.

From the Vancouver Sun, June 15:

Make room for a wheat field beside the chicken coop

From chicken coops in backyards and vegetable plots at city hall, Vancouver is branching out into experimental wheat plots in place of lawns.

The idea of replacing turf with a waving patch of yellow grain is among a list of ideas the Vision Vancouver-led council is considering for this year's Greenest City Neighbourhood grants allocations.

On Thursday, council will be asked to give a youth group, Environmental Youth Alliance Society, $5,000 for a pilot project called "Lawns to Loaves -A Collaborative City Wheat Field." The society has 30 homeowners willing to replace their lawns with small-scale grain production. It is also working with two eastside schools, Windermere and Vancouver Technical, to teach students about the origin and history of grain and where their bread comes from.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Make+room+wheat+field+beside+chicken+coop/4948581/story.html#ixzz1POYY5fQh