JUNE 4, 2004

A growth spurt

Birdie's Farm takes another step into virtual reality this week with the addition of several new features to the Farming for Artists website.

We intend to make this space a website of interest for natural gardeners and small-scale farmers looking for sound information that will help them in their creative labor. We also intend to explore the connections we see between the work of artists and that of gardeners, who we believe have much to learn from each other. Two observations drive our efforts: First, that both gardeners and artists engage in projects requiring great skill, but their efforts find purchase only through disciplined labor and great success only through creative thought; and second, that gardeners and artists who strive to make their trade a source of personal and financial independence rather than a hobby face many of the same challenges in our culture and marketplace.

We also believe that cross-pollination between artists and farmers can be enriching to both groups and to the individuals involved. For agriculturalists, we believe artistic expression is one of life's democratic joys, and that experiencing what good artists do, and how hard they work, might impact their own modes of expression. For artists, we believe that all artists should be homesteaders, in spirit if not in acreage; put simply, we believe that independence is not a cultural right, but a hard-won position of strength. Such independence is crucial for artists to survive, but it must be intelligently plotted, pragmatically realized, and carefully preserved. We believe gardening for self-sufficiency, if not for sale, is an underappreciated means to that end. In a marketplace that encourages hobbyist gardening expressed in consumption rather than production, it is no wonder that most artists lack the personal connection between their creative hand and the soil beneath their feet. Whether making that connection means deciding to live rurally or communally or mastering a tiny plot of earth in an urban center, food is life is freedom. Artist, feed thyself.

Please enjoy our website, visit our sponsors as you are able, and communicate with us as freely as you like. Also, whether this is your first visit or you have been watching us grow over time, please note our new and recently-added features: A weekly update of news links of special interest to the small farmer and natural gardener; our new product reviews section; our Powell's bookshelf; and our Outlet Mall. We hope to add several additional features in the coming months, including:

• Links to gardening columnists around the nation, to provide a hub for local gardening information for every region of the United States
  

• Book reviews and additional product reviews
  

• Features on successful gardeners and small farmers, and in-house reporting of agricultural news
  

• Features on artists, and on creative self-sufficiency
  

If you would like to follow these developments and are not yet on our email list, we encourage you to sign up today.