The "An Act to Require Edible Landscaping in a Portion of Capitol Park" passed in both the house and senate and is governor's signature away from becoming the law of the land.

According to the Sentinel, the only real concern the Rep. Craig Hickman of  D-Winthrop ,the bill’s sponsor heard was, “do we really need a bill to do this?” He feels the legislation has an important message at a time when backyard gardens and farmers markets are showing up all over Maine.  Growing our own food -- "food sovereignty," as Hickman calls it -- is beyond cool. It's increasingly essential.

It will not cost the state anything more. The groundwork will be done with existing park maintenance funds. The seeds will be donated by the Paris Farmer's Union, and the edible perennial cuttings will come straight from Hickman's own fields in Winthrop.

Maine is not the first to try something like this. Vermont and Wisconsin each have established vegetable gardens just outside their statehouses. Seattle is working on a 7-acre "Food Forest" complete with fruit trees, berry bushes and fresh herbs.  It all sounds good to me, on a lot of levels.

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