Easing Food Insecurity

Although the recession is easing, the rolls of the unemployed are slowly declining, the attitude and confidence of the country is slightly rising, those individuals and families on food stamps are increasing.

According to CapitalGazette.com:

“As of February [2013], food-stamp use nationally was up by 2.7 percent from a year earlier; 15 percent of U.S. residents, or more than 47 million people (compared to only 17 million in 2000), are now enrolled.”

One hundred years ago, Baltimore City had over 100 orchards! Today, it has one remaining historic orchard, and one that will be planted at Homewood Mansion Museum on the JHU Homewood campus, to recall the vast orchard that once graced that location.

Orchards historically offered gifts of:

• security
• self-reliance
• resilience
• economic opportunity
• community
• stability
• beauty

They can do that again today. Whether planted on private land at homes, schools, congregations, business campuses, non-profits and more, or on public land for public access, the fruit can be harvested and used to build Baltimore’s health and vibrancy. They can strengthen our food system, our physical and spiritual health, the social networks of our neighborhoods, the beauty of our places.

The BOP is proud to help in all these areas. Come work with us.

And sign up for our Meet Up group to get information about our gatherings, preserving sessions and our upcoming harvests!