Land Re-occupation on the University of Victoria:

Food not Lawns Collective Launches Guerrilla

Gardening Campaign March 24th, 2010

by Food Not Lawns l Coast Salish Territories

This Wednesday afternoon over 400 students and community members gathered for a teach-out on sustainable food production at the University of Victoria campus. After listening to speakers, hundreds of students and community members planted ten raised garden beds in front of the Uvic library.

 

“We must reconnect with the soil. Through this we can build community and reclaim the commons in doing so. Those who claim authority on campus and in Canada have shown us that sustainability won't be given from the top down; it must be claimed,” said Matt Loewen of the Food Not Lawns Collective.

 

Wednesday’s event began with a serving of free tea and food.

 

The crowd then planted rows of Camas bulbs, kale, native strawberries, salal, and vegetables while being entertained by the brass marching band, Wild Rumpus.

 

“We see that the biggest obstacle to change is not the Administration’s inaction but rather the fact that we have been unwilling to take action ourselves,” said Nick Montgomery of the Collective.

 

The Food Not Lawns Collective is dedicated to challenging colonialism, corporate foodways, and bureaucratic control by reintegrating food production and autonomous action into everyday life.

 

“If there is going to be any meaningful change on campus we have to un-settle this place,” said Noah Ross, of the Food Not Lawns Collective, “through collective action we can remake ourselves and the places we live in from the ground up.”

 

After an hour of planting, several Saanich police arrived and attempted to disperse the large gathering, threatening to arrest anyone involved in digging or planting seeds. They were forced to give up after the crowd formed a circle around the students who chose to continue gardening, preventing arrests. The event lasted into the evening.

 

The group has stated that if the administration decides to tear up the gardens, that they will respond with another planting party.

 

 

 

 - For Immediate Release -

 

 

 

Food Not Lawns Collective – uvicfoodnotlawns@gmail.com