Creepy - or war plans? Why does the government want to register 'community gardens' in a national database?

WASHINGTON, DC - From the ICYMI department (in case you missed it). It was a couple of years ago that the. USDA announced the "People's Garden Initiative," which sounds harmless enough. However, as with anything the government sinks its teeth into, you need to dig deeper to find out what they are really up to, especially given the extent to which the Biden administration has incorporated itself into everything. 

According to the USDA, the initiative is designed to develop a “more diverse and resilient local food system to empower communities to address issues like nutrition access and climate change.” The last part of that should give you pause since climate change is in the eyes of the beholder. While some still believe the USDA has Americans' health and nutrition in mind, examining some of their policy decisions seems to indicate the opposite. 

The USDA posted the following for anyone interested in registering in this national database:

"School gardens, community gardens, urban farms, and small-scale agriculture projects in rural, suburban, and urban areas can be recognized as a 'People’s Garden' if they register on the USDA website and meet criteria including benefitting the community, working collaboratively, incorporating conservation practices and educating the public." 

A “people’s garden.” It sounds a bit socialist to us, but we digress. 

The above basically defines every community garden in the country. How long before the government requires registration for all gardens, not just community gardens?

And given the history of the USDA, which doesn’t seem to concern itself with companies that produce products that have led to the obesity and diabetes epidemic in the country, why should they be trusted with a list of healthy alternatives to the garbage pushed in our nation’s grocery stores? 

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, a Biden appointee, wrote the following:

“We welcome gardens nationwide to join us in the People’s Garden effort and all it represents,” Vilsack said. “Local gardens across the country share USDA’s goals of building more diversified and resilient local food systems, empowering communities to come together around expanding access to healthy food, addressing climate change, and advancing equity.

“We encourage existing gardens and new gardens to join the movement. Growing local food benefits local communities in so many ways, and we offer technical resources to help. Also, it’s a great way to connect with your local USDA team members.” 

Note that Vilsack mentioned improving Americans' health as almost an afterthought. Climate change and equity are the primary drivers of the USDA’s effort. Are they facilitating the health and welfare of Americans? The USDA’s track record shows that is the farthest thing they are concerned about. 

For example, in December 2020, scientists, including 20 academics and doctors, recommended that the USDA issue guidance to cut the limit for added sugars in the diet from 10% to 6% of daily calories. After developing a “massive trove of data” and presenting this request to the USDA, the group suggested it would help mitigate rising rates of obesity and the connection between obesity and disorders like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. 

It has been pointed out that adding sugar to the diet of Americans is not needed, the panel realized the USDA, which is in bed with companies getting Americans addicted to sugar and big pharma that pushes prescription drugs on those same Americans to battle diabetes and other diseases, would never support cutting all sugar from American diets. So, they issued a compromise of sorts. 

Despite providing 835 pages of evidence showing the effects sugar has on the health of children and adults, the USDA turned down the group’s recommendations. 

“The new evidence is not substantial enough to support changes to quantitative recommendations for either added sugars or alcohol,” said Brandon Lipps, deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition, and consumer services at the USDA, to the Wall Street Journal. 

As you may recall, comorbidities such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity were all identified as causing complications from COVID-19. Despite that, the USDA still refused to budge from their decision. So, while Americans were forced to wear masks, keep their kids out of school, and be blocked from attending church, the government (in the form of the USDA) failed to move off of their decision. 

It is for this reason (and many more) that placing local gardens into a national database kept by a government agency may not prove to be such a great idea. The same government that refuses to prevent an invasion at our southern border while at the same time attempting to restrict the right of Americans to protect themselves from that invasion now wants to know where the healthy food is being grown.

What happens when that same government wants to dictate what Americans can grow in their backyard or community garden? Paranoid? Perhaps, but as we’ve seen over the past few years, this government is capable of anything. 

Is this whole initiative well-intentioned? However, given the history of the USDA and the federal government, a healthy dose of skepticism is warranted. Especially given the USDA’s track record in supporting companies and products that directly harm Americans' health.