Evanston resident Dr. Sarah Lovinger attended the Nov. 21 meeting on food policy. A physician by profession, Dr. Lovinger is executive director of the Chicago Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility, an advocacy community composed of physicians, health care professionals, and community members committed to nuclear disarmament, environmental health, and the reduction of violence and its causes.
In a telephone interview with the Round- Table, Dr. Lovinger said that promoting sustainable, healthy food is the key to supporting healthy human beings and working in the direction of stopping global warming.
Organic gardening stresses a holistic approach to cultivation, she said. In an ideal situation this would include animals, insects, plants and soil to produce a sustainable food supply, one that, over time, can be replenished.
Dr. Lovinger said her hope is that Evanston will become a leader in the urban farm movement, in which a community produces organically grown food. She also said she would like to see a mentoring program established here, in which experienced urban gardeners can volunteer their expertise to help others set up, maintain and harvest organic gardens.
She also suggested that residents turn more of their lawn areas into organic vegetable gardens uncontaminated by chemically formulated fertilizers or pesticides.