15th garden - urban Syrians grow their own food

About 240,000 people are living under siege in Syria, Syria Deeply reports. In response, various community groups have started to grow food inside their towns.

Syria has had a tradition of urban farming for more than 60 years. Violence, a lack of access to water and supplies, and varied levels of knowledge in farming techniques has made it hard to practice, however. Ansar Hevi decided to step in, working with a program to support Syria’s urban farmers. She works with the 15th Garden, a farmers’ solidarity network supporting Syrians looking to grow their own food. The 15th Garden project, supported by Heinrich Boell Foundation's Middle East office, has held workshops in Turkey and Beirut, teaching urban farming techniques to Syrians who can then take the knowledge with them back into the country.
 

More and more people are trying to get connected to people doing this farming. In Yarmouk, for example, eggplants, zucchinis and tomatoes were planted and people are now looking to plant lentils and food that can be stored. More information is available here and here.