Harvest of the Suburbs

Book excerpt: "Drawing on sources ranging from gardening books and magazines to statistics and oral history, Harvest of the suburbs challenges some widespread myths about food production in Australian cities, and traces the reasons for its enduring popularity. It describes changing attitudes and techniques, and explores the relationship between food production and a range of contemporary ideas relating to work, social organisation, gender roles, health and the body, and nature. In doing so, it provides new insights into the tension between the quest for independence and the desire for interdependence in suburban Australia." --book cover.