No, I don’t plan to write the definitive history of eggplants, but I have developed an interest in urban gardening and local food and found this interview and photo collection in the New York Times particularly elegant.  Buster English is featured in the paper’s “One in 8 Million” series, and has a wonderful story of growing and giving his produce and advice to neighbours in Brooklyn.

Mr. English calls his small garden plot the Cabbage Patch and uses it to supplement his family’s diet.  When he was showing his plants to a local kid he came to the eggplants and the confused child innocently inquired whether this was where his family got their eggs.

This garden is part of a growing movement in urban gardening and supporting local producers.  Economic pressures are making people examine their grocery bills and contemplate growing something edible in backyards, rooftops, or even windowboxes.  The worrisome environmental impact of shipping food around the world is also causing people to wonder if certain items should be sought closer to home — say within 100 miles, from local farmers, or even within city limits.  Buster English is in some ways ahead of the curve and sees a different kind of importance in growing and sharing food locally.