Author to share stories of underrepresented gardeners and farmers

Award-winning author Patricia Klindienst will visit Salve Regina this week to present vignettes from her book “The Earth Knows My Name: Food, Culture and Sustainability in the Gardens of Ethnic Americans.”

Scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 11 in the Bazarsky Lecture Hall, Klindienst’s presentation is co-sponsored by Aquidneck Community Table and the Aquidneck Land Trust. To RSVP, visit the Aquidneck Community Table website.

Klindienst’s book gathers stories of urban, suburban and rural gardens created by people rarely represented in American gardening books, including Native Americans, Asian and European immigrants and other ethnic groups. During the presentation, she will share photos and stories of the people she met and the places she discovered, offering a model for a truly restorative ecology.

The presentation will contribute to the ongoing conversation about growing food on Aquidneck Island in a sustainable way that also increases access to healthy food for all communities. The overall purpose is to spur discussion and action on strengthening the island’s food system through backyard gardens, community gardens and local farms.