San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom vegetable garden plan, which he unveiled last July, will take root today, involving gardens in "a building that produces steam to heat the Civic Center, Department of Public Works land in the Bayview, outside McLaren Lodge in Golden Gate Park and at the San Francisco Police Academy in Diamond Heights."

Many have chided his plan as foolish since it will cost lots of money -- money that the city doesn't have during one of its worst economic climates ever. But Newsom says his agriculture-in-the-city plan -- which could also involve "install easy-to-assemble chicken coops" throughout the city -- would prove beneficial in the long run since it will teach people how to eat healthier, thus preventing illness. (Newsom, we should point out, is obsessed with food. And we don't mean in the most healthy way, either.)

"Urban agriculture is about far more than growing vegetables on an empty lot," Newsom told The Chronicle. "It's about revitalizing and transforming unused public spaces, connecting city residents with their neighborhoods in a new way and promoting healthier eating and living for everyone."