"Victory Garden" planted on the grounds of Civic Center, S.F.

The green thumbs were covered with brown dirt Saturday at San Francisco's Civic Center when 150 people who like to eat their vegetables planted an updated version of a World War II victory garden. The Slow Food Nation Victory Garden, whose organic veggies are a far cry from the stuff being sold at the fast food joints a few feet away on Market Street, aims to show the possibilities and benefits of urban food production. Mayor Gavin Newsom and renowned food guru Alice Waters planted tomatoes, cabbage, beans and other natural treats. Newsom even took off his sport coat to do his digging, although he did not wear gloves and got a lot of dirt under his fingernails. The garden will be the showpiece when Slow Food Nation, a celebration of nonprocessed food, comes to the city over Labor Day weekend. By then, the tomatoes and beans should be grown and ready for their close-ups. The fresh veggies in the garden are representative of the sustainable food movement, which encourages people to buy from small local farms. All produce grown in the garden will be distributed to the needy through local charities.