Category — Video

Wherever there is grass, there is a chance to put food on the table.

Urban Roots – Film
Directed by Mark MacInnis
Produced by Leila Conners
Film 2011

URBAN ROOTS is a documentary that tells the story of the spontaneous emergence of urban farming in the city of Detroit. Detroit, once an industrial powerhouse of a lost American era, is a city devastated by the loss of half its population due to the collapse of manufacturing. By the looks of it, the city has died. But now, against all odds, in the empty lots, in the old factory yards, and in-between the sad, sagging blocks of company housing, seeds of change are taking root. With the most vacant lots in the country, citizens are reclaiming their spirits by growing food. A small group of dedicated citizens have started an urban environmental movement with the potential to transform not just a city after its collapse, but also a country after the end of its industrial age.

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“Grow – Episode 6” – Excellent series!

‘Farmtina’ – When Martina put a few cucumbers in pots on her balcony in Brooklyn, New York, she had no idea where it would grow from there. A creative spirit helps her face the challenges of city gardening, such as space…and soil.

More Grow episodes can be found here.

Gardener grows tangerines, lemons, figs, papaya, Moringa, passion fruit, pineapples, avocados, sweet potato greens and more exotic foods

By John Cueler
growingyourgreens.com
Nov. 23, 2011

John Cueler from (http://www.growingyourgreens.com) goes on a field trip to a viewer’s home in South Florida to see what’s growing there. In this episode you will learn what a couple are growing and eating in their edible garden. You will specifically learn about wild jungle peanuts, and many perennial tropical crops that can grow year-round in Florida. As well you will learn how to propagate mulberry/fig tree cuttings.

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River Cottage Urban Smallholding (1 of 5) “Beginnings”

During River Cottage spring (2008) Hugh helped a group of Bristol families start a smallholding on derelict council land.

A talented writer, broadcaster and campaigner, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is widely known for his uncompromising commitment to seasonal, ethically produced food and has earned a huge following through his River Cottage TV series and books.

His early smallholding experiences were shown in the Channel 4 River Cottage series and led to the publication of The River Cottage Cookbook (2001), which won the Glenfiddich Trophy and the André Simon Food Book of the Year awards.

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Whole Foods Market ‘urban farming’ series

YellowTree Farm’ – Looking for more time together and less time selling cars, Justin and Danielle set out to make a living by farming their small St. Louis backyard. Radishes, bees, quail and local chefs are all parts of the business plan; happiness, the bonus.

See the first 4 videos in this excellent series here.

The Perennial Plate Episode 81: Farming State of Mind (NYC) from Daniel Klein on Vimeo.

The Perennial Plate Episode 81: By Daniel Klein

By Daniel Klein
The Perennial Plate
(Beautiful and inspiring 7 minute video. Mike)

“This week (and next) we visit some incredible folks who are making real food happen around New York City. In this case – its three very different farmers, sharing their New York experience.”

Edible City – Part 1 – Introductions from East Bay Pictures on Vimeo.

Andrew Hasse – Director – Edible City

Email from Andrew Hasse
Director/Edible City
(Must see videos. Mike)

It’s been a very long time since the last update on Edible City, and for that I am very sorry and deeply humbled. The process of assembling and editing the amazing material we’ve collected over the past few years has been at times inspiring, at times challenging, and has even caused a few moments of panic and despair.

I’m happy to say, however, that I’ve broken on through to the other side, and am now making great progress! A rough cut has recently been completed, and sections of it are viewable on the new website, ediblecity.net.

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Watch this new documentary named “West Philly Grown”. By Clay Hereth. 2011. 17 minutes. (Must See. Mike)

The little half-acre that could: Urban minifarms, like Mill Creek, are keeping many Philadelphians from going hungry

By Dan Geringer
phillynews.com
June 08, 2009

Excerpt:

“When you use solar panels,” Walker said, “you don’t pay an electric bill.”

In a shoestring operation like Mill Creek Farm’s, that is one of many huge savings that help keep prices low for the fixed-income-neighborhood seniors who make up more than half of the farm’s customers and the low-income families that use food stamps to buy vegetables from the little half-acre that could.

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Part 2. (Be sure to watch Part 1 on the next page.)

I decide to illegally grow a vegetable garden on a neglected patch of land in Brooklyn.

By Todd Bieber
(Found via BoingBoing.Net)

In May 2011 I decide to illegally grow a vegetable garden on a neglected patch of land in Brooklyn. The garden is located on 8th Ave and 5th Street in Brooklyn, New York. Feel free to stop by and water it if you’re in the area. I encountered a thief, a dirty old man, and GOD.

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25 minute video! Bees, Goats, Chickens, Tilth

CityStream
10/6/2011
(Must see. Mike)

Urban farming flourishes in Seattle! Honeybee colonies are under attack. Find out how you can support local bee hives and make your garden grow. Plus, raising goats and chickens in the City isn’t as hard as you may think and the rewards are plentiful. Join host Penny LeGate for these stories and more from Seattle Tilth for this urban farming special.

City Stream at Seattle Channel.

Science In Action This Week
October 4, 2011

San Franciscans are getting their hands dirty! Farms are popping up all over our fair city.

Shannon sets up a couple of raised garden beds in front of the family mansion to grow some organic veggies for her husband to be. She’s afraid he will die before their wedding. (They’ve been living together for 28 years.) Her son Nick is sceptical. See the clip by going to 15:21 marker of the video. It last until 16:32 HERE.

From the TV Series – Gene Simmons Family Jewels

The episode follows Shannon as she tries to turn the family into ‘organic’ eaters.

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Episode 73: Greg and Olivia from Detroit Dirt

By David Klein
The Perennial Plate

There’s a lot going on in Detroit. After years of decay, excitement is growing around urban gardens. Previously abandoned lots are being turned into food producing centers. In this video, we follow Greg and Olivia from Detroit Dirt and Brother Nature Produce.

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A short documentary about the role urban farming has played in the boosting of West Oakland’s communal spirit.

Directed by Jasmine Ehrhardt & Zoe Salnave. Made in partnership with City Slicker Farms. 6 minutes.

About the making of the video:

“My name is Jason Jakaitis – I run an after-school filmmaking program in Oakland, California called The Factory. Every summer the young filmmakers in my program partner up with East Bay nonprofits and produce a documentary for/about the org to use for their recruiting, fundraising, and visibility.

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Home Grown was a photographic exploration of local food production and sustainable farming in Vancouver and the surrounding region

Video by Fire and Light Media Group
25 minutes. 2011

Brian Harris: I was born in Barrie, Ontario, in 1951. At the age of twenty-one I began my lifelong pursuit and interest in photographing traditional cultures when I traveled to Mount Athos in Greece and then to Jerusalem. Subsequent Asian trips have taken me to Tibet on three occasions, Thailand, China, Korea, Sikkim, Nepal and four trips to India.

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Andrew Monbouquette, left, and Dan Susman traveled the country filming urban gardening efforts for their documentary “Growing Cities.”

“The average age of a farmer in the United States is 57. We need a new generation to replace those who are retiring.”

By Bob Fischbach
World-Herald
Sept. 3, 2011

Excerpt:

Susman secured fellowships and grants to cover filming costs, and the two set out in early May on an urban-gardening pilgrimage that began in Denver. They saw beekeeping community gardens in a Latino section of Los Angeles, then toured a 100-year-old suburban farm in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Next came the lively urban farming scenes of Oakland and Berkeley, Calif., Portland, Ore., and Seattle.

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Growing Oyster Mushrooms at Home. Pleurotus species here at 1300m in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. The growing medium is made of rice husks, sawdust and limestone. Paulina, she uses neither insecticides nor fungicides. She sells the mushrooms to Chinese restaurants in Ranau town See video how we do it more naturally in our Australian garden on our channel.

The Seed Savers’ Network

Bit by bit we have produced 350 video clips and uploaded them to Seed Savers’ Youtube channel. We were inspired by our visits to farmers and gardeners around the world and by Seed Savers’ garden of 1000 food species in Byron Bay, Australia. We show you how we save seeds, grow and process our food; people and produce on markets in several countries and food we glean on our travels.

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Urban Leaves: community farms in Mumbai

Urban Leaves Documentary
Reap what you sow, Eat what you grow,
Film made by Suma Josson.
(Must see! Mike)

Dedication by the filmmaker Suma Josson:
August 28th was my mother’s birthday. It is 2 months since she passed away. Daughter of a farmer she was a kitchen gardener growing her own vegetables and fruits wherever she moved. She carried the garden within her and the garden contained her energy. I know up there she is tending and watering a garden filled with the light of regeneration and hope. Let’s turn more earth organic in 2011.

Articles from the India Times celebrating Kitchen Garden Day

Mumbai goes green on the terrace

By Anahita Mukherji
India Times
Aug 28, 2011

Excerpt:

MUMBAI: Planning to turn farmer? There’s no need to leave the city. Join the growing tribe of urban farmers, who grow their own food in every nook and cranny available to them in space-starved cities.

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Video link here.

London, Chicago, Osaka, New York

Monocle’s favourite cities combine small-scale neighbourhoods with green spaces, but not all cities were built with the right foundations for future growth and sustainability. We champion four urban innovators who see potential in derelict spaces and find creative approaches to make some of the world’s more challenging neighbourhoods bloom into richer and more pleasant places to stay.

Video link here.

Part 1

Produced by Friends of the Earth Adelaide, Australia

Tracing the history of food gathering and production on the Adelaide Plains, from the Kaurna Aboriginal nation to present day backyard gardens, An Urban Orchard is a celebration of growing and sharing good food.

In the inner southern suburbs of the city of Adelaide, South Australia, local residents meet to share the bounty of their backyards.

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