New Stories From 'Urban Agriculture Notes'

Must see. (Mike) Watch an animation that shows how to turn a conventional community into an edible city. Learn how to transform unproductive spaces into agricultural landscapes that help fight obesity and reduce food deserts.

Visualization of how empty urban spaces can be converted into active and food-producing spaces.

By Nate Berg
The Atlantic Cities
May 01, 2012

Excerpt:

The idea of urban agriculture has spread so widely, you might expect to see tomato plants bursting from every empty city lot.

But in neighborhoods across the country, imagining is about as close as those tomatoes are going to get. Despite its growing cachet, urban agriculture hasn’t materialized in many parts of the country. But a growing number of designers are trying to integrate these spaces into new and existing projects to increase access to fresh food in the urban population centers that need it.

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Photo by Matt Werner.

How to turn the “Occupy the UC Gill Tract” conflict into an opportunity for resolving key food, environmental and social problems affecting our Bay Area urban communities?

By Miguel A. Altieri
Professor of Agroecology, College of Natural Resources, UC Berkeley
and Claudia J. Carr
Associate Professor, Environmental Science, Policy and Management, UC Berkeley
30 April 2012
Occupy the Farm

Excerpt:

Dozens of advocates of community urban farming took over UC’s Gill Tract on Earth Day, April 22, establishing a camp and planting about two acres of vegetable crops. Their goal is to prevent development of this five-acre piece of land that represents one the few remaining agricultural spaces with the best (“class-one”) soil in the East Bay. This effort would allow the community to be engaged with the land, arguing that preserving it as a productive farm is consistent with public policy and the public interest.

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Photo by Mark Victorino.

The roof has salad – Plantando na Cidade – Hortas

Translated roughly from Portuguese by Google Translates:

Want some vegetables? Go get them on the roof. The student Mark Victorino, Cantareira College, is developing a project on garden tiles in the less valued spaces in the metropolitan area, on pavement and on commercial and residential properties. The gardens were planted in the Garden of St. Paul College and on campus of Cantareira College in the neighbourhood of Bethlehem, both in the state capital.

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Tom Moggach and his hens in his city garden in London’s Camden. Photo by Dominick Tyler.

Once you get hooked into gardening you have the means of releasing yourself from the pressures of modern life.

By Anna Pavord
The Independent
28 April 2012

Excerpt:

Further down the road from the community garden is Rhyl Primary School, where Moggach helped turn a corner of the car park into a school garden. Three raised beds were made in the sunniest corner and the school eco-club built a polythene-covered greenhouse against the yard wall. Wednesday is gardening day and every child in the school spends time in the garden with Moggach and his colleague Anna Locke. For the really keen gardeners, there’s also an after-school gardening club. All this, as he points out, depends on the school’s head, who is passionate about giving the 400 children in the school the experience of growing their own food.

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Seattle, Washington – $225,000

Excerpt from the listing:

The perfect little cottage for the urban farmer-all the housework complete, just waiting for you to till the soil and put down your roots! Home has completely remodeled w/ updated systems, open floor plan, and an ethos around sustainable building choices. Custom 5-piece bath with a tub you’ll love at the end of a long day.

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Workshop. Photo courtesy of Cultivos Urbanos.

Future plans include the establishment of a network of allotments and orchards throughout Santiago

Written by Nick MacWilliam
Revolver
10/19/2011

Excerpt:

Cultivos Urbanos was founded by a group of architecture students from La Universidad Católica following the 2008 food crisis which had serious effects across Latin America. It is an organisation set up to promote urban agriculture and develop citizens’ awareness of sustainable living whilst teaching them to cultivate their own crops, either at home or as part of community co-operatives. It is a back to basics approach that reaps rewards for those who seek a simpler, healthier and more self-sufficient lifestyle.

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Greater access to urban farms in these areas may help save food dollars and may reduce obesity

By Sasha Hulsey, Minnesota 2020
Twin Cities Daily Planet
April 29, 2012

Excerpt:

Many compromises were made during the city council’s discussion process, most of them designed to minimize disturbances to city residents. Two important compromises directly affect economic development for urban farms and farmers. First, although urban gardeners are allowed to sell their produce on-site with an appropriate license, they are only allowed to sell 15 days per year. The second compromise relates to hoop houses, which are temporary green houses typically made out of metal pipes and plastic sheeting. They are used in northern climates to prolong the growing season until as late as December, and greatly increase the amount of produce a farmer can grow.

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In Gowanus, a group from Feedback Farms works on planters to grow vegetables. Photo by Chester Higgins Jr.The New York Times.

Feedback Farms is an experiment in movable urban gardening.

By John Leland
New York Times
April 27, 2012

Excerpt:

THE city of New York owns thousands of slivers of unused land, and about a year ago, a group of Brooklyn gardeners had an idea: identify all the vacant lots in the borough, then help neighborhood residents take them over. They built an online map, then a mobile app, with information about the plots, including the names and phone numbers of the agencies that owned them. They called themselves 596 Acres, after the total area of unused public land in Brooklyn, according to city data.

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Banyan Street Manor opens after $11.5 million effort

KITV. COM
KHON2
April 26, 2012

Excerpt:

On the outside the largest “living walls” in the state. Reducing building temperatures by up to 10-degrees.

And the building built in 1976 is now the first affordable housing project to have a USDA certified organic rooftop farm.

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This plot of land, owned by renowned Haitian agronomist, environmentalist and pastor, Miradieu Estinvil, will be an agricultural college and demonstration site.

Group’s goal: improving economic and nutrition conditions of Haitian men and women

Director: Dienata T. Estinvil
Main office: Haiti Gardens/ First Fruit
Latremblay 12, Turbé Jonc
Croix des Bouquets, Haiti
Phone: (509) 3682-7472; 3452-7082

Excerpt:

One of the Purpose’s of the Haiti Gardens/First Fruit is Agriculture and food security by teaching Haitians to be self sufficient through farming and urban agriculture, learn them how to integrate these foods into their daily diet, create some of the income for the family and becomes an economic driver for the urban agricultural program and they will return to the rural areas with their families, thus reducing the strain and burden on the cities and be able to live in thriving communities. We truly believe this project has potential to effect generations in a very positive way.

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See the video clips here.

Episode 4: Urban Farming

This week’s Horizons show is about urban farming.

Adam Shaw travels to New York to find out how hydroponics and rooftop farming could be the first stage in wide-scale urban agriculture.

Saima Mohsin visits the Netherlands to investigate indoor farming and the latest advances in lighting technology for growing plants.

See the video clips here.

And on Facebook here.

Must see video here.(Mike)

The Society for Aquaponic Values and Education (SAVE)

By Agence France-Presse
The Raw Story
April 27, 2012

Each week Toole and Pozdeeva teach aquaponics to about 80 children at SAVE’s base at a community center in the south Bronx, one of the most socio-economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in the United States.

During a recent session, the couple got youngsters to help in everything from cleaning fish tanks to planting mint, cabbage, and other greenery.

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Louisville Goats: Episode 100 of The Perennial Plate

By Daniel Klein
The Perennial Plate

Jean-Marie herds goats within the Louisville city limits. He sells them to the growing immigrant and refugee population. Goat isn’t yet popular with all Southerns, but it reminds Jean-Marie of his home in Burundi.

Link here to The Perennial Plate.

See the Infographic here.

How Does Your Apartment Garden Grow?

By Bozzuto Team
Bozzuto Living
April 12, 2012

Excerpt:

We love living in DC – the history, the culture, the cherry blossoms (we could go on and on), but did you know it is also the center of a booming urban agriculture trend? We all know that nothing tastes better than veggies ripe off the vine, so why not grow your own right at home? In this day and age, you don’t need a farm or ranch to grow amazing crops, you can do it right on your apartment patio or balcony!

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Organic produce. Toronto Produced

By Sarah
Covet Garden
Apr 27, 2012

Excerpt:

In a nutshell, you, the land-haver, allow a Fresh City member to farm your land for one growing season. In return, you don’t have to worry about landscaping, you get free produce and you help revitalize the food production system and regenerate the environment. If you’re interested in micro-farming, you can sign up to let Fresh City farm your land on their website.

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By Jonathanbartlett.tv
Apr 21, 2012

Vegies, fruits, chickens, ducks and bees!!! Urban Agrarian, Chris Adams and Heritage Seed Specialist, Jeff Wright provide insights into the challenges, solutions and joy involved in year round urban farming…Just one of the many educational events put on by Slow Food Vancouver Island.

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Video by Cooking Up a Story.

Cooking Up A Story visits a Rare Wasabi Farm

By Cooking Up a Story
Apr 25, 2012

There are only 4 Wasabi farms in North America. The Wasabi plant is difficult to grow commercially, and because of its value, these farms tend to be hidden from public view. Join us as we visit a Wasabi farm in Oregon, whose only commercial crop are two varieties of Wasabi: Daruma and Mazuma.

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Photos by Amanda Silvana Coen for Inhabitat.

21 images by Amanda Silvana Coen – Hayseed’s Big City Farm Supply

By Amanda Coen,
Inhabitat
04/21/12

Excerpt:

When Inhabitat stopped for a visit, Meg Paska, aka the Brooklyn Homesteader, was tending to seedlings. What started as a love for homebrewing and gardening in Baltimore quickly evolved into a beekeeping enterprise after taking a course in 2004. For those who want to start their own beekeeping venture, a visit to Hayseed’s for supplies as well as a consultation with Paska is the perfect remedy. When asked about the clientele, Paska explained that most people that come to the store are interested in getting started with urban farming and don’t necessarily have much experience. More than anything, people seem excited to see something “off-Bedford.”

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Bed preparation and planting at CommonWealth Urban Farms.

CommonWealth Urban Farms

By Mia Cantu
Oklahoma Gazette
April 18th, 2012

Excerpt:

At the forefront of this realm of agriculture is Elia Woods, who enlisted the help of neighbors to form CommonWealth Urban Farms.

After years of teaching weaving at City Arts Center, Woods was ready to change gears. She took a market gardening course at Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City and the idea of an urban farm stemmed from there.

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Where Hundreds Gain Health and Independence

118 vacant lots have been transformed from eyesores into highly cultivated productive areas

The Washington Times
June 18, 1905

Excerpt:

A regular city garden measures 150 by 50 feet, or is about an eighth of an acre. One of these gardens is allotted to each applicant, and is put down in his or her name. It may be that a whole family will plant the garden, or it may be that only one person will work in the patch. However that may be, the man, the woman, or child in whose name the garden is allotted is held responsible for it and for its good condition.

Superintendent Bartlett, who has charge of what may be termed the field work of the association, has small patience with the lazy, and the city farmers know this. If a garden is not kept up as it should be and weeds are allowed to accumulate, there comes a speedy punishment to the delinquent gardener – the worst, as many look at it, that could come – the garden is taken away and given to someone on the waiting list. Consequently those who are at all inclined to be lazy are kept on the move by this unspoken but constant threat which hangs over them.

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