Author: UOG

Incarcerated a total of eight times over 15 years, Darren Chapman sat in a maximum-security prison cell at age 25 and thought of happier times.

“I remember[ed] watching my grandfather trade collard greens and carrots with others and interacting with his community,” he says. “My dream as a little boy was to do the same; I wanted to work with others in the same community [of South Phoenix] where I grew up.”

After Chapman’s final release in 2005, he followed the example his grandfather had set and established TigerMountain Foundation (TMF), an organization that focuses on working the land and producing sustainable foods for the local economy, while also creating a sense of community.

“Community doesn’t happen unless people share something in common,” Chapman says. He felt that a community garden had the potential to bring people together around a singular goal and create “a classroom without walls and a place where people could feel proactive hope.”

READ THE FULL STORY HERE: https://civileats.com/2019/01/17/a-phoenix-urban-garden-provides-at-risk-individuals-a-path-forward/

Lawns are ubiquitous in the United States and according to a 2015 NASA study, they take up three times as much space as the next largest irrigated crop, corn. These familiar patches of green require 9 billion gallons of water per day, around 90 million pounds of fertilizers and 75 million pounds of pesticides per year. Plus, the lawnmowers that maintain them largely use gas and emit pollutants. All for a crop we can’t eat.

A growing group of people and businesses are trying to change that. For over a decade, “unlawning,” or the act of turning sterile lawns into fertile, edible landscapes, has been gaining popularity in the United States. These edible yards aren’t just backyard garden plots with a few squash and tomato plants, rather they are landscapes that incorporate edible native plants, like paw paw trees or bush cherries, along with fruit trees, pollinator habitats, medicinal herbs and water features.

One well-known proponent of edible landscapes is Fritz Haeg, an artist who in 2005 began a years-long project called “Edible Estates,” during which time he traveled the country and turned ordinary yards into edible masterpieces. In the years since Haeg’s project, there has been a steady growth in awareness of edible landscapes in the U.S.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE: https://civileats.com/2019/01/14/edible-landscapes-are-un-lawning-america/

SANTA FE, Texas (KTRK) — Painted on Santa Fe City Hall, a mural serves as a reminder of the May 18 attack, but directly behind the building, there’s a place that could one day help survivors cope with the trauma.

Mandy Jordan leads the nonprofit Keep Santa Fe Beautiful. Jordan’s working to turn the greenspace behind City Hall into a therapeutic garden, and as the mother of a Santa Fe student, she knows how useful it could be to the entire community.

“During the holidays I wanted to lock myself away and that’s not good,” said Jordan. “Getting outside, feeling the sunshine, being around others, and having that group therapy is actually very beneficial to our emotional health.”

READ THE STORY: https://abc13.com/therapeutic-santa-fe-garden-seeking-donations/5063589/

INDIANAPOLIS — There is a burgeoning group of generationally and ethnically diverse women growing food in central Indiana.

The face of agriculture is changing, and there is great momentum behind the trend of more women involved in agricultural enterprises, said Eliana Blaine, soil health outreach coordinator at Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District.

“Women run and work with a wide range of organizations that grow food as part of their mission and activities,” Blaine said. “These include market farms, community gardens, youth education and non-profit organizations, and school and university gardens.

READ THE STORY: http://www.agrinews-pubs.com/news/women-who-farm-the-changing-face-of-indiana-ag/article_1c58637d-d052-5e55-8916-0aa936fd4ea0.html

Before they might open up selected Eau Claire parks to beekeepers, City Council members want more details as they grapple with how that could affect residents who are allergic to the insects’ stings.

The council discussed potential changes Monday night to its ordinance that allows beekeeping, which are expected to come back for a vote later this month after undergoing some revision.

“Overall I like the direction this is going,” Councilman Jeremy Gragert said.

The changes would ease requirements for people seeking a license to have beehives in their backyards for personal use, while also allowing beekeeping in parts of six city-owned public spaces.

READ THE STORY: https://www.leadertelegram.com/news/front-page/beehive-safety-in-parks-debated/article_66d8c6c2-c91e-5d8f-8e18-a1914cbf4d8c.html

Whether you’re a newcomer to the city or a born-and-bred Seattleite, it’s no surprise that the Emerald City has a reputation for being green in more ways than one. In July, Seattle became the first city in the nation to ban the use of plastic straws at cafés and restaurants. In 2015, composting became not just a nice alternative to trash and recycling, but mandatory within city limits.

“Living a greener lifestyle is almost second nature for Seattleites, whether that’s recycling, composting, riding a bike to work or carpooling,” says Randy Bodkin, assistant manager in Amica Insurance’s Seattle office.

If you’re looking to get into the Seattle groove and start living a more eco-friendly lifestyle, there are many ways you can get in on the action. “We suggest checking with local ‘green’ energy efficient affiliates, your power company, or your waste management company for safe and easy ways to live greener,” Bodkin says.

One quick and easy change to make? Sign up for paperless billing from your insurance company and other utilities. Many companies will even offer a discount for going paperless. “Insurance companies, for one, generally send many policy documents. When our customers go paperless, this helps in reducing their carbon footprint,” Bodkin says.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE: https://www.seattletimes.com/sponsored/make-the-most-of-living-green-in-seattle/

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Saratoga County is a microcosm of New York’s diverse $5 billion agriculture industry, which ranks nationally as a leader for goods such as yogurt, cheese and sour cream (first); apples and maple syrup (second); and milk production (third).

Many more opportunities such as farm-to-school initiatives, urban gardening and enhanced marketing of products ranging from hemp to concord grapes are also on the horizon in 2019.

The state’s 35,000 farms encompass more than seven million acres and are responsible for nearly 200,000 jobs.

“There are a lot of positive trends,” state Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball said. “We need to exploit these opportunities.”

But there are challenges as well, such as bringing state leaders, who make crucial budget decisions, up to speed on high-priority issues confronting farmers today.

Democrats now control the upper house of the Legislature so Sen. Jen Metzger, of Ulster County, has replaced Sen. Patty Ritchie, of St. Lawrence County, as chair of that body’s agriculture committee. In the Assembly, Donna Lupardo of Broome County, succeeds fellow Democrat Bill Magee, of Oneida County, as committee chair.

READ THE STORY: https://www.saratogian.com/news/local-news/opportunities-abound-for-new-york-agriculture/article_67f21f3c-1126-11e9-a03a-9b19258f0fbb.html

Detroit — Democratic U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow on Monday championed reforms to encourage urban agriculture in the 2018 Farm Bill.

Stabenow, a ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, urged President Donald Trump to sign the bipartisan legislation that would widen a safety net for farmers, encourage conservation efforts and protect food assistance programs.

Both chambers of Congress passed the bill by wide margins last week after the 2014 Farm Bill expired Sept. 30.

“I see through the lens of Michigan, and Michigan really is on every page,” Stabenow said during a press conference at Eastern Market. “I’m proud we were able to get this done in the midst of all of what has been happening in Congress…This is something that will be a wonderful Christmas present for many, many, many people.”

READ THE FULL STORY https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/michigan/2018/12/17/stabenow-farm-bill-michigan-urban-agriculture/2332256002/

Bowery Farming Inc., a two-year-old startup that uses robotics to cultivate crops indoors, is on track for more growth. The New York-based company plans to announce on Wednesday that it raised $90 million from investors including Alphabet Inc.’s GV and Uber Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi, said Bowery’s co-founder and CEO, Irving Fain. The company declined to provide its valuation.

Bowery is part of a new crop of agriculture technology startups growing leafy greens in controlled environments near cities. Last year, Plenty, a San Francisco-based vertical farming company, raised $200 million from the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group Corp.’s Vision Fund. Bowery grows its veggies in layers of sensor-rich trays that move and react to humidity, carbon dioxide and light. One square foot of Bowery’s indoor farm is 100 times more productive than an equivalent plot of arable land, Bowery says. Plenty makes similar claims.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-12-12/uber-ceo-and-alphabet-invest-in-urban-farming-startup