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The Impacts of Increased Urban Farming in Phoenix

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Arizona State University is tackling big questions as to what would some of the impacts be if urban farming continues to increase.  What would Phoenix look like if more of the vacant or empty lots were transformed into community, urban farms?  Would it mean that more locally grown food would be available to those who live near the farms?

“Arizona State University is taking the lead on a collaborative national project to answer questions like these. Researchers in the university are developing a physics-based model utilizing weather and farming data to predict environmental, economic and socio-economic impacts of increased urban agriculture.”

“For example, the team will study what would happen if vacant lands around the Phoenix metropolitan area were converted to farms. The model will be able to take a future map of the city expansion and samplings based on current densities, and use that data to predict a future city scenario. Bringing food closer to consumers with less shipping means fresher, more nutritious food available at lower cost.”

To read the full article, visit: “asunow.asu.edu“

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40 Smart Space Savvy Garden Ideas

For those who have a desire to garden but are lacking square footage, here are 40 awesome ways you can garden in small spaces! Most of these ideas use repurposed items that you might already have.

1. Grow succulents on top of wine bottle corks that have magnets secured to the back. Smart-space-Savy-Garden-Ideas-10

2. Use pallets to grow vertically. Especially useful on decks, patios and balconies. 
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3. Try growing in a “Dutch Bucket” hydroponic system. Smart-space-Savy-Garden-Ideas-9
4. Create a vertical hydroponic system using repurposed pipes. Smart-space-Savy-Garden-Ideas-7
Visit the original article at “art.ekstrax.com” to view more Smart Space Savy Garden Ideas.


Follow Urban Organic Gardener’s board Small Space Gardening Ideas on Pinterest.

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San Francisco Restaurant the Perennial is Facing Climate Change Head-On

Aquaponic-roots-e1415150086463-680x465Today, all over the United States, chefs and restaurants have figured out a way to keep where their food sources more local. This means they could be growing their own tomatoes on a rooftop or even sourcing food from some of their customers backyard gardens.

“The Perennial, a soon-to-open San Francisco eatery, plans to take the business of local sourcing several steps further. Many of the greens and herbs the restaurant serves will be grown in a closed-loop aquaponic system based across the Bay in Oakland. And when chef Chris Kiyuna wants to serve say, some sorrel or sprigs of purple basil, he’ll be able to harvest them from the “living pantry”–an area of the restaurant where the greens will float until just moments before they’re served.”

“The living pantry is meant to spark conversation about the many connections between food and climate change–as will many other elements of the restaurant Eater SF has called “mega-sustainable.” Leibowitz says she and Myint were inspired to focus on the topic after hearing that greenhouse gas emissions from the farms and fisheries could increase by 30 percent by 2050.”

To read the full article, visit: “CivilEats.com“

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How to Plant Tomatoes the Right Way

Once you have started your favorite tomato varieties by seed, and the garden soil outside reaches at least 50-60 degrees F at night, you’ll be ready to transplant your young tomato plants into your garden.
If you want to ensure healthy tomato plants, there are a few steps you’ll want to take when planting them into the ground.

  • Instead of digging a “hole”, aim for more of a “trench”.  Make it about a foot long in length.
  • Loosen the soil.
  • Amend the soil with compost.
  • Add a little “slow-release” fertilizer into the trench as well.
  • Remove the leaves and branches along the stem, leaving several of the ones at the top of the plant.
  • Lay your tomato plant horizontally into the trench and position the top of the plant upwards, gently.
  • Fill in the trench with soil, leaving the top of your tomato plant sticking up out of the ground with several healthy leaves.  The stem of the plant should mostly be under the soil if you’ve followed these steps correctly.
By using this method of planting your tomato plants, you’ll encourage more roots to grow along the entire length of the stem, below the surface of the soil.  The end game will be a stronger, more vigorous and overall healthier tomato plant.

Original article can be found at: “SeedsNow.com“
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Urban Farming is Booming, But What Does It Really Yield?

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Did you know that in Philadelphia alone their 226 community and squatter gardens grew about 2 million pounds of vegetables and herbs back in 2008? Or how about Brooklyn’s “Added-Value Farm“, which is just shy of 3 acres and grows nearly 40,000 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables for the nearby low-income neighborhoods. Don’t forget about what they’re doing over in Camden, New Jersey! Their city of about 80,000 people have about 44 different gardens throughout the community and harvest roughly 30,000 pounds of vegetables during their summers.  “That’s enough food during the growing season to feed 508 people three servings a day.”

Young farmers across the United States are popping up in increasing numbers. Their desire to grow healthy and “local” produce for themselves and their community is what drives them.

“The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reports that 800 million people worldwide grow vegetables or fruits or raise animals in cities, producing what the Worldwatch Institute reports to be an astonishing 15 to 20 percent of the world’s food. In developing nations, city dwellers farm for subsistence, but in the United States, urban ag is more often driven by capitalism or ideology. The U.S. Department of Agriculture doesn’t track numbers of city farmers, but based on demand for its programs that fund education and infrastructure in support of urban-ag projects, and on surveys of urban ag in select cities, it affirms that business is booming. How far—and in what direction—can this trend go? What portion of a city’s food can local farmers grow, at what price, and who will be privileged to eat it? And can such projects make a meaningful contribution to food security in an increasingly crowded world?”

To read the rest of the article, visit: “PolicyInnovations.org“

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Truck Farm, a Wicked Delicate Film & Food Project

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Fun and quirky urban farmers tell their story about how they planted vegetables and herbs in the back of a truck’s pick-up bed and literally drove around one of America’s largest cities.

“The design and installation of the Truck Farm was simple, and took less than a day once materials had been collected, all for less than $200. Victoria Foraker of Alive Structures donated the green roof materials for the bed, with PaulMankiewicz of the Gaia Institute providing the lightweight soil necessary for keeping the truck from buckling under a heavy load.”  They ordered their heirloom seeds and once planted, they germinated within a few days.

“A time-lapse camera, powered by a small solar panel atop the truck’s cab, captured the progress of the plantings every 5 minutes, thanks to the clever gadgetry of physicist Dan Larsen. Once the seeds started to grow, Ian moved the Truck Farm to find shade on hot days, to borrow a bit of water from the hose spigot of the Italian restaurant down the block, and of course to dodge the street cleaners on Mondays and Fridays.”

To read more about America’s first “Truck Farm”, visit the original article at: “TruckFarm.org“

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Underwater Farms Are Growing Basil, Strawberries and Lettuce

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Off the coast of northwest Italy a group called the Ocean Reef Group along with a team of agricultural experts are installing ballon like mini greenhouses under the sea. Inside they are growing things like basil, strawberries, cabbage and beans.  They currently have 7 pods which can each hold around 22 potted plants.

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“Unlike underground hydroponic systems and greenhouses, which rely on various heating and cooling systems and LED lights to regulate the temperature, submersion in seawater offers a stable temperature while avoiding exposure to extreme weather conditions on land. When it comes to sunlight, studies have shown that a majority of plants – although not seaweed – are dependent on the red spectrum in light for physiological development; the red can filter out at depths of around five to 15m. To address this, the pods are submerged five to eight metres below the surface; they could potentially go deeper but more data is needed to work out the viability of this.”


You can read the full article at: “TheGuardian.com“

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The Homeless Garden Project Helps People Find The Tools They Need to Build a Home in the World.

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In the Homeless Garden Project, in Santa Cruz, trainees are able to learn about transitional employment in a structured environment. They also are learning basic life skills that are required for employment, while learning a variety of other marketable skills.   While volunteering in the gardens, they receive 4 hot meals a week prepared by other trainees and staff members.   The opportunity is there for giving back to the community by growing food for other numerous homeless and needy populations. The Homeless Garden Project currently grows organic fruit, flowers and vegetables for their community by hosting a CSA program.

Why do they do it? 
“Homelessness and joblessness go hand in hand. Lack of job skills, recent work history, social support network and low self esteem all make the transition out of homelessness more difficult. The integrated approach of the Homeless Garden Project’s programs addresses all of these needs.”

Learn more about this project at: “www.homelessgardenproject.org”

 

 

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Visit The Dervaes’ Urban Homestead, Pasadena, California

“Growing one’s own food in urban areas can seem like a far-fetched idea. But not for one Pasadena family.

The Dervaes family has been growing their own food for more than a decade. They’ve been at the forefront of urban homesteading by growing thousands of pounds of food annually in an average-size backyard.

“I brought the country to the city rather than having to go out to the country,” said Jules Dervaes, the man behind the self-sufficient farm he created with his three adult children.

The Dervaes’ Urban Homestead is sustainable and dense. They grow and raise 400 varieties of vegetables, fruits, and edible flowers that amount to about 6,000 pounds of food a year, enough to feed the family with surplus left over to sell. Fresh eggs from chickens round out their diet.

The family-owned city farm is the talk of the town for many local chefs looking to cook up a tasty meal. The family makes roughly $20,000 just from selling their freshly grown produce. They use the money to buy staples that they can’t grow like wheat, rice, and oats.

Reporter Val Zavala visits the Dervaes’ homestead to find out what inspired Jules Dervaes to go green in the extreme.”

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Gardening Guru is Getting Children Hooked on the Joys of Gardening

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One man, Tom Moggach, is teaching children all about the joys of gardening from a small urban garden located at a London school. They have several raised beds, and the school even built a polythene-covered greenhouse.  At this school, every Wednesday, the children get to spend time in this garden growing vegetables and herbs and for those really interested there’s even an after school program.

“It’s all about the power and potential of outdoor learning,” he says. “And eating.” This year they have plans to build a compost pile as well.  400 children in the school have the experience of growing their own food.

To learn more about this gardening guru, you can read the full article at: “TheIndependent.co.uk“

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DIY: Landscaping Your Yard with Edibles

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If you’re looking to landscape your yard why not landscape with edibles? These edible plants will not only provide you beautiful surroundings to look at, but some healthy and nutritious food to eat.  These days a lot of people are finding ways to put their yard to work for them by planting edible trees, shrubs, and vines which will provide their family with edibles year-round.

Before you go laying all new sod or traditional hedges/bushes think outside the “norm” by focusing on herbs, vegetables, edible vines and ground covers, maybe even some fruit trees.

Try planting in a wheelbarrow.

“What you plant depends on the depth of the wheel barrow. Carrots may not work because they need plenty of soil to grow in. But shallow-growing greens such as Swiss chard as well as strawberries and most herbs, including thyme and basil, should all be right at home in a wheelbarrow garden.

Finally, before filling it with dirt, drill several drainage holes in the bottom of the wheelbarrow to help keep the soil from getting — and staying — too wet.”

Try herbs as borders.

“Consider planting herbs such as bay or rosemary instead. Not only will they provide a year-round screen, thrive in full sun and require little water or other maintenance once established, but you can use the leaves while cooking.”

Try planting veggies in the front yard.

“For example, ornamental sweet potato vines, are popular for their attractive leaves, but the sweet potato tubers they produce tend to be bitter. How about planting pumpkin, melon or cucumber instead? They grow well in full sun, all produce long, interesting vines that, at the end of the growing season leave you with something good to eat.”

To read the rest of the article and find more ways you can landscape with edibles, visit: “ExpressNews.com”

 

 

 

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This Californian Urban Farm Is A Glimpse Into The Future Of Agriculture

Urban farming is taking off, and California is is getting a glimpse of what future agriculture might be like.  Take a look at this Long Beach urban farm, all part of The Growing Experiment. Here you’ll find countless fruits, veggies and herbs growing in 175 metal towers.  It’s also home to a 600 gallon tub filled with tilapia and goldfish. They use this tub filled with fish as part of their aquaponic system which delivers the nutrients to the plants.

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“For each square foot of space, we’re basically replicating three to four square feet outdoors. We’re maximizing vertical space. Even though this is 1,000 square feet, it’s almost the equivalent of up to 4,000 square feet in the ground.”

You can read the entire article at “fastcoexist.com“.

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16 of The Best Edibles To Grow Indoors

uogSome of the most delicious herbs, fruits and vegetables can easily be grown indoors providing you give them the adequate light, soil and water they require. Here’s a simple list of 16 Edibles You Can Grow Indoors. To read the entire article along with more detailed instructions, you can visit the original article at: “AGreatist.com“.

1. Avocado: It’s possible to grow an avocado tree from an avocado pit, but doing so may not yield edible fruit. If you want to eat what you sow, it’s best to purchase a dwarf avocado plant (varieties that yield the larger green-skinned fruit or the more common black-skinned fruits are equally good) . To tend for your tree, add some sand to the bottom of a large, well-draining pot before filling it with regular potting mix and planting your tree. Water the tree regularly but make sure the soil is never soggy — avocado roots don’t take well to being waterlogged. Prune the shoots regularly, and be sure to place the tree in an area with high ceilings — even dwarf trees can grow higher than 10 feet!

2. Carrots: Purchase carrot seeds and a pot or window box that’s at least a foot and a half deep and wide, with drainage holes at the bottom. Fill the container to within an inch of the top with a humus-rich potting mix. Water the soil before planting the seeds. Plant the seeds one inch apart in rows that are six inches apart from each other, pressing the seeds gently into the soil and covering them with a thin layer of soil. Water. Place the container in an area that receives tons of light. Keep the soil moist, but not soaked. To help preserve moisture, soak some peat moss in water overnight and then spread it on top of the seeds. Expect the seeds to germinate (i.e., start sprouting) in about two weeks.

3. Garlic Greens: Note: Growing actual garlic bulbs indoors is a bit tricky, but you can easily grow garlic greens, which can be used just like scallions. Start by purchasing a few garlic bulbs with small cloves, and don’t be afraid to buy a shattered bulb (i.e., one that’s started to burst or is fully pulled apart). Select a four-inch pot with drainage holes at the bottom (a quart-size yogurt container with holes poked through the bottom will also work) and a small bag of potting soil. Fill the pot with soil to about half an inch below the top of the container. Break the bulbs into individual cloves (leave the peel on), and push each individual clove about an inch into the soil, pointy end up. Plant about 12 cloves close together. Water well and place the container in a sunny spot. Water regularly, making sure that the soil remains moist but not soggy. Green shoots should appear in about a week.

4. Lemons: If you want the option of harvesting fruits right away, purchase a two-to-three-year-old dwarf tree at a nursery. Choose a clay, ceramic, or plastic pot slightly larger than the root ball of your tree, and make sure it has several holes in the bottom. Fill the drainage dish with stones to allow air to circulate. Use a potting soil specifically formulated for citrus trees, or choose a slightly acidic, loam-based potting mix. Place the plant in an area that will receive eight to 12 hours of sunlight each day and will ideally maintain a temperature between 55 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Water regularly, but be sure not to over-saturate the soil (it should be moist, not sopping wet). Citrus trees like moist air, so regularly misting the leaves with a spray bottle will help keep the leaves perky.

5. Mandarin Oranges: Purchase dwarf mandarin orange trees for the best chance of growing fruits successfully indoors. The trees will grow best in spacious pots with drainage at the bottom, and in rich soil. They also require a sunny location (rotate the plant regularly to ensure that it receives light evenly on all sides). Water regularly, allowing the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. The trees can grow up to six feet tall, and their root system grows along with them — when the roots begin to grow back on themselves or out of the drainage holes, it’s time to re-pot in a container that’s at least 2 inches larger in diameter.

6. Microgreens: Start by purchasing a variety of seeds, such as radishes, kale, Swiss chard, beets, basil, and dill. Fill a shallow tray (no more than 2 inches deep, often called “seedling trays”) or a shallow pot with a drainage hole and fill the tray to the top with potting mix. Moisten the soil with water, making sure that it’s damp but not wet. Sprinkle the seeds evenly over the soil (they should be close to each other but not touching). Sift a thin layer of soil over the top to cover the seeds. Using a spray bottle, lightly mist the soil. Place the tray on a sunny windowsill in a room that’s between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Mist or lightly water the soil daily so it remains moist; don’t let the soil dry out, but also make sure that it isn’t waterlogged. In about three to five days, the seeds will likely germinate — once they do, make sure they get 12-14 hours of light every day. Keep the soil moist at the roots, but avoid soaking the leaves.

Click here to read about the other 10 fruits, veggies and herbs on this list that you can grow indoors.

 

 

 

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How to Grow 100 Lbs. of Potatoes in a Container or “Potato Box”

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Do you love growing spuds but you don’t have room in your garden to have rows of mounding hills? By building a “potato box” you’ll increase your yield of food without having to use more square feet in your garden space.  Plus, by using this method or one similar, you can grow up to 100 lbs. of potatoes without taking up much room in your garden at all!

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Here are some pointers from the original article over at “ApartmentTherapy.com“!

  • Cut apart larger seed potatoes, making sure there are at least two eyes in each piece you plant.
  • Dust the cut pieces with fir dust, which seals the open ends from bacteria.
  • Fertilize with 10-20-20 fertilizer at planting and a couple of times during the season.
  • Water so that the plants are kept at an even level of moisture.
  • Don’t plant in the same area in consecutive years or use the same soil to fill your potato box, as potatoes can attract various diseases.”
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How to Turn A Dresser Into a Vertical Vegetable Garden

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Old dressers are easy to come by and for balcony gardeners or anyone who’s wanting to grow more food in less space by creating a vertical garden, this project might just be for you!  “Making a container garden from up-cycled dresser drawers is pretty simple. You’ll want to start with a plan. Things you’ll want to consider…

  • Where will the container garden go? This will depend heavily upon what you plan to plant.
  • Do the plants you want to grow thrive in full sun, partial sun or shade? Also keep in mind that the drawers lend to a very shallow growing space. Plants that can thrive with less depth include lettuce, herbs, strawberries, cucumbers, onions and radishes.

Once you know what you want to plant and where your garden will grow, it’s time to inspect your drawers.

  • Are they sturdy enough? If not, reinforce them.
  • Have they been treated with any sort of paint, stain or chemicals? If so, you’ll probably want to sand them down or use some sort of a liner that will act as a protective barrier.

Next, you’ll need to drill holes in the bottom of your drawers so moisture has somewhere to drain out. Now it’s time to fill your new dresser drawer vegetable garden with potting soil. Be sure to add some of your homemade compost to give your veggies an extra boost!

At this point, you’re finally ready to plant your seeds. Be sure to read the instructions on the seed package and properly space the seeds so your plants have room they need to thrive.”

Read the full article and find more step-by-step instructions here: “Earth911.com“.

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Lasagna Gardens, Perfect for Beginners!

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Do you dislike tilling? Have you heard about lasagna gardening yet? If not, you may want to read up on this popular gardening technique that allows you to do more with less work. It’s also referred to as “sheet composting” or “layer gardening”.  It’s a no-dig, no-till method that provides the gardener with rich and fluffy soil, perfect for vegetable and herb gardening.

“Just like the lasagna you cook, your lasagna garden has to be layered in a general order.

  • The first layer of your lasagna garden is either brown corrugated cardboard or three layers of newspaper. The space underneath the cardboard and newspaper will attract earthworms to your lasagna garden because it is dark and moist. Earthworms help make the waste into soil. Worms will also help keep this new soil loose.
  • Lay the cardboard or newspaper directly on top of the grass or weeds where you want your garden. The grass or weeds will break down fairly quickly because they will be smothered by the newspaper or cardboard, as well as by the materials you are going to layer on top of them.
  • Wet this layer down to keep everything in place. Water also helps waste break down.
  • Put a layer of browns (leaves, shredded paper) on top of the cardboard or newspaper. Put a layer of greens (vegetable scraps, grass clippings) on top of the brown layer. Layer until your lasagna garden is about two feet high.

In general, you want your “brown” layers to be about twice as deep as your “green” layers. There is no need to get this exact. Just layer browns and greens, and a lasagna garden will result. What you want at the end of your layering process is a two-foot tall layered bed. The layers will ‘cook down’ (compost) in only a few weeks.” -via “GreenThumbscedwvu.org”

Read the full article here: “Accessible Gardening: Lasagna Gardening”

 

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DIY How To Make a $15 Indoor Greenhouse

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Here’s how to make your very own environmentally-friendly indoor green house.

Green house Equipment

• 3 x 23W Compact Fluorescent bulbs (CFLs)
• 3 Recycled light hoods
• 2 window boxes
• Triple mix and soil
• Seeds
• Hooks
• String

Method

We simply wired the hoods together and popped in the light bulbs. We turned the hooks into the wall and hung the hoods with string so that we can adjust the height of the lights as the plants grow. The three lights run for ten hours a day. You can substitute foil for the light hoods if you can’t find recycled ones.

Read the full article with more detailed instructions at: “GreenMoxie.com“

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Disabled Marine Pursues New Goal of Aquaponics Farming

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In Florida, a disabled marine has started up a new aquaponics operation where he grows “herbs like fennel, dill, cilantro and chives, as well as a wide range of greens including Bibb lettuce, Tokyo bekana, Cressida cress, mizuna, red Russian kale, Swiss chard, bok choy and red giant mustard greens.”

Besides the fresh produce, he’s also raising 300 tilapia fish which in turn feed the plants that he is growing in a closed-loop aquaponics system he built himself.

“The way I grow food here and give it to people is the way I eat it, the way I want to eat food, free of pesticides, the most natural way of growing things,” Mickell said. “This is a place where we take pride in what we grow and we care about what people are consuming.”

You can read the full article here: “MilitaryTimes.com“

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Urban Farm Grows More Than 800 Pounds of Produce for Local Food Banks

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This urban farm in Detroit is growing more than 800 lbs. of fresh fruits and vegetables annually and then donates it all to local food banks.  The farm is completely ran by volunteers and within the park you’ll find over 200 varieties of plants, vines, and fruit trees, which make a wonderful habitat for bees and butterflies.

“Lafayette Greens also provides an example of a successful and sustainable public-private partnerships. Compuware and the City of Detroit, who owns the land, negotiated a cooperative lease agreement that benefits the public.”

Read the full article here: “asla.org“