Category: Urban Farming

“Ask any gardener: Nothing tastes so sweet as something you grew yourself, even in the big city. Before Silicon Valley was paved over with concrete, it was the Valley of Heart’s Delight, boasting some of the world’s richest topsoil.

Kumar is keen to spread the good word about gardening. Along with several PayPal colleagues, he volunteered to build a greenhouse for a San Jose non-profit called Valley Verde, which helps low-income families grow their own food.

On a recent sunny day, the group celebrated the greenhouse’s grand opening in San Jose’s first “urban agriculture incentive zone.” What was a used car lot is now covered with raised planting beds and stacks of bagged soil.”

Read the full article at: “https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/2017/06/22/urban-gardening-is-alive-and-well-and-living-in-downtown-san-jose/“

“Folks used to “homestead” — raise gardens and livestock, milk their own cows and gather eggs from their own hens — until it became easier and sometimes cheaper to purchase mass-produced foods from a store.

As people moved from the country into the city, many left their animals and their gardening skills behind. During the 1950s, cities across the nation began to outlaw animals within their boundaries, and the concept of sustainability seemed to disappear from the collective consciousness.”

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com

“Hey everyone! I am cycling across the United States right now and I just had to share this incredible tip with you that has given me so many beautiful days. And that is how to find a ripe berry tree. So, the thing is, you don’t look up. You look down! On the road, you’ll see dropped berries. Dropped berries mean the tree is ripe! So you see that as you’re biking or as you’re walking, and then you head to the tree. And sure enough, here you’ve got a white mulberry tree that’s just full of berries. And then you just go to town. And from this one tree alone, you can fill your entire stomach with berries. Completely free. And the thing is, I could just sit here for an hour and not even make a dent! And the thing is, when you see them like that, on the ground, you know they were going to waste. So you know you’re not taking someone’s berries. So this right here is the good life. I invite you to share this with your friends, get outside, and do some wild foraging.”

“Rob Greenfield is an adventurer, activist, and humanitarian for a sustainable and just world. He donates 100% of his media income to grassroots nonprofits. His YouTube channel is a source for all things sustainable living, off the grid, simple living, zero waste, tiny house, grow your own food, cycling, and green.”

Watch MORE videos from Rob Greenfield here!

“GREENFIELD, Ind. — Jonathan Lawler, executive director of nonprofit Brandywine Creek Farms, has a goal of donating 1 million pounds of fresh produce to those in need in 2017.

Last year, Lawler, with the help of volunteers and seasonal employees, grew 211 tons of produce — over 400,000 pounds.”

“Their goal this year is to produce 40,000 pounds of food on site, with Brandywine committing to another 50,000 to 60,000 pounds of donations. With that, the center hopes to feed a combined 5,200 households in the area.”

Read the FULL article at: “AgriNews-pubs.com“

“If you thought urban farming was something only Hipsters do in California, think again. Urban agriculture projects in Phoenix have been steadily growing since 2015. Yet, despite its recent popularity, urban agriculture is nothing new. The practice of cultivating, processing and distributing food in or around a village or town has been a regular practice in Europe since the early 19th century. In the U.S., poverty-stricken citizens in Detroit were asked to use any vacant lots to grow vegetables during the Depression to feed hungry families.”

“Using permaculture and chemical-free methods, we grow and harvest hundreds of pounds of fresh produce every week,” the society reports. “These fruits and vegetables are used in our kitchen and added to food boxes for families.

Read the entire article at: “KTAR.com“

“Land-scarce Singapore is hugely dependent on food imports but one man is hoping to change that. Dubbed “The Urban Farmer”, Bjorn Low set up a social enterprise to teach Singaporeans how to grow their own vegetables using simple recycled materials.”

“The facility will serve one the continent’s largest supermarket chains in addition to being used for testing and optimising processes for future, larger vertical farms, and is scheduled to begin operating in the latter half of this year.

The 900 square metre indoor vertical farm will have over 3,000 square metres of growing space, and will use Philips GreenPower LED horticultural lighting.”

Read more at: “http://www.climateactionprogramme.org“

“Vertical farming means growing crops indoors in stacked beds. “This is a new way of farming, and it’s really redefining how we can bring local produce to the cities,” says Marc Oshima, a Morristown native and cofounder of AeroFarms. Oshima, CEO David Rosenberg and scientist Ed Harwood started the business in an effort to address global concerns over food shortages and hunger.

In its original New Jersey location, a 30,000-square-foot indoor vertical farm on Ferry Street, AeroFarms has grown arugula, kale, watercress, mustard greens, red romaine, bok choy and other baby salad greens—all without soil or sunlight.”

Read the rest of the article at: “NJMonthly.com“