| Urban Farming Goes Vertical |
|
|
|
| Written by Kiki Hubbard | |
| Monday, 28 July 2008 | |
|
A non-profit called Urban Farming launched a new initiative this year in Los Angeles, the Urban Farming Food Chain, which is described as a "vertical farming project." Vertical farming? Yes, as in food walls. The Food Chain helps organizations establish food-producing wall panels on their buildings that measure about 20 to 30 feet across by 6 feet high, and are made from recycled stainless steel panels that include a full irrigation system. Currently four locations are in the process of putting up edible panels, including a Los Angeles Food Bank. The organizations hosting the walls will keep a lot of the fresh produce, but some of the food will be donated to neighbors. Each location is assigned a Master Gardner to advise on growing and harvesting techniques. Planting food on unused space is a grand idea to green our urban communities, teach people how to garden, and provide fresh food to those in need. Perhaps vertical edible landscapes are the next wave of victory gardens, rising above the barriers to fresh local food in some of our most cement-bound dwellings. Source: Urban Farming
Set as favorite
Bookmark
Email This
Hits: 3777 Comments (8)
  written by Jiminez, July 28, 2008
Why doesn't someone start a business that farms indoors, in regular suburban areas?
written by Robert Wood, July 29, 2008
Love this idea. Any time you can get folks in the urban jungles of the world to become closer to the land it is a good thing. And any time you can give folks the opportunity to get closer to their own food production it is a great thing. Just imagine the impact on food production if we spent half as much time growing fruits and vegetables in our yards rather than grass. I am not saying we should do away with recreational areas in our yards completely, but more food production, community gardens, and taking a little more time to spend working a small garden would have great positive impact everywhere.
written by Roxanne Christensen, July 30, 2008
There is another urban farming approach that is gaining popularity throughout the U.S. and Canada, and it is called SPIN-Farming. SPIN is a franchise-ready farming system that makes it possible to earn $50,000+ from a half acre. SPIN farmers utilize relay cropping to increase yield and achieve good economic returns by growing only the most profitable food crops tailored to local markets. SPIN's growing techniques are not, in themselves, breakthrough. What is novel is the way a SPIN farm business is run. SPIN provides everything you'd expect from a good franchise: a business plan, marketing advice, and a detailed day-to-day workflow. In standardizing the system and creating a reproducible process it really isn't any different from McDonalds. By offering a non-technical, easy-to-understand and inexpensive-to-implement farming system, it allows many more people to farm commercially, wherever they live, as long as there are nearby markets to support them. By utilizing backyards and front lawns and neigbhorhood lots as their land base, SPIN farmers are recasting farming as a small business in cities and towns and helping to make local food production economically viable again.
written by Kiki, July 30, 2008
Wow, SPIN farming has me intrigued. This would make a good post. Can you send me more information?
 written by ED Hardy Jeans, August 19, 2010
Enjoyed every bit of your blog. http://www.cmonc.com Thanks Again. Great.well
 written by cheap jordan shoes, August 27, 2010
Glad to see such a good article, I like it very much
Write comment
|
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
It's true what our moms said...we are what we eat. In fact, it's truer than they thought. What I eat doesn't just affect me anymore, it affects all of us.
Unfortunately, the story of food can sometimes be complicated. But envirovores help each other out...which is why this blog will be bringing you news, tips, and information about food and the environment every step of the way.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
