More Suburban Lawns Become Vegetable Plots

scleaver — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:35:01 -0400

Instead of impeccably manicured lawns or perfectly planted flowerbeds, this year, vegetable gardens are spreading across suburbia. As The Wall Street Journal reported, more homeowners are turning their backyards and lawns into vegetable plots, using their spare time to garden with the hope of reducing their food costs and keeping organic produce in their diets. As Bruce Butterfield, National Gardening Association (NGA) research director told WSJ, 2008 will be a strong year for gardening because of “the combination of gas prices, food prices, and people staying at home because the world’s gone crazy. At least they can have some control over their own backyard.”

Signs of the times:

1. Vegetable plant sales increased 43% this year, compared to sales of perennial flowers, which decreased 16% at Al’s Garden Center in Portland, OR.

2. NGA reported no change in the sale of flowers, but an increase of 21% in vegetable plants, and 45% increase in sale of herbs.

3. And, all the while, the cost of food increased 0.9% between March and April of this year and as consumers see dramatic increases in grocery bills; many are realizing that they can’t afford organic produce anymore, unless they grow their own.

Interested in jumping on board this year’s gardening trend?

The WSJ article gives tips on how to handle soil testing and quality, growing veggies, and what to spray and what to avoid spraying.

The National Gardening Association has info and tips for gardening in everything from urban community gardens to sprawling backyards.

Backyard Gardener has articles, tips, and information about what works and what doesn’t work in a backyard garden.

Verdant.net has information about starting a small organic garden for those who’ve never donned garden gloves before.

And, if you’re so inclined, Domino Magazine has garden designs inspired by Oscar de la Renta. (Photo taken from Domino Mag's de la Renta garden.)

City Farmers Cash In

scleaver — Fri, 16 May 2008 10:31:06 -0400

Gardens are popping up where you’d least expect them—under elevated train tracks, in partially torn-down factories, on balconies, and behind rows of apartment buildings. And, these aren’t just home gardeners growing tomatoes for the occasional marinara sauce, they’re real enterprises and can make a pretty penny.

As The New York Times reported on May 7, the urban agriculture movement that’s sprung up in New York City with farmers who grow plants in small neighborhood plots and sell the harvest to neighbors, local restaurants, or at farmers markets is growing fast. The trend is old news in some cities. Prime example: Detroit, where gardens have taken over abandoned lots and partially destroyed factory buildings.

And, like I mentioned, there's money to be made in urban ag. The Added Value Community Farm was constructed on an abandoned three-acre basketball court started in 2003, and last year, the high school students who work the Brooklyn farm sold $25,000 worth of arugula, heirloom tomatoes, and Asian greens to local restaurants, community supported agriculture organizations, and farmers markets. In Detroit, gardens with the Garden Resource Program Collaborative have set up shop in Eastern Market. In Philadelphia, a non-profit grew $67,000 of lettuce, carrots, and radishes in densely packed plots. Finally, in Milwaukee, Growing Power operates a one-acre farm that includes greenhouses and pens of animals, they grossed more than $220,000 last year.

There is a definite need for fresh, affordable produce for low-income residents in urban areas, something that’s often easier said than done (Even with urban ag, Detroit is still considered a food desert, with few local produce options for many residents).

Interested in starting an urban farm? It could be as easy as setting up shop on your back balcony or finding just the right plot of land. Here are resources to get you started:

1. Learn about the nitty-gritty of farming, from seeds to market: The Detroit Garden Resource Program Collaborative, Milwaukee or Chicago’s Growing Power, and Just Food in New York all offer training. For a more formal education, The Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems at the University of California, Santa Cruz offers a six-month course.

2. Remember, it’s more than a farm, it’s a business. Here’s how to write an Urban Farm Business Plan.

3. Keep up with the Urban Farm Project to see how other farmers are working the land.

4. Read gardening blogs like This Garden is Illegal and A Gardening Year for another type of education, and some camaraderie.

Urban gardens have a unique set of problems and solutions:

1. Soil contaminated with lead or other contaminants? Build raised compost beds to keep your plants out of the muck that can be urban soil.

2. Got too many wildlife friends? Marigolds deter squirrels, and avoid planting crops that rodents enjoy, like corn.

3. If you’re planting on a balcony, don’t mix sun and shade plants, make sure your balcony can handle the weight, and put tall plants in back, surrounded by shorter plants. To maximize water, try an Earth Box.

4. Connect with other gardeners at Garden Web.

Photo Credit: Denver Urban Gardens.