A new state law has passed within the last few years that lets urban areas create “Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones”. These are area’s in which private landowners will receive a tax reduction rate if they use their vacant land for urban agriculture. “This is a very welcome development. The benefits of urban agriculture are well established...
“Goodbye snow boots and chilly nights: Spring is here to stay! Along with breaking out our favorite pastel colors and springy floral manicures, springtime means getting our butts back in the garden and growing some delicious veggies and beautiful greens. But for us apartment dwellers, saying we’re going to start gardening and actually putting all the urban...
A decayed Philly neighborhood isn’t discouraging one resident at all. Tommy Joshua says; “I’m the product of this decayed neighborhood,” Joshua who is 36 years old, said cheerfully. He spent his childhood in the area and still recalls how he and other kids turned “a desolate urban environment into fun” with games like “chase the trash.” Now...
“The owner of the two-acre vertical farm — New York-based Gotham Greens — claims there’s no bigger rooftop greenhouse in the world.” In Chicago, on nearly two acres of land, a greenhouse sits on top of a factory in the historic Pullman neighborhood. The owners of Gotham Greens, claim there is no bigger rooftop greenhouse IN THE WORLD. “It’s...
In residential areas near Battle Creek, backyard chickens, goats and honeybees may become more common. Recently, there have been proposed ordinance changes that would allow urban dwellers to keep small livestock, bees and grow gardens all in their backyard. The new ordinance changes would also allow urban residents to sell fruits and vegetables grown on their property...
You won’t believe what’s happening inside of an old military armory in downtown Green Bay. “The non-profit group NeighborWorks Green Bay is spear-heading the construction of the Farmory.” They are looking forward to serving it’s community with locally grown produce such as leafy greens and herbs. Not only that, but they’ll have...
Recently, Venezuela has declared a “food emergency”. Because it is facing a shortage of bread, milk, and meat, along with other staples…the government has urged Venezuelans to help feed themselves by growing food in their own urban gardens. They’ve also encouraged keeping chickens, even in urban areas. Josefina Requena is one citizen who...
When trying to figure out if it’s safe or not to grow your own food in urban soil, it’s important to first determine what real possible dangers there are. Is the risk is high enough to cause harm? “Urban farming does present some difficulties not seen in more rural environments; the greater concentrations of people and pollution can have an adverse...
New York City has been the home of major supermarkets, farmers markets and even the stock market but some residents are longing to turn unused or empty space within city limits to produce more local produce. Staten Island now even houses it’s first “LIVE-IN Urban Farmer”. “Zaro Bates has been hired as the resident farmer at Urby, a 900-unit,...
Even if you’re short on space, or gardening in urban areas, you can still grow some of your own food and enjoy a year-round garden. Container gardening can be very productive as long as you maximize your containers potential. As long as you have one large pot, (we suggest 18″ or larger in diameter) you can grow “10 different crops in a single...
Around the world, urban farming is becoming an important part of the city landscape. The new reality in which we live in, is that more than half of the worlds population is now urbanized. That number is expected to rise to nearly 70% by the middle of this century. “Today, urban farming is the buzzword for urban planners, whether it is in the industrialized...
More than 50% of US land, is being used for agricultural purposes, but still land is a limited resource. Here’s two new innovative companies that are taking US farms to the rooftops. “The founders of the New York, NY-based Gotham Greens – Viraj Puri, Eric Haley, and Jenn Nelkin Frymark – had a vision for a local, ecologically-driven, urban farm operation...
Many urban dwellers have found that even in the smallest of spaces, you can create beauty through urban gardening. All you need is some creativity! “Inventive urban gardeners don’t dwell on what they don’t have, but use what they do have. ” Check out the full article here to find out how you can transform any piece of concrete, wall, rooftop or piece...
“All Freight Farms units are built in repurposed 40-foot insulated shipping containers. Everything from water to the LED lights in the units are digitally controlled, and each unit is also a Wifi hotspot, connected to the network of Freight Farm units across the country. Today more than 50 farmers are growing produce in refrigerated shipping containers known...
People living in urban areas are sometimes frightened about lead being in their soil. In a new study, they found that by using compost you can help keep yourself and your family safe from toxic lead poisoning. “Good compost will also guarantee that you will have plenty of vegetables to harvest.” The University of Washington led a study that looked...
People are becoming more aware about the benefits of plant-based diets, especially when it comes to the field of preventative medicine. Hospitals all over the world are starting to pay more attention to the food they serve. Instead of jello-cups, more hospitals are starting to use fruits and vegetables as healing tools. “Baptist Health South Florida’s...
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