Food not lawns: Urban Farms big and small.

Growing up, I used my back and front lawn more than -- I'd wager -- 99% of the population. Yet, I still used the street(s), the schoolyard, and local parks way more.

In my opinion, we don't need lawns. Most lawns are of the ornamental, look-don't-touch variety, and all of them waste water and usable land. Considering the various problems with our existing food systems, I am a strong support of urban agriculture that grows clean, healthy food within a few feet or even KMs from its final destination. I would ultimately hope that this could become a dominant function of our suburban yards.

Fortunately, we live in a country that is generally very open towards urban agriculture. See my other urban farming post, here.

Anyways, this post is just to share a few stories of interest:

Mary Ann Bodenberg of Victoria (theglobeandmail.com)

Victoria's Mary Ann Bodenberg is one urban gardener profiled in this mostly useless article from the Globe and Mail.

1. Article: Meet four budding gardeners from across the country.

More so, we live in the garden city which lives up to its name. There's a growing trend -- in Fernwood in particular -- to grow food on the boulevard, as well as in the yard. This is permitted in Victoria as long as it does not interfere with sidewalk use.

2. Article:  Community Gardens: The movement is growing.

greenkeepers.ca

Pretty cool stuff.

Yet, NIMBYism is always a problem:


3. Article: In Vancouver, one neighbour's garden is another neighbour's blight.


At least, they do not live in Orange County, where a couple is being sued by the City for digging up their lawn in order to save water and plant a garden. Wow.

4. Article: here.

"It's just funny that we pay our taxes to the city and the city is now prosecuting us with our own money," Quan Ha said. "Doesn't it waste funds to go back and forth in court, rather than sending pictures, e-mails and having phone conversations?"

[T]he couple said they had reduced their water usage from 299,221 gallons in 2007 to 58,348 gallons in 2009 [as well as $215/month on watering and a gardener].

Meanwhile, people in London and NYC are cramming gardens onto balconies, rooftops, and any other surface they can find. In the UK, 200,000 public garden plots exist for a demand of 6 Million.

urban farm design in NYC. (ft.com)

5. Article: Highly productive [in small spaces]

And, finally, we end with Detroit -- formerly, the Motor City. Detroit has been nearly annihilated by the 'recession' and the collapse of the American auto industry.

Apparently, Detroit now has a population of 700,000 in a city built for three-times that population.

6. Article: Detroit is looking to save itself with urban farming.

money.cnn.com

Yes, one of the wealthiest men left in Detroit, John Hantz, is looking to spend $30M on a urban farming project in Detroit: HantzFarm, which is set to be the world's largest urban farm even in its initial pilot project form.

.A large-scale, for-profit agricultural enterprise, wholly contained within the city limits of Detroit. Hantz thinks farming could do his city a lot of good: restore big chunks of tax-delinquent, resource-draining urban blight to pastoral productivity; provide decent jobs with benefits; supply local markets and restaurants with fresh produce; attract tourists from all over the world... Hantz is willing to commit $30 million to the project. He'll start with a pilot program this spring involving up to 50 acres on Detroit's east side. "Out of the gates," he says, "it'll be the largest urban farm in the world."

 Your thoughts?