Urban Gardening Project: Final post

My project on urban gardening was an eye-opening journey that made me aware of incredible sustainability projects going on in my own city. My original goals were to explore urban gardening as a means of combatting inner-city malnutrition and under-nutrition. With the rising costs of food, increasing economic inequality, and the severe lack of availability of healthy food options in many urban environments, urban gardening provides a way for people to cut down on food costs, eat more healthy, and engage in community-building projects.

First, urban gardening combats the reality of “food deserts.” A “food desert” is a term commonly used to describe communities with little or no access to healthy food, including fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and diary products. The United States Department of Agriculture reports that about 23.5 million Americans currently live in food deserts, including 6.5 million children. Typically, food deserts are defined by: 1) the lack or absence of large grocery stores and supermarkets that sell fresh produce and healthy food options, and 2) low-income populations living on tight budgets. As a result, low-income and minority residents are more likely to be obese due to unhealthy food.  But the scariest impact of a lack of healthy foods is potential cognitive and developmental damage. Low-income citizens are already disadvantaged when compared to more wealthy demographics and they are facing potential cognitive and developmental damages from birth. An already uphill battle is made even more difficult when healthy food is not available.

The good news is that food deserts are preventable, and in Milwaukee, one man is almost single-handedly battling them. Will Allen, a former basketball player, founded Growing Power, a self-sustaining urban garden blocks away from one of the biggest housing projects in the city. The farm uses a system called aquaponics, which is a sustainable food production system that combines a traditional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as fish, crayfish or prawns in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment. In the aquaculture, effluents accumulate in the water, increasing toxicity for the fish. This water is led to a hydroponic system where the by-products from the aquaculture are filtered out by the plants as vital nutrients, after which the cleansed water is re-circulated back to the animals. Allen’s urban farm also relies heavily on composting, and collects 80,000 pounds of compost from Walmart EVERY WEEK.

Here’s a video tour of the farm:

The benefits of the community garden are amazing. The farm produces enough food to sell, and also extra to donate to local charities and sell to cafes. One week’s worth of fresh produce costs only $16. That means healthy food, and less reliance on the “big food industry.”

If continued, my project would pursue establishing a similar urban garden in Madison. The resources are there. Nelson and Pade is a world-renowned aquaponics technology company, and the owners travel around the US consulting and giving workshops. Will Allen also consults, and I recently found out that I had a friend who interned for Growing Power a few years ago.

Money would be a concern, but there is a precedent for grants provided to urban gardens. In 2011 Milwaukee received a $500,000 grant from IBM for citywide urban gardening efforts. The People’s Garden Grant Program (USDA) donated $725,000 to 10 gardens in 2011. Even private corporations like Stonyfield Organic offer grants to start-up urban gardens. Will Allen started Growing Power with a measly $3,000, before receiving the Genius grant to continue his work.

Community support would also be key. If possible, I’d like to coordinate a city council dedicated to figuring out essential details like plot selection, zoning laws, and community outreach. I also think pairing with UW would be crucial. There are already green architecture programs, but I want to start a student organization dedicated to urban gardening technology development and implementation. Not only is urban gardening a socially and environmentally desirable cause, it has the potential to become an enticing industry that is currently not a part of UW focus.

In conclusion, my project has made me aware of the potential of urban gardening not only as a sustainability venture, bout also a business one. An urban garden in the south side of Madison would provide low-income residents with healthy food. A student organization at UW would provide volunteering and possible career opportunities in a developing industry. A city council advised by people like Will Allen would develop a strategy for acquiring grant money, and the legal support to begin actual construction.

Works Cited

Burrows, Dan. “Rising Food Prices.” CBS. 27 Oct. 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505123_162-49043241/rising-food-prices-some-relief-seen-for-2012/&gt;.

Cutts, Diana. “Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med — Hunger in Midwestern Inner-city Young Children, May 1998, Cutts Et Al. 152 (5): 489.” Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a Monthly Peer-reviewed Medical Journal Published by AMA. May 1998. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. <http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/152/5/489?ck=nck&gt;.

Longley, Kristin. “City Hall Joining Flint’s Urban Agriculture Movement.” Mlive.com. 29 Aug. 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2011/08/city_government_joining_flints.html&gt;.

Matthews, Dave. “Urban Farming Movement ‘like a Revolution’” CNN. 29 June 2009. Web. <http://articles.cnn.com/2009-06-29/living/bia.urban.farming_1_urban-gardens-urban-farming-grocery-stores?_s=PM:LIVING&gt;.

Richins, Vanessa. “Urban Garden Casual »  Urban Farmer Wins Genius Grant.” Urban Garden Casual » Gardening for the Urban Dweller. Web. 12 Dec. 2011. <http://urbangardencasual.com/2008/10/07/urban-farmer-wins-genius-grant/&gt;.

Royte, Elizabeth. “Street Farmer – NYTimes.com.” The New York Times – Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 12 Dec. 2011. Web. 12 Dec. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/05/magazine/05allen-t.html?pagewanted=all&gt;.

Runk, David. “Rooftop Gardening Provides Environmental Benefits in Urban Areas.” Wahington Post. 27 July 2010. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/26/AR2010072604736.html&gt;.

Scheinfeld, Noah. “Protein-Energy Malnutrition.” Medscape Reference. 18 July 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. <http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1104623-overview#a0199&gt;.

“Our Hero: Will Allen of Growing Power on Ecocentric Blog | Food, Water and Energy Issues.” Ecocentric : A Blog about Food, Water and Energy. Web. 12 Dec. 2011. <http://www.ecocentricblog.org/2011/07/28/our-hero-will-allen-of-growing-power/&gt;.

Urban Gardening in the Inner City

Introduction:

 

The focus of my project is urban gardening and agriculture, specifically how it pertains to lower class residents. Urban gardening is becoming more and more popular as concerns about the health of the economy grow, and people search for ways to save money. Gardens are a great way to make it easier for city residents to get fresh fruit and vegetables, and are also conducive to improving public health.

I believe that improving food quality available to low-income Americans is paramount. Poor and minority urban residents are the ones most affected by low quality food, and many lack access to nutritious foods and vegetables. There are no Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods in the inner cities of America, and even if there were the cost would deter most poor families. Urban gardening provides a way for city residents to provide their own, healthy food sources affordably. A great example of an urban gardening movement is Flint, Michigan – yes, the same city that put legal restrictions on how low pants can sag. Local authorizes are partnering with Michigan State University and have been developing a large-scale plan for urban agriculture (Longley). The goal is to improve inner-city access to produce, and similar ventures have begun in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Chicago, Illinois, and many other farms in New York City and Detroit (Matthews).

Sustainability

Urban gardening relates to sustainability directly. First, it harnesses the power of composting to be used as fertilizer. Second, it takes previously unused and unproductive space and transforms it into small-scale farm plots that people can farm year-round, thanks to technology. Third, gardening increases the amount of food grown and bought locally, decreasing carbon footprint. Fourth, it educates everyday citizens who have relied on industrial food production to provide for themselves, a skill that can be passed on to future generations.

Economic Benefits

Experts predict that all food prices are projected to increase 3.5 percent to 4.5 percent for all of 2011. That trend will continue in 2012, with prices for fruits and vegetables are forecast to rise more rapidly. By providing the means for low-income families to grow their own food, we can provide significant economic benefit.

Chart showing food price increases:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(CBS)

 

Health Benefits

Another key benefit that urban gardening can provide is nutrition. Studies show that low-income children who are malnourished are at a disadvantage cognitively from an early age. Studies also show that malnourished children are actually at an increased risk for obesity, because they are more likely to choose higher calorie food when it is available (Cutts).

Nutrition is a dire concern for poor families. In a survey focusing on low-income areas of the United States, 22-35% of children aged 2-6 years were below the 15th percentile for weight. Another survey showed that 11% of children in low-income areas had height-for-age measurements below the 5th percentile (Medscape).

Project

My project’s focus is practical ways to introduce urban gardening into low-income and minority communities. I am researching various urban gardening projects like the ones I mentioned in Milwaukee and Chicago. I will also discuss in more detail the poor nutrition that is inherent to America’s poorest communities, and how urban gardening can combat it. Finally, I will discuss green companies that are doing great things for sustainability through urban gardening. One company specifically has developed rooftop greenhouses that are solar powered, but that also are used to reduce storm-water runoff, filter pollutants and cut heating and cooling costs. Finally, I will put forth a model for urban gardening starter kits for poor families, which includes easy-to-follow instructions. I’m still working out the most efficient way to provide families with these, and will follow up on a later post.

Works Cited

Burrows, Dan. “Rising Food Prices.” CBS. 27 Oct. 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505123_162-49043241/rising-food-prices-some-relief-seen-for-2012/&gt;.

Cutts, Diana. “Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med — Hunger in Midwestern Inner-city Young Children, May 1998, Cutts Et Al. 152 (5): 489.” Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a Monthly Peer-reviewed Medical Journal Published by AMA. May 1998. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. <http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/152/5/489?ck=nck&gt;.

Longley, Kristin. “City Hall Joining Flint’s Urban Agriculture Movement.” Mlive.com. 29 Aug. 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2011/08/city_government_joining_flints.html&gt;.

Matthews, Dave. “Urban Farming Movement ‘like a Revolution’” CNN. 29 June 2009. Web. <http://articles.cnn.com/2009-06-29/living/bia.urban.farming_1_urban-gardens-urban-farming-grocery-stores?_s=PM:LIVING&gt;.

Runk, David. “Rooftop Gardening Provides Environmental Benefits in Urban Areas.” Wahington Post. 27 July 2010. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/26/AR2010072604736.html&gt;.

Scheinfeld, Noah. “Protein-Energy Malnutrition.” Medscape Reference. 18 July 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. <http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1104623-overview#a0199&gt;.

My Project: Urban Gardening

My mom probably has the strangest, most awesome urban garden ever. Located in Riverwest, the once ghetto (still a little) and now hipster heaven, her garden contains corn, tomatoes, pumpkins, rasberries, cucumbers, and more. She pretty much achieved success through trial and error, so I want to put together a pamphlet or a direct mailing to direct people how to urban garden.

I think it’s an important thing to explore more, especially with fears over the safety of industrially produced food. And it’s just practical with the rising cost of food. Home-grown fruits and vegetables taste better, aren’t sprayed with copious amounts of pesticides, and cost much less. If people can learn how to grow and garden their own food sources, their dependence on industry lessens, and their own self-sufficiency increases. I think people are becoming more and more interested in living a sustainable and affordable lifestyle, which is why I think this is a relevant project.