There is no reason why we can't be growing massive quantities of food all over the city all year 'round, while reducing blight and poor health while remediating our soils.

The challenges of growing food in an urban environment have been much discussed over the past few years. Soil contamination, soil quality, small or odd spaces,access to water, land tenure, soil prep, costs, food deserts, and the like contrtibute to a slower spread of the growth in urban farms and community gardens.

Other difficulties factor in as well such as our short growing season (how many area growers are actually producing in greenhouses?), politics, education, etc. Most all of these issues can be addressed by utilizing gardensoxx technology. Filtrexx International is a small local, yet international company that is carbon negative. We have developed inexpensive, highly efficient, and user-friendly organic ag systems that can be installed virtually anywhere, including brownfields. Our strategy removes the need for the cost of site prep (after demolition) because we lay down geotextile and plant right on top of it with gardensoxx. Gardensoxx are a light, recyclable fabric that contain a compost-based growing media. So, the geotextile and the soxx are two barriers that prevent roots from touching the soil. The geotextile additionally prevents dust from kicking up; the major way that contaminated soil is uptaken by people. Weeds are prevented nearly 100%. The quality of the produce grown from organic compost is generally higher in health and nutrition. The soxx are watered by highly efficient drip irrigation systems that use much less water than conventional growing methods, and can be put on an inexpensive timer.

The amount of money, time, and labor that are saved open up budgets to include enclosing these systems in hoop houses or other inexpensive greenhouses that can extend the growing season, to all year round if planned that way.

If the lots aren't zoned for farming and are subject to issues of permanency , these systems are easily removed. The compost that was in the soxx can be deposited on site, building the soil health and acting as a remediation agent. Compost will actually change the chemistry of soil to bind or make inert many of the contaminants. The hoophouses and usually the geotextile and irrigation components, can be removed and re-used or recycled.

Additionally, all of Filtrexx's products (industry leaders in erosion control and stormwater management) are backed by third party research and data featured in major scientific journals and trade publications.

This method holds a great deal of promise because it is so inexpensive (it is easier & cheaper than building raised beds with geotextile over wood chips), efficient (overhead such as labor is greatly reduced), and adaptable (the soxx can be installed almost literally anywhere).

http://www.filtrexx.com/

http://www.filtrexx.com/gardensoxx.htm

David is correct, there are a lot of issues, and added since this thread began, a horrible economy. Local food, vegetarian food, and slow food, as well as farmland preservation. Farmland preservation can only succeed if farmers are $upported by local restaurants.Changes in farmers growing habits to meet the demands of organic customers and keeping the family interested in farming are also a few factors. We converted our farm into a self catering vacation rental property, and had a great deal of success last summer and we are excited about this upcoming season. Agritourism is a great way for farms to offer a service on top of a product. It works for us! Come on out and spend a weekend with your family and experience farm living without the hard work! You will look at Ohio's rural areas unlike ever before. Dissolving small family farms by selling land off in parcels to developers, so they can build small crummy houses on 5 acre cornfields is NOT the way to go!!! Yes, many different issues.

Dan Morgan

www.MorganFarmStudios.com

www.AboutDanMorgan.com

I'm looking for a review or comments about Mr. Pollan lecture in Oberlin - I couldn't make it and want to hear about it! How large a crowd? Anyone?

http://realneo.us/events/michael-pollan-in-oberlin-aug-2008

Just noticed this new startup, which brings local produce to the parking lot at Lake County Farmpark in Kirtland on Route 6 east of Route 306. Wednesdays from 3-7PM

http://www.lakemetroparks.com/HTML/LFP/FarmersMarket.htm

Last night I visited Great Lakes Brewery with my son who was in search of a burger.  Of course, I wanted to introduce him to the sustainable restaurant of fame in Northeast Ohio -- that and we were downtown with couple of hours for dinner. I wish I could rave about the experience, but no. I was dismayed at the small number of vegetarian offerings (I’m the vegetarian), and the one I ordered had to return to the kitchen after one unfortunate taste. Where is the good downtown restaurant for vegetarians on a budget? Maybe we need to find someone to champion slow food in Northeast Ohio. http://www.slowfoodusa.org/about/index.html

Read it and weep. Factory farms don't want to deal with their waste and Congress plans to back them. All for a lousy lotta hot dogs. This is  serious issue. Will it be "Oh shit!" or "No shit!"?

All the more reason to eat lower on the food chain.

Read more here.