An Example of Urban Farming Done Right

[octoberlib]

About ten miles northwest of downtown Boise sits a 60-acre organic farm that appears to be doing everything right. This is a story about sustainable agriculture – typically more the purview of my NRDC colleague Jonathan Kaplan than of yours truly – but it is also a story about sustainable communities. Founded by Clay and Josie Erskine in 2002 and assisted by a community of about a dozen "farm hands," the richly named Peaceful Belly farm strives "to grow the most wholesome food for our community" of Boise, and it's easy to believe that they do just that.Although an excellent recent article refers to Peaceful Belly as an "urban farm," it's actually something better: an urban-serving farm, located just outside the Boise region's development footprint. I clearly support gardens and small-scale "farms" inside cities when they support city density, function and walkability and don't interfere with them. But 60-acre operations belong outside the city, ideally amidst other farming so that rural land is contiguous, urban land is compact, and collectively the farms reach a scale that supports elements of a farm economy, such as feed and equipment stores.

160 families are enrolled in the farm's CSA program, and Peaceful Belly also supplies its organic products to a farmers' market, the Boise Co-Op, and local restaurants. Even better, Peaceful Belly donates a thousand pounds of food annually into the local food bank and other outreach programs. Josie Erskine talked to writer Trish Popovitch (for the website Seedstock) about making organically grown food available to lower-income populations:"I think there is a perception that organic food is elitist. Our CSA is very inexpensive for what you get. It's around 50 percent less than if you were to buy it at a grocery store, meaning that it is acceptable to any level of income. We also accept food stamps at our farmers market. That myth that only rich people can eat organic is one that I really want to make go away by creating a model that any financial or social level could access food from us if they need it."

Describing a particularly laudable practice at Peaceful Belly, Popovitch writes that the farm invites locals to "glean" its fields: "Gleaners from the local food bank, and anyone else who wishes to participate, can walk behind the combine harvester and glean the crops of any remaining produce. This food belongs to the gleaner free of charge. The concept helps clean the fields while it feeds the hungry." What a great idea.


In addition to growing its vegetables free of chemicals, the farm employs cover crops, composting, drip irrigation, companion planting, and chicken pasturing, while abstaining from the use of genetically modified seed. Beginning this year, all produce packaging will be biodegradable.

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/neighborhoods/2013/02/example-urban-farming-done-right/4746/

[WCGreen]

1. So there are sane people out in Idaho...

I kid, I kd...

Seriously, I love this stuff. Here in Cleveland, more and more of the abandoned urban neighborhoods are being reclaimed by urban farmers. One of my old writing buddies even started a vineyard and is going to have his first wine this summer....

There is good stuff happening all around us.

[think]

2. K&R Walking the walk

[OnlinePoker]

3. I'll be home for the full growing season this year.

First time in 5 years. That's one thing that sucks about the Navy...not much place to grow anything in the middle of the ocean.