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Urban Releaf

When Kemba Shakur was young, she looked forward to her family camping trips to Yosemite National Parks. Shakur grew up in housing projects in San Francisco, but she said she loved the smell of the redwoods. She felt like the camping trips “washed away the stresses of the city.” When she moved to Oakland, California in 1994, she found herself in a crime-ridden urban neighborhood with no trees. No tree, Shakur said, “just block after block of concrete.” As a former corrections officer, Shakur said the “prison grounds looked better.” That’s when Shakur decided to take action. In 1999, she … Continue reading →

Detroit: Urban Agriculture Capital of America?

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I was watching some television show about Detroit not long ago and the state of the city saddened me. What was once the bustling, busy Motor City, home to Motown and a thriving auto industry, has now become a ghost town in many areas. It is estimated that there are about 33,000 vacant homes in Detroit, with many city blocks being totally abandoned. Overall, there is approximately 25,000 vacant acres in Detroit. City officials are facing a daunting task – how to revive this once lively city. Detroit seems the perfect place for urban agriculture. After all, there are cheap, … Continue reading →

What is Urban Agriculture? Part 2

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The other day, I was talking about urban agriculture in America through World War I. When the Great Depression hit in the U.S. in 1929, it hit hard and lasted about 10 years. During that time, many cities instituted what became known as relief gardens. These gardens, also called welfare garden plots, were used to not only feed people, but also take their minds off desperate times. In places like Detroit, city employees who still had jobs donated money to help finance the gardens. Soon, organizations such as the Family Welfare Society and Employment Relief Commission were formed to help … Continue reading →

What is Urban Agriculture? Part 1

When you think of farms, you usually think of rural areas, but urban farms are becoming much more popular. Urban agriculture, or urban farms, can involve growing, processing, and distributing food as well as raising and breeding livestock, aquafarming, agro-forestry, and horticulture. Why have urban farms? Well, for one, it offers city folks locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Some people also do it as a way to earn income and some even do it as a form of relaxation. Urban agriculture isn’t a new thing. As far back as 1893, vacant city lots were turned into urban farms. Such … Continue reading →

Typical High School Course of Study: Social Studies Part II

Most school districts require high school students to acquire 4 years worth of social studies lessons or credits. These lessons are basically the same lessons that have been taught in previous years with the exception that at the high school level, students are expected to be able to learn history in detail, remembering exact dates of historic events, and discussing social issues. In part one of this article, I discussed 9th and 10 grade topics (though don’t have to study the years in this order). The basic curriculum for social studies in the Junior and Senior years is as follows. … Continue reading →

Another Citizen Loses a Garden Due to City Codes

During World War II, the government pushed Victory Gardens – gardens planted in public areas and residencies to help feed people during the war efforts.  Today, it seems that many gardeners are seeing the wrath of the government when it comes to residential gardens Not long ago, I told you about the plight of the Helvengstons, a couple in Orlando who have been told by local government to dig up their front yard vegetable garden. Doing a little research, I found that there are several citizens who have been asked to get rid of their gardens – or worse Denise … Continue reading →

That’s Not Very Green, Orlando!

Jason and Jennifer Helvengston are residents of College Park, a section of Orlando, Florida.  This area is close to downtown and popular among the working age citizens, of which the majority are homeowners.  But, if you are a homeowner, do you have the right to do whatever you want on your land? No, according to College Park officials. See, Jason and Jennifer decided to set up a 25 x 25 foot micro-irrigated vegetable garden in their front yard.  City code says your yard has to look “finished” and kept clean to keep property values up.  Therefore, officials told Jason he … Continue reading →

In.gredients without Packaging

Part of being green is using natural ingredients, buying locally grown and produced products, and carrying your own reusable bags to the store. But, what about all the packing your products are in? Flour you use to make homemade bread comes in a bag and some oranges come in a mesh-like bag. Are you really making that much of a difference if you still have product packaging waste? Well, it may seem a little uber-green, but it is reported that we toss out 1.4 billion pounds of waste every day in America. And, even more alarming to me is that … Continue reading →

Finding a Farmer Near You

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Here, our spring has been persistently wet and cold. However, I have hope. I know that one day soon this weather will turn a corner, and when it does the crops will begin to come in. Yum to fresh garlic scapes and the tender leafy greens that thrive in our wet weather. And double yum to the delicious berries that will follow them in the summer time, berries like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Other crops will make their way down from a nearby warm area. Crops like peaches, plums, and even cherries will be here in abundance. How do I … Continue reading →

Growing Education: Families Are Heading Back to the Farm

What’s green and brown all over? A farm, of course! Every spring, more and more families are heading back to the farm. They don’t necessarily live there, but they’re flocking to farms in ever-greater numbers to connect themselves and their children with their source of food and the farmers who grow it. In our community, urban agriculture is booming. This morning we are going to the grand opening of a small urban farm, one that was born out of the abandoned end of a soccer field. It was relatively unused land, so the city donated it and it is becoming … Continue reading →