Urban farming is on the rise according to an article by Jennifer Oldham in Bloomberg Business Week. And it's not just in Detroit any more, although we were among the first to start the trend.
Designer lettuce will soon bud under the flight path of the world’s busiest airport in Atlanta. An orchard is taking the place of a parking lot in Davenport, Iowa. And homeowners near downtown Denver are turning lawns over to farmers like Sundari Kraft, who plant, weed, water and harvest crops from their yards in return for a share of the bounty.
More farmers are marketing their products directly to consumers than ever, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Aug. 5 when it released its 2011 National Farmers Market Directory. The guide lists 7,175 markets, up 53 percent from 4,685 in 2008.Even though Detroit was a front-runner in the urban farming trend, the State of Michigan has been slow to get on board.
Restrictive zoning and farming laws in some states make it difficult for aspiring producers to get projects in the ground.
In Detroit, Hantz Farms set out to add to the city’s thriving network of community gardens by building “the world’s largest urban farm,” on scores of trash-strewn vacant lots.
Its plans were slowed by a state policy that governs production guidelines for commercial farms, said Mike Score, the company’s president.
The law didn’t allow Detroit officials control over what agricultural activities might take place at Hantz’s farm, Score said, requiring complex legal negotiations the company hopes to conclude in the next few months.
Hantz wants to purchase 200 acres in southeast Detroit from the city, where it hopes to grow Christmas trees. The company would eventually like to acquire the remainder of the 500-acre site to incorporate gardens and an educational indoor growing center, Score said.
No comments:
Post a Comment