Comments on: Inventing the Suburban Farm

By: Suburban Farming? | AMNP

Suburban Farming? | AMNP — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:42:34 +0000

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By: Elena Maria

Elena Maria — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:00:44 +0000

There is a growing realization of what our “needs” are.

Many of us believe that we “need” a large car. (or a car of any kind).
Many of us also believe that we “need” to eat meat on a regular basis.

If we were to challenge both the “needs” for 1) privately owned vehicles and for 2) the steady consumption of factory farm-raised beef and chicken,we might find ourselves as humans to be far healthier (physically,spiritually and emotionally). Certainly the rest of our co-habitants on this globe would also reap the benefits of these “sacrifices” Furthermore, we wouldn’t continually find ourselves in such a dire position vis a vis the over-consumption of the earth’s limited resources.
The suburban mall as organic farm concept represents the fulfillment of a beautiful dream- a dream of ‘healing’ and nurturing many of our most defiled man-made landscapes!

By: Architect has solution for empty big boxes | Birmingham Weekly

Architect has solution for empty big boxes | Birmingham Weekly — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:08:24 +0000

[...] reviving rapidly declining older suburbs in his new article “Inventing the suburban farm” at http://www.civileats.com. blog comments powered by Disqus var disqus_url = [...]

By: Suburban farming « East Tennessee Community Design Center Blog

Suburban farming « East Tennessee Community Design Center Blog — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:25:52 +0000

[...] Suburban farming, turning abandonded big box retail locations into suburban farming and eating venues. See article at inventing-the-suburban-farm [...]

By: Jody

Jody — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:31:59 +0000

I hate to see wasted space, but if urban or suburban farming goes mainstream, I worry about the use of fertilizers and pesticides being used by untrained people. These gardens won’t be organic. When people start getting frustrated by low yields or too much being eaten by bugs they will turn to chemicals to help. Your local golf course has more run-off than a well managed farm. That will soon be coming to your city block.

By: Forrest

Forrest — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:17:30 +0000

Thanks for those comments. I think Peter is right about some kind of public-private venture. That would depend on making a great case to a municipality about the greater good. I think the co-op is a great suggestion too. I am hoping to work out some of the pragmatic issues mentioned here soon. Hope to make progress and keep everyone updated. I’d love to get more advice from anyone who has experience with these issues.

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 02:13:59 +0000

Won’t the real estate be too expensive for a farm to support? If people couldn’t afford $2.00/lb tomatoes in the store that closed they won’t be able to pay any more to the parking lot farm. Even as large as a big box parking lot is, it is still pretty small to be profitable.

But! Force the land back into public hands and organize grower co-ops and you might be on to sometin’. Put small businesses and people to work tearing up the black top, making improvements then the people who do the growing will have jobs too.

By: warren

warren — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:47:43 +0000

Just some thoughts. Could’nt you subdivide the old big-box spaces for use by several businesses? Are animals included in these plans, for eggs, dairy, meat and the much needed manure? Arent these parcels of unused retail often somebody’s precious tax write-off? Looking foward to this issue of Dwell.

By: Risa

Risa — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:45:58 +0000

I love this idea and I have a version of it going on right now in rural KY. I am from the city and now I own 30 acres that I have turned into a organic farming/picking/future restuarant adventure. I love the idea of picking your food, watching it be prepared and then eating it! I want my kids to think of this process as normal, rather than waiting in line at McDonalds to eat non-fresh, very unhealthy, salty, greasy stuff in a bag. In my organic farm, I have 23 raised vegetable boxes with 30 different produce items. If I can do this, I sure hope other people will catch this disease of organic, healthy eating.

By: Farming Suburbia « Ordinary Strangeness

Farming Suburbia « Ordinary Strangeness — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:42:19 +0000

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