Urban Gardening: Enough Food to Feed Urban Populations?

I believe it can be done. Take this example: Detroit has approximately 40,000 vacant lots in the city. Let's say that the average size of these vacant lots is 5,000 square feet. If you multiply 40,000 vacant lots by 5,000 square feet, you come up with 200 million square feet of vacant land. This equates to approximately 4,590 acres. Let's assume that an acre of land can support 5 people. Then, Detroit's 40,000 vacant lots has the potential to feed about 23,000 people.

What do you think?

 

i think the population of detroit is 1,027,974.. kinda answers your question doesnt it??

also the problem i see with urban gardening on vacant lots is that far too many people would rather reap the harvest than do the work.

as times get tougher you would have to have armed guards 24/7 protecting the food plots against the criminal element.

dont get me wrong,i do encourage anyone to grow whatever they can,wherever they can but one must look at things realistically.

 

i think the population of detroit is 1,027,974.. kinda answers your question doesnt it??

I think it's a good start when you have the potential to feed 23,000 people (2% of Detroit's population). You have to start somewhere. Once you have some success, then you can expand.
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also the problem i see with urban gardening on vacant lots is that far too many people would rather reap the harvest than do the work.

Maybe so. I see it more as a economic development strategy for people who want to work in urban agriculture. Urban farming could provide many jobs and income for people in the inner cities.
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as times get tougher you would have to have armed guards 24/7 protecting the food plots against the criminal element.

More jobs for inner city folks.
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dont get me wrong,i do encourage anyone to grow whatever they can,wherever they can but one must look at things realistically.

I believe this is realistic. People are already doing it all over the world.
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people in america are lazy and spoiled and demand instant gratification.we are not the rest of the world.

i just dont see it working in most urban areas.. detroit especially lol..

but to support your thoughts on this,i have read that if we simply planted peoples yards in food we could feed the entire united states and let what is now farmland go fallow..

its a awesome concept and perhaps with whats coming enough people will realize it must be done to survive that it takes hold but i dont see it happening without the masses being forced through hardship to do so..

 

One advantage to urban gardens is the abundance of fertilizer. Slug from waste water treatment plants is super cheap and very safe I've heard.

 

Alright, now we're talking....

It's up to us to spread the word.

 

I love the idea. Although it doesn't solve all the problems, it is a good start. I think it would have a positive impact on hunger issues and urban revitalization.

Best Regards,
Kevin

 

I think that it is entirely possible to grow most if not all of a cities food right inside the city after reading this: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Modern-Homesteading/Amazing-Urban-Homestead-Dervaes.aspx

Unless you have grazing animals grass is a waste of space.

 

I've got a plot in our community garden this year. I'm in an apartment. I'm doing some growing around my balcony and I've got tomatoes, squash, okra, spinach and cantaloupe out in my community garden plot. I'm in South Georgia so we can turn at least two or three yields out of a garden in our long growing season lasting from Feb.-Nov. Garden plots are turned over and balanced with organic balanacing compost to balance the ph of the soil Dec.-Jan.

St. Marys Georgia isn't very urban, but its hard to get any fresh vegetables here except for oranges when they are in season. This community garden was started last year here because of the lack of fresh fruits and vegetables avaliable here, the state of the economy with the largest employer shut down the mill and in an attempt to create a cross-generational conversation. Its working.

A few church youth groups have a plot which is intended to donate the produce to their chuches' food banks and share the bounty with other community food banks and local food charities. Some people hand out produce in the apartment complexes to who ever is in the parking lot to make sure none of it goes to waste.

Community gardens have been shown to build community and reduce property crime rates in the areas where they are located. Churches have began building community gardens and its spreading to other communities and neighborhoods in the area. They are starting up gardens this year for the first time modeling it after the St. Marys garden.

The UGA county extention agent tested the soil, and a local plantation donated the supplies to balance it out, a council member turned it over several times with his tractor, they've built an irrigation system, built mulched pathes between plot rows, and they have piles of donated mulch and compost to use. The middle school class is growing an earth worm farm on site as well. There's a life long organic farmer that has a plot and is developing a mentorship program to connect experienced farmers with novices' and youth plots in the garden.

It really is a beautiful concept. This photo was taken about a month ago, the garden has already grown massively since this early March photo.




These are my herb and spinach sprouts back at the apartment.

 

i think it will be a great thing to help at least allready a part!

what about green roofs, balkonys, vertical growing, parks with some edible plants and fruittrees, neighbourhood backyards and other neighbourhood spaces, windowsills...

 

I've joined an apartment gardeners online community. I'm already a loyal livejournalist, so posting entries and discussing with other apartment dwellers provides an endless resource of information and gardening tips to me.

There are square foot gardening concepts people discuss and table top gradening for producing a lot in a limited space resources. There is likely to be information through state university ag. extention agents with information resources. Check out information provided by local 4-H groups and garden clubs. Did you know you can grow more potatoes than a family of four can eat in one year in the space the size of a car tire on a balcony or patio? There's a wealth of information out there about limited space/urban gardening.

It really doesn't take much room to produce enough food to help with the food budget. And gardening is a fun challenge.

 

How about some new pictures as the growing season goes along. That's a great start.

 

heres a link to a diary of our gardens this year for those who are interested.

Dilli's Dang Gardens

not urban i know but we have been doing a diary on another board for a couple years and decided to do one here as well this year..

it will be updated periodically throughout the year so feel free to check back often.

 

I love this.

Peace

Spud

 

It only takes about a 1/4 acre to feed one person for a year. And there's enough wild plants you can forage that you can preserve (kimchi) supplement food. Me and my mom spent two hours foraging wild garlic and we have enough kimchi for myself to eat for over 3 years.

 

You could use the vacant lots AND the roofs of the other buildings as well. If you utilized every inch of the detroit metropolis, you could feed more of the population.

And it also depends on what crops you grow. If you were to grow cattails, you could support 10 people on an acre, because literally every part of the plant is edible and of substantial nutritional value.

 

Hi! Those are great looking gardens! I grow a garden and give most of it away. City gardens are a great way to bring people together for a common good. Their potential is enormous, colorful, educational and life sustaining! The means are there for grants and support is out there for those with determination. Farmers markets are also good place to get fresh veggies and fruit and meet kind minded folks.