Farming and gardening are the backbones of human civilization. Without the food that large-scale farms and smaller-scale gardens provide, the species would have been lost long ago. So why do so many of us know nothing about how food is grown or where it comes from? These stories from our friends at Treehugger all examine farming, gardening and the history and future of your food.
Urban Farms in Detroit’s Future?
It may seem far-fetched, but Detroit businessman John Hantz wants to turn the largely-abandoned city into an urban farm. In addition to providing fresh, local food, the farm will beautify the parts of Detroit that are currently crumbling and decaying. It will also provide jobs for residents and hopefully drive up real estate prices by creating scarcity in the real estate market.
Private Companies Renting out Allotments in UK
Allotments are largely unknown in the US, but in the UK they are in high demand. Allotments are small patches of land rented out to residents by town councils for gardening. Unfortunately, there often isn’t enough government land to provide an allotment to everyone who wants one. In response to the shortage, a private company has stepped in and started offering patches of land at prices higher than the councils. Treehugger’s Bonnie Alter explains why this isn’t a positive step for anyone involved.
Vertical Farms Recognized as Important Invention
Time magazine recently named vertical farming as one of the most important innovations of 2009. With more and more people moving into urban environments and more farmland disappearing, it seems high time for vertical farming to get some increased attention.
Young Children Learn Gardening Skills in Edible Schoolyard
Edible schoolyards are starting to be A Big Thing, and with good reason: they can give students so many valuable lessons in responsibility, environmental stewardship, cooperation and even cooking. Recently a Montessori school released a video of their first “Seed to Table” event, and it’s touching to see kids getting excited about gardening.
Mudball Fight to Sow Garden Seeds
This may be the most fun way to plant a garden ever. It’s just a proposal looking for a home at the moment, but La Batalla Verde (the Green Battle) is definitely appealing. It involves participants gathering in a space that needs to be greened, and wildly flinging mud balls at each other. Since the mud balls contain seeds for hardy plants, the scene of the battle eventually becomes a beautiful green garden. The city gets a new green space, people get to have fun, and at the end of the battle no one feels like they’ve been working in a garden all day.



