Urban Agriculture

This year has been declared the year of urban agriculture in Seattle. Is urban agriculture more than just growing food in P–Patches and backyard gardens? What is local government doing to support food production within the city? Some urban areas in Asia produce more than 60 percent of their food within city limits. Could Seattle be that fertile? Is urban agriculture the way of the future, or simply a hobby for people who have backyards?

According to Stella Chao, who is the Director of Seattle's Department of Neighborhoods which is in charge of the P–Patch Program, there are about 2069 Seattle-area residents currently on the waiting list for participation in the P-Patch Program; compare this to a waiting list of 800 in 2005. On KUOW's Weekday (on April 28), Chao stated that the surge in P-Patch interest is spurred by several factors: increased awareness about urban gardening and environmental issues, and the recent economic downturn which has resulted in people wanting to grow-their-own in order to reduce their monthly food bills.

Aside from the P-Patch Program, there are other grassroots, agricultural-based organizations that are expanding awareness and opportunities for people to dig their hands into the soil. A recent graduate from the University of Washington, Gia Clark, is a founding member of Alleycat Acres, an urban farming collective that aims to transform vacant spaces to create a network of sustainable urban farms in Seattle. This is very cool and provides another way for city dwellers to reconnect with the Earth and thier communities.

http://www.alleycatacres.com/2009/12/who-are-we.html

Another agricultural-based project being explored is Municipal gardening. This is a project that uses underutilized city land (street mediums, transport and utility easements and areas within city parks) which are planted with fruit and nut orchards and edible gardens. This is a top-down model that is overseen by municipal workers but draws members from the community to help maintain and harvest crops. These are shared within the community with excess produce being donated to area foodbanks.

KUOW's Weekday discussion with Steve Scher, Darrin Nordahl, Gia Clark and Stella Chao provides the listener with current information about community-based argriculture inside the Seattle of Seattle and other places around the country; the link is below:

http://www.kuow.org/program.php?id=20079

Alberto's Gardening Experience

I seek to develop a greater, more holistic understanding, for what prompts people to grow their own foods; whether it’s for means of self-sustainability, for profit, or to simply fulfill some sort of attachment to the land and mother earth.

I will be pursuing this project by completing brief, yet informative interviews with people I know that garden as well as individuals around the U-District area in Seattle who participate in the farmer’s market and also have their own gardens.

I begin my quest by interviewing my good friend Alberto. Alberto and I were together in school from 2nd grade up until our senior year in high school. I still recall Alberto telling me stories about being away for the weekend either working in his family’s garden or being out in some nearby farmer’s market selling flowers. Alberto tells me that his family first got involved in growing their own flowers when both his father and uncle began collaborating. The men rented a plot of land in the Yakima Valley of Washington state. Here they grew flowers, which were sold for profit. Later on, Alberto’s dad moved on and rented out a different plot where he continued growing flowers and started to incorporate produce. Today, Alberto’s family continues to grow their own flowers and produce on about nine acres of land.

Alberto’s dad enjoys being out in the field. Alberto indicates that his dad will spend the whole day out watering, plowing, and picking flowers and produce. For his dad, having a garden is more than just selling for profit, but an attachment to the land. Alberto says that it’s simply something his dad knows and loves to do.

Alberto isn’t too fond of the garden. He says it’s too hot sometimes to be out there picking produce for the weekend sale. Nonetheless highlights include being able to eat fresh food through out the summer and into mid-winter which is when the beginning freezing temperatures inhibit plant survival. Alberto enjoys seeing frequent customers whom he indicates are mostly retired individuals. It’s these people that come for fresh produce straight from the farmer. A community bond is created as Alberto also shares that customers and other vendors will share recipes with one another.

Thus far I think I’m off to a good start! I wanted to start with Alberto because I’ve known him for awhile and because I knew his insight would be a great beginning for what I hope will be a journey into the lives of those who grow. In Alberto’s case, I note that the influence in growing produce (and flowers) comes from wanting to make profit. But, once we dig deeper, it’s also important to understand the concept of self-sustainability and also the idea of simply wanting to maintain some sort of attachment to the land.

Below is a link to the Yakima Farmer’s Market web-site:

http://www.yakimafarmersmarket.org/

Profile Statement

alterNative Gardener will be a blog our group (Claire, Jose, Keven, Mariko, and Sarah) can make public our feelings about alternative ways of living. Topics such as local gardens, farmers markets, traditional environmental knowledge (TEK), and more will be covered. Just as we are becoming aware of other available life choices, we want our audience to learn from our findings. This blog is a medium for any who would like to explore alterNative life options.