I'm finally on the blog! Yay! Turns out to get to this thing you have to have the "internet" and a "browser" and that browser has to be "updated." Whatever THAT means. Anyway.
With all this talk of urban agriculture, I decided to go to a source that I rarely rely on for factual information but have found some true entertainment in. Grist is an online magazine focused on environmental issues and news, is hopelessly liberal and is almost always roll-around-on-the-floor hilarious. Recently I received their biweekly email and what do you know! An article on urban agriculture!
"Are You Kidding Me with Your F-ing Farm Skyscraper?"
Woven among her sarcasm, the author presents really relevant points to any urban resident, especially broke college students. (Or soon to be my case: broke out-of-college students) Eating healthy and fresh is difficult and expensive--and forget organic. I'll eat a pesticide-ridden banana for 17 cents because I can afford it and I haven't had a decent source of potassium in about a week. Same goes with spinach (I'll take the e-coli?) or apples or tomatoes. Author Susan Gregory Thomas or "Broke-Ass" tells the story of a chance encounter with a green-thumbed male nurse, James McCrae. McCrae has wise insight into the dilemma of healthy eating, urban farming and charity. On a vacant lot in Brooklyn, New York, McCrae (with the help of the local homeless population) tends an urban farm and raises crops for distribution among the surrounding families. McCrae is the perfect example of where urban agriculture needs to go. In order for this movement to be successful, the "little guys" have to step up and take initiative while the mega-agra businesses keep their greedy paws out of it. I think the immediate solution is not a 50-story skyscraper with a crop on every floor--I think the immediate solution is the enabling and encouragement of the intimidated backyard basil grower. I think it starts with us.
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