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19-08-2012, 10:48 PM
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#1 |
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Urban farming
Next generation of family farmer planting seeds in Surrey
http://www.surreyleader.com/community/162425076.html "Local small scale farms are such a beautiful thing, they provide such a beautiful product, and they are the best thing for the community," he says. According to Statistics Canada, B.C. is home to the highest average age for farmers in the country – 57 – and needs to attract younger generations to the profession. But the high cost of living and land in the Lower Mainland does not make the prospect very lucrative.
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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| The Following User Says Thank You For This Useful Post: | Cal76 (22-08-2012) |
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19-08-2012, 10:49 PM
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#2 |
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Farming in the City - Guided Bus Tours
http://www.live-local.ca/farming-in-...uided-bus-tour Well wonder no longer! Live Local and the Greater Edmonton Alliance (GEA) are proud to present the Farming in the City guided bus tour Sunday August 26, 2012. This will be your chance to tour some of Edmonton’s treasured agricultural lands and meet the farmers who nurture the soils and supply us with their amazing bounty! Each informative and entertaining 3 hour tour will be led by a guide who will share the history of the northeast food lands. You will have the opportunity to visit a number of producers who will tour you through their farms, allowing you to see, smell, touch and taste the fruits (and veggies) of their labour! Don’t miss this unforgettable experience to sample some of the delicious products that thrive in our fertile soils and learn about the future of our urban farms! Please note: you can buy individual and family tickets for each time. Family is defined as 2 adults and all children under 18 years-old living in the same household. Children under the age of 2 must sit on their parent’s lap.
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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19-08-2012, 10:55 PM
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#3 |
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http://www.onlyhereforthefood.ca/201...rm-field-trip/
Slow Food Edmonton Dairy Farm Field Trip Some Slow Food Edmonton events are all about eating, like Indulgence and Beer and Boar. Others are more about getting to know fellow members, like the Wood Fired Solstice and the annual potluck at Mary Bailey’s residence. The focus of the Dairy Farm Field Trip at the end of September was learning. We are very lucky to have someone as enthusiastic as Valerie in the organization – she is so energetic and positive it makes my head spin sometimes. She had the great idea of arranging a group field trip to two of our local dairy farms – Sylvan Star Cheese and Bles-Wold Dairy – and ending the day with a meal at Eco Café. Seats sold out quickly, which, although priced at $75 a ticket, was a fair price given the inclusion of three meals, the tours and transportation to and from the farms. We were up and at ‘em early – we had to be at Southgate Mall before 8:30 a.m. Thankfully, we live right on the LRT line, which made the trip fast and convenient. Our premature wake up call was made better by the two sweet and savoury scones that greeted us upon arrival, fresh out of the oven from Duchess. I’m fairly certain it was the butter in the scones that pushed me into nap territory, but when I woke up, we had arrived at our first destination – Sylvan Star Cheese in Red Deer County.
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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19-08-2012, 10:57 PM
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#4 |
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Urban pollution. Urban-grown food? No thank you.
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20-08-2012, 09:10 AM
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#5 |
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^yes and no.
Community/district gardens work very well. Urban Eden in downtown Edmonton produces great crops and the new Oliver garden will do the same. There is now one in the Quarters/boyle which is great to see and I suspect we will see more of these rather then less in the years to come. We (DECL) are hoping to add one to 105st/102ave as part of the Scott Park development. |
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20-08-2012, 09:33 AM
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#6 | |
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Quote:
sheesh.
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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20-08-2012, 09:35 AM
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#7 |
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The best example, imo, is the UofA farm. Strathearn Community League is discussing how to best incorporate a large community veg garden as part of its new Community Hall plans.
This dovetails nicely with the discussion about what kind of light industry is appropriate in urban areas. How about a small scale slaughter operation north of 104 ave? |
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20-08-2012, 09:36 AM
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#8 |
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http://www.spingardening.com/
SPIN gardening. - SPIN stands for S-mall P-lot IN-tensive SPIN-Gardening™ is a do-it-yourself vegetable food production system that enables you to grow a steady and dependable supply of vegetables that have all the quality of farm-grown and all the convenience of store-bought. It shows you how to adapt the professional sub-acre farming techniques of SPIN-Farming® to your home outdoor space or community garden plot by working part-time or full time, working alone or with family, friends or a like-minded group. All that is required is a modest investment in gear and a radically new understanding of what it means to be a home gardener. Best of all, SPIN-Gardening can be implemented wherever you happen to live! In Calgary there is an individual that has gardens in others yards. You get a share of the crop, he gets the rest and you get a beautiful vegetable garden with no work.
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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20-08-2012, 09:37 AM
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#9 | |
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Quote:
DO NOT.... once again DO NOT
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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20-08-2012, 09:40 AM
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#10 |
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http://inhabitat.com/nyc/top-5-urban...new-york-city/
Brooklyn Grange  Battery Park  Gotham Green  Added Value  \10th Acer 
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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20-08-2012, 09:43 AM
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#11 |
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Places where an urban farm could go?? Any ideas??
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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20-08-2012, 09:44 AM
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#12 |
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I'm not talking Gainers here EDP. Besides I thought this would be just the thing for local food advocates such as yourself. I was even tempted to call it an "artisinal" slaughter house.
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20-08-2012, 09:44 AM
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#13 |
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Operation Fruit Rescue.
http://operationfruitrescue.org/ OFRE volunteers go gleaning at a saskatoon u-pick farm Established in 2009, OFRE is a non-profit organization. Our project grew out of an interest in locally grown food, raising awareness about food security, and establishing urban, local connections with our food. Vision: The Edmonton capital region is a place where all of the locally grown fruit is used productively to support the health and well-being of the community. Mission: OFRE will mobilize volunteers to harvest, process, and preserve local fruit. OFRE will get the fruit in the hands, mouths, and minds of people in the Edmonton capital region by fostering community involvement and knowledge sharing. How can OFRE help home owners? Do you have a fruit tree that you don’t have the time or the energy to harvest? Are there more berries than you can handle? Do you want to share your fruit tree with members of your community? If the answer is yes, OFRE can help! OFRE will send volunteer pickers to private residences to pick fruit upon request of the home owner. 1/4 goes to the home owner 1/4 goes to Edmonton’s Food Bank or other charitable organizations* (See of fruit recipients page for more information) 1/4 goes to the volunteer fruit pickers 1/4 goes to OFRE for processing Wanna take part - http://operationfruitrescue.org/frui...olunteer-form/ http://operationfruitrescue.org/frui...ion-form-2012/
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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20-08-2012, 09:51 AM
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#14 | |
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Now add blood and cow/pig **** to that.... Plus the sound and smell of even a small operation... NO thank. I grew up with family who owned mixed cow/grain operations...I have raised cows.... I would oppose this heavily!!! What we need is more small scale butchers buying whole cows that are local raised and butchered from a local plant but that plant should not be in the city.
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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20-08-2012, 11:07 AM
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#15 |
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I remember reading that locally grown food is way more carbon intensive than importing from locations where less intensive farming is posisble (due to more moderate climates). All the materials needed for glass houses, fertiliizer, feed for animals (not needed in countries where can be grass fed year round), heaters, etc., more than offset the realitivley small carbon cost of transportation.
Last edited by moahunter; 20-08-2012 at 11:11 AM.. |
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20-08-2012, 11:15 AM
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#16 |
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I've read the same thing. Urban gardens are neat, but they're rather a boutique way of providing food.
Eve |
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20-08-2012, 11:24 AM
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#17 | |
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It's also about growing things suitable to the climate. Cabbage, Broccoli, leeks, onions, potatoes. etc etc etc... in a sustainable way.. IE seasonal produce... We are not talking about massive hot house operations and trying to produce fresh tomatoes in the middle of an Alberta Winter... Although it is done.
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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20-08-2012, 11:31 AM
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#18 | |
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20-08-2012, 11:39 AM
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#19 | |
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I come from farming families so I remember my aunts/uncles/grandparents and great grandparents having gardens. Not huge massive ones either... My great grandma raised... 9 kids off the land.. Canned chickens.. pickled carrot/beats... etc etc All grown and canned by her. Small Spaces can create a lot of food. It wont solve our food needs but with the planet growing we need to find ways to a) produce more b) waste less. Lets not kid ourselves either this is also about education our kids... Many of whom think High fructose corn syrup, KD and processed chicken nuggets shaped into dinosaurs are "real" food.
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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20-08-2012, 11:44 AM
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#20 |
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EDP, I am not protesting the implementation of urban gardens. Far from it. They are neat for all the reasons Ian gives and more. But claims that they are going to be a solution to food supply show a lack of understanding of scaling issues. And, yes, at that scale it is less carbon intensive to bring in bulk food from places whose climates are geared toward that.
I've fed people from the output of a plot of land also. It gave me an appreciation for how productive a small plot of land could be *and* how labour intensive a process it is. It's a community or individual solution to fresh food provision, not a full solution to feeding a million people in a condensed area. Eve |
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20-08-2012, 11:46 AM
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#21 |
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Look at Brooklyn Grange
Currently, with over two acres of rooftop (about two footbal fields) under cultivation in Brooklyn and Queens, we’ve sold over 40,000lbs of vegetables to restaurants, CSA members and directly to the public via weekly farmstands.
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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20-08-2012, 11:48 AM
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#22 |
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OK, EDP. I'll leave you to your little campaign.
Eve |
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20-08-2012, 11:49 AM
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#23 |
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I think that we can all agree that they are part of the solution rather than THE solution.
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20-08-2012, 11:50 AM
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#24 | |
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This goes far beyonf carbon counts... you also have to look at what is done inorder to procure the land your food is grown on and who is farming it and the conditions under which it is done. Whats the carbon count of burning Rain forest fro food producing lands... what is the cost of near slave labor and worker mistreatment.
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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20-08-2012, 11:52 AM
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but it's not just mine... its a movement across North America and Europe. Paris Vertical Farm Growing popular tropical fruits in these types of greenhouse structures makes sense. While it would use space efficiently, it would also be a way to reduce energy use for transporting the fruits long distances from the tropics to cities with cooler climates. Besides, fresh bananas taste so much better. http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/citi...arm-might/4233 
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi Last edited by edmonton daily photo; 20-08-2012 at 11:54 AM.. |
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20-08-2012, 11:53 AM
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#26 |
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EDP, your tactic of blaming people who don't agree with you 100% for human rights abuses like burning of the rain forests and keeping slaves is getting old. You're driving your allies away.
Eve |
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20-08-2012, 12:10 PM
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#27 | |
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Take for example Dairy. In New Zealand, you can have a dairy or beef farm of 3000 cows, only eating grass. No feed. No hormones. No shelter. That's all. One small family manages it and gets very wealthy from it, no cheap labour involved. So it is considerably cheaper, cleaner, and less intensive than if you did in Alberta simply due to climate (grass feed/natural beef does taste different though - I prefer, but to each their own). The carbon cost of shipping is minimal, and the carbon footprint is less than doing the same in Alberta. Its even more obvious with something like oranges, and most other fruits, whether it comes from California, Florida or Mexico. Yes, its nice to have a backyard garden (I have had and enjoyed), but its not going to feed everyone in the most efficient way. Its a nice supplement at best. PS. Did you know milk is outrageously expensive in Canada compared to world prices? Due to the highly carbon intensive farming here, and the lack of incentive to get more efficient with larger farms due to the supply chain management that sustains and rewards inefficient producers. Last edited by moahunter; 20-08-2012 at 12:17 PM.. |
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20-08-2012, 12:10 PM
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#28 |
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I am not blaming anyone....
Where did I blame you eve? I am debating a point you made and sharing information about urban farming projects that are happening around the world. so we can agree to disagree as adults and talk about the subject or you can continue to attack me.
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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20-08-2012, 12:12 PM
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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20-08-2012, 12:12 PM
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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20-08-2012, 12:14 PM
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#31 |
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urban farms not only a source of food but also a source of community redevelopment...
Urban farming could transform Detoit. http://assets.inhabitat.com/wp-conte...ban-Farm-1.jpg 
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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20-08-2012, 12:16 PM
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#32 | |
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Hit this one again... I worked on one of the Veggie farms in the NE the year i was laid off from my job during the last recession. I recently discovered that the province wants to build hiway over it and the mico climate it exists in.
THE NE of Edmonton has some of the best land for growing vegetables in all of Alberta. Quote:
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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20-08-2012, 01:22 PM
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#33 |
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You know what I find quite comical is that when I was young and lived in North Edmonton, well what was North then, almost every single house had a Garden and every fall you could smell the canning going on around the neighbourhood, we always had garden fresh veggies in the summer at my house and pickled treats for the winter all from my Mom's Garden and this was a pretty common thing back in the 70's. We didn't have hardly any canned products in our house from the store, except maybe tuna or the like, even the exotic fruits (pears, peaches etc in our case) were purchased in bulk and turned into canned fruits for the winter.
Somewhere along the way we became a canned society and almost all the gardens disappeared, until recently. Don't get me wrong I love the idea of urban farming and am glad its on the upswing, but it used to be the norm now its' "Cool and exotic" and people flock to the farmers market for organic food, I was raised on it 40 years ago!, my parents composted, used high quality manure and got peat from the swamps up north and sand too, I can remember going to get this with the old 63 ford F100 all around the area. We used to get fresh beef and chickens from local farmers and fish from one of the local lakes. Funny how things come full circle ...and to add EDP here is a thread that was discussing the NE lands, and some points I made about the quality http://www.connect2edmonton.ca/forum...ad.php?t=23861 Thanks
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Excellence is a continual Journey up a staircase where there is NO top step... Last edited by KenL2; 20-08-2012 at 01:28 PM.. |
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20-08-2012, 02:08 PM
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#34 |
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^ I Know hey!! so great...
and to think knitting is vogue again also  I just hope that we can tap our elders and get as much garden knowledge out of them before they go and it is lost....
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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20-08-2012, 07:09 PM
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#35 |
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The main message I received from the following video is that doing rather than discussing / planning actually seems to work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KmKoj4RSZw |
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20-08-2012, 07:35 PM
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20-08-2012, 10:37 PM
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20-08-2012, 10:45 PM
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What is your point, because I can't see it. I am sure that no one else can either. |
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20-08-2012, 10:46 PM
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#39 |
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.... Lol. How small do you think a slaughter operation can be to survive. We are not talking the killing of one or two cows.. We are talking 100 times that. Why don't you quote the rest of my post where I offer real and practice alternatives such as local butchers who can purchase from the slaughterhouse..
A Slaughter operation is not pretty, they smell, and now you have trucked in trailers of animals and their waste and must deal with it and their remains. You and your off the cuff nimby quip are out of line
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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20-08-2012, 10:48 PM
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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20-08-2012, 10:50 PM
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#41 | |
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ie. give me the local butcher but not the local abattoir. Presumably because the butcher is quaint and the abattoir is smelly. I think the nimby title is pretty accurate... Last edited by kjh; 21-08-2012 at 09:58 PM.. Reason: arbitrators run arbitrations, abattoirs run captive bolt stunners |
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20-08-2012, 10:56 PM
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#42 |
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^^I would say that hothouse bananas in Paris compares favorably to hothouse tomatoes in Alberta.
but if you don't see the connection I won't press the point. PS at least hipster has some positive connotations, ***** does not... |
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20-08-2012, 10:58 PM
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#43 |
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And block..
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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21-08-2012, 02:00 PM
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#44 |
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Chicago Warehouse Becomes Net-Zero Urban Farm
http://sustainablecitiescollective.c...ero-urban-farm In Chicago’s West side, a group of entrepreneurs saw one such building as an opportunity and fashioned a multi-faceted program mix to utilize old warehouse space and create a complex that will be energy-neutral, waste negative and resource positive. Dubbed “The Plant” the facility that is currently in the construction/renovation stage includes multiple parts revolving around food production that create an interconnected system of reflexive benefit (what some could call an Industrial Ecology). According to the owners, when the facility is complete it should be producing food, fish, beer and tea all as part of an on-site ecological system. When setting out to create a net-zero urban farm, the founders of The Plant leveled their sights on an old warehouse that had already passed through the hands of multiple owners and respective uses. Built in 1925 as a meat-packing warehouse by children of a German immigrant, the Peer Foods building sits near the old Union Stockyards and holds 93,500 square feet of opportunity. Despite the fact that the building needed some work upon its discovery, the Plant team saw the structure for its accolades rather than its shortcomings. 
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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21-08-2012, 02:03 PM
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#45 |
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Urban Bees
 In the worlds most densly populated cities, it is difficult to imagine urban beekeeping is even possible. In concrete jungles like Hong Kong, where parks and gardens are limited and the roof tops are mostly underused a nascent beekeeping society is found. Last year HK Honey, an organization of beekeepers and designers have started to extend the practice throughout the city. Besides promoting the use of local honey, the HK Honey designs honey and wax related products and teaches the practice urban beekeeping to with the goal of extending it throughout the city.
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi Last edited by edmonton daily photo; 21-08-2012 at 02:07 PM.. |
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22-08-2012, 12:29 AM
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#46 |
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Join Date: Feb 2006
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Urban farming...esp some of the larger scale farming applications being pushed in this thread...may have promise...
but... ...some of you here speaking of growing up on a farm must have had the easy farm...farming is hard work, you are tethered to the operation (esp dairy), and it is very very expensive on a small scale... ...there is a reason I left the farm... Now, if some of you that are so stuck on the urbanista kick lately would please take a simple drive 15 minutes in any direction from the metro limits..if you are the cycle-zi without a car...get a friend to take you.... ...voila...farming...or this city centre made up term of agri-hood. Hectares and hectares and hectares and quarter sections and sections and townships of agri-hood. Then grab a map of the province...see just how much agri-hood is there.... Urban farming is cute for the country that does not have the land to farm properly. We should be concentrating on how to make farming...you know...the real farming not people tinkering with a backyard to pickle carrots...more viable. Protect the farmlands we have... ....mmm...now I'm craving pickled carrots...good thing the real farm out west had its canning session Saturday....can't wait...Mom's pickled carrot recipe rules...just too bad she isn't here to make them this year...  ...and my cooking is a pale substitute...
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Everywhere I go, I've been slandered, Libeled, I've heard words I've never heard in the Bible - and I am so tired. Simon and Garfunkel "Keep the customer satisfied" Yup, that about sums it up. |
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22-08-2012, 08:59 AM
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#47 |
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^ Richard.. i understand where you are coming from but we also don't know wha tthe future of farming will hold. I personally feel that farming as an industry has largely been stagnent from an R&D side of things. Yes we have created crops that produce more and fertilizers...but the way we farm has largely remained unchanged.
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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22-08-2012, 09:09 AM
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#48 |
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The way we farm has changed from a single family operation into large corporate run farms... Farming has changed big time in the last 20 years.
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22-08-2012, 10:31 AM
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#49 |
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I actually suggest that some separation between city and farm is very desirable. If you guys want to live in villages where people farm in their back yards, call such an arrangement for what it is in 2012: a suburb.
But the urban visionaries here -- who favor dense cities with walkable spaces and multi-use neighborhoods -- should realize the very simple fact that healthy food requires a clean environment. Away from the cement plants, refineries, chemical factories, fabricating centers, and all the other industry that rings the city and keeps it alive. If you want to talk about implementing more efficient transport infrastructure to bring semi-locally-grown food to urban markets, that's a different story. But food raised in the city proper is not something I want to touch -- nor should you. |
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22-08-2012, 10:32 AM
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#50 |
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^ Yep cause I have a cement plant in my back yard....
Do you garden at all?! and do you have an idea what kind of chemicals are used on huge commercial farms? Not to mention the quality of water that is used to raise the plants?! Why do you think there are so many e-coli break outs with things like bean sprouts and bagged spinach. Next we could talk about the bacteria breading grounds that are major food processing plants. When your food has to go through an ammonia bath there is a problem... and you are worried about a farm being down wind from a gas fired cement plant... 
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi Last edited by edmonton daily photo; 22-08-2012 at 10:37 AM.. |
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22-08-2012, 10:48 AM
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#51 |
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...farming as an industry has been far from stagnant over the past few years. However, to that point, there is also credence to the practices of years ago...far far more "organic" than now...and we recycled a lot more than we're ever given credit for...that said...to think farming is stagnant...again...take that drive I asked...actually attend FarmFair…
...my point is that there is no pressing need for urban farming...at best it is a niche thing for people who want to play... I'm happier buying from the local farmer's market than I am ever wanting to plant a garden in my backyard. Again, too much work for my already swamped life... I don't expect the take rate in the long term to be huge either...some will be wide-eyed with excitement until they too find out how much work gardening is...let alone producing your own food on any scale... As a society, we need to stop vilifying farmers…treating them as stupid hicks that only pour fertilizers on everything, dump oil in the backyard, never change, pump everything full of chemicals…etc. The successful ones do work with the market…respect their land…and want to produce a good quality product. Demand the quality…pay for the quality…and you’ll get it… As a society…painting farming as a couple local yokels driving a Farmall H and a threshing machine has to stop...
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Everywhere I go, I've been slandered, Libeled, I've heard words I've never heard in the Bible - and I am so tired. Simon and Garfunkel "Keep the customer satisfied" Yup, that about sums it up. |
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22-08-2012, 11:04 AM
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#52 | |
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Parkdale |
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22-08-2012, 11:29 AM
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#53 | |
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Flying Encyclopedia
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Quote:
Farming has changed dramatically over the last 5 never mind 20 years. I have several members of my family operating farming operations measured in sections not acres. The technology of the equipment, crops, methods have leaped dramatically and for far greater efficiency and by the way the trend is in a reduction of fertilizers, chemicals etc as crops grown that way are worth more. The image of Red Neck farmers driving open top tractors is so off game and lame it's crazy. Try GPS navigated, air conditioned units with super entertainment systems driving more accurate lines than ever imagined and require technicians that are as much software engineers as heavy duty mechanics. Yet most "farmers" are doing the majority of their maintenance. As for pick up trucks...no not really, the main farmers in my family drive a Range Rover and Mercedes SLK...no mud flaps or Bull Balls, that's a metro thing. |
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22-08-2012, 11:36 AM
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#54 | |
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We have to also clarify what type of farming.. Fish stocks are in trouble all over the world.. so ways to safely farm fish need to and are being explored... and in inland locations! I struggled with how to word "farming has been stagnant" because it hasn't been in some areas. I watched the tools get progressively bigger and more efficient, straight cut headers, grain dryers, etc etc etc... but Agriculture as a science has been overlooked (IMO) and thusly the way we grow things or the way we farm has not had the same attention as what we farm with ie modified seeds, chemicals, machinery etc etc etc
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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22-08-2012, 11:39 AM
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#55 |
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More on the pressing need for urban farms...
There are conversations going on currently that there is indeed a very real and pressing need to look at our food stocks. I am sure the truth lies somewhere in the middle of No concern and dire concern. Climate change to cause food shortage http://thecitizen.co.tz/business/14-...-shortage.html Paris. With drought parching farms in the United States and near the Black Sea, weak monsoon rains in India and insidious hunger in Africa's Sahel region, the world could be headed towards another food crisis. Asia should keep a catastrophe at bay with a strong rice harvest while the G20 group of industrialised and emerging economies should try to parry the main threat, soaring food prices. "We have had quite a few climate events this year that will lead to very poor harvests, notably in the United States with maize or in Russia with soja," warned Philippe Pinta of the French farmers federation FNSEA. "That will create price pressures similar to what we saw in 2007-2008," he added in reference to the last global food alert, when wheat and rice prices nearly doubled. In India, "all eyes will be on food inflation - whether the impact of a weak monsoon feeds into food prices," Standard Chartered Bank regional head of research Samiran Chakraborty was quoted by Dow Jones Newswires as saying. Monsoon rains were 15.2 per cent below average in mid-August, according to latest data from India weather bureau, and Asian rice prices are forecast to rise by as much as 10 percent in the coming months as supplies tighten.
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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22-08-2012, 11:40 AM
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#56 |
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Add to that the insult of this...
Americans waste, throw away nearly half their food: study http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...87K0WR20120821 (Reuters) - Americans throw away nearly half their food every year, waste worth roughly $165 billion annually, according to a study released on Tuesday.
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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22-08-2012, 12:35 PM
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#57 | |
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Bumper grain crop for Canada forecast amid U.S. drought
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22-08-2012, 03:56 PM
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#58 |
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Agriculture as a science has progressed as well...as I said...go to FarmFair my friend...
 I think some of the issues here with China et al are heavily influenced by geopolitical issues moreso than climate. Plus, as you rightly point out, the Western world with its gigantic food portions and the waste therein is criminal. Combine these issues and you will see far greater issues to tackle than droughts in certain areas...the 1930's were all about drought...there have been drought events throughout history... ...but there are also many more examples of crops burned, selfish landowners/kings/warlords, insects, mismanagement, and attempts to grow crops where crops shouldn't be grown... ...we are more to blame...so before I go headlong into urban farming, which as I said before is at best niche, let's tackle the real reasons for food shortages...urban farming is not going to solve that if the distribution networks, policies, and consumption habits do not change...
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Everywhere I go, I've been slandered, Libeled, I've heard words I've never heard in the Bible - and I am so tired. Simon and Garfunkel "Keep the customer satisfied" Yup, that about sums it up. |
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22-08-2012, 04:09 PM
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#59 |
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Addicted to C2E
Join Date: May 2008
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^ I have been to farm fair... We will just have to agree to disagree. We are lucky here in Alberta because we have the U of A and Olds College but I can't say that Farming and agriculture have gotten the attention i feel they deserve at an academic level.
I agree that the system is broken.. it was sad to watch perfectly good veg left to rot in the fields because it wasn't grade A quality or too big or too small for the supermarkets. Local farms.. how ever the materialize. Help solve that by cutting out the distribution or putting it in the hands of the owner operator who has a vested interest that as much of his product gets to market as possible. Support your local farmers guys... its way cheaper than buying organic!
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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22-08-2012, 10:11 PM
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#60 | |
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As for part one...it could always use more academic attention...but I would also temper that with some academic thought from someone who has owned a farm or at least has a clue...not theoretical science from some botanist with an agenda...
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Everywhere I go, I've been slandered, Libeled, I've heard words I've never heard in the Bible - and I am so tired. Simon and Garfunkel "Keep the customer satisfied" Yup, that about sums it up. |
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22-08-2012, 10:17 PM
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#61 | |
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23-08-2012, 10:28 AM
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#62 |
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Join Date: May 2008
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side question richard...
Getting rid of the wheat board... good or bad?
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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23-08-2012, 11:06 AM
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#63 |
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Addicted to C2E
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About a month ago I watched a story on global regarding a couple in Quebec (???) that turned their front yard into garden planters. Someone complained and there wasa fight to keep the gardens. They had done their work and had city permission to add the planters. Not sure what the end result was.
Does Edmonton have any restriction on front yard gardens? I know lots of people that have planted potatoes in their front yards. I am considering adding a couple 8'x8' planters to my front yard. |
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23-08-2012, 11:41 AM
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#64 |
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^ I am not aware of anything... I even know that Oliver could turn most of the city boulivards into gardens if people so choose to.
To be honest I would do first and ask for forgiveness later... but that is me. And if anyone says anything I would poin to the city "the way we grow" plans and say... I am simply following your ideals.
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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23-08-2012, 12:01 PM
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#65 |
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Addicted to C2E
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Good grief, now the argument is turn boulevards into gardens. In a word: NO! That is what cities do when they are under military siege.
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23-08-2012, 12:40 PM
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#66 |
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Addicted to C2E
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Location: Edmonton
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planting in blvd is what a renegade would do when they are too cheap to get their own backyard... Sounds similar to using a school yard as your dogs private outhouse...
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24-08-2012, 11:16 AM
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#67 |
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Addicted to C2E
Join Date: May 2008
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http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2012/08/d...north-america/
Downtown Vancouver rooftop garden first of its kind in North America  Construction has begun on North America’s first VertiCrop urban farming system. Developed by Vancouver based Alterrus‘ the vertical farm will be on the top level of the downtown parking lot located at 535 Richards Street. It is expected that the farm will operate year round. The farm will be 5,700 square feet, majority of which will be used to grow produce in trays stacked 12 high. The remaining square footage will be used for picking and packing. The VertiCrop™ Advantage Designed to grow in any climate and with an exceptionally small footprint in urban environments, VertiCrop™ uses a fraction of the resources needed for field agriculture, while generating substantially higher yields. Yields are approximately 20 times higher than the normal production volume of field crops VertiCrop™ requires only 8% of the normal water consumption used to irrigate field crops Works on non-arable lands and close to major markets or urban centres Does not require the use of harmful herbicides or pesticides Able to grow over 80 varieties of leafy green vegetables Significant operating and capital cost savings over field agriculture Significantly reduces transportation distance, thereby reducing cost, energy and carbon foot print Provides higher quality produce with greater nutritional value and a longer shelf life High levels of food safety due to the enclosed growing process Scalable from small to very large food production operations
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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24-08-2012, 01:57 PM
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#68 | |
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Everywhere I go, I've been slandered, Libeled, I've heard words I've never heard in the Bible - and I am so tired. Simon and Garfunkel "Keep the customer satisfied" Yup, that about sums it up. |
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24-08-2012, 02:18 PM
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#69 |
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Addicted to C2E
Join Date: May 2008
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Prices are going to be pretty awesome this year...
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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24-08-2012, 02:37 PM
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#70 |
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Addicted to C2E
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Location: Downtown
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In theory, I like the idea of farmers having a choice to sell their wheat instead of being forced to sell to one buyer. Time will tell.
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“You have to dream big. If we want to be a little city, we dream small. If we want to be a big city, we dream big, and this is a big idea.” - Mayor Stephen Mandel, 02/22/2012 |
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24-08-2012, 02:40 PM
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#71 |
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Addicted to C2E
Join Date: May 2012
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Everything works when the economy is good. The wheat board was a reaction to a depression, and when the next depression hits here, the farmers (or agribusinessmen) here will be the first to complain about the fact they were gutted of their wheat board.
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24-08-2012, 05:48 PM
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#72 |
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C2E Junkie
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...prices will be good...which is why I am initially saying good...but there is a wait and see..
...like all things that become monolithic...the CWB didn't modify what it was...and became increasingly distant from its support base... ...I too wonder what will happen when the next downturn will come (they always do) and what it will do for the farming community...I persoanlly think that the demise of the CWB will force the community to be more entrepreneural...and that will hopefully lead to even better things liek diversification and cooperation...
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Everywhere I go, I've been slandered, Libeled, I've heard words I've never heard in the Bible - and I am so tired. Simon and Garfunkel "Keep the customer satisfied" Yup, that about sums it up. |
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24-08-2012, 05:53 PM
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#73 | |
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Interesting...I can see where the water advantage comes from and I have often chastized irrrigators for doing so in the heat of the day...that is where a large portion of your wasted water goes...evaporation... I can see the promise here...but I am unsure as to the claime of higher nutritional value and longer shelf life. I am sure harvesting is easier.
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Everywhere I go, I've been slandered, Libeled, I've heard words I've never heard in the Bible - and I am so tired. Simon and Garfunkel "Keep the customer satisfied" Yup, that about sums it up. |
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24-08-2012, 06:24 PM
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#74 |
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Addicted to C2E
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I love that vertifarm thing. If you can grow year round, you can pretty much quadruple the output of traditional farming in much less space, while using less resources. Throw solar panels and wind turbines on top and we're happenin.
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24-08-2012, 07:47 PM
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#75 | |
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Addicted to C2E
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This is, bluntly put, the opinion that entrepreneurs are the cream of the crop. I rather think it's best to let the few who are inborn risk-takers go about making the deals, and as a society to focus on making things as stable and as predictable as possible for everyone else. To be good at growing crops and raising animals is a specialized skill quite distinct from the art of cutting a deal. In any case, farmers who wanted to cut deals could always go and work for the trading-boards. |
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24-08-2012, 09:00 PM
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#76 | ||
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"Do you give people who already use transit a better service, or do you build it where they don't use it in the hopes they might start to use it?" Nenshi |
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24-08-2012, 09:58 PM
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#77 | ||
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Innovation, risk taking, pushing limits...coming up with solutions...etc...that is more the spirit that will push the product and the methods further...but like all things...this spirit will be tempered by those that are risk adverse...a skill that has its merits...
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Everywhere I go, I've been slandered, Libeled, I've heard words I've never heard in the Bible - and I am so tired. Simon and Garfunkel "Keep the customer satisfied" Yup, that about sums it up. |
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24-08-2012, 10:14 PM
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#78 |
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Addicted to C2E
Join Date: May 2012
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Let's not argue semantics.
You want people to be entrepreneurial. I believe that is a skill and a vocation best left to people who have it and not at all necessary for growing crops or doing anything else other than being entrepreneurial. I further believe that by embracing entrepreneurship as an ideal for everyone to have we have seriously diminished our sense of collective responsibility and in fact have unnecessarily degraded as a society. It's easy to be entrepreneurial when the going is good. It is very hard when the going is bad. That it's still necessary even then, is our collective failing to each other. That's all I'll say on the topic. |
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