Two weeks ago I went to my first
community garden here in Tallahassee at Igrow Whatever You Like in South City.
I was immediately met with challenges as I drove up and down all of Orange
Avenue. Upon finally finding the location I was in awe at the mounds of compost
laying on one half of the garden. As the physical labor began I met a few of
the leaders and asked them where their soil comes from and the potatoes we were
planting came from. While the garden is organic I found out that the soil they
use comes from larger agribusinesses and goes through a particular process
before arriving at the community garden. This means that while the growing
technique may be organic the soil doesn’t necessarily come from an organic
business. This was one of the risks
that Urban Agriculture: Growing Healthy, Sustainable Places mentioned facing urban gardens.
Soil contamination can have a negative
and subtle impact on famers and consumers through their interaction and consumption
of the crops grown. As the article mentions, without proper soil testing and
cleaning it could have a worse impact on the environment. On the other hand, one
solution the article mentioned that I found interesting was mixing 2 parts of organic
compost with 1 part of the soil that was already used and processed. It said
the natural components of the organic compost would break down any toxins
within the previously used one. Based on my experience at Igrow it appears they
already do this because of the multiple smaller mounds of compost they have
fermenting within the community garden’s grounds. It’s a great feeling to be
able to apply what’s read from these articles to infer and understand what’s
going on solely from observation.
I’m glad that you were able to visit the iGrow whatever you like in South City. During this semester I became aware that iGrow expanded to the Southside of town. I’ve been hoping, over the last few years as a prior Southside resident, that iGrow would expand to the Southside because of the dire need for healthy food sources. I found it interesting that you noticed that the soil they were using wasn’t organic, but they were able to use a technique that would break down toxins found within the non-organic soil. I really hope that you continue to visit this urban farm and I have to agree with you that it is a great feeling to apply and infer concepts we were are learning as opposed to just reading about it.
ReplyDeleteI also wonder sometimes about soil quality in gardening. In a lot of older neighborhoods and also along older roads, there is quite a bit of lead in the soil. This is because 1) old houses that were later demolished used lead paint, and 2) cars used leaded gasoline, which was transmitted into the air and settled in the ground. I had previously heard that the lead uptake in plants wasn't much -- that you are more at risk when touching the soil with your hands and then touching your mouth (accidental ingestion). But recently, in my Environmental Law class, there was a visiting professor who said that plant uptake could be an issue.
ReplyDeleteCompost is amazing! I was also surprised to learn about how the case in the article used compost to break down the PAHs. Unfortunately, when it comes to lead or other heavy metals, like mercury and arsenic, I think it's a little more difficult to do remediation. Though actually there's an organization in my hometown that is now using a calcium-based substance as a "lead neutralizer", since calcium is chemically similar to lead (which is also why the body confuses it for calcium, storing it in the tissues and bones, and transferring it to infants during birth).
That's awesome that you were able to volunteer at the Southside location -- I've been meaning to check it out!
Soil contamination is a real barrier to urban agriculture in large cities, especially within areas previously used for industrial purposes where there are often a lot of vacant lots that may seem appealing for urban farmers and gardeners. The Hodgson article mentions the use of raised beds and other contained growing systems with imported soil and compost as a to work on contaminated land. The reading mentions Garden State Urban Farms in Newark, NJ that uses a type of portable raised-bed system called an earth box that allows for dealing with the both the barriers of soil contamination and uncertainty of land tenure by allowing the farmers to relocate their operation if the original site comes under development (Hodgson, 2012).
ReplyDeleteI also think that a lot of gardens and urban farms would benefit from local governments starting up city-wide composting programs that might allow the finished compost from residential homes or compostable materials to be donated to or otherwise utilized by urban agriculture operations. I was reading somewhere that although most urban gardens and farms are actively composting on-site materials they are often not allowed to use inputs acquired from off-site (like household food scraps from the community).
I loved this section of our reading- it was interesting to learn that something so seemingly minute can have a real effect on the condition of the plants. It makes you wonder if normal citizens who attempt to start their own vegetable gardens are aware of this potential issue. Like Sarah mentioned, past homes could have caused run off that stayed in an area's soil. Perhaps this may not have much of a health affect in small increments, but if someone wanted to eat solely from their backyard I'm sure they would run into health issues. I think this is something that needs to be mentioned more with information prompting people to grow their own food, without it scaring people away from the idea. Looking into the history of your land and testing the soil seems crucial if you plan on doing this- if there are Superfund sites near a property this could also be a serious hazard that many are potentially unaware of.
ReplyDelete