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Is Urban Farming the Next Pinkberry?
The four-acre urban Alemany Farm in San Francisco (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
No, urban farming is not the name of some cool sounding store that will become the next fad like froyo and cupcakes. It's just what it is--farming and gardening for yourself at home at in local gardens for the community. Up in San Francisco, Mayor Gavin Newsom wants community gardens on vacant and underutilized city-owned lots. At the White House, First Lady Michelle Obama has planted a garden on the south lawn. Although the garden on White House Place in Los Angeles is threatened and the South Central farm is now over a hundred miles away in the Central Valley, the urban farming efforts found in Silver Lake, South Pasadena, Altadena and elsewhere seem to be growing in popularity.
Last week, a post for apartment dwellers on maintaining basil was one of the most popular on LAist. And earlier this month U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack proclaimed that we have a National Community Gardening Week, which will take place in two weeks.
This has us thinking. Is growing your own food going to become the next big thing? We cannot complain if it becomes a reality--it's certainly healthier and more sustainable than the frozen yogurt and cupcake trends. And per usual with anything that swoons in popularity and plateaus, the habits formed stick around. What do you think? Are we ready for a homegrown revolution?
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
