urban farming practices in metro vancouver A Research Report
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PRODUCED BY:
VANCOUVER URBAN FARMING SOCIETY
1 | Vancouver Urban Farming Society | urbanfarmers.ca
FUNDED BY:
Acknowledgements It takes many peoples’ time, resources, expertise, and passion to fuel a project like this one. We are grateful for the support of the 2012-14 Vancouver Urban Farming Society (VUFS) Board of Directors, the urban farming organizations who participated in the research, and all those who enable this movement to fill us with optimism for what a better future could be.
A Special Thanks to: Participating Farms and Edible Landscaping Organizations Backyard Eats Barefoot Farms Burnaby Fresh Farm City Beet Farm City Farmer Duncan’s Backyard Henhouses Farmers on 57th Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society Frisch Farm Hastings Urban Farm Inner City Farms Loutet Farm Shifting Growth SkyHarvest SOLEFood Street Farms Southlands Farm UBC Farm UBC Aboriginal Garden Urban Digs Urban Stream Victory Gardens 2 | Vancouver Urban Farming Society | urbanfarmers.ca
The World in a Garden Your Local Food Pedalers Yummy Yards AUTHORS Zsuzsi Fodor Shelby Tay External Reviewer Rochelle Eisen Design & Layout Jenn Christenson Photography Sara Dent, Michael Marrapese, Shelby Tay, Amy Tran Funder
ABOUT THE VANCOUVER URBAN FARMING SOCIETY Growing out of a network of urban farmers and their supporters, VUFS incorporated into a non-profit society in 2012 with the current Mission of strengthening urban farming through education, networking, advocacy, and business support towards a Vision to grow urban farming in Vancouver and beyond. Along with supporting this research into urban farming practices, VUFS hosts the annual Vancouver Urban Farming Forum, organizes urban farming workshops, tours, and projects; advocates to and collaborates with policymakers; and convenes information sharing and networking through a monthly newsletter, the BC Urban Farmers e-mail list, our website, social media, and urban farmer gatherings.
Get in Touch: info@urbanfarmers.ca www.urbanfarmers.ca
facebook.com/VancouverUrbanFarmingSociety @VUFS
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what is urban farming? Urban farming in the 2011 Vancouver Urban Farming Forum Report is defined as “a type of urban agriculture that produces food primarily to generate revenue. Revenue generating urban agriculture has also been termed commercial urban agriculture and entrepreneurial urban agriculture”. An urban farm is understood as “a portion of urban land where food is grown primarily for sale or where food is primarily consumed by someone other than the grower(s)”. Both of these are working definitions as urban farming continues to shift and evolve in Vancouver.
Characteristics of a typical Vancouver urban farm include that it: Is revenue generating; Utilizes organic/sustainable practices 1; Utilizes spatially and temporally intensive growing methods; Often takes place on multiple sites; Often collaborative in nature – between individuals, farms, and organizations; Often electronically documented via website, blog or other social media tools; and, Is, by definition if selling food, a business.
1 It is important to note that the word organic here does not refer to organic certification or adherence to any set standards as none of the urban farms included in this research have gone through certification.
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TABLE of contents 10
A. About the Research
12 Urban Farming in the Vancouver Food Strategy 13 So, this is Not a Best Practices Guide? 14 Project Scope 15 Urban Farmer Sentiments on a Code of Best Practices
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B. How We Did It
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C. Areas of Practice
21 1. Pre-Season & New Farm Practices 21 What is Happening in Vancouver: Pre-Season Practices 22 Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Cover Cropping and Crop Rotation 25 What is Happening in Vancouver: New Farm Practices 26 Existing Guidelines, Standards & Policy: Establishing New Sites & Site Assessments 31 Existing Guidelines, Standards & Policy: Urban Farming in Areas of Risk 36 What is Happening in Vancouver: Soil Testing 37 Existing Guidelines, Standards & Policy: Taking and Interpreting Soil Tests 40 Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management 41 2. Land and What You Build On It 41 What is Happening in Vancouver: Land Access
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46 Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Developing Land Use Agreements 49 What is Happening in Vancouver: Greenhouses and Sheds 49 Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Building and Accessory Structures on Urban Farm Land 51 3. In the Field 51 What is Happening in Vancouver: Pest & Weed Management 52 Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Pest & Weed Management 53 Organic Certification for Urban Farming 55 What is Happening in Vancouver: Water Access and Management 55 Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Water Access and Management 59 What is Happening in Vancouver: Composting 60 Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Composting 62 4. Storage, Transportation & Distribution 62 What is Happening in Vancouver: Storage 63 Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Fruit and Vegetable Storage 65 What is Happening in Vancouver: Transportation & Distribution 66 Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Transportation & Distribution 67 5. Marketing & Sales 67 What is Happening in Vancouver: CSAs in the City 68 Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: CSAs in the City 72 What is Happening in Vancouver: Urban Farms at Farmers Markets & Community Food Markets 73 E xisting Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Urban Farms at Farmers Markets & Community Food Markets
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74 6. Farming with Volunteers, Staff and Neighbours 74 What is Happening in Vancouver: Farming with Volunteers and Staff 76 Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Farming with Staff and Volunteers 77 What is Happening in Vancouver: Farming with Neighbours 78 Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Farming with Neighbours 79 What is Happening in Vancouver: Community Engagement 79 Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Community Engagement 82 Results of the Community Survey on Urban Farming 87 7. Business Practices 87 What is Happening in Vancouver: Organizational Structure, Governance & Legal Status 89 Existing Policy, Standards & Guidelines: Organizational Structure, Governance & Legal Status 90 What is Happening in Vancouver: Business Planning, Licensing & Insurance
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References
list of figures & Tables 14 Figure 1: What is being grown in Metro Vancouver 17 Figure 2: An ‘Aha Moment’ from an attendee at the 2012 Vancouver Urban Farming Forum 18 Figure 3: Graphic from the 2012 Vancouver Urban Farming Forum 24 Figure 4: How Vancouver’s urban farmers decide what to grow 28 Figure 5: Illustration of City of Vancouver Boulevard Gardening Guidelines 36 Figure 6: Proportion of Vancouver urban farms doing soil testing and nutrient analysis 38 Figure 7: Taking a soil sample 41 Figure 8: Urban Farming Land Types 41 Figure 9: Types of land accessed by urban farmers in Vancouver 42 Figure 10: Land tenures for Metro Vancouver’s urban farmers 45 Figure 11: Vancouver urban farmers’ priorities for choosing land 51 Figure 12: How Vancouver urban farmers are managing weeds 51 Figure 13: Most common pests reported by Vancouver’s urban farms 54 Figure 14: Barriers to Certification for Urban Farmers 62 Figure 15: How long Vancouver urban farmers are storing their harvest 65 Figure 16: How urban farmers move their goods 67 Figure 17: An ‘Aha Moment’ from an attendee at the 2012 Vancouver Urban Farming Forum 67 Figure 18: How Vancouver’s urban farms are selling their food 74 Figure 19: Number of People Working in Vancouver Urban Farm Operations 75 Figure 20: Approaches to farm crew training collected at the 2012 Vancouver Urban Farming Forum
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83 Figure 21: Participation in the Community Survey by Neighbourhood 84 Figure 22: Vancouver Residents’ Concerns about an Urban Farm in their Neighbourhood 84 Figure 23: Importance of Urban Farm Concerns among Residents Surveyed 85 Figure 24: Residents’ Impressions of Whether Urban Farm Concerns can be Addressed 86 Figure 25: Perceived Benefits among Residents of Having an Urban Farm in their Neighbourhood 90 Figure 26: An ‘Aha Moment’ from an attendee at the 2012 Vancouver Urban Farming Forum 12 Table 1: Urban farming actions in the 2013 Vancouver Food Strategy 17 Table 2: Research Methods 20 Table 3: Types of Information in ‘Areas of Practice’ Sections 25 Table 4: Three approaches to residential urban farm lawn conversions 26 Table 5: Selection of City of Vancouver Urban Agriculture Design Guidelines for the Private Realm 28 Table 6: City of Vancouver Boulevard Gardening Guidelines 30 Table 7: Levels of concern for new garden sites and corresponding exposure reduction practices 34 Table 8: Common Contaminants on Brownfield Sites 53 Table 9: Summary of Certifying Urban Farming Conversation from 2012 Vancouver Urban Farming Forum 64 Table 10: Recommended conditions for cold storage room facilities 69 Table 11: Summary of Vancouver CSA Challenges and Advice from CSA ‘Talk Shop’ 81 Table 12: Strategies for Overcoming Barriers to Neighbourhood Acceptance of Urban Farms 87 Table 13: Breakdown of a sample of different Vancouver urban farm operations
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A.
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ABOUT THE RESEARCH 10 | Vancouver Urban Farming Society | urbanfarmers.ca
ABOUT THE RESEARCH This document was written in a context that was continually shifting. At its inception, the Vancouver Food Strategy was still being crafted which since its adoption in January 2013 offers a clear directive to create urban farming policy for the City of Vancouver. We also witnessed some important additions to the ever growing repertoire of made-in-Vancouver and BC urban farming publications including the Urban Farming Guidebook, Land Access Guide, and the SOUL Organic Land Care Standards 6th Edition, which cover many of the same topics we set out to explore. And so, what makes this document unique? First, this work is not a guide on how to start or manage an urban farm. While we hope that it will be a huge asset to practicing and aspiring urban farmers, it will not tell you everything
There is no formula for how to be an urban farmer.
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you need to know: there is no formula for how to be an urban farmer. This hunch of ours was affirmed after interviewing and surveying a total of 24 operations in Metro Vancouver listed earlier who are cultivating this urban region with approaches ranging from shipping container micro-green operations to backyard CSAs, parking lot farms, schoolyard market gardens, and a whole lot in between. Inherent in the movement’s complexity, diversity, and relative youth is a challenge in positing any singular practices as ‘best’
URBAN FARMING IN THE VANCOUVER FOOD STRATEGY The 2013 Vancouver Food Strategy highlights and supports urban farming positioning the sector as a key food production strategy. To the right is a summary of the actions the City of Vancouver has committed to through the food strategy to support and enhance urban farming. Actions 1.10 – 1.14 are intimately related to the topics covered in this research. It is the intent of this research to help inform how these actions unfold within the municipality.
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Table 1: Urban farming actions in the 2013 Vancouver Food Strategy
Urban Farming Actions Action #
Action
Timeline
1.10
Create policy to enable commercial food production (urban farming) as a defined use on zoned lands with appropriate limitations and mitigation strategies.
Short-term-Priority
1.11
Explore possibilities for urban farmers to sell produce directly from an urban farm (farm gate sales) with appropriate limitations and mitigation strategies.
Short-term-Priority
1.12
Enable alternative food retail and distribution models for urban farming produce such as community food markets, food distribution hubs and pre-approved Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) distribution sites in locations such as community centres, neighbourhood houses and schools.
Short-term-Priority
1.13
Create urban farming business license category
Short-term-Priority
1.14
Create healthy soil guidelines for urban farms informed by environmental best practices
Short-term-Priority
1.15
Create a baseline of existing models of urban farms, monitor changes, and integrate new models as they emerge.
Short-term-Priority
1.16
Increase the number of urban farms in Vancouver from 17 to 35 by the year 2020, ranging from backyard farms to mid-scale operations.
Long-term
So, this is Not a Best Practices Guide? This is first and foremost a piece of research which may very well be the foundation for a more definite standard and guidelines in the future to be created ideally in collaboration with governing bodies (municipal and other scales of government). While it was the original intent to create a “Best Practices in Urban Farming” guide for Vancouver, after some initial consultation it became clear that Vancouver is not ready for that step. This is not to say that there are not practices that are better than others, some things you should just never do, and others that are experimental, emerging, and promising practices; the language we opt for over touting anything as a best practice. But, as one of the more veteran urban farm operators said in our interview with them, “The movement is just too young to know what is best yet.”
The movement is just too young to know what is best yet.”
It is also not a simple case of transferring best practices from rural farming to the city as the urban environment presents a host of unique challenges: close proximity to neighbours, barriers in accessing suitable long term land, and confusing regulatory environments, among others. It was decided that we needed to first document what practices are currently being employed by Vancouver’s urban farms; what other standards, guidelines, and best practices are out there to draw from; and, what some of the barriers are to implementing desired practices in Vancouver.
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We treat urban farming as an interconnected system that does not begin with the planting of seeds and end with the harvest...
project scope This research takes an exclusive look at urban farming in Metro Vancouver, particularly the City of Vancouver. There is also a focus on vegetable farming as this is the most commonly grown agricultural product in Vancouver, as seen in Figure 1, as well as the domain of the City’s forthcoming urban farming policy. Where we are more generous in our scope is in the understanding of what urban farming entails. We treat urban farming as an interconnected system that does not begin with the planting of seeds and end with the harvest but also necessarily includes practices in post-harvest handling, transportation, marketing, community engagement, and managing personnel, for example, as essential areas to explore.
FIGURE 1: WHAT IS BEING GROWN IN METRO VANCOUVER
[insert map of research area].
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map of metro vancouver
Best practices should be created using information from operations that have been in business for at least 7 years to really know what works.”
I would like to see a collection of guidelines - not rules or bylaws - to make sure people are doing things in a healthy way. Soils will be contaminated so we need to make sure we are not growing on contaminated sites - this is the biggest issue.”
It would be useful to have a triage of concerns from the City [of Vancouver] - what are the highest and lowest priorities on the radar? What do we need to be aware of and responsible for that will help us get checkmarks? What are they not worried about? We have some idea but there is also a knowledge gap there. We want to be responsive to alleviate that concern.” 15 | Vancouver Urban Farming Society | urbanfarmers.ca
It would be nice to know that there is an industry standard but I’m not sure that there is one. I have questions about the homogenization of different organizations - just because it is urban farming does not mean it is all the same.”
I think there would be a lot of value in having or starting a code of practices, particularly because a lot of urban farmers are new and this would be very valuable in bringing together collective wisdom. For example, it is not a good practice to harvest squash in a wheelbarrow which had been used for manure without being washed.”
Urban Farmer Sentiments on a Code of Best Practices This was an important conversation to have in the interviews with urban farmers to show the varying perspectives towards a code of best practices or standards. This variance in opinion shaped the approach we took to this research by framing it as exploratory rather than prescriptive. Shown here is a sample of the comments made. While this research was primarily informed by practicing Vancouver urban farmers, there are also other stakeholders interested in guidelines and best practices such as organic certifiers and accreditors who are taking an increasing interest in urban and other small scale farmers as well as local governments, namely the City of Vancouver as it develops its aforementioned urban farming regulations. Efforts to create municipal policy and certification standards necessarily need to support urban farmers while also balancing the complexities of city life.
B.
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how we did it 16 | Vancouver Urban Farming Society | urbanfarmers.ca
how we did it We set out from the beginning to make this a piece of community based research which meant working directly with Vancouver’s urban farmers. There is undoubtedly a huge amount of knowledge in the dozens of certification standards, academic papers, policy documents, guidebooks, agricultural extension office websites, and technical guides we reviewed but it was important to also honour that the expertise we were looking for is not just ‘out there’ but exists within the lived experiences of those currently cultivating Vancouver. Table 2 summarizes the mixed research methods which included both primary and secondary research.
Table 2: RESEARCH METHODS Vancouver Urban Farming Forums
Urban Farmer Interviews
Edible Landscaping Focus Group
FIGURE 2: AN ‘AHA’ MOMENT FROM AN ATTENDEE AT THE 2012 VANCOUVER URBAN FARMING FORUM
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The 2012 and 2013 forums were used to collect baseline practice data, have open space conversations, and collect feedback on research findings and next steps. In depth interviews and site visits were done with 15 urban farming organizations in Metro Vancouver. Six people attended our edible landscaping focus group.
Community Survey
We enlisted 14 community surveyors who collected responses to our urban farming survey from residents of every Vancouver neighbourhood. The survey was also available online. A total of 241 surveys were completed. The results are in Chapter 7.
Literature Review
Certification standards, academic papers, policy documents, guidebooks, agricultural extension office websites, and technical guides were reviewed for existing standards of practice, guidelines, and policy.
Participation in the Project by the Numbers
24 241 150 Urban Farms and Edible Landscaping Organizations
Surveys Collected by 14 Community Surveyors
People in total attended the 2012 and 2013 Forums
FIGURE 3: Graphic from the 2012 Vancouver Urban Farming Forum Credit Taraneh King http://www.wholepicturethinking.com
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C.
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areas of practice 19 | Vancouver Urban Farming Society | urbanfarmers.ca
areas of practice
The 8 areas of practice listed below are explored in this research. Some are treated with greater depth than others depending on how much information was available, the priorities identified by the Vancouver Urban Farming Society Board of Directors and advisory committee for this project, as well as those of the City of Vancouver with their upcoming urban farming policy in mind. 1) Pre-Season and New Farm Practices 2) Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management 3) Land and What You Build On It 4) In the Field 5) Storage, Transportation and Distribution 6) Marketing and Sales 7) Farming with Volunteers, Staff and Neighbours 8) Business Practices
Table 3: Types of Information in ‘Areas of Practice’ Sections
Table 3 shows the different types of information that may appear in each ‘Area of Practice’ section although not every section appears for each practice area.
What is Happening in Vancouver
Findings from our primary research with urban farming organizations to uncover existing, emerging, and promising practices for the specific area.
Existing Guidelines, Standards & Policy
Existing standards and guidelines relevant to what is happening in Vancouver from certifiers, other jurisdictions, agricultural extension offices, and other sources.
Barriers
Barriers to implementing better practices are presented. These are preliminary as the second phase of the project is specifically focused on barriers.
Recommendations for Vancouver
Suggestions for what Vancouver farmers and policymakers could take as next steps.
Resources 20 | Vancouver Urban Farming Society | urbanfarmers.ca
A listing of worthwhile resources on the area of practice.
1.
pre-season and new farm practices
You could say that there is no off season in the Lower Mainland given the potential to farm most of the year, however, the nature of farm work in the winter undoubtedly changes. It is important to mention that a number of operations we interviewed are growing hydroponically indoors and are therefore at full production year-round. For others, there is a focus on preparations for the upcoming season from finding and securing land - the topic of the next chapter - to crop planning and rotations, preparing the soil, strategic and business planning , and securing resources: a smorgasbord of pre-season practices. There are also important practices to consider in establishing new sites, particularly around site assessments and soil testing which appear in the second half of this chapter. Whereas the pre-season practices are likely to be repeated every season, the new farm practices are for setting up new sites.
What is Happening in Vancouver: Pre-Season Practices We asked urban farmers what they do in the colder months to prepare for the next intensive growing time. What they had to say forms a foundation for pre-season practices. It is not an exhaustive list but gives a self-reported snapshot of what is happening in the fields and offices of Vancouver’s urban farms when most operations are not in full production.
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Research and Development Learn about new crops Explore and install new water management systems Test new soil blends Attend courses and professional development opportunities
Crop Planning Review customer feedback and crop plan from previous year Assess growing space available & use sun maps to determine best growing locations on a site Review books and seed catalogues Fill in crop planning worksheets Order seeds Map out crops according to crop rotation, micro-climate and soil conditions throughout the site(s)
Soil Preparation Build up supplies of horse manure, compost, and/or source soil amendments Start working soil as soon as it is dry Do an initial rototill followed by hand work
Infrastructure Development Build cold frames, greenhouses, tool shed, etc. Fix things that are broken Build harvest station Set up irrigation
Field Maintenance Do field assessment for disease and pest prevention e.g. garlic rot Plant cover crops Seed saving Ensure field aesthetics are pleasing
Organizational Development Hire and train new staff
Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Cover Cropping and Crop Rotation Cover cropping and crop rotation are two practices used by almost every urban farmer we spoke with for managing soil fertility. While these are year-round practices, there was a focus on crop rotation and cover cropping in between intensive growing times among the urban farmers interviewed for the research. As such, existing guidelines for cover cropping and crop rotation are further explored.
Cover Cropping Guidelines C hoose cover crops that are annuals rather than perennials which might take more than a year to benefit the soil. An example is Red Clover which takes two years to do its job. Choose cover crops that do not require heavy machinery or intensive hand labour. Source: Urban Growers Manual
Board of directors retreat
Capital-Raising Fundraisers Marketing and selling CSAs Grant-writing Doing taxes Planning for business/organizational growth
COVER CROP SUGGESTION: FALL RYE Fall rye is a shallow rooted cover crop that is easy to turn in using only hand tools and adds organic matter to the soil. Urban farms incorporate cover crops like fall rye by shovelling it into the soil, leaving it for two weeks or more allowing it to decompose, and removing any pieces that do not decompose to prepare the bed for seeding. -Contributed by Karen Ageson, Farmers on 57th
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FINDING THE RIGHT MIX UBC Farm Practicum students, participating urban farms, and Dr. Art Bomke initiated a pilot project in 2014 to determine an ideal urban farm cover crop mix for Vancouver. VUFS lead a tour of one of the participating farms, City Beet, followed by a cover cropping workshop.
Crop Rotation Guidelines
Follow a heavy feeder (e.g. fruiting crops) with a light feeder (e.g. root vegetables). Follow a light feeder with a nitrogen fixer you plan to eat (e.g. peas). Follow a nitrogen fixer you plan to eat with a nitrogen-fixing cover crop. Repeat by starting with a heavy feeder.
Source: Urban Farming: Sustainable City Living in Your Backyard, in Your Community, and in the World
Cover Cropping Resources
Cover Crops for NYC Urban Gardens | Cornell University Managing Cover Crops Profitably | Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Winter Cover Crops | University of Minnesota
Resources
Urban Farming: Sustainable City Living in Your Backyard, in Your Community, and in the World | Thomas J. Fox C rop Rotation on Organic Farms: A Planning Manual | Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education
Cover Crops for Home Gardens in Western Washington and Oregon | Washington State University
Planning Crop Rotations Urban farmers are first and foremost listening to their customers and community when deciding what to grow as shown in Figure 4. This being so, an equally important practice in helping determine what urban farmers will sow is crop rotation as a means of increasing productivity, soil fertility, and to fend off diseases and pests.
CROP ROTATION TIPs: rotation & accessibility Two other fundamental principles of crop rotations include firstly rotating between crops that share pests. The second draws from permaculture in suggesting that crops that require more attention are grown in more accessible locations (e.g. a backyard site that is visited more often) and that crops needing less management are planted further away. -Contributed by Dennis J. Dennis, UBC Researcher
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23.3% of Vancouver’s Urban
Farmers decide what to grow based on demand or community feedback. FIGURE 4: HOW VANCOUVER’S URBAN FARMERS DECIDE WHAT TO GROW
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What is Happening in Vancouver: New Farm Practices The new farm practices elaborated on here include establishing new sites, site assessments, and soil testing. The business planning aspects of establishing a new farm are discussed in Chapter 7.
How Vancouver’s Urban Farmers are Converting Lawns into Farms Several farmers shared their approaches to converting lawns into productive growing spaces in our interviews as well as in the report Urban Farming in Vancouver. Existing land conversion practices from these operations are explained below.
Table 4: three approaches to residential urban farm lawn conversions Method 1: Rototilling
Lawns were rototilled twice 3 weeks apart. The second time was to kill any new grass growth. Did a compost dump 3-4 inches on top which required 1 yard per 100 square feet. Mixed in compost with soil at a 1:3 ratio.
Method 2: Sod Cutting
Sod is removed cut 1-2 inches deep and 1-2 feet in length and width. In some cases, it is flipped over to kill the grass and keeping the nutrients and organic matter in the soil intact. Other farms removed the sod and put it in the compost pile and then planted directly into it after placing compost on top.
Method 3: Lasagna Garden
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Cardboard is placed on top of the lawn and then covered with soil and compost. The cardboard decomposes and kills the sod beneath it. Access to large pieces of cardboard was noted as a barrier but it was also more successful for one farm at killing weeds compared to the other methods.
Existing Guidelines, Standards & Policy: Establishing New Sites & Site Assessments
Table 5: Selection of City of Vancouver Urban Agriculture Design Guidelines for the Private Realm Guideline Area
Select Guidelines
Siting and Access
There are several existing sets of guidelines, standards, and policies for Vancouver’s urban farming community to draw from when it comes to establishing new sites and doing site assessments. These are very important to take into consideration and determine what will work best for the City of Vancouver and its urban farmers as the nature of the urban environment can pose hazards for growing food that need to be dealt with.
W here garden plots are located on higher rooftops, they should be located in wind screened areas and without negative impact to views and building heights.* T here should be direct access via elevator from loading areas at grade to garden plots located on a roof or podium, in order to provide easy access for wheelbarrows and hauling larger items, such as soil.* P lots should be located as far away from vehicle traffic as possible, when located in a ground level courtyard.
Design of Garden Plots
City of Vancouver Urban Agriculture Design Guidelines for the Private Realm The City of Vancouver has Urban Agriculture Design Guidelines for the Private Realm for developers thinking of incorporating urban agriculture into new buildings. While these exist in a slightly different context than urban farming finds itself, some of the guidelines are worthy of consideration when it comes to setting up new sites.
S oil depth should be a minimum of 18 inches and should be made up of soil appropriate for growing a variety of food plants. S oil should be tested for toxins (heavy metals, salinity and hydrocarbons) prior to being used in garden plots. T oxic materials, such as pressure treated wood, should not be used where they will come into contact with soils that are growing food. P rotection of the roof membrane and soil drainage issues should be taken into consideration.*
Support Facilities
A storage room or shed should be provided for tools. A composting facility that is rodent-resistant, provides the ability to turn compost, and is of sufficient size to match garden capacity should be provided.
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G arden plot areas should be located to maximize sunlight access; this may include locating garden plot areas on rooftops, where possible.*
by hand or machine? Urban farmers were asked to what degree they depend on hand vs. mechanized labour for working their soil. Half of those surveyed use all hand labour and the other half use a mix of hand and some mechanization. None of the farms are 100% mechanized. The top two mechanized tools used are tractors and rototillers for special purposes like start of season preparation. Urban farms in Vancouver use far less mechanization than urban farms in neighbouring Metro Vancouver municipalities. 27 | Vancouver Urban Farming Society | urbanfarmers.ca
City of Vancouver Boulevard Gardening Guidelines Vancouver also has Boulevard Gardening Guidelines with particular guidelines for growing food. Anyone intending to cultivate a boulevard should read the entire policy but here we include a summary of some of the most important points for developing new sites.
Table 6: City of Vancouver Boulevard Gardening Guidelines Guideline Area Preparing the Boulevard for Planting
Select Guidelines Confirm location of underground utilities by phoning BC One before planting Do not plant deeper than 15 cm to avoid underground utilities Compost any removed sod - it is not accepted in the Yard Trimmings Collection Program Do not place more than 10 cm of compost or soil above tree roots
Setbacks and Access
Provide pedestrian access if there is no sidewalk Maintain minimum 30 cm wide path along curb edge for car door access Garden beds should be 6 m maximum Maintain 1.5 m clearance around fire hydrants, utility poles, and other permanent structures
Plant Height
aximum plant height is 1 m except for near intersections, driveways, curbs, M and sidewalk edges where it is 60 cm
Plant Selection and Maintenance
Choose drought-tolerant and winter interest plants Do not plant trees No pesticides are permitted
Structures and Ornaments
Permanent installations e.g. irrigation systems are not permitted Temporary structures must be setback 1 m from the curb, 30 cm from sidewalk, and 1.5 m from any pole, fire hydrant, or other permanent structure Raised garden beds are considered temporary and permitted: recommended height is 15-45 cm Provide a 1 m wide path between raised beds and other fixed objects Avoid treated lumber or creosoted timbers for raised bed construction - cedar or juniper is preferable as are bricks, landscape pavers, or rocks for lower beds
FIGURE 5: Illustration of City of Vancouver Boulevard Gardening Guidelines
Structures and Ornaments
Do not cut roots or branches Keep soil or compost from contacting the bark Use compost or soil with a sandy texture around tree roots for good drainage Do not nail or tie signs, trellises or other fixtures to a street tree
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The City of Toronto’s Soil Assessment Tool The City of Toronto developed its own Soil Assessment Guide for New City Allotment and Community Gardens; a tool with practices for a process of establishing concern, testing the soil (if needed), interpreting results, and mitigating risk. This is a tool that the City of Vancouver does not currently have an equivalent to. The process begins with a site visit and researching site history, a necessary practice. Sites can fall into three levels of concern with three corresponding groups of ‘exposure reduction or elimination’ practices. While they are written for community gardens they are relevant to urban farming as well. These are summarized in Table 7 on the next page.
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Site Assessment Guidelines for Community Gardens Although the made-in-Vancouver guidelines below are intended for community gardeners they are also relevant for urban farmers for determining site suitability and risk in Vancouver. Contact City Officials: Contact the City of Vancouver’s Social Planning or Engineering departments for previous brownfield site use.
Table 7: Levels of concern for new garden sites and corresponding exposure reduction practices Level of Concern
Criteria
Exposure Reduction/Elimination Practices
Testing Required
Low
Site is and has always been residential land, parkland (green space used for recreational purposes), farmland, child care centre, school land uses, except for sites where any indicators of higher levels of concern apply.
Tier 1:
No - use tier 1 exposure reduction practices
Site is or has once been
Tier 2
Medium
H istorical Documentation: The Vancouver City Archives staff are available to public to help look through architectural plans, maps, City directories, and other resources with site history information. I nterviews: Speaking with neighbours is essential for firsthand information of the site’s history which can often include information e.g. dumping that the City records miss. Site Artifacts: Materials on top of the soil are evidence of what has been happening on the site. Source: Starting a Community Garden: A Site Assessment Guide for Community Gardens
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High
risk-managed park, orchard, hydro corridor, commercial land uses (excluding gas stations, dry cleaners, print and autobody shop), infill area, former landfill, former lead reduction zone, any land within 30 metres of a rail line or a major arterial road.
ite is or has once been S industrial land uses, gas station, dry cleaner, printing and autobody shops, rail line or depot, lands with indications of dumping or burning, or, presence of smells or staining of the soil.
Use good gardening practices: Wash hands after gardening and particularly before eating and wash produce with soap and water.
Use good gardening practices (see above); and, reduce exposure pathways: dilute soil concentrations by adding clean soil and organic matter (compost and manure); lower bioavailability of contaminants by adding organic matter and raising pH; reduce dust by covering bare soil with mulch; peel root vegetables before cooking and eating; and, avoid or restrict growing of produce that accumulate contaminants.
Tier 3 Use good gardening practices (see above); and, reduce dust by covering bare soil surrounding garden with ground cover or mulch; and, eliminate exposure pathways: build raised bed gardens (minimum of 40 cm over a geotextile barrier), or use container gardens, and, add clean soil and organic matter annually (compost and manure); OR grow only nut and fruit trees (do not grow other types of produce).
No if smaller than 170 sq ft - use tier 3 exposure elimination practices Yes if larger than 170 sq ft
No - use tier 3 exposure elimination practices
Considerations for Growing on Public Land Each urban farm land type (public, private, residential, etc.) has its own set of circumstances to navigate. More on different urban farming land types is in Chapter 2. The following are specifically guidelines for those involved in surveying suitable public land for urban farming and other forms of urban agriculture, although many of them apply to assessing other land types as well: The owner of the site (such as a municipality or utility district) the types of structures and uses (past and present) on the site The site characteristics, such as slope, solar exposure, ground cover (e.g. soil/ grass versus concrete), soil quality, contamination, water, and electricity access The site location relative to potential users, including schools, community centers, and residential areas Accessibility of the site via transit, parking, and various forms of active transportation (e.g. walking and bicycling) Allowable uses for the site Source: Dig, Eat, and Be Healthy: A Guide to Growing Food on Public Property
Existing Guidelines, Standards & Policy: Urban Farming in Areas of Risk There are also several existing sets of guidelines and standards for how to farm in areas of risk in the urban realm including those for dealing with environmental toxins including, but not limited to, heavy metals, and urban farming on brownfield sites. Some of these guiding practices are highlighted in this section.
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The City of Vancouver’s Soil Recommendations from its Boulevard Gardening Guidelines The City of Vancouver has recommended practices for dealing with concerns of soil contamination in its Boulevard Gardening Guidelines. While not specifically authored for urban farmers, there are several transferable practices from these guidelines that would benefit commercial growers in the city and are corroborated by urban farming-specific guidelines from other jurisdictions that follow. Use ornamental plants in your boulevard garden. Sustainable choices include native, drought-tolerant and/ or pollinator-friendly species that will benefit the urban environment. Create raised beds if you intend to grow food. Use new, clean soil for planting. Make sure your raised beds fit within the Boulevard Gardening Guidelines. Contaminant levels are higher in the soil than in the plant material and therefore, the risk of exposure is higher from direct contact with the soil (or soil particles on the surface of plants) rather than from the consumption of garden produce. Washing garden produce thoroughly will greatly reduce the risk of contaminant consumption. Gardeners should take care not to ingest soil or dust and wash hands, gardening clothes and tools well. Adding compost helps bind metals such as lead and also assists with the breakdown of oil or pesticide residues, making the soil safer for food growing. Fruiting crops like squash or berries are less likely to take up common contaminants than root crops or greens.
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Guidelines for Dealing with Environmental Toxins The most recent additions to the Society for Organic Urban Land Care standards for food production include guidelines for dealing with environmental toxins. Those most relevant to Vancouver’s urban farms are summarized below.
Required Practices Verifying the non-commercial and/or non-toxic uses of the site If these cannot be verified, using raised beds with a root barrier (preventing the roots from accessing the ground below) and uncontaminated soil for all food gardens Using rowcovers in industrial fallout areas, along major streets, and where there are concerns about pesticide use by neighbouring properties to protect crops from airborne toxins
Prohibited Practices Growing food plants in soil with heavy metal background levels greater than what is allowed under the Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines Source: SOUL Organic Land Care Standard
Guidelines for Urban Farming with Heavy Metal Contaminants For instances where farming is happening in areas with heavy metal contaminants (not that this is necessarily recommended), the following are guidelines for minimizing exposure to contaminants and toxicity to plants. Plant crops away from building foundations, painted structures, and heavily traveled roads Remove obvious contaminants e.g. scrap metal and construction materials Use mulch and cover crops to minimize exposure to contaminated dust and maintain high levels of organic matter Avoid planting and eating leafy or root vegetables in soils with above average heavy metals (concentrations of heavy metals are highest in roots and leaves) Use lime, compost, or amendments for a neutral pH - or even somewhat alkaline - and ensure adequate drainage to reduce lead and heavy metals Do not use plants grown in contaminated soil for compost Only work in the farm when soil is moist/damp Wear gloves, long sleeves and pants to protect skin Wash hands and vegetables Remove farming shoes and clothing before going inside and wash separately from other laundry Source: Guide to Urban Farming in New York State
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Potential for Urban Agriculture in New York City The Potential for Urban Agriculture in New York City notes that growing in contaminated soils is not recommended, however, certain crops can be safely grown in less than ideal soils. The better crop choices include vegetables, fruits and seeds e.g. tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, okra seed pods, squash, corn, cucumber, melons, peas, shelled beans, bulb onions, tree fruits e.g. apples and pears. The worse crop choices include leafy greens e.g. lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, beet leaves, cabbage, kale, collards, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, snow peas, root crops e.g. carrots, potatoes, and turnips.
Guidelines for Safe Gardening on Brownfields Gardening or farming on brownfields can be great opportunities for land access in urban environments. Given some of the risks associated with brownfield sites, below are guidelines from the US for how to mitigate these noting however that not every practice is required for every site. The key is to create as much separation as possible from existing soils. Build farms away from existing roads or use a hedge or fence to minimize contamination being blown from nearby busy streets Cover existing soil and walkways with mulch, landscape fabric, stones, or bricks Mulch your garden beds to reduce dust, soil splash back, minimize weeds, as well as regulate soil temperature and moisture Use soil amendments to maintain a neutral pH and add organic matter on the site. Table 8 to the right lists some of the common contaminants found for various urban land uses which can be used as a starting point for determining what might be contaminating a site.
Table 8: Common Contaminants on Brownfield Sites Land Use
Common Contaminants
Agriculture, green space
Nitrate, pesticides/herbicides
Car wash, parking lots, road and maintenance depot, vehicle services
Metals, PAHs, petroleum products, sodium, solvents, surfactants
Dry Cleaning
Solvents
Existing commercial or industrial building structures
Asbestos, petroluem products, lead paint, PCB caulks, solvents
Junkyards
Metals, petroleum products, solvents, sulfate
Machine shops and metal works
Metals, petroleum products, solvents, surfactants
Residential areas, buildings with leadbased paint, where coal, oil, gas or garbage was burned
Metals, including lead, PAHs, petroleum products, creosote
Stormwater drains and retention basins
Metals, pathogens, pesticides/herbicides, petroleum products, sodium, solvents
Underground and aboveground storage tanks
Pesticides/herbicides, petroleum products, solvents
Wood preserving
Metals, petroleum products, phenols, solvents, sulfate
Chemical manufacture, clandestine dumping, hazardous material storage and transfer, industrial lagoons and pits, railroad tracks and yards, research labs
Flouride, metals, nitrate, pathogens, petroleum products, phenols, radioactivity, sodium, solvents, sulfate
(Adapted from Bouding and Ginn, 2004) Source: Brownfields and Urban Agriculture: Interim Guidelines for Safe Gardening Practices
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Suggested Practices for Container Gardens and Material Choices As noted in several sources, a popular practice for urban farmers is building raised beds or container gardens as a non-remediation strategy when there is risk of contamination. Some further suggested practices for building the beds and choosing materials are to: Use a water permeable fabric cover or geotextile at the bottom of the raised bed to prevent exposure to concerning soils Choose container materials such as wood, synthetic wood, concrete block, brick, and naturally rot-resistant woods like cedar and redwood Source: Guide to Urban Farming in New York State
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What is Happening in Vancouver: SOIL TESTING Most urban farming operations are doing soil testing or nutrient analysis of their growing medium as a way of dealing with any potential risks at a site as well as understanding the nutrient makeup. While most of the soil testing Vancouver’s urban farmers reported doing was during the establishment of a new site this can also be considered an ongoing practice for established sites in some cases. Of the urban farms surveyed, 13% have never done any testing and 7% only do partial testing. A vital question for Vancouver’s urban farming community and its policymakers to address is what the expectations will be for soil testing in the city including frequency and covering costs which farmers often cannot afford on their own - one of the biggest barriers. Reaching agreement on what to test for will also be important to determine. While a farmer is likely to find the results of pH, nutrient, organic matter, and heavy metal testing useful, a municipality might be more interested in toxins as evidenced by the City of Vancouver’s Urban Agriculture Design Guidelines for the Private Realm which stipulate that “soil should be tested for toxins (heavy metals, salinity, and hydrocarbons)”.
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73.3% of Vancouver’s Urban Farmers do soil testing.
FIGURE 6: Proportion of Vancouver urban farms doing soil testing and nutrient analysis
Do you do soil testing?
Existing Guidelines, Standards & Policy: Taking and Interpreting Soil Tests As demonstrated by the existing practices, soil testing is an essential practice for urban farmers, particularly when a site history shows cause for concern. The frequency and types of testing will vary from operation to operation and site by site and clear expectations and responsibilities need to be worked out between urban farmers and governing bodies. This aside, there are existing guidelines to draw from when it comes to how to collect soil samples summarized here. Urban farmers should however first and foremost communicate with the lab doing the testing for specific collection practices they may require.
Clean sampling devices in between each collection Keep written records of the areas you have sampled An illustration of this method is in Figure 7. Source: Starting a Community Garden: A Site Assessment Guide for Community Gardens
Test each area where the soil looks or has been treated differently separately Do not sample in abnormal spots like those next to a fence, driveway, sidewalk, or building Do not sample soil that has just been fertilized or limed Ensure your shovel and bucket are not contaminated from the last time you fertilized
Recommended Practices for Collecting Soil Samples
Soil will be varied even it what looks like a homogenous area, send a sample that is a mix of several different ones
Materials needed for sampling are: shovel, metal or plastic trowel, metal or plastic bucket, glass jars, and cooler with ice packs. To take the sample:
Take the sample using a clean trowel or spade in thin vertical slices from 10 representative areas, mix together in a clean bucket and place sample size required by lab into a clean labelled container
Do not use metal trowel or bucket if possible contaminants are metals or metalloids. Do not use the plastic trowel or bucket if possible contaminants are organic compounds e.g. gasoline or oil Dig approximately 30 cm deep Place trowel 2-3 cm from the edge of the pit wall and remove a portion Cut a rectangle of soil from the trowel to be the sample and discard soil from either side of the trowel Store samples in glass containers and store under 10 C until tested
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In most cases you will sample the top 68 inches of soil, for fruit this extends to 810 inches Source: Soil Testing and Soil Improvement
Tips for Working with the Results When dealing with a nutrient test, it is not always obvious what to then do about applying organic fertilizers and amendments. Some tips for moving ahead after a test are to:
Figure 7: Taking a soil sample
Be sure you understand what units of measure, parts per million (ppm) or pounds per acre, the soil lab you choose uses. Results from soil tests do not always translate easily into actions to take. Ask your soil testing lab if it offers advice or interpretation of results. Be careful with home soil testing kits. Often these kits are not very sophisticated and offer only information on relative levels of nutrients or acidity. The chemicals in home tests have a limited life span and can be inactive by the time you use them.
Resources: Soil Contaminating and Testing Soil Contamination and Urban Agriculture | Resources Centres on Urban Agriculture and Food Security Minimizing Risks of Soil Contaminants in Urban Gardens | North Carolina State University Soil Quality and Testing | Cornell University
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Barriers to Soil Testing Below are two stories of barriers faced by urban farmers when it came to doing soil testing. One farm saw a barrier in trying to get their local government to perform a soil test on a neighbouring property. They wanted to add chickens to their operation but were concerned about letting them graze freely if there was a questionable site history next door. Without the test and assurance, the farmer would need to bring in feed from elsewhere which is costly and requires unnecessary transportation. Another farmer did a full spectrum heavy metal test on a boulevard they were planning to cultivate before the start of season. They got the assurance they needed when the test came out clean, but it cost hundreds of dollars. These stories illustrate two of the top barriers to ensuring soil health and performing testing: 1) high costs - exacerbated with operations having multiple sites in most cases, and 2) uncertainty about who is responsible for funding soil testing.
Recommendations for Vancouver For Urban Farmers 1. Develop plan for how to manage soil contamination risk. Often contamination is assumed because testing is so expensive that non-remediation strategies are the choice. Options are to construct physical controls, use soil amendments, soil remediation, crop selection, raised beds, and do cover cropping (Urban Agriculture Best Practices and Possibilities).
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2. Seek expert advice on safe crops to plant e.g. deep rooted plants can penetrate beyond raised beds (Urban Agriculture Best Practices and Possibilities).
For Local Government 1. Local government can subsidize the cost of nutrient and contamination testing (Urban Farming Guidebook). 2. Make site history readily available to urban farmers (Urban Agriculture Best Practices and Possibilities).
For Both 1. Work together to determine process and guidelines, including financing, of soil testing. This should be a major focus for collaboration on the upcoming City of Vancouver urban farming policy.
2013 Forum Snapshot: Barriers to Soil Testing The 2013 forum session Mapping out Barriers to Desired Practices included a conversation on soil testing which yielded these comments:
Access to soil testing and knowledge might not be such a big challenge anymore as there are lots of resources available locally although cost is still prohibitive
Soil testing is a lot more than just a pH test and it is hard to know exactly what to test for and how to use the data
There is a lot of hype about soil testing and it requires some more education and clarity of what is meant and why tests are being done; urban soil does not necessarily mean dirty soil, in a lot of cases it is better than soil at traditional industrial farms
Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management While soil fertility and nutrient management was not a major focus of the surveys and interviews with urban farmers, there are existing guidelines worth highlighting from the Metro Vancouver Farm City Co-op (previously City Farms Co-op) and the Society of Urban Land Care. These two examples are in no way exhaustive but are worth noting as they are both written specifically for urban farmers. Metro Vancouver’s Farm City Co-op offers a listing of growing practices to their member farms all commit to using. Posting these is a great practice itself for urban farms to consider for their online and other communications. Their farmers do the following to maintain soil fertility and manage crop nutrients:
Establish and maintain a fertile soil using practices that maintain or increase soil humus levels, that promote and optimum balance and supply of nutrients, and that stimulate biological activity within the soil.
Protect and enhance wildlife habitat and biodiversity on working farm landscapes.
Maintain fertility and biological activity of
soil by utilizing (when possible) • Crop rotations, which shall be as varied as possible and include plough-down, legumes, catch crops or deep-rooting plants; and, • Incorporating plant and animal matter such as: composted animal and plant
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matter, non-composted plant matter, and, animal manure. A revised sixth edition of the SOUL Organic Land Care Standard includes a section on food production for the first time which deals with environmental toxins, crop nutrient management, and livestock, many of which are incorporated throughout this research. SOUL also has distinct practices for soil management (in Table 9) which aim to achieve closed systems: “It is a principal aim of Organic Land Care to work as much as possible within closed systems with regard to organic matter and nutrient cycling, as organic matter introduced into one system must inevitably be removed from another. Such practice is unsustainable from an overall ecological perspective (page 17).” For many urban farmers, achieving closed loop systems can be challenging for a variety of reasons including the inability to compost on site for reasons of space, regulation, and/ or access good soil on site, among others. It is common for urban farming operations in Vancouver to source some if not all of its organic matter inputs from elsewhere. Growing Vegetables in Metro Vancouver: An Urban Farming Census found that because urban farmers are also often securing new land so
close to the growing season, it is common practice to purchase compost or topsoil which has drawbacks of being labour intensive and costly. Some of the particular soil management practices SOUL requires, prefers, and prohibits related to urban farming are: Required Practices Maintaining or increasing soil’s organic matter
Preventing soil erosion and soil compaction in planted areas
Confirming nutrient deficiency before applying non-organic mineral nutrients Preferred Increasing biodiversity above and below ground Prohibited Applying materials or using materials that: • Inhibit the cycling of organic matter, air, and water in planted areas; • Result in the degradation of soil fertility, structure, or biodiversity in planted areas;
Using, handling, storing or disposing of any substance or product in a way that contaminates soil
2.
Land and What You Build On It
In a densely populated urban centre like Vancouver, accessing land is one of the most challenging but indispensable elements of urban farming. In Vancouver, with real estate raising the value of land, nearly all of the land used for urban farming is leased, often at little or no cost to the farmer. Growing Vegetables in Metro Vancouver: An Urban Farming Census highlighted that by utilizing primarily institutional land, residential yards, parking lots and rooftops, urban farms are able to navigate the existing pressures for housing and densification and function in the spaces in-between large projects. Figure 8 below illustrates land uses where farming occurs within the boundaries of towns and cities. All of these urban farming land types can be found in Vancouver with a concentration of institutional, commercial, and residential as shown in Figure 9.
What is Happening in Vancouver: land access Key types of land accessed by urban farmers in Vancouver are shown below. Note that this breakdown represents the number of operations growing on this land type, not the percentage of total area of each type under production.
Figure 9: Types of land accessed by urban farmers in Vancouver
FIGURE 8: Urban Farming Land Types
What kind of land are you growing on?
Source: The Urban Farming Guidebook
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Land Tenure Land tenure is one of the biggest barriers urban farmers face; they require security in knowing that if they invest in a space there can be return on investment. As highlighted in the University of Missouri’s Urban Agriculture Best Practices and Possibilities: “Without security on the land, urban farmers are unlikely to make investments in soil or infrastructure that could lead to more productive farms and greater availability of locally produced food products in cities. For instance, soil remediation and improvement is a long-term strategy that urban farmers will be working on for the life of their enterprise. Infrastructure investments such as water lines or hoop houses require multiple years to show a return on investment. Both urban farmers and community gardeners need security on the land, so cities should work with urban agriculture advocates and practitioners to find the best practices for transference of vacant lots and use of public land for food production.” In our surveys and interviews, the longest tenure agreement was for a farm on public institutional land. The particular arrangement stipulates reviewing the possibility of extending the lease to 10 years after an initial 5 years. This farm is outside the City of Vancouver but within Metro Vancouver. Within the City of Vancouver, tenure more typically ranges from one month to 5 years.
Urban Farming Lease Agreements Urban farmers approach their agreements in a variety of ways from informal handshakes and verbal agreements to memos of understanding and robust lease agreements. In 42 | Vancouver Urban Farming Society | urbanfarmers.ca
Vancouver, land is overwhelmingly found through word of mouth, personal relationships and, increasingly, self-initiated offers from landowners. Regardless of how the agreement is represented, it is important for both parties to consider what will be required to make the arrangement thrive. Many farmers have had great experiences with landowners keen to have them farm on their land, but there have also been instances where farmers have been confronted with having to leave their plots due to changes of heart or sale of property, for example. Below is some of what they had to say about their practices in negotiating their agreements in the interviews. This is followed by existing guidelines for developing urban farm land use agreements.
Figure 10: Land tenures for Metro Vancouver’s urban farmers
What is your tenure on the land you use?
Advice from Vancouver Urban Farmers on Accessing Land & Agreements Knowing the history of the site is important.
Speak to the landlord, neighbours, and/or the municipality to find out what used to be on and around the proposed site. This is particularly important in assessing risk of contamination of the soil as discussed in the first chapter.
Be forthcoming about what you are doing.
Talk with people beforehand and find out what reasons they are interested in having you farm on their land. Be clear about how much you are investing in the property – in some cases, landowners have helped pitch in to cover costs of establishing/maintaining the farms. In one case, a homeowner was using urban farm plots on their land to do personal gardening to the surprise of the farmer - be clear which space is shared and which is not.
Be selective about location.
The fragmentation of growing sites in urban areas in Vancouver often leads to more complex logistical demands for necessities like transportation and installing multiple irrigation systems. However, as highlighted in the 2012 Vancouver Urban Farming Forum Report, if a farm has multiple pieces of land, soil conditions often vary which can also be of benefit to a farmer wishing to grow different types of crops suited to varying soils, climates, and microclimates. It can however also be 43 | Vancouver Urban Farming Society | urbanfarmers.ca
a challenge for practices like soil testing and management. Figure 11 below shows what Vancouver’s urban farmers prioritize in choosing land.
Be clear on expectations.
Discuss motivations for entering into an agreement and as always listen, observe, and trust your gut feeling about people. Typically, the landowner receives a portion of the harvest in exchange for providing access to the land and there is no money exchanged either as rent to the landowner or a fee for service to the landowner for establishing and maintaining the site.
Know who you are dealing with.
One operation had a negative experience when they tried working with a renter instead of a homeowner in a land use agreement. While the renter was interested and committed to hosting an urban farm, the landowner felt differently and the arrangement did not go through.
Draft a lease or goodwill agreement.
Urban farmers in Vancouver who have written agreements have found this process to facilitate communication and understanding between themselves and the landowner. This being said, there are urban farmers who have chosen not to and have maintained positive relationships and access to the land.
A lot of people are motivated by having someone who will upkeep the yard. They want to avoid costs of yard maintenance and have someone else take ownership. I also had people who like to have their yard reflect their values and want to be part of food growing community.” – Urban farmer interviewee
USING GOOGLE MAPS TO SCOUT FOR land One particularly creative method used by one farm to find land in their first season was to survey the neighbourhood they wanted to establish in using Google Maps, searching for homes with large enough front and back yards. The farmers then drew up flyers explaining what they hoped to do and delivered these to the homes they thought had potential as residential urban farm sites. They had an overwhelming number of calls back after just two days.
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Figure 11: Vancouver urban farmers’ priorities for choosing land
The factors that account for the ‘Other’ category include: Preference for ALR land Access to electricity No noxious weeds Close to market Access to drainage Irrigation infrastructure Paved Close to home Education potential Walking distance to target community Proximity to other sites Size is the most important criteria urban farmers use in finding land although the range in ideal parcel sizes varies greatly depending on the style of farming. Minimum size requirements for a parcel ranged greatly from 160 square feet to 1 acre.
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Factors for Choosing Urban Farm Sites
GET IT IN WRITING “While state and local laws and policies can encourage the use of public land to grow food, agreements are critical to bring those possibilities to life. Agreements help define the relationship between individuals, community organizations, and public entities and provide clarity to all those involved.” (Dig, Eat, and Be Healthy: A Guide to Growing Food on Public Property)
may be, bees or other ‘livestock’. There can also be stipulations specific to landowners such as: Landowners can harvest all they want for themselves but not for others Landowners understand that the farmers are running a business, need to come and go, and require certain access to the site
Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Developing Land Use Agreements While not all urban farm operations may use written agreements, even a verbal agreement requires thought and negotiation. Some existing guidelines and standards for developing agreements, including a Vancouver example from the local health authority, are included here. There are several examples of written agreements in the resource list for this section. They do not need to be overly formal and typically they are not legally binding although some are, especially those between urban farmers and institutions. Thinking about the length of an agreement, 3 years is what many urban farmers have as a minimum for residential areas but despite this, you could still have landowners change their mind about having you on their property. Written agreements often include stipulations on water use, composting, what you can and cannot do on the property, stipulations for visitors/volunteers to the site, and as the case
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Do I Need a Lawyer for my Urban Farm Agreement? Some of Vancouver’s urban farms use lawyers in their lease agreement processes and others did not. The Guide to Farmland Access Agreements says the following:
“ While a lawyer should review your legal agreement, by having a draft available for your lawyer, your lawyer can concentrate on editing your document rather than spending extra time drafting an agreement from scratch. Having an agreement to provide legal support if there is a dispute is important, but should not be the primary reason for drafting an agreement. The agreement should be used as a tool to strengthen relations, not to push them in a negative direction.”
Use of Lower Mainland Health Care Sites for Food Security and Urban Agriculture
Step 1: Criteria If you are interested in submitting an application to Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) for a new urban agriculture project on a VCH site, please first ensure that you meet the basic criteria below.
The Lower Mainland health authorities collaborated on a terms of reference for The Use of Lower Mainland Health Care Sites for the Purposes of Food Security or Urban Agriculture, a multi-institution policy precedent for allowing urban farmers, and others, use of their sites. What follows is an excerpt from this document as an example of pieces to think about in crafting an agreement with a large institution.
You must: be a registered non�profit society or a social enterprise or a certified B Corporation have general liability insurance have adequate funds to cover the entire development and operating costs of the project
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Step 2: Expectations Your urban agriculture project must not: involve animal husbandry (bees may be an exception in some cases) involve unsustainable gardening or farming practices use pesticides, insecticides, or chemical fertilizers be a for-profit, private operation whose primary and only objective is to make money
historical uses or neighbouring activities and what types of contaminants? Physical Assessment Size of Area: Is it large enough to suit the projects’ needs? Water: Availability, supply, access? Slope and Drainage: Sufficient or will amendments be required? Exposure: How exposed are different parts of the site to light, wind, run off? Biological Problems: Presence of invasive species, noxious weeds, pests? Space for Structures (e.g. storage units, compost bins, etc.): Is there sufficient space?
Site Suitability Assessment Checklist
Access and Safety Transportation: Proximity to public and selfpropelled transportation? Parking: Is there access to parking? Inclusive Accessibility: Can the site be accessed by people with physical disabilities? Personal Safety: Are there features that might negatively affect personal safety and security?
Site History Historical Uses: Who used the site and for what activities? Current Uses: Who uses it now and for what activities? Contamination: Any possible sources from
Other Questions Will the project site be visible to the surrounding community? Is the site located away from dumpsters? Is fencing required? Other concerns or comments?
Policy Highlight: Vancouver Parks Board Local Food Action Plan This plan, released in summer 2013, carries an objective to increase the number of physical food assets in the parks system recognizing that the Parks Board is “relatively asset-rich” and wanting to “support sustainable and local food efforts”. Of particular relevance to urban farmers is an action recommended for implementation in the next 2 years to conduct a land inventory to identify potential sites for urban farms, among other local food uses.
Barriers to Accessing Land The barriers reported in our interviews to accessing land, securing tenure, and developing agreements will come as no surprise. Finding land with a long enough tenure to make it worth investing in the site with practices like building up the soil, making community relations, and installing infrastructure like irrigation, cold frames, compost systems, etc. Lack of incentives for residential landowners to take on urban farms. Some would like to see a City tax incentive for homeowners who give urban farmers access to their land Expectations that an urban farm will invest in site improvements even when they are not the landowner (e.g. water pressure upgrade and power hookup) Concern that publicly owned urban farm sites have more support (e.g. water access) than some privately owned land Finding space and navigating policy for doing rooftop greenhouse development Agriculturally zoned (RA-1) land in the City that is not being used for agriculture is a missed opportunity
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Recommendations for Vancouver Access to Land & Land Linking Programs At the 2012 Forum, one of the wish list items that came up in discussion was a public resource to support land-linking specifically including information on: Spaces and regions identified as feasible for farms with a mechanism for the public to access this information to help people better understand how they can participate Landowners who want to donate their land linking to people who want to farm it Areas which are zoned for urban farming Since then, the Young Agrarians’ have launched an interactive online ‘U-Map’ showing resources for farmers in BC, their Land Access Guide, as well as hosting ‘land linking’ events throughout Southern BC. The Vancouver Urban Farming Society has also been playing a less formal land linking role as we receive regular offers of private land from homeowners and developers which are shared with the society’s network of urban farmers.
Other recommendations include: Continue to make public land available for urban farmers with a clear and accessible process and a goal of appropriate tenures Consider incentives for residential landowners to host urban farms
What is Happening in Vancouver: Greenhouses and Sheds As already mentioned, the impermanence of most land arrangements discourages urban farmers from investing in some of the longer term structures they really need. The most needed structures are greenhouses and post-harvest structures such as harvest stations and cold storage. Existing greenhouses on urban farms ranged in size from 64 to 130 square feet. Sheds ranged in size from 30 to 40 square feet.
Resources: Understanding Different types of Agreements Land Access Guide | Young Agrarians
Dig, Eat, and Be Healthy: A Guide to Growing Food on Public Property | ChangeLab Solutions Accessing Land for Farming in Ontario | FarmStart & Everdale Environmental Learning Centre A Guide to Farmland Access Agreements | The Land Conservancy of British Columbia
Example Lease Agreements
Sample Agreement to Use Property for Food Garden | Sustainable Economies Law Centre The Use of Lower Mainland Health Care Sites for the Purposes of Food Security or Urban Agriculture | Vancouver Coastal Health Land Access Resources in B.C. | Linking Land and Farmers
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Many urban farm operations also use their personal homes for storage, office space, and indoor seeding. Many also benefit from using various institutional spaces at their host organization such as classrooms, a sunroom, kitchen, office space, storage, and processing spaces. Noting that there is a range of built structures implicated in urban farming systems, we focus on greenhouses and sheds as the two priority areas identified by the community of practice.
Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Building and Accessory Structures on Urban Farm Land City of Vancouver Building Bylaw: Accessory Buildings for Urban Agriculture The Vancouver Building Bylaw states that accessory buildings such as greenhouses and sheds less than 10 x 10 square feet do not require a building permit so farmers can go ahead and build structures they need within this limit. Above the limit urban farmers would require a building permit as the policy currently stands.
Barriers to Accessory Structures A quarter of the urban farmers we spoke with listed a bigger or any greenhouse if they did not already have one as their top infrastructure need. Given that existing greenhouses are between 64 and 130 square feet and the 100 square feet threshold for building permit exemptions, urban farmers could find themselves in the position of needing to navigate the City of Vancouver’s building permitting process. It is not clear whether hoop houses, a popular season extension infrastructure option, would fall into the same conditions as they are more temporary structures. Space to host additional infrastructure as well as the associated costs are major barriers in addition to long term land access. There has been some work by VUFS and others exploring or even implementing shared infrastructure e.g. post-harvest handling facilities, kitchen space, and cold storage.
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3.
IN THE FIELD
This section takes us into the field when it comes to key areas of practice around pest and weed management – including a conversation about organic certification and urban farming, water access and management, and composting.
What is Happening in Vancouver: Pest & Weed Management There was no question among our interviewees that the way to grow food in the city is using organic practices. The use of pesticides and fertilizers was one of the top concerns raised in our public survey, the results of which are in Chapter 6. Luckily for those residents, all the urban farms we surveyed and interviewed are using what they referred to as organic, ecological, natural, or permaculture practices as their growing method noting however that none of the farms engaged in the research were certified organic. Urban farmers are instead using a variety of pest and weed management practices outlined in Figures 12 and 13.
Figure 12: How Vancouver urban farmers are managing weeds
Weed Management Practices The practices that account for the ‘Other’ category include: • Flame weeding • Aeration • Integrated Animal Systems • Integrated Pest Management
Figure 13: How Vancouver urban farmers are managing weeds
Most Common Pests Reported By Vancouver’s Urban Farms 24% Aphids 21% Slugs 11% Cabbage Moths 11% Rats & Mice 8% Flea Beetles 5% Birds 21% evenly accounts for: Green caterpillars, Snails, Cutworms, Dust flies, Root maggots, Wireworms, Voles
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Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Pest & Weed Management City of Vancouver Pesticide Bylaw The City of Vancouver’s Health Bylaw bans the use of pesticides except for on lawns and gardens to control an infestation or destroy a health hazard. The urban farms we interviewed did not report using any artificial pesticides. Some will use pesticides allowed by organic standards as explained in the overview of the Canadian Organic Standards (COS) next. Organic Production Systems General Principles and Management Standards The Canadian Organic Production Systems General Principles and Management Standards require the following practices, paraphrased here, for crop, pest, disease, and weed management: Organic management practices will be used for dealing with pest, disease and weeds. These include:
Cultural practices (rotations, balanced ecosystems, using • resistant varieties) Mechanical techniques (sanitation measures, cultivation, • traps, mulches, grazing) If an organic management practice is not effective, biological, botanical substances, or those listed in the Organic Production Systems – Permitted Substances List may be used All application equipment will be cleaned thoroughly or removed if this is not possible
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Farm City Co-op Pest and Weed Management Practices The Farm City Co-op members - most of whom are Vancouver urban farms - have agreed to a common set of practices for pest and weed management. They do not use substances prohibited by the Canadian Organic Standards and they also manage pests and weeds through crop and soil health as well as use cultural and mechanical techniques in alignment with the COS guidelines. The Guide to Urban Farming in New York State’s Best Practices for Pest and Disease Management These are practices for urban farmers to take an organic approach to pests and diseases which are: Maintaining plant health by ensuring soil fertility and proper growing conditions; Keeping gardens free of weeds and especially Brassica weeds such as shepherd’s purse and yellow rocket which can provide over-wintering for flea beetles; Choosing plants suited to soil, moisture, sunlight, climate, and other garden conditions; Choosing disease and pest resistant crops and cultivars; Practicing crop rotation and diversity; Practicing interplanting, or companion planting; Attracting or purchasing beneficial insects; Watering plants at the base to avoid wetting leaves and early in the day; Not touching healthy plants after being in contact with diseased or damaged plants; and Removing diseased plants and in some cases (i.e. late blight), disposing of these by burning or by bagging and bringing them to a landfill. Source: Guide to Urban Farming in New York State
Organic Certification for Urban Farming While everyone we interacted with in the research said they subscribe to their notion of organic practices, the question of organic certification for urban farmers has been provocative. There was an open space conversation about the benefits and drawbacks of certifying Vancouver’s urban farms summarized below compiled from the 2012 Vancouver Urban Farming Forum Report and COABC Small-Scale Certification Research Project: Exploring Issues, Challenges and Options for Small-Scale Producers.
Table 9: Summary of Certifying Urban Farming Conversation from 2012 Vancouver Urban Farming Forum Potential Benefits M ore direct marketing opportunities I ncreased legitimacy P ricing which reflects true inputs of work and resources O pening up of potential markets
Potential Challenges U rban farmers are stretched as it is so if certification is to be successful, the process must not burden farmers beyond their limited available energy, time, and money F inancing for certification was identified as a potential challenge - should government be financing efforts to certify inputs, inspection, etc.? P otential soil contamination I nability to provide land use history information E xpense of verifying land use D ifficulty accessing appropriate inputs D ifficulty obtaining permitted composting feedstock M any urban farms already enjoy some of the potential benefits of certification without having to get certified e.g. direct marketing to consumers who will pay premiums for urban farm food
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2013 Forum Snapshot: Barriers to Organics in Urban Farming A year later in the 2013 forum session Mapping Out Barriers to Desired Practices facilitators invited discussion on the guideline “Food should be grown in the city using only organic methods”. Some of the points made were:
There is a lack of clarity on what is meant by ‘organic’ and a lack of education on what organic practices are; the biggest barrier could be having a common language
Organic soil amendments can be hard to find; amendments may not be certified and the only way to know for sure is to call the supplier
VUFS could help maintain a local list of suppliers or even organize a buyers’ club
Could also pull out permitted substances that are relevant to urban farming and only allow these; taking advantage of a permitted substances list that other groups have put a lot of work into makes sense
BCARA (British Columbia Association for Regenerative Agriculture) has stated that if you cannot obtain a permitted substance you can use non-permitted ones
Figure 14: Barriers to Certification for Urban Farmers
The Society of Urban Land Care’s Organic Land Care Standard for Food Production
Source: COABC Small-Scale Certification Research Project: Exploring Issues, Challenges and Options for Small-Scale Producers
SOME POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS Certifying practices or the farmer as opposed to the land Affidavits from previous land owners (these are currently acceptable) Peer-based certification Subsidized inspectors to reduce costs
We welcomed presenters from the Society for Organic Urban Land Care to host a session at the 2013 Vancouver Urban Farming Forum. They consulted with urban farmers on their Draft Standard and Farmer Accreditation Model, whereas they had not previously dealt with food production. They have since released a revised sixth edition of the SOUL Organic Land Care Standard with food production standards and a draft proposed Organic Farmer Accreditation program. While the entire standard would apply to a registered urban farmer, the guidelines specifically for food production are below. Required Practices
Creating barriers or buffer zones around food producing areas to protect organic landscapes
For commercial food product in residential and urban areas composting all manure according to COS Preferred Practices
Using crop rotations and green manures in addition to other inputs Prohibited Practices
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Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Water Access and Management Local Water Management Policy for the City of Vancouver and Metro Vancouver Urban agriculture literature is keen on water reuse especially via rain barrels - a practice that could make sense given it rains 166 days a year in Vancouver. There however has not been a huge incentive for Vancouverites to conserve or reuse water from a financial point of view as metering and billing only just came into effect in 2013 as part of the Greenest City Action Plan dealing with conserving and protecting water. Granted, since the program is currently only for new one and two family homes this would only affect urban farms on these types of residential sites and would need to be negotiated in agreements with landowners.
What is Happening in Vancouver: Water Access and Management All of the participating urban farms are using municipal water sources as their primary and in most cases only water source. One operator stated interest in doing rainwater capture and storage and another is currently using rain barrels. For many farmers, having an above or below ground irrigation system in place has been critical - partly for the logistics of managing multiple sites and in the case of below ground systems, to reduce the risk of vandalism. Scaling Up Urban Agriculture in Toronto found that most growers preferred drip irrigation systems with full coverage.
Vancouver is also implementing the Greater Vancouver Regional District’s Water Shortage Response Plan. There are currently no water restrictions on commercial flowers and vegetable gardens
DRIP IRRIGATION “Drip irrigation is a best practice that uses water efficiently and should be encouraged. In San Francisco, the city is providing $100,000 to install water meters for community gardens and areas zoned for urban agriculture. Several cities, including Milwaukee, Madison and Cleveland, are working with water utilities or departments to help urban farms and gardens access water and adjust water usage rates for urban agriculture. Minneapolis developed a more transparent process for accessing water, while Dallas and Dubuque are working on water collection (e.g., rain barrels) and conservation practices.� Source: Urban Agriculture Best Practices and Possibilities
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affecting watering. This will continue to be the case until the plan reaches Stage 4 which is for emergency situations. There however will never be any restrictions for rainwater, greywater, or other sources of recycled water. The City of Vancouver has a program subsidizing the cost of rain barrels for residents. Urban farmers wanting to access these would need to get their property owner on board which may present a barrier. There are also questions about hooking up the rain barrels to irrigation systems which have been identified as a preferred practice and water retention capacity as each barrel can only hold up to 341 L of water. If rainwater harvesting is being used, the water should only be used for irrigation or cleaning equipment, not for washing produce.
BC Ministry of Agriculture Good Agricultural Practices for Water Quality BC Good Agricultural Practices exist to reduce food safety hazards related to water contamination. These practices correspond to the water’s intended use and source. Some of the key practices for urban farmers include: U sing potable water for cleaning and sanitizing food contact surfaces and for hand washing For final washing of crops, cooling and ice making use potable water that complies with the Canadian Drinking Water Quality Standards For irrigation of crops eaten raw, use water that complies with the BC Ministry of Environment and Health Canada standards For general irrigation, use water that complies with the Canadian Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Agriculture Water Uses Source: BC Ministry of Agriculture Good Agricultural Practices (visit the website for a helpful flow chart on water practices)
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2013 Forum Snapshot: Barriers to Water Capture In the 2013 forum session Mapping Out Barriers to Desired Practices facilitators put the guideline that “Water should be captured and re-used where possible and reduce reliance on municipal water� up for discussion. Some of the points made were: here is high water demand in July and August when there is typically less rainfall; could store water over winter but would need a large enough site for storage Might be food safety issues with water storage and possibility of contamination Would rather see water wise practices that focus on keeping water in the soil like mulching however there is a lack of good quality mulch and it is expensive Straw mulch can be messy, as well as a habitat for pests and diseases, so wood is preferred; could also use landscape fabric but it is costly It would be interesting to meter water for urban farming; important to know how much water is being used
Standards for Water Management The Society for Organic Land Care standards have already been referenced elsewhere. Their guidelines for water management are summarized below as they apply to urban farming along with water use practices that manage risk related to environmental toxins.
Required Practices Assessing quality of irrigation water to ensure it is safe Only using potable water and ice when it comes in contact with food in post-harvest handling
Preferred Practices Conserving and retaining water using appropriate grades, structures, soil management, vegetation
Prohibited Practices
Water Management in Scaling Up Urban Agriculture in Toronto Scaling Up Urban Agriculture in Toronto recommends designing farms and cropping systems with reduced water demand, mulching, using soils with moisture holding capacity, using drought-resistant plant varieties, and incorporating plants that offer shade. In that research, a Toronto survey of growers who did not reuse water for irrigation were asked what would encourage them to start and they said workshops/education for how to access supplies and use them and financing.
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Creating grades and drainage that sends water onto neighbouring property without permission Degrading soil fertility or biodiversity through water management practices Using polluted water collected from streets, driveways and other surfaces, including the first flush of rainwater collected from roofs Source: SOUL Organic Land Care Standard
City of Vancouver Water Testing Results It is recommended that urban farmers get assurance that city or regional water be confirmed to be free of heavy metals and other types of contaminants. The City of Vancouver makes results of its water tests available at: http://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/drinkingwater-monitoring-and-results.aspx.
Barriers to Water Access and Contamination
Personal Sanitation
Some of the barriers reported by urban farmers when it came to water access and contamination were:
Personal sanitation, heavily dependent on water access, came up as an issue for some urban farmers in the interviews and literature. One urban farm mentioned challenges accessing washroom facilities as they are multi-locational backyard growers. One homeowner offered them a key to their house to use the washroom which is a possible solution, however the farmers did not necessarily feel comfortable entering the home when the owners were away or at odd hours e.g. early morning harvest. Scaling Up Urban Agriculture in Toronto found a similar problem for their grower community:
Sites located in places that make accessing municipal water challenging Water pressure not always good enough; some operations have invested in increasing pressure which is costly and a challenging decision for urban farms on temporary sites to invest in Municipal water sources in some areas shut off when farmers still need it e.g. in the winter (2 different operations in 2 jurisdictions reported this) Accessing potable water to wash and drink , especially when traveling in between sites; this compromises volunteer and staff safety to avoid dehydration
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“Washroom facilities are not a problem for backyard gardens or farming operations adjacent to fixed facilities that are accessible to the growers (such as a community garden next to a community centre). But otherwise, the lack of washroom facilities can be a real obstacle to creating small plots. Porta-potties represent an ongoing cost and can detract from the appearance of a growing operation. They are also not a viable option in rooftop operations. Alternatives include developing good relations with neighbours or integrating washrooms into larger support structures. Another option is to consider reuse of the effluent on site. Greywater and even blackwater reuse is common practice in many poorer countries, however, it remains rare and frowned upon in richer countries. Many regulatory obstacles prevent this from becoming a common practice, as do the costs associated with safely developing such systems. The one exception is the use of composting toilets. These exist already in some instances, especially where connection to sewage systems is not possible, but their use remains rare. A program to support the expansion of the availability of composting toilets is worth exploring, including training in their proper set-up and use.�
What is Happening in Vancouver: Composting There is a range of approaches among Vancouver’s urban farms when it comes to composting. Below is a sample of what farmers reported they were doing for composting.
FARMER 1 Does composting on site in a three bin system. Generally does sheet mulching and adds a smaller amount of compost. When there was a flood brought in a truckload of commercial compost which was expensive but good.
FARMER 2 Has a volunteer that brings scraps from a grocery store to the farm to be composted directly on site in a three bin system. This however only produced 4 yards of compost at most.
FARMER 3 They are also currently using a three bin composter on site. Their ideal system would involve a few farmers getting together and sharing a small warehouse space of a few hundred square feet with a ‘pass through in vessel composter’ and worm farm. This would require some storage infrastructure at the individual sites to store the finished product.
FARMER 4 Has composting bins on site but they were getting rained on and became too wet. Tried wrapping them in plastic but this caused issues for oxygenation and aeration.
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FARMER 6 FARMER 5 This farm has deliveries of grass clippings and manure delivered to the farm and picks up coffee grounds from a local coffee shop. There is some belief that the farm should charge for accepting inputs from other businesses but this has not been implemented.
Currently has two worm bins and has feasibility study of a bioreactor underway. This would be a way to process organic waste and generate heat inside the enclosed growing space which would reduce costs. Ideally this system could process all the soil and organic waste on site which is currently going into the City green bins.
Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Composting Organic Production Systems General Principles and Management Standards The Canadian Organic Standards has the following practices for composting: All manure storage and handling facilities, including composting facilities, shall be designed, constructed and operated to prevent contamination of ground and surface water; and, Organic materials for compost shall be managed appropriately to reach temperatures for the duration necessary to effectively stabilize nutrients and kill human pathogens.
New York’s Red Hook Community Farm offers additional guidelines for how to specifically address two of the biggest concerns with urban composting: odour and rats. Start small to experiment and work out challenges before adopting a larger system
Source: Canadian Organic Production Systems General Principles and Management Standards
Ensure your nitrogen-rich inputs are as fresh as possible for ease of management
Urban On-Site Composting Guidelines
Know what your composting surface looks like after it rains to avoid your compost sitting in a pool of water
More urban-focused guidelines from New York offer the following for on-site composting: Urban compost bins must be contained, aesthetically pleasing, and well-managed so as to prevent odours and minimize disturbance to neighbours; and Urban compost bins should be “rodent resistant” to prevent infestation by rats, mice and other animals. Openings should be no larger than ¼ inch, and bottoms should be lined with rodent screens, wire mesh or hardware cloth, again with no openings larger than ¼ inch. Source: The Guide to Urban Farming in New York State
Minimize leachate (especially on permeable surfaces) Limit rats’ access to the site using barriers like lumber or hardware cloth Deny rats’ access to food by cleaning up all scraps, using sealed containers, and rodent-proof systems e.g. tumblers, bins, and windrows Destroy all potential rat habitat e.g. use sand or gravel underneath compost sites Force rats to travel through open space leaving them vulnerable to other predators Source: BioCycle Magazine
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trust in some compost producers that their product is not well enough regulated Access to transportation for moving amendments, waste products, etc. required in a composting system Residential composting regulations need to be changed to allow for more flexible placement of compost systems on site
Recommendations From the 2012 and 2013 Forums
Barriers to Composting Composting is one of the areas of practice where a myriad of factors make it challenging to properly incorporate into urban farm sites including the confluence of regulatory barriers, limited land tenures, cost, and urban realities. Some of the particular barriers reported by Vancouver’s urban farmers were: Municipal, regional, and provincial regulations and in some cases a lack of clarity in jurisdiction between the different levels which is a huge obstacle for urban farmers to implement better composting practices Potential for conflict with neighbours and urban farmers due to smell and pest issues It is currently expensive and not always practical for urban farmers to compost Farmers do not trust certain municipal compost sources so they are buying from commercial sources; there is a lack of 61 | Vancouver Urban Farming Society | urbanfarmers.ca
Composting figured largely in the 2012 and 2013 forum conversations. Some of the recommendations from the urban farming community of practice for projects that would help address composting barriers included: An extension agent ‘soils person’ to make recommendations to farmers on composting and other areas of practice Community composting hubs in every neighbourhood that would be a managed supply for local urban farmers There is a need for a study on the quality of finished compost and resulting standards for facilities making and supplying it to urban farmers A compost task force that would specifically work on addressing solutions for urban farmers and communities
Resources Construction Plan for a Three Bin System | Metro Vancouver Urban Home Composting | City Farmer
4.
Storage, Transportation & Distribution
Most of Vancouver’s urban farms are decentralized meaning that the same organization will farm multiple sites either within the same neighbourhood, in different parts of the city, or even in more than one city within Metro Vancouver (Vancouver and Richmond, for example). Along with having multiple growing sites, it is more common than not for a single urban farm operation to have different points of production, processing, storage, and sale or pick up in the case of a CSA arrangement. This makes for a complex transportation and distribution network and a pervasive storage challenge.
a practice known as ‘field storage’ in which harvesting is delayed as much as possible by simply keeping the crops in the growing medium.
What is Happening in Vancouver: STORAGE
Some of our backyard farmer interviewees specified cold storage space as a stipulation in their lease with a landowner as a way of ensuring some storage access.
The main items urban farmers are storing include equipment and supplies like tools and soil amendments as well as crops. Here, we focus on storage practices for fruits and vegetables as this is the most common product of Vancouver’s urban farms and where the most, although not the only, storage challenges are faced. We learned at the 2012 Vancouver Urban Farming Forum that most operations have some sort of access to a fridge for cold storage although it is usually not large enough to meet their needs or might be located in a shared community kitchen or office space with multiple users posing access, security, and further capacity challenges. Some urban farms also use coolers, personal homes, trucks, garden sheds, root cellars, and other businesses’ space for storage. One fifth of the farms surveyed reported that they did not use cold storage at all and instead harvested close to time of sale,
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When fruits and vegetables are being stored, it is not being kept in most cases for more than two days before point of sale/distribution. For the most part, it is either delivered or picked up immediately after harvest or being stored for one day or overnight. The maximum reported storage times of harvest for Vancouver’s urban farms are as follows.
Figure 15: How long Vancouver urban farmers are storing their harvest
Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Fruit and Vegetable Storage Cold Storage Management Guidelines There is a range of cold storage management options for produce farmers however most of them require resources and a scale of operation Vancouver’s urban farming movement largely does not have. It is also one of the most challenging aspects of farming: “Awareness of ideal storage temperatures for different fruits and vegetables is critical to product management. Unfortunately, temperature management is one of the most difficult aspects of small farm operations, either organic or conventional... refrigeration units are often in short supply for many growers, and it is unusual to find the ideal situation of more than one cold storage unit. Therefore, it is common for fruits and vegetables to be stored at incorrect temperatures; storage at a lower than recommended temperature for each product can result in chilling injury, while storage at a higher than optimum storage temperature will compromise its storage life (2012 Production Guide for Storage of Organic Fruits and Vegetables)” Given the lack of cold storage options, hydro-cooling is a common practice in Vancouver’s fields to remove the initial field heat using rubber totes and cold water. Below are some guidelines for hydro-cooling: Always use potable water High pressure wash, rinse, and sanitize all containers prior to use and use containers that can be easily cleaned Use containers exclusively for organic produce
Change water frequently to avoid it becoming contaminated with organisms which decay over time Pre-wash products if possible if they have excessive field soil Because storage is often not available on-site, urban farmers are storing produce in the field in the short-term. Some guidelines for doing so are to: Provide shade in the field under plants or trees; container covers may be necessary to mitigate the risk of bird droppings Use a light coloured tarp (or something similar) to protect produce from direct sunlight Keep a gap of at least 4 inches between covering and produce to allow air circulation Source: 2012 Production Guide for Storage of Organic Fruits and Vegetables
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Unsurprisingly, access to one - let alone three - separate storage rooms is a luxury. There is an infrastructure gap and possible need for an assessment of Vancouver’s urban farming storage needs and potential for matchmaking with existing storage assets, which is already a practice among some operations. If you are using a storage room: 1. Remove diseased fruits and vegetables right away. 2. Clean the space with organically allowable sanitizers at least once a year to reduce possible decay which causes spores and other microbes.
Ideally, according to these guidelines a farm operation would have three rooms at different temperatures corresponding to the conditions in Table 10. Compromises can be made for two room and one room facilities:
3. Improve cooling rates by stacking containers in a way that maximizes contact between the cold air and the produce. Also, make sure that containers are ventilated. 4. Store produce a minimum of 6 inches off the floor. This goes for walk in refrigerators as well. 5. Store produce in covered containers.
Table 10: Recommended conditions for cold storage room facilities Number of Rooms
Conditions
Farm City Co-op Standards for Post-Harvest Handling Farm City Co-op has the following practices listed for how its members do their post-harvest handling:
3
Room 1: 32 to 36°F, Room 2: 45 to 50°F, Room 3: 55 to 64°F
2
Room 1: 32 to 36°F, Room 2: 50-57°F
Members harvest, clean, sort, and store produce in ways that inhibit contamination and are sanitary without compromising the organic integrity of the produce; and,
1
41°F
Members have Market Safe
Note: Storage rooms can be kept as cold as 30°F but it is recommended not to store at less than 32°F which mitigates freezing injury and allows for a margin of error.
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This will obviously pose a barrier as many urban farms depend on their place of residence not just for administration, but also storage.
Resources 2012 Production Guide for the Storage of Organic Fruits and Vegetables | Cornell University
What is Happening in Vancouver: Transportation & Distribution Vancouver’s urban farms are moving their goods using almost every imaginable mode of transportation. The results of the 2012 forum transportation survey found the following breakdown:
Barriers to Storage 1. Size and scale of urban farming operations & multi-locational operations. 2. An interesting stumbling block that surfaced in the interviews were the current City of Vancouver Home-based Business License requirements which will likely become of relevance to urban farmers when they receive their own business licence classification as many operate their administration out of personal homes. The regulation related to storage goes that: No products, materials, or equipment shall be stored inside and outside the residence, or any accessory building on the property.
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Figure 16: How urban farmers move their goods
How Urban Farmers Move Their Goods 3 8% Personal or Business Van, Truck, & Car 34% Bike & E-Bike 7% Foot 7% Co-op Vehicle 14% Other
Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Transportation & Distribution The majority of the urban farm vehicles are not refrigerated. Farmers are using cars, vans, and trucks that look like any other vehicle on the road - albeit with a little more dirt collected under the seats.
BC Ministry of Agriculture Guidelines for Farm Transportation This brief from the BC Ministry of Agriculture offers guidelines are references to relevant acts to farmers’ need to transport goods and people. Most relevant to urban farming is the section on Public Road use: “When farmers use public roadways, they must comply with existing legislation, regulations and bylaws. Provisions cover the licensing of farm vehicles, lighting and marking, securement of loads, safety of trailers and trailer hitches, and requirements concerning oversize and/or slow-moving vehicles. On private property, safety and consideration for neighbors are the primary concerns.” The guide also states that during transportation: Produce should be covered and the load secured. Fruits and vegetables can be damaged from bouncing around in a vehicle. Friction damage can also occur from products moving against each other and containers. These risks can be mitigated by reducing tire pressure on the vehicle.
Resources Guide to Licensing and Insuring Farm Vehicles in BC | ICBC
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VEHICLE SHARING Some Vancouver’s urban farms are using a variety of co-ops for occasional vehicle usage, a great option if sharing is your thing. Modo Car Co-Op offers business and non-profit membership and rates and Shift Urban Cargo Delivery does cargo trike transportation in the downtown core. Both are already working with urban farming and sustainable food organizations.
5.
MARKETING & SALES
Word of mouth, social media, print materials, and e-mail distributions are the most popular forms of marketing for urban farmers who are overall incredibly diverse and creative in their strategies - from trade shows and speaking engagements to onsite signage and door-to-door leafleting. Urban farmers are most interested in increasing their sales through CSA (Community Supported/Shared Agriculture) programs, selling to restaurants, and at farm gate sales. Also mentioned were wholesale, institutional, and co-op sales. Several farms teamed up in 2012 as a co-op (City Farms Co-op and later, Farm City Co-op) to sell at farmers markets and through a joint CSA by amalgamating produce.
Figure 17: An ‘Aha Moment’ from an attendee at the 2012 Vancouver Urban Farming Forum
What proportion of each of the following do you sell your produce? 37.8% CSA 19.1% Farmers Markets 16.6% Restaurants 13.6% Farmgate Sales 4.7% Wholesale 3.8% Website Sales 2.2% Donation 1.6% Retail 0.4% Schools 0.4% Special Events
Figure 18: How Vancouver’s urban farms are selling their food
What is Happening in Vancouver: CSAs in the City As shown in Figure 18, CSAs are one of the key marketing practices for Vancouver’s urban farmers. CSAs provide secure advance income and more financial security as well as shared risk. The CSA model gives the farmer an opportunity to coordinate the scale of their growing for the year based on numbers of share members which makes it easier to plan for the growing season. CSAs can lead to lower transportation and distribution costs for the farmer if most members pick up their shares from one location. Marketing is concentrated at the beginning of the season but can result in lower marketing costs over the duration of the season.
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Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: CSAs in the City Managing CSAs Describe the size of your share in terms of 1) number of items per week, 2) number of people that the share could feed, or 3) weekly dollar value of the share Survey CSA members to determine the best share size for your farm Conduct an end-of-season survey to determine if share size was appropriate and what produce members did and did not like or what they would have wanted but did not receive Urban farmers should take the following three factors into account when pricing CSA shares: 1. Cost of production for the CSA, including labour, land, inputs, equipment, infrastructure, transportation, administration, health insurance, as well as long-term costs such as land tenure 2. Wholesale and market prices of crops intended for the CSA share 3. Market rates of other city CSA shares Things to consider when choosing a distribution site include: Car and bike parking as well as accessibility to transit Physical site accessibility e.g. Are there stairs? Physical barriers for people with mobility barriers? Storage availability if applicable Easily cleanable space Source: Just Food’s CSA Share Guidelines
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CHALLENGES
Summary of Vancouver CSA Challenges and Advice from CSA ‘Talk Shop’ In response to the popularity of CSAs, as well as several associated opportunities and challenges, VUFS organized a ‘talk shop’ in March 2015 bring together veteran, emerging, and future CSA farmers to discuss CSA practices and possibilities for deeper collaboration. To the right is a summary of the session with a focus on the marketing advice shared.
ADVICE Distribution
C ustomers with unrealistic expectations for deliveries
C ombine CSA pickup with farmers markets for ease of distribution/farmer time
C hoosing drop locations
A pproach neighbourhood businesses to be pick-up
G etting veggies from the field to the consumer (car, bike) and the commute from the field to their plate Production G etting back totes used for CSAs as well as keeping them clean and having enough of them
C harge a tote deposit that covers the cost of replacing totes M ake an awesome crop plan
G rowing what your consumers want and knowing consumer trends and tastes Marketing
Table 11: Summary of Certifying Urban Farming Conversation from 2012 Vancouver Urban Farming Forum
G etting people to sign up and retaining customers C apturing attention amidst many excellent CSA options G etting the word out about CSAs in general
L ots of amazing online and sometimes free resources (just discovered a whole database of free photos) to help with marketing material, others like Harvest Hand and Google Forms have also been helpful O ffering a discount to customers who sign up for next season on the last day of the current season P ayment deadlines and installment options B oxes that are too full can overwhelm customers – find the right balance H aving drop locations where you talk to people gains loyalty and sells them on your personality as well as product U rban farmers could share overflow lists/waitlists O ffice drop spots with 10-15 (or more) employees signed up O ffer drop spots to residents who are able to get a minimum number of their neighbours signed up P ublic pick up spots gain attention – could also sell extra produce at these Other
Family/friends as CSA members can be difficult, unrealistic expectations, asking for special treatment No cold storage
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Set clear expectations on kinds of veg Have a “choose” box for items that you have less of Good farm plan with 30% buffer Drink lots of water! Have a member contact Have a CSA drop in a location with lots of foot traffic CSA is not a familiar term –use food box, harvest box, or veggie subscription is more recognizable
Assessing Your Market Potential Market Analysis: What is My Target Market?
Excerpt from the Guide to Urban Farming in New York State A target market is a well-defined group of customers. Markets can be found within any broad category, such as consumers, businesses, industries, or institutions. Consumer groups, for instance, can be characterized by demographics, geography, lifestyle, values, leisure, or occupation. Business customers can be defined in terms of markets, products, management styles, distributions channels or size. Value-added product marketing includes the end consumers of your product/services and the businesses that may distribute and sell your product to the end user. Begin market planning by clearly identifying the market you want to target. Note that this may or may not be the market you are working with now. The idea here is to think creatively about your product to determine what set of customers are going to give your business the cash flow, profit and growth it needs. Start with a big piece of paper. Across the top write a brief description of your product as currently conceived. Next write your answers to the following four key questions: 1. Who will buy my product? 2. Why will they buy my product? 70 | Vancouver Urban Farming Society | urbanfarmers.ca
3. What will they pay for my product? 4. Where do they expect to find this product? When you are finished, step back and consider what you have learned. Write: 1. A brief, focused description of your target market, 2. An assessment of which aspects of your business need to change in order to attract this market, and 3. A list of what is involved with making needed changes.
Product Development: What Am I Going to Market?
Once you have a clearer idea of who your market is and what they want, you must identify how your product meets their needs. Remember that products are continually finetuned as you better understand the needs of
your customers and the mechanics of your business. The challenge is to think about your product from the perspective of your target market, both end consumer and channel customer. To help you do so, answer the following set of research questions: 1.What is my product? 2. What is the best method to package and present my product? 3.What need does my product fill? When you have finished answering these questions, summarize your answers into: A creative, market-informed description of your product, and A concept of how you will make your product meet the needs of your end consumers and channel customers while being competitively priced and profitable.
Know Your Costs and Price for Profit Excerpt from the Guide to Urban Farming in New York State
Price is the dollar amount that you ask for sales of a product or a service. There are various costs that go into deciding what price you will charge for your product, including: V ariable costs (VC): Costs of inputs such as fertilizer, seed, gas, and labour. If you don’t cover these you will have to shut down in a short amount of time. F ixed costs (FC): Costs of ownership such as depreciation, interest, repairs, taxes, and insurance. If you cover these you will meet your breakeven cost to the business, but have nothing left for yourself. Every item should contribute to ownership costs. If you don’t cover ownership costs, you will have to shut down in a longer amount of time. P rofitable Price: the price you need to survive in the long run, which includes a return to yourself.
Value vs. Price
Many direct market farmers are afraid to charge what they need to in order to have some profit for themselves. You are providing more value to the buyer as you are closer to the customer.
Value = Quality + Service + Price Y our buyers want a quality product that you can provide because you can grow varieties for flavour instead of travel characteristics. 71 | Vancouver Urban Farming Society | urbanfarmers.ca
Y our buyers want to know how their food was grown. They like the fact that they have a relationship with you. This takes time on your part, but they are willing to pay for it.
K now your total expected vegetable sales = $10,000;
Y ou can introduce them to new products and ways to cook specialty items. This is education that they are willing to pay for.
D ivide your gross margin by total sales: $3,000/$10,000 = 30%;
F resh un-waxed products, less fuel used, and community support are also cited as reasons many consumers are willing to pay more for local products. Y ou can charge more for early season products when customers are eager to taste the first fresh local strawberries or sweet corn, so strive for early sales.
Calculations for Determining Price COST AND PROFIT METHOD Add your variable cost + your fixed costs + profit needed for the particular product = Income. Divide this by the number of units produced = price/unit. For example: If it costs you $3,000 total variable costs and $2,000 total fixed costs and you want $2,000 of profit for a specific product then your total income from that product needs to be $7,000. Divide this by the number of units produced, and you will have the price per unit ($7,000 / 950 units = $7.38/unit). GROSS MARGIN METHOD This method derives from the whole business sales, costs, and planned profit. This method is usually used by retail businesses that resell products. An example of gross margin method in a vegetable business might be:
K now your total fixed costs + desired profit = $3,000 (this is the gross margin needed);
K now your unit variable cost = $5.00; and Y ou divide the unit price by 1- 30% of the unit variable cost to determine the price ($5.00 / (1-30%) = $5.00 / .7 = $7.14 per unit).
Going Rate for Market Area
Many beginning farmers start out with a pricing strategy that reflects what everyone else is charging. While this is a good place to begin, it is not where you want to be forever. It is important to know your costs and price for profit.
Plan for Profit
Sometimes it is better to sell fewer at the higher price than sell more at the lower price. For example, What if you price corn at $3.50 per dozen according to your calculations, but your neighbor is charging $3.00 per dozen? Can you still make a profit by lowering your price? If your margin on the $3.50 is $0.50 toward profit and you sell 300 dozen, that will give you $150 in profit. You would have to sell 600 dozen if you sold at $3.25 to get the same profit. For a 7% decrease in price you have to sell twice as much product.
What is Happening in Vancouver: Urban Farms at Farmers Markets & Community Food Markets As Figure 18 shows, farmers markets represented the second largest marketing channel for urban farmers in Vancouver. Beyond sales, farmers gain exposure and the opportunity to connect with a broad range of customers and community members. As stated in the Urban Farming Census however, “Farmers markets require a significant investment in time and energy. Markets require farm staff to support the booth, sell to customers, and maintain orderly accounting. The job begins around 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning for some and does not end until afternoon. Farmers are not guaranteed sales as customers have a host of reasons that may keep them home: weather, distance, lack of knowledge, etc.” Community food markets, sometimes also referred to as pocket markets, have also gained popularity in Vancouver. They are defined as follows by the City of Vancouver: Community food markets are small markets that sell fresh or locally prepared fruits and vegetables in underserved communities, to better serve hard-to-reach and vulnerable populations. Community food markets address accessibility challenges that are sometimes associated with regular farmers markets, such as physical access or affordability.
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Neighbourhood houses, BC Housing sites, community centres, and other social serving organizations can organize and manage community food markets. Despite farmers markets accounting for the second largest marketing practice for urban farmers, only a handful have been able to enter the city’s larger farmers’ markets. Smaller urban farm operations have found greater success getting into community food markets although these smaller markets typically attract fewer customers.
handling food or money is recommended, gloves should be changed between activities. A sign is displayed that is clearly visible to the consumer at the point of sale stating that “This food has been prepared in a kitchen that is not inspected by a regulatory authority.�or equivalent wording. Food products should be protected from sources of contamination at all times, including contact by pets, during storage and display at the market. Foods should not be stored in direct contact with the ground.
Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Urban Farms at Farmers Markets & Community Food Markets Guidelines for Selling Food at Farmers and Community Food Markets The BC Centre for Disease Control has an excellent resource for urban farmers and others involved in food sales at temporary markets, including farmers and community food markets, to ensure health and safety. The guide also makes a clear distinction between low risk and high risk foods. Urban farmers are typically only dealing with low risk foods. Some of the key guidelines outlined that are specific to urban farmers handling low risk foods are: Food handlers observe good personal hygiene, including wearing clean attire and washing hands before handling food or after handling money. Wearing of disposable gloves when
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Display cases, counters, shelves, tables, and any other equipment used in connection with the sale of lower risk food should be made from easily cleanable material, maintained in good condition and, cleaned and sanitized as often as necessary. A satisfactory means of cleaning hands and utensils (when used by a vendor), should be provided as per the following: a) The use of hand wipes is satisfactory where only prepackaged food or whole fresh fruits and vegetables are sold b) If samples/product tasting is undertaken then running water, soap in a dispenser and paper towels should be provided; a 22.7 liter (5 gal) plastic water jug with spigot is generally acceptable as the water source Vendors operating side-by-side may share a washing station consisting of liquid soap in a dispenser, single use towels, a container which holds a minimum 22.7 liters (5 gallons) of water, and a suitable waste holding receptacle Source: Guidelines for the Sales of Foods at Temporary Food Markets
Resources Market Safe | Food Safe
6.
Farming with Volunteers, Staff and Neighbours
The social dimensions of urban farming are some of the most interesting opportunities they offer. By being part of the city, urban farms offer community engagement and education opportunities for urbanites who may otherwise never interact with their food source. The benefits can take forms such as volunteer and intern programs hosted by many urban farms. Being in the city and rubbing up against other land uses and neighbours can also pose challenges. Farming with volunteers, staff, and neighbours is explored in this section.
What is Happening in Vancouver: Farming with Volunteers and Staff Urban farms, not unlike many other forms of agriculture, are a collective effort. Though many urban farms are one-person affairs, many come to thrive through the contributions of keen volunteers, apprentices, and staff. Just as the size of urban farms vary significantly, so do the nature of farm crews. Urban farms range in size and scope and similarly farm crews have been known to be as small as 1 and up to 37 in Vancouver in addition to hundreds of volunteers across Vancouver’s urban farming organizations. As shown in Figure 19, the average Vancouver urban farm has a 1-5 member crew.
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Figure 19: Number of People Working in Vancouver Urban Farm Operations
How many people work in your operation?
Throughout the growing season, all of the urban farmers we spoke with have recruited and solicited volunteers as a key component of the farm operations. Finding reliable volunteers was identified as a need by Vancouver urban farmers and farmers in other cities. As highlighted in the Urban Farming Census: “The intersect between business and community engagement is most clear when looking at the ways that urban farmers afford to keep their business afloat. With interns and other free labour sources, urban farms are able to reduce labour costs. In doing so they provide an educational service to community members. The use of volunteer labour allows urban farmers to externalize the true costs of their operation, making it difficult to account for the financial viability without incorporating the contextual importance of community. Without community input and development, these projects will have to replace volunteers with paid labour, donated land with leased land, etc. Finding the nexus between financial viability and community development is a critical function for urban farmers.” “Both for-profit and non-profit urban farms use a labour structure that includes donated labour. As a result, even for-profit urban farms act similarly to non-profit ones, where volunteer labour of a board of directors and other members is a necessary part of the organization. The owner and volunteer subsidy of labour is necessary for many of the urban farms, but at the same time, connects the farm to the community through training and the increased participation of the community. As these farms grow and develop, it is unclear how labour provision and expense will change. It may be that in the near future, non-profit urban farms will have to develop clearer policies regarding interns and other volunteer labour because of funder and/or government reporting requirements.”
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Figure 20: Approaches to farm crew training collected at the 2012 Vancouver Urban Farming Forum
Some examples of what urban farms do to train their farm crews: Have long lunches together and talk Seek guidance, advice and visioning from elders and knowledge keepers
Hands-on working side-by-side until folks feel confident solo Apprenticeship, workshops, send to Foxglove Farm Orientation Procedure manuals Mentor, train in field, research time
Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Farming with Staff and Volunteers Working with Urban Farm Staff & Volunteers Excerpts from the Urban Growers Manual
Cultivating positive spaces “The urban lots should be a place of enrichment and renewal for you and the youth and staff members who work on them. Too often, however, the pressures of the season can cause farms to become highstress, unpleasant environments where production is vastly more important than process. Your careful planning can help alleviate stress during the most demanding times of the season and provide built-in opportunities for revitalization. As a grower, you have the opportunity to set an example of a healthy work schedule for the young people and other staff with whom you work. Include social interactions, vacations, and community building time that will allow you to do your job more successfully and create a better work environment for others on the urban land.” Establishing strong relationships “Establishing positive, mutually supportive relationships and excellent communication with them will help you during the busiest times of the season. Sharing meals or work early in the season will help build a strong agriculture team for the upcoming year. Interaction with the staff in the urban office is equally as important in ensuring that you have a strong community support system.” Understanding community complexity “The urban agriculture internship is in many ways as complex a position as your own. Issues of race, gender and social class are very real in our
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urban context, and can sometimes be brought to our attention in startling ways...Remember to maintain an open and reflective dialogue about these issues with your intern, particularly if they express an interest in them.” Planning for accessibility and adaptability “Understand that the volunteer groups may not be in excellent physical condition. You work outside every day and are accustomed to the strenuous physical tasks on the urban lots. Even so, the first week of fieldwork in the spring is probably physically challenging for you since you haven’t been doing it all winter. It is the same for the volunteers.” Setting realistic goals “When setting the agricultural goals for the volunteers at the start of the day, don’t be overly ambitious. Everyone likes to attain his or her goals. On the other hand, the goals need to be challenging enough - running out of work to do is a deflating experience for volunteers.”
Combine acute observations of the work of the crews and the needs of your crops with hands-on, in-the-row education and interaction with the crew workers.
What is Happening in Vancouver: Farming with Neighbours
Strategies for farm task management: Before the volunteers arrive, review the task list that you have prepared for the day. Estimate the number of volunteers needed to complete each task and the amount of time required. Balance a rigorous level of preparation with spontaneity and an ability to adapt to changing weather and agricultural conditions. Adapt your level of management to harmonize with the character of the crews that are working on the lots – some will be highly motivated and independent, while others will require more help and incentive from you.
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Very few industries are as exposed in the city as urban farming. Between neighbouring residents; passersby on foot, bike, bus, and car; other businesses; school children, and so on, there are a lot of eyes on Vancouver’s farms. More often than not, this is cited as a virtue of the movement. Urban farms and their community garden, orchard, and fellow urban agriculture sisters are gateways - an entry point for urbanites into what it means to grow food. Obviously, the more visible and high profile the growing site, the more aptly urban farms draw and retain an audience. In our community survey of the public, 77% of people who knew of an urban farm said they encountered it just from passing by. Being out in the open, innovative, and unusual in the contemporary cityscape, Vancouver’s urban farms have also been targets of political tactics, media rants, and calls from neighbours to City Hall. Of course fear of bad press or disgruntled residents are not good enough impetuses for urban farms to be good neighbours. All the farmers we interacted with integrate good neighbour and community engagement practices into their operations regardless because they believe these aspects of their work are some of the most magical and transformative.
Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Farming with Neighbours Here, we offer some existing legislation as well as thinking on what it means to be a good urban farm neighbour. Having proactive policies and procedures is highly recommended by the Urban Farming Guidebook: “Given that most nuisances from urban farming will be identified through complaints, education about the role and value of urban farms and growing spaces is essential. Also, developing good neighbour policies and guidelines that lay out the behaviours and practices both farmers and their neighbours need to adopt will help to mitigate problems and build overall awareness.” The Urban Farming Census has similar things to say about being a good neighbour: “Urban farms are largely in the public realm. Even when located on private land, they are garden spaces that neighbours view. Compost piles, untended plots, and general untidiness can have negative impacts on neighbours and the landowners. One of the largest concerns of urban farm neighbours is the belief that urban farms will be noisy, host loud machinery, and otherwise be a nuisance. One way to reduce concern is to educate residents on the minimal amount of machinery used by urban farmers and create guidelines on the storage of agricultural equipment. Keeping agricultural equipment enclosed and screened from site can reduce anxiety of neighbours and ensure that the residential character of the neighbourhood is maintained.”
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The BC Right to Farm Act In British Columbia, ALR farmers are protected by the Right to Farm Act from nuisance complaints if they are performing normal farm practices. Even though there is only one ALR parcel in the City of Vancouver, the Act’s principle that farmers show ‘reasonable consideration’ towards neighbours is an interesting one to think about in the urban context. Some of the suggested practices for doing so include: A pre-development site evaluation considering proximity to neighbouring residence Identifying potential impacts and including mitigation strategies in your farm development plan Source: BC Right to Farm Act
Dealing with Theft and Vandalism
Farming with neighbours can also sometimes mean theft and vandalism, even with good neighbour practices. Some guidelines for helping mitigate this are to: Plant some crops outside of the main farm area with a sign indicating that people may take some Locate more appealing crops (e.g. tomatoes) away from major streets and sidewalks where they will be less visible Plant a barrier of sunflowers or other tall crops to limit visibility of farm crops Plant a little bit extra expecting some loss to theft Clean up debris and lock up all tools and equipment Invest in insurance to recoup losses Source: Guide to Urban Farming in New York State
Inviting international volunteers to participate in the farm and use it as an English conversation opportunity
Existing Standards, Guidelines & Policy: Community Engagement Community Engagement Practices
What is Happening in Vancouver: Community Engagement Vancouver’s urban farms are incredibly community engaged. Some of the existing practices urban farmer interviewees reported include: Teaching neighbours how to grow their own food both informally and through courses Offering the farm sites for community events Putting up signage on urban farm sites explaining what it is and who the farmers are Enlisted animators (e.g. students, community partners) to help engage people in the farm – train the trainer days Volunteer days for corporate organizations Hosting summer camps at urban farm sites Having a designated staff to talk to customers about the farm during markets
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Actively engaging the community is one of the best ways to be a good neighbour as well as meet so many of the other amazing outcomes urban farming has to offer. Some key community engagement practices for urban farms to follow are: 1. Create a sense of belonging and ownership among community members, such as by hosting volunteer days. 2. Encourage open access, such as by maintaining an open gate or no-fence policy and locating entry points where visible and easily accessible. 3. Provide opportunities for community member contribution, such as by allowing them to host workshops of otherwise share their expertise. 4. Host events that involve community members and other visitors, such as open farm days, farm tours, volunteer days, workshops and trainings, apprenticeships and internships, guest lecturers, potlucks, and harvest dinners. 5. Give back to the community, such as by making produce available for free or at a low cost, hosting gleaning events, or providing assistance to other neighbourhood gardeners. Source: Guide to Urban Farming in New York State
Site Accessibility Accessibility of urban farm sites has several aspects. There is the physical aspect of the site and finding the balance between being a welcoming place but also protecting the farm as outlined in the practices for preventing theft and vandalism. There is also accessibility in terms of language, culture, and so on. Below are practices developed with community gardening that are also worth considering for urban farming. There is legible signage (in different languages), which explains the purpose, processes and access for engagement. The initial contact for the garden is available by means other than solely through the internet.
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There are consistent ongoing events that engage the community on various levels. Community participation is part of the garden membership (thus preventing gardeners from excluding themselves to their allotments). It is important to ensure that community gardens are accessible or in the case where gardens are fenced that they are perceived as accessible. It is recommended that wherever possible, gardens should not be fenced. Source: Urban Agriculture and City Farms and their Role in Community Engagement
Phase 1: Gaining entry into a neighbourhood
Practices for Gaining Acceptance in a Neighbourhood Research in Baltimore City looked into practices for getting the acceptance of an urban farm among neighbours. This work found some common barriers to acceptance as well as effective practices for integrating into a neighbourhood.
Barriers to Neighbourhood Acceptance: Lack of familiarity with urban farming Negative impressions of the appearance of urban farms Concerns about pests, vandalism, and the safety of eating the food Fear that farms take the place of preferred development
A. E nsure the sight selected for an urban farm is not actively used for other purposes (e.g. family gatherings, parking, playfields) and provides an opportunity to improve blighted land B. T ake steps to gain an understanding of the neighbourhood context (including the history of the neighbourhood and potential farm site, and neighbourhood challenges and assets) C. Avoid assumptions about what local residents desire and take steps to identify ways the urban farm can provide services they value D. Forge relationships with community leaders or groups that can champion the idea for the urban farm and assist urban farmers to incorporate goals into their project that are meaningful for neighbourhood residents E. Avoid perceptions that an urban farm is an “outsider project” by demonstrating dedication to the neighbourhood through active community involvement Phase 2: Introducing the idea for an urban farm F. Include local residents in the process of planning the urban farm
Perceiving urban farms as “outsider” projects that take advantage of neighbourhood resources
G. D e-mystify urban farming to overcome a lack of famliarity with the concept by sharing examples of other urban farms via photographs and tours
Concerns about urban farming’s long term sustainability
H. P roactively address common concerns about urban farming and explain potential benefits for the local neighbourhood
The strategies for overcoming these barriers are summarized in Table 12 to the right.
I. Use multiple forums to present the idea for the urban farm, including community meetings, and engaging residents who live in direct proximity to the potential farm site Phase 3: Engaging the neighbourhood J. Create a welcoming environment at the urban farm site
Table 12: Strategies for Overcoming Barriers to Neighbourhood Acceptance of Urban Farms Source: Integrating Local Farms into the Social Landscape of Cities
K. Create opportunities for residents to be involved with the urban farm L. P rovide opportunities for local residents to access farm produce; for farms with a mission of providing food for the neighbourhood, consult residents to determine the types of food they want to eat and convenient times/locations for distribution, and ensure food is affordable M. Communicate with residents to maintain a positive and active relationship N. Maintain and beautify the urban farm to meet residents’ expectations for their neighbourhood’s appearance, including creating a sense of permanence in the space off-season
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Results of the Community Survey on Urban Farming
uu
As part of this research work, we conducted our own city-wide survey on public perceptions of urban farming. What are the public’s real and perceived concerns about urban farming in Vancouver? We enlisted 14 community surveyors who solicited responses to our urban farming survey from every neighbourhood in Vancouver. The survey was also available online for a broader reach. A total of 241 surveys were collected.
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Dunbar Southlands had the highest participation in the survey. Figure 21: Participation in the Community Survey by Neighbourhood
Percentage of Participants by Neighbourhood
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Total Respondents: 230
Urban Farm Concerns
Total Respondents: 142
Figure 22: Vancouver Residents’ Concerns about an Urban Farm in their Neighbourhood
Figure 23: Importance of Urban Farm Concerns among Residents Surveyed
Ranking Urban Farm Concerns Among Residents
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Total Respondents: 218
Do you think your concerns can be addressed in urban farm operations?
Total Respondents: 201
Figure 24: Residents’ Impressions of Whether Urban Farm Concerns can be Addressed
WHEN ASKED FOR IDEAS OF HOW THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT AN URBAN FARM IN THEIR NEIGHBOURHOOD COUld BE ADDRESSED, HERE IS WHAT RESIDENTS HAD TO SAY: Educating the public/neighbours about why a compost pile is needed in the yard to mitigate concerns about aesthetics and odour and using it as efficiently as possible Several respondents believed concerns could be dealt with by speaking with the farmers and doing community engagement, consultation, and education Having some way to identify volunteers (nametags, t-shirts) so they know they are affiliated with the farm Host a meet and greet in the neighbourhood for everyone to get acquainted Put up signage in the languages spoken in that neighbourhood Keep compost and soil piles out of sight Knowing what the mechanisms are for giving feedback or complaints
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Perceived Urban Farm Benefits
Total Respondents: 214
Figure 25: Perceived Benefits among Residents of Having an Urban Farm in their Neighbourhood
Discussion of the Community Survey Results: Findings of the Vancouver community survey on urban farming were consistent with similar research elsewhere. Key learnings from it are: Just under one third do not have any concerns related to urban farms being in their neighbourhood The most common concerns that were raised were odour (14%), aesthetics/appearance (12%), noise (10%), and traffic (8%) – composting and soil piles on site were also somewhat prominent concerns The majority of those surveyed (64%) believe that their concerns can be addressed in the farm operations The perceived benefits are significant with access to locally grown food (26%) being the most popular 86 | Vancouver Urban Farming Society | urbanfarmers.ca
7.
Business Practices
As small businesses and non-profits, Vancouver’s urban farms must navigate a whole set of systems and practices related to their organization structure, business planning, legalities, insurance, finances, and so on. Some of what urban farms are already doing in these areas is documented in this final chapter along with some existing resources and standards to look to. These are not extensive as running a small business or nonprofit is an incredibly vast area with many sub-areas of practice within it.
What is Happening in Vancouver: Organizational Structure, Governance & Legal Status The organizational structures and governance models of urban farms are just as diverse as other aspects among them. Within the sample of the 10 urban farm organizations we asked this question of, noting that this is not all urban farming organizations in Vancouver, the breakdown is as follows:
Table 13: Breakdown of a sample of different Vancouver urban farm operations Type of Organization
Number of Urban Farms
Sole Proprietorship
3
Corporation
3
General Partnership
2
Non-Profit Project
1
Mixed Corporation and Sole Proprietorship*
1
*In this case the farm’s organization is divided although both the corporation and the sole proprietorship operate on the same site and share resources.
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2012 Forum Snapshot: Funding and Organizational Models With urban farmers adopting a range of organizational models, there was a lot of discussion about not-for-profit vs. for-profit ventures and between CSA and market models at the 2012 Vancouver Urban Farming Forum. A farm’s chosen organizational model has many implications, not least of which is the farm’s opportunities for accessing funding. Some key points from the 2012 forum discussing follow.
Where are the funding discrepancies? Non-profit farming is not necessarily sustainable if funding disappears
How do we create the synergies so that people who have successfully created a charitable model can share their charitable status with others?
Disproportionate amount of funding goes to non-profits, making it difficult to grow a for-profit business, for-profit socially intended ventures need the support and funding to grow to be a meaningful part of the economy
Wish for unrestricted funding and an incubator fund for when food scarcity becomes an issue to support the growth of food security initiatives including urban farming
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Existing Policy, Standards & Guidelines: Organizational Structure, Governance & Legal Status As mentioned, there is an incredible amount of small business resources out there. The BC Farm Start-Up Guide is one such resource for farmers of all stripes. The excerpt below specifically addresses practices for how to determine what business structure might be most suitable, including a comparison of some of the different types. Not covered in the farm startup guide is information about non-profit organizations. Several of Vancouver’s urban farms are registered as non-profit organizations. Some of the advantages of being a non-profit urban farm include the ability to access grant funding and a collaborative board of directors governance model, among others. BC Registry Services has more on what it takes to become a non-profit society in BC.
Business structure
The three general types of business structure are:
Excerpt from BC Farm Start-Up Guide Before getting started it is important to consider what business structure best fits your situation. The considerations that relate to business structure are:
Am I the only person with a financial interest in the farm or are there others?
If there are others, how do we share the financial interest?
How do we transfer the interest in the farm when I or others involved want to reduce or end their interest? The following is a very brief introduction to business structures. You are encouraged to discuss this further with a lawyer or accountant if your particular situation has any other nuances – which many farm and family situations do. A more detailed discussion of business structures can be found at: http://www.farmcentre.com and www.bcbusinessregistry.ca.
1. Sole Proprietorship: a proprietorship is simply an extension of yourself. You own the business and are responsible for the debts of the business similar to your other personal assets. 2. General Partnership: This is like a combination or proprietorships. Several people own similar or differing proportions of the business but all remain responsible for the debts of the business as if it was personal property. 3. Corporation: A corporation is a separate entity from you as owner so you as an individual are not responsible for the debts of the corporation. You and your partners own shares in the corporation and are usually directors of the corporation. The benefit of limited liability over the debts of the company are minor with small companies as there are some responsibilities associated with being a director, and generally financial institutions will seek personal guarantees on loans for small companies. The major benefit of corporations, for small to medium sized farms, is in tax and succession planning.
Business Structure
Pros
Cons
Sole Proprietorship
Simple, no extra reporting.
None for small single operator farms.
General Partnership
Formalizes a partnership arrangement and should include descriptions of each partner‘s roles, responsibilities and financial involvement.
More reporting requirements than a proprietorship.
Corporation
Aids in succession planning, and with large farms may aid in tax and limited liability concerns.
Costs involved in reporting
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What is Happening in Vancouver: Business Planning, Licensing & Insurance Of the 11 urban farm organizations we spoke to about business planning, 7 of them have done some form of business planning either on their own or with the help of students or a specialized course, for example. Having a business plan is considered good practice no matter the organizational structure of the urban farm.
Figure 26: An ‘Aha Moment’ from an attendee at the 2012 Vancouver Urban Farming Forum
When we spoke with urban farmers about whether they had a business license and/or insurance for the farm, responses were varied. Some operations had one but not the other, some had both, and some had neither. Currently, the City of Vancouver and other jurisdictions within Metro Vancouver do not have ‘urban farming’ designations in their business license categorization. This has been a barrier for urban farmers over the last several years as originally documents in the 2011 Vancouver Urban Farming Forum Report. City of Vancouver bylaw #4450 requires a business license for anyone to sell anything within city limits. Urban farmers are currently operating in a grey area until this business license is created. Some of the existing urban farms have found themselves with other business license designations for the time being as landscapers, light industrial and even art installations. Developing business licenses for urban farming has been a key focus of both the 2011 Metro Vancouver Regional Food System Strategy as well as the more recent 2013 Vancouver Food Strategy. The regional strategy calls for, “[a] review bylaws, zoning and business licenses requirements to enable the development of urban agriculture enterprises,” (47). Similarly, as shown in Table 1 earlier, the City of Vancouver is committed to creating an urban farming business license category as stated in action 1.13 of its food strategy. Having a business license is a precursor to accessing insurance for urban farm operations. Currently, farmers can get insurance for land in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) but not for city plots (not zoned as farmland). Once it becomes legal to operate a farm within city limits, then insurance will be available.
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FARMER 1
VANCOUVER’S URBAN FARMERS ON INSURANCE
“Got insurance for the farm last year but then realized I might be violating my home insurance because customers are coming to my house. It seemed like a waste of $800 insurance that I could have used to fix a lot of things on the farm.”
Urban farmers shared theirs experiences accessing insurance in our interviews.
FARMER 2 “No one can sue us personally (as a corporation). It would also be a waste of time since we do not have any assets. We may look into getting more insurance but we are not sure what that would look like yet.”
91 | Vancouver Urban Farming Society | urbanfarmers.ca
FARMER 3 “I only have liability insurance but being an illegal business nullifies that.”
As suggested in the 2011 forum report, once a business license and subsequently appropriate insurance becomes available to Vancouver’s urban farmers, they could then look to group coverage as well as work with insurance providers and financial institutions on urban farmer packages.
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