How to Start Your Own Urban Farm by yangkr

How to Start Your Own Urban Farm A How-To Guide to Urban Gardening in Berkeley

Aline Tanielan Kay Yang Kevin Meffert Sam Ralstin Scott Marshall

INTRODUCTION As our society grows and develops, more and more reliability in terms of nutrition and food is put on corporate giants, whose main objective is to earn as much profit as possible and care very little about their consumer’s health and diet. For this reason, it is imperative that everyone take a stand by taking responsibility for their own food. Berkeley’s own Michael Pollan, professor, writer and activist, advocates and pushes for the idea of decentralized and regional smaller scale farming. This concept has been supported by many agriculturalists and farmers who believe that this type of farming will help prevent the negative consequences that have emerged, such as monocultures (lack of genetic diversity in foods due to re-planting the same foods in the same soil year after year) and increase in environmental damages due to higher amounts of transportation of foods. Starting your own farm will allow you to stray away from these consequences and allow you to know exactly how your food is brought to you and what is in your food. While many companies advertise the “organic” “natural” and “pesticide free” nature of their foods, with the government backing them up, how sure can you be? The only way to truly know is to grow your own food.

WHAT IS URBAN FARMING? Participants who know how to garden

While farming can be traditionally recognized as being done on large plots of land in the rural country, urban farming challenges this notion by implementing the idea of farming into a town, city, or village. This challenges the idea that farming must coexist within an already established community. Many people, in recent years, have become very disassociated from their foods, creating a large mystery in terms of how food is grown, and what foods are appropriate to grow for what seasons. For example, in a survey conducted within Berkeley, with participants who both attend UC Berkeley and are resident of the city of Berkeley, about 60% claimed they did not know how to garden. This shows the ever-increasing need for food education, which can only be taught through first hand experience, such as planting owns own garden/farm.

The Essentials

INTRODUCTION Thousands of people have gone to their local home depot or nursery in hopes of creating a bountiful garden in their backyard. Yet, they wonder why their spindly carrots look nothing like the fat, bright orange carrots they see on the display. Even following every vague instruction on the seed packet results in sub-par harvests, making urban garden basically fruitless. But the fact is, there is much more to the do than just to plant and water your garden. Gardens must be carefully planned out in order to ensure maximum productivity and deliciousness. Each crop has a particular time of year in which it should be planted in order to ensure the most generous of harvests. Other than that, it is necessary to plant a crop that thrives in the climate that it will be planted in. For example, you cant expect to grow a beautiful rainforest orchid in the rocky dry climate of the Arizona desert. Even though agribusiness is able to transplant commodity crops into areas where they commonly would not be able to survive, it does not mean an individual can or even should try to do the same. The urban farm must mold to the environment, not try to create its own in order to grow certain crops. By learning more about the climate of your area and the planting seasons of plants, one can create a better garden for the environment as well as for themselves.

WHAT TO GROW Coastal California is one of the most productive regions in America, and the reason is because of our great weather. Cities almost 200 miles away along the coast can have differing average yearly temperatures of only two or three degrees, which is quite phenomenal, and prime for growing beautiful crops. Even with this little variance in temperature, there are “microclimates” all around the Bay Area. Locals still get surprised to find it cloudy in San Francisco and drive across the bridge to meet a sunny east bay. There are many crops that flourish in the coastal region, however, some fair better closer to the coast and some thrive more inland. A full list of the various crops and their ideal microclimate can be found below. Berkeley can be considered a “less foggy” microclimate with the percentage of foggy days during each month considerably under 25% (climates). According to the list, crops like bitter melon, corn, eggplant tomato, pepper and winter melon will fair very well in the Berkeley area. Crops in the “all region list” will also fair well in the Berkeley Area. However, the best way to see which of these all-region crops will be the best producers is to place a few crops from the list in your garden and see how they fare.

WHEN TO GROW

Se pt em be O r ct ob er N ov em be r D ec em be r

Au gu s

Ju ly

Ju ne

M ay

Ap ril

Ja nu ar y Fe br ua ry M ar ch

“It’s blank season,” is a common reference to the availability of crops during different times of the year. This seasonality of crops is due to the fact that each crop has it’s own prime-time for planting and harvesting. However, it is better to look at year as many seasons overlapping rather than just fall planting and spring harvest. The table below gives an outline of planting times for the “less foggy” crops that would fare best in the Berkeley Area.

Artichoke Bean, snap Beet Broccoli Brussel Sprouts Carrot Celery Collards Cucumber Eggplants Garlic Kale Lettuce Melon Okra Parsnip Pea Pepper Radish

KEY

Spinach

okay to plant the crop

Tomato

will work for some varieties

WHERE TO BUY When purchasing seeds from a chain supermarket or home goods store, the seed packet instructions can be quite mis-informative. Seed packets distributed by chains do not contain information that is specific to a region, but rather a generality of all the regions that their product could reach. Thus the utter disappoint many face when they plant their seeds and nothing becomes of it. This is because the seeds may not have been planted at the right time according to the specific region, or not given enough sunlight because the region is not conducive to the growth of that type of crop. If you are in the market for a flourishing, beautiful garden then it is absolutely necessary that you purchase your seeds and other garden supplies from a local garden shop or nursery. Mail-order seed companies are also useful when purchasing rare, desirable varieties. These shops are superior to the commercial counterparts in that the local shops provide more information about their seeds as well as stock varieties that are suited to Berkeley climate. Here is a list of local seed vendors.

Annieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Annuals & Perennials Nursery: 740 Market Avenue Office: 801 Chesley Avenue Richmond, CA 94801 www.anniesannuals.com Bountiful Gardens 18001 Shafer Ranch Road Willits, CA 95490 www.bountifulgardens.org Evergreen Y.H. Enterprises P.O. Box 17538 Anaheim, CA 92817 www.evergreenseeds.com J.L. Hudson, Seedman P.O. Box 337 La Honda, CA 94020 www.jlhudsonseeds.net Kitazawa Seed Company P.O. Box 13220 Oakland, CA 94661 www.kitazawaseed.com Redwood City Seed Company Box 361 Redwood City, CA 94604 www.ecoseeds.com

Solutions

HOW TO CREATE

Raised Beds

Step 1

Plan out the size of the bed(s) and write down the dimensions. This will help to determine how much material is needed.

Step 2

After figuring out the amount of material needed, buy the boards in 2x6 andthe posts in 4x4. Remember that each side will have 3 boards on each sideand 4 posts per raised bed. You can use different types of lumber, but we advise to use long-lasting redwood lumber.

Step 3

Cut the posts, so that they measure 4 feet. The boards should be cut to your own specified lengths. For example, if you choose to make a bed that measures 8 feet in length and 4 feet in width, cut six boards that measure 8 feet and 6 boards that measure 4 feet.

Step 4

Use the 4x4 posts at each corner and attach the boards with 2 galvanized nails per board. Keep in mind to let the posts extend about 7 1/2 inches above the top board.

Step 5

After placing the bed in the permanent position, put in a mesh or weed mat that fits the footprint of the raised bed. This will reduce the weeds and keep out covers out of the raised bed. Keep in mind, the posts change the footprint of the bed.

Step 6

Now fill the bed with the different types of layers. The type of material and depth of each layer is shown in the image down below. Compost 4”

Fertilizer 1” Staw 8”

Fertilizer 1” Lucerne Hay 4”

Newspaper 1/4” Mesh 10

HOW TO CREATE Soda Bottle Planters

Step 1

Use a sharp knife to cut off the base of the bottle about 1 inch off the bottom.

Step 2

Cover the exposed edges with masking tape.

Step 3

Punch 4 holes around the exposed edge. Cut equal lengths of string and tie them securely through these holes.

Step 4

Cut a short length of aluminum foil, roll it into a tube, and line the bottle with it. This will keep sunlight from drying out the soil.

Step 5

Select the type of plant youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to grow. If you are growing plants indoors, aim for culinary herbs (e.g. basil, parsley, cilantro, thyme, rosamary or arugula). If this will be outside, you can plant small tomatoes, hot peppers, or squash.

Step 6

Thread the seedlings through the bottleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spout so that the leafy bits are sticking out at the top, and the roots/soil are dangling inside. Flip the bottle so the spoit is facing downward, and add in your soil.

6 4 11

WHERE TO GROW

Whether you live in an apartment, a co-op, or student dorms, your space will be limited. This is particularly true when it comes to creating your own urban garden. As students, we barely have enough room for furniture, let alone your own garden.This is why itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s importat to consider all your options when deciding where to start your own vegetable garden. Since a lot of students do not own their own property, we have taken into consideration the costs involved and what landlords, your RA, or UC Berkeley, will allow. Here are six spaces where you can start your own apartment garden. 12

Fire Escape (apartment, co-op) The typical landing space of a fire escape is about 2â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 3â&#x20AC;&#x2122;. By organizing self-watering containers planted up against the rail, you can save over a foot of space on the landing.

Hand Rails (apartment, co-op) You can hang soda bottle planters or containers filled with mint, oregano, or lettuces on handrails inside or outside your living area, thus maximizing space.

Balcony or Patio (apartment, co-op, dorm) Container gardening is the most popular choice for balcony or patio gardeners, but you are not limited to the usual plastic tubs. Attach a wire from one end of your space to the other and hang baskets filled with cherry tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, and herbs to make the most out of your air space.

Windowsill boxes (apartment, co-op, dorm) These are great to grow shallow rooted herbs and vegetables. Like the vertical planters however, they need to be secured to the structure.

Front or backyard (apartment, co-op) If you are on a lower level, this may be all you have. Though it is unlikely that your landlord will allow you to modify the lawn, you can place containers or your own raised bed in the yard. Walls (apartment, co-op) The true appeal of vertical gardening lies in their effectiveness for growing food, and they are perfect for patio gardens, balconies, or for anyone wishing to maximize their vertical garden space. Most large DIY stores sell container kits that can be attached to a trellis and then attached onto a wall, or you could even make your own containers using 2 litre plastic bottles or empty plastic pots.

Successful Case Studies

Kate Kaplan, Berkeley SOGA Coordinator Kate is the self-titled Community Engagement Coordinator at SOGA, UC Berkeley’s Student Organic Gardening Association (SOGA). Kate has been volunteering at SOGA for over 8 months now and is currently teaching a student-run “DeCal” course at UC Berkeley regarding the student garden. The student garden provides a number of benefits to both the city of Berkeley and UC Berkeley and serves as a model for large-scale urban and community agriculture.

How long have you been working/volunteering at SOGA? I have been volunteering with SOGA for 8 months now. I am a self-titled Community Engagement Coordinator (we’re all self-titled, we don’t have a structured hierarchy). What’s a typical day at the SOGA garden? SOGA has a very interesting structure—or lack of structure I should say. During the fall we have about 5 core managers that make sure the garden stays alive and well. When Spring comes around we have our Intro to Organic Gardening DeCal, which usually has about 150-200 students, so we have a lot more hands on deck during that time. For both semesters we have Sunday work-days, which usually bring out about 10 volunteers. Someone is in the garden every single day to water, especially in the greenhouse. Other than that, there is no “typical day”. People are always in and out doing personal projects like building sheds, building raised beds, weeding, or harvesting. On Sundays we usually weed and do projects that require more hands, like sheet mulching. In addition to the garden, we always have volunteers working on DeCals (we run 4 every year), writing grants (our main source of funding), and building relationships with the community (we work with a lot of elementary and middle schools for garden education). What can be done to promote knowledge about urban gardening/farming in general? I think education is key. We are very ardent about our DeCal classes, because they are the best way to get students into the garden and get people inspired about urban gardening. We run four different classes that cover on-campus, community, and SOGA supported projects, so there is something for everyone. I have seen time and again the impact that just getting your hands dirty can have on how people view urban ag. So many people come to the garden for the first time, with little to no gardening experience, and leave feeling a whole new connection to the land. Experiential learning really is the best way to spread the knowledge!

The SOGA is a great example of larger-scale urban agriculture...do you see potential in smaller-scale urban agriculture projects like rooftop or vertical gardens? I think rooftop and vertical gardens are the future (this is what I study…I’m slightly biased). There is so much potential for people to take advantage of all of the unused space in urban areas. I have worked under professors that have done some incredible work in off-soil systems (farming without soil) that can be revolutionary for urban agriculture. I think everyone has the ability to participate in small-scale urban ag. I have three medium sized pots on my small balcony that produce an incredible amount of leafy greens, herbs, and onions—things that don’t take up much space or time at all. How large of a role do you think urban gardening operations like the SOGA can play in dismantling the industrialized food system? Like I’ve mentioned a few times, communities like SOGA are doing a fantastic job at educating people about urban ag. The more people know about the food system, the more they will challenge it. I don't think that urban gardens can “feed the world”. I do think they are vital for starting conversations, spreading information, and getting people excited about making changes to our food system. I think that dismantling the industrialized food system will take much more, because it is so entrenched with money and political influence. However, the more pressure that communities put on their politicians to stop corporate support and showing that there is a demand for community-supported agriculture, the better our chances are for actually bringing change.

Michael Chang, UC Berkeley Student Michael is an architecture major at UC Berkeley with a profound interest in urban gardening. Living in an apartment with no balconies and limited sunlight, Michael successfully manages vibrant and tasty tomato plants right from his living room. Coming in at just over $25 for the entirety of the planting supplies, Michaelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work serves as a model for individually-based urban gardening. 19

How did you get started with your indoor tomato-garden? I’ve always been interested in urban gardening, but I never really had the impetus to go about it. It takes effort and coordination to acquire the soil, the pots, and figuring out where you want the plant to grow...especially since I don’t have a balcony or access to a lot of sunlight. You really have to plan and think things through before you acquire the plant...it’s almost like a pet. There is maintenance and it almost becomes a part of your life if you really want it to thrive. One weekend I was sitting there and realized that I had the time to finally do this. So a lot of the materials you see here I actually got for free. I’m in the architecture school, there’s a recycling program in Wurster and several students last year did a project requiring soil and fertilizer. They didn’t end up using some of this fertilizer, and the bucket you see holding the soil also came from this recycling program. I collected free soil and a free bucket, and down on Solano Ave. there is a nursery that had a two-for-one deal for tomatoes...Tomatoes require a tremendous amount of sun...online you’ll see blogs/information sites that say you need at least 7 hours of sunlight. As you can see...this isn’t exactly outside, and although this window is south-facing, there are shadows and other things that impair the sun exposure. The tomato plant actually extended beyond the window and that part of the plant started dying. The plant is very limited to the spot it is in now and because of the sunlight. The plant really regulates itself...it can’t successfully grow anywhere outside of this window. This was maybe a $20 investment...bought one bottle of fertilizer at $13...I was looking at this from more of an economic standpoint as a college student...but most home gardens aren’t really about the money. And that $20 yielded roughly 5-6 pounds of tomatoes with more still growing...the plant produces 4-5 fully grown tomatoes every 4 or so days. 20

What would you say was the biggest obstacle you and your in-home garden faced? Is it a lack of sun exposure or something else? Obstacles have sort of changed as time progressed, and I’ve had to develop solutions to these obstacles. The biggest on-going obstacle that I have faced is the fact that the weather is getting worse as we get deeper into winter...Probably the largest/most difficult obstacle is maintaining a clean interior/environment around the plant. Keeping the plant from messing up the apartment hasn’t been easy. The plant sheds leafs, my planter box has even leaked in the past. I should have considered the drainage of the plant...when I rebuild this I’m going to build in a drainage component...“I really like the tension system I’ve created with all of the string that you see holding up the vines. Traditionally, people use wooden-grids to maintain vine growth...but I have a lot of twine and I just made due with the materials and space that I had. You’re looking at the plant at one of its more fruitful stages...which may have something to do with the rain/weather. The plant is producing plenty of fruit...but the fruit is taking a lot of time to ripen and I think thats due to a lack of sun exposure.

Can you offer any advice for people trying to start their own in-home garden like yours, who are also limited with space/sun exposure? I think that this type of gardening is so unexplored that I can’t really describe certain techniques. But I think that research before-hand is extremely important....sunlight, especially if you don’t have a balcony, should be one of your greatest concerns/worries. This tomato plant actually started on the other side of the room...but after studying the plant and the rest of my apartment I found that this window was much more fit/apt for growing. You really need to tune the plant to your apartment or tune your apartment to the needs of your plant...and this takes time. Everyone’s case will be highly personalized...everyone is going to have different apartments, different window sizes, different sun exposure...so you need a lot of creativity as well as research. You also need to be really responsive to your plant...for instance, I noticed one side of the plant was losing leaves and dying, and after conducting research I came to the conclusion that it was a problem of nutrient deficiency. This isn’t a project that you just plant and wait for the fruit to produce...it requires responsibility. It’s quite fascinating, this whole process. I probably obsess a bit much over maintaining and observing this plant. The investment was totally worth it...not only in terms of money, but for what it does for an apartment like mine. Like the humidifying and aesthetic components associated with this plant...It’s a very creative process...like especially when you are doing space management...I had to create all the loops that you see throughout the vines in order to ensure that they were still being exposed to the sunlight...I’m learning new things everyday with this plant. It’s really to get really involved with your plant because there’s so many intricacies that develop and redevelop over the lifespan of the plant... 22

Kathryn De Master, Agro Food Systems Instructor After completing her dissertation on organic farming systems in Poland, Professor De Master began teaching at Brown University in 2009. After three and a half years at Brown she began teaching at UC Berkeley where she continues to research and teach about the intersection of society and the environment, namely with respect to agriculture and agro-food systems.

How large of a role do you think urban agriculture can play in dismantling our industrialized food system? Do you think it will be larger scale urban agriculture projects like community gardens or smaller scale projects with individual rooftop gardens?

I think that’s a great question. I think its going to be a diverse range of efforts with regards to urban agriculture. And I think urban agriculture can play a large and important role in transitioning from our industrialized food system. Some cities, and this isn’t true of all cities, have very rich soil ripe for growing...and it hasn’t necessarily been heavily polluted, it just so happens that these cities were constructed and built on these areas of rich soil. That’s one resource that is often overlooked. There is really good soil in parks that are protected and even golf courses...big green spaces. I think that urban ag has a lot of potential to contribute to actual food production, but even more important than the potential for that is the potential for education and making people aware of what’s going on in our food system. Having people be more conscious of how food grows, where it grows, and being more aware of growing/appreciative of growing your own/local food. So I think it can be a combination of community gardens, rooftop gardens, balcony gardens, backyard gardens...I think it can and will be a diverse array of initiatives. Even greenhouses...

Do you think the opportunities and accessibility of urban agriculture will take off as technology continues to develop?

Definitely. Particularly as we gain technology in the area of renewable energy, I think there’s a lot of potential to grow food vertically in urban centers and not just having to be attached to ground soil. There’s some really exciting and innovative vertical gardening projects already out there, and some of them are pretty high-tech and very energy-intensive...but as we become more able to harness renewable energy on a wide-scale... I think that has potential for creating some powerful urban agriculture initiatives.

The Community

HOW YOU CAN HELP Participants who would consider planting their own garden

Although home to one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier universities (the University of California, Berkeley), the city of Berkeley faces extreme poverty levels, notably around its downtown area. According to the Brookings Institution, roughly 40% of those residing in downtown Berkeley live below the poverty level. In addition, homelessness is another issue that Berkeley has faced in the past several decades. To battle this, Alameda county has set in place several programs with the objective of diminishing the amount of homeless in the city of Berkeley, reducing the amount from approximately 41% of the countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s total number of homeless in 2004, to about 15% of the countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s number of homeless in 2009. This illustrates the need for programs to reduce homelessness and, in turn, hunger, and the positive impact that ensues. According to the survey presented to UC Berkeley students and Berkeley residents, roughly 90% said they were willing to start their own urban farming, if not for their personal benefit, to better the community of Berkeley.

Donating to local food banks and homeless shelters is the primary way one could help the community by farming. While most food banks prefer non-perishable foods (such as canned foods) since it will not expire as rapidly, there are a few places that take fresh vegetables and fruits, such as: The Berkeley Neighborhood Food Project (510) 525-2280 http://berkeleyfoodproject.org/donate.shtml Through this, one is able to donate food by signing up on their website to get in touch with a neighborhood coordinator, who then sets up reminders for when food, whatever food one wants to donate, can be picked up. Berkeley Food Pantry (510) 525-2280 http://www.berkeleyfriendschurch.org/pantry.html The Berkeley Food Pantry, through the ministry of Berkeley Friends Church, donates its foods to the residents of Berkeley and Albany that have emergency needs and cannot afford meals. They accept garden produce and donors can drop off the food at the Pantry, located on 1600 Sacramento Street on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 1 to 4 pm.

North Berkeley Harvest (510) 812-3369 http://northberkeleyharvest.org This organization, comprised of volunteers, picks excess fresh fruits from residents in Berkeley. They only accept organic fruits and pick on Mondays, Thursday mornings and the weekends. The fruits harvested are then donated to various causes, such as: The Bay Area Rescue Mission, Berkeley School Lunch Initiative ,Jewish Community Center (senior lunch program and after school childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program), Berkeley Food & Housing Project and, eventually, the Performing Animal Welfare Society. Alameda County Community Food Bank (510) 635-3663 http://www.accfb.org/donation/donate-food/ One can donate their fresh produce to this food bank by dropping off a bag full to various drop-off locations. In Berkeley, the Alameda County Community Food Bank has several locations: the Berkeley Bowl & Berkeley Bowl West (2020 Oregon Street or 920 Heinz Street, (510) 843-6929), Star Grocery (3068 Claremont Ave, (510) 652-2490), and Salâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pharmacy (1831 A Solano Ave, (510) 589-2591). While many food banks are thrilled to receive fresh produce donations, it is always important to call first, to ensure that the organization is equipped with the necessary tools to correctly store fresh foods.

CONCLUSION After having read this pamphlet, you are now equipped with all the tools to not only successfully start your own urban farm by knowing what to plant and where to buy your supplies from Berkeley, but also what to do with your produce, in the case where there is excess. By beginning your own urban farm, you are positively contributing to the movement against dependency on corporate owned food companies and, instead, are fighting for our right, as citizens of the world, to know what is in our food and how it is getting to us. We deserve good food, as it is the basis of our existence. By starting your own farm without the dependency on corporations in any shape or form, you are fighting for the rights of our society by not only setting a higher level for your nutrition for yourself, but also for the community at large, where we all deserve good, nutritious food, regardless of whether or not we can afford it. Now that you know how to start your own farm, you can educate those around you to do the same. We can change the agricultural system, one step at a time. With dedication, time, and passion, everyone will have access to good, nutritious and delicious foods.

BIBLIOGRAPHY "Alameda County Community Food Bank." Alameda County Community Food Bank RSS. Web. 13 Dec. 2014. "Berkeley Food Pantry." Berkeley Food Pantry. Web. 13 Dec. 2014. "Berkeley Food Project." Berkeley Food Project. Web. 13 Dec. 2014. Leiberman, Mike. "7 Location Ideas for Apartment and Urban Gardens."Urban Organic Gardener. 23 Jan. 2012. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.urbanorganicgardener.com/2012/01/7-location-ideas-for-apartment-and-urban-gardens>. "North Berkeley Harvest/Donates Fruit for Local Food Initiatives." North Berkeley Harvest/Donates Fruit for Local Food Initiatives. Web. 13 Dec. 2014. Peirce, Pam. "What Can You Grow, Obtaining Seeds and Other Starts." Golden Gate Gardening. 3rd ed. Seattle: Sasquatch, 2010. 11-45, 402-405. Print. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Report Shows Extreme Poverty in Downtown Berkeley despite Citywide Reductions in Poverty | Dailycal.org." The Daily Californian. 08 Nov. 2011. Web. 13 Dec. 2014. Tyson, Patrick J. "Sunshine Guide to the Berkeley Area, California." Climates.com. 1 Jan. 2003. Web. 14 Dec. 2014. <http://www.climates.com/USA/PDF/CA012USA.pdf>. Winter-Hebert, Catherine. "HOW TO: Make a Hanging Planter with a Recycled Plastic Pop Bottle." Inhabitat Sustainable Design Innovation Eco Architecture Green Building HOW TO Make a Hanging Planter with a Recycled Plastic Pop Bottle Comments. Inhabitat.com, 27 May 2014. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://inhabitat.com/how-to-make-a-hanging-planter-with-a-recycled-plastic-pop-bottle/>.