The Bed-Stuy Farm in Brooklyn, NY provides 7,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables every month to around 4,000 residents of the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood where healthy produce is otherwise difficult to find.  Unfortunately, this vitally important urban farm is in danger of being torn up and paved over in order to repay a debt owed by a non-profit housing development group that had left the property to languish unused until the Brooklyn Rescue Mission reclaimed the land to provide food for an emergency food pantry.

Our friend Kerry Trueman recently wrote an excellent post about the battle for the Bed-Stuy farm on the Green Fork Blog, where she pointed out that while affordable housing is an important pursuit, other lots should be considered by the city instead, in order to preserve this remarkable example of urban agriculture that benefits the neighborhood in a variety of ways.  As I mentioned the other day in my post about an urban farm in the South Bronx, green spaces such as these provide desperately needed healthy foods to the under-served community, as well as an educational center and a beautiful and quiet space for neighbors, young and old, to gather and celebrate life.

Watch this video, a Grace project directed by Dulce Fernandes and sign the petition below to help save the Bed-Stuy Farm: Read the rest of this entry >>

andrewturner's Flickr photostream/Creative Commons

Urban gardening is one of our favorite topics here on TakePart, but we haven’t yet explored urban forests like the amazing Tenderloin National Forest (TNF) in San Francisco.  What was once an alleyway where trash piles and drug abuse were common, has since been transformed by people from the Tenderloin neighborhood into a thriving green community space where the public can enjoy art exhibitions, performances, classes, as well as edible and non-edible gardens. Read the rest of this entry >>

greengardenvienna's photostream (CC)

My fascination with backyard chicken coops seems to be growing for some reason, and while purchasing a colorful pre-made chicken coop is a cool way to go, I imagine building your own coop would be extremely satisfying.  Not only would you save money, but you could also personalize (or birdalize?) your backyard roost any way you like.  So if you’re looking for a fun DIY project to do this weekend or over Labor Day weekend, I’ve found a few sites that provide plans and advice on building your own coop and how to care for chickens.

1. Green Roof Chicken Coop - Why not make the most of your limited backyard space and plant some vegetables on the roof?

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Check out this slideshow from CNN to learn more about the Garden Boys

Finding room to grow vegetables in urban areas can be challenging, yet for decades the gardeners from Kinloch, Missouri, have successfully tended their crops on a large plot of land bordering the Lambert-International Airport.   A small group of urban farmers, mostly retired friends and relatives, “The Garden Boys” have been planting undisturbed on a runway protection zone owned by the airport, but now developers of a neighboring property are limiting access for construction, and leaving the fate of the garden in question.  Read the rest of this entry >>

Care for some lead with your homegrown vegetables?  Hopefully not, but for many urban gardeners, lead contamination can pose a serious health risk.  Like me, you may have started your backyard plot with heirloom seeds, plenty of organic compost, and are now waiting patiently for your delicious, low-cost, local bounty to blossom.  But if you haven’t tested for lead, all those healthy choices may have been in vain.  Fear not, my fellow city farmers, all may not be lost!  There are a variety of ways to improve contaminated soil and make it safe for growing, including covering the ground with sod, lime, or that compost that you may have used.  You can also grow crops that will absorb some of the lead, but make sure not to eat them.  A simple way to be sure you avoid consuming hazardous plants is by building raised beds, so you can control the quality of the soil in which your veggies take root.

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If by chance you don’t want to see Star Trek this weekend - or want to see something else as well - let me recommend The Garden to you.

The Garden tells the story of an urban garden in L.A. and the plight of the farmers to keep their green space from being demolished:

The film has been playing is L.A. since April and opens in New York City today. Check it out and learn about a community coming together, American politics and the spirit of urban gardening.

And if you don’t live in NYC or L.A. worry not - you can order a DVD!

I adore Sesame Street and I adore Michelle Obama - so the news that Mrs. Obama recently teamed up with Sesame Workshop’s Healthy Habits For Life initiative to film a PSA with Elmo about healthy eating has me smiling all over!

Other topics of conversation between The First Lady and Elmo will include the importance of exercise and of being a positive person that others can look up to.

I can’t wait to see it - but in the meantime check out a classic Sesame Street clip below about how hip and cool urban gardening is (something Michelle Obama knows about firsthand!)

There are always a handful of incredible things online that just, well, fall through the cracks. Now (and on every Thursday) I’ll be posting stuff that makes me excited about life and gets me thinking about the big blue earth. Here is the first edition.

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my flickr photostream (creative commons)

Gardening has been a hot topic lately, from the White House lawn to backyard recession gardens, and this year I’ve decided to take the plunge and start my garden from seed.  And after reading an amusing article in the New York Times this morning about a first time gardener, I decided I should share some of my own gardening exploits.  Before moving to Los Angeles, I had great success growing vegetables and herbs in my backyard in Brooklyn, proving that more than just a tree can grow in the borough.  As a first timer, I decided to go with slightly more predictable seedlings, young plants I bought at the farmer’s market, including  peppers (hot and sweet), broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, carrots, onions, a wide variety of greens, and of course, tomatoes.  Ambitious, I know, but I figured with that much variety something had to succeed, and with a few minor exceptions everything deliciously did.

This year, though, I wanted to challenge my green thumb a bit further, and take advantage of the bountiful variety offered by seed catalogs, like the amazing Seed Savers Exchange.   I may have gone a bit over board Read the rest of this entry >>

Photo: Aaron Gustatson's Flickr Photostream (creative commons)

Michelle Obama will break ground today for the new vegetable garden to be planted on the South lawn of the White House, the first since Eleanor Roosevelt’s victory garden of World War II.  I’m thrilled to confirm that the rumor of a presidential organic garden I mentioned the other day are true, and I’m sure many people are celebrating today as the First Lady takes an exemplary position to encourage the country to eat a healthier and local diet.  According to the New York Times:

While the organic garden will provide food for the first family’s meals and formal dinners, its most important role, Mrs. Obama said, will be to educate children about healthful, locally grown fruit and vegetables at a time when obesity and diabetes have become a national concern.

For those of you who have been following along at home, you know that the idea for a White House garden didn’t just grow out of thin air.  A concerted grassroots effort pushed the presidential garden plan forward, particularly from Eat the View and The Who Farm. Given the context I think we need a new term besides grassroots, perhaps veggieroots?  Suggestions?  We apparently also have the Obama’s pediatrician to thank, who encouraged Mrs. Obama to feed a healthier diet to Malia and Sasha.

Twenty-three fifth graders from Bancroft Elementary School in Washington are going to be helping Michelle dig up the 1,100 sq. foot plot (which if you ask me, could be bigger), and will be visible to the public on E Street.  The kids will also help to plant, harvest and cook the veggies, herbs and fruits of their labor.  And you have to love the family involvement: Read the rest of this entry >>