Denver Urban Gardens was featured in Breaking through Concrete: Stories from the American Urban Farm. Check out the gorgeous photos and narrative here, and the videos here.
The mission of Breaking through Concrete is to document the American urban farm movement, and “bring to life the diverse projects that are, in distinct ways, transforming our built environments and creating jobs, training opportunities, local economies, and healthy food in our nation’s biggest cities.” Learn more about Breaking through Concrete here.
Rosedale Community Garden. Photo credit: Breaking through Concrete
Join us for a film screening tomorrow evening at The Denver Botanic Gardens! This event, supported by Chipotle and co-hosted by Denver Urban Gardens, features The Garden, and is free with a suggested donation of $10.
The Garden has the pulse of verité with the narrative pull of fiction, telling the story of the country’s largest urban farm, backroom deals, land developers, green politics, money, poverty, power, and racial discord. The film explores and exposes the fault lines in American society and raises crucial and challenging questions about liberty, equality, and justice for the poorest and most vulnerable among us.
For directions to The Denver Botanic Gardens, click here. To register, please click here.
A recent post by designboom features a design for a community garden in a vertical spiral. From designers Benet and Saida dalmau, Anna Julibert and Carmen Vilar:
We wanted to build a new environmentally-friendly town where the environment is considered as an important part of everyday life. We propose ‘spiral garden system’: a public sustainable place like a green heart, easy to maintain and self-sufficient, created by a joint population that will stimulate social interaction among neighbours. A light, spiral structure protected by a transparent and suggestive mesh, the project encourages the city to create sustainable exchange spaces in different ways. This spiral contains an ascending garden where native vegetation can coexist with urban orchards, shared and planted for the neighbours for easy maintenance and serving also as a green outdoor walk. ‘Spiral garden system’ increases social interaction between people, provides a place for exchanging natural products, and becomes a way for local residents to get involved with their neighbourhood. to sum up, we propose an ecological project in a way to give sustainable change to daily city lives, where humans and nature can coexist.
They describe their garden concept using the same language we often use to describe traditional community gardens: a shared space for neighbors to connect, a green sanctuary in the city, and a source of fresh, healthy produce. To create a successful community garden, you don’t need much more than a little space and a lot of care from the neighborhood. Even so, we’re excited to see these creative takes on on urban gardening. Take a look:
Spiral garden system in a park. Spiral garden interior.For more renderings, see the full post at designboom.com.
And in case you missed it, check out last week’s post on Berlin’s portable community garden.
Posted by Emily Frost, Communications & Programs Intern.
Earlier this season, the Denver Post featured a story about the high price of healthy eating. Touching on food history, environmental influences and the politics of government subsidies, the article explores the complicated reasons influencing the cost of healthy foods, specifically fruits and veggies, and how that translates to one Denver family’s personal experience. The disappointing reality is that
“If Martinez wants each member of her household to have one peach, it’ll cost her about $3. If she chooses Kraft macaroni and cheese, she can get 18 servings — with 400 calories and 580 milligrams of sodium in each — for the same price.”
This illustrates perhaps why Americans are falling short of the CDC’s expectations that each American should The Denver Post cites that “only half the recommended servings of dark green vegetables are available”, according to the USDA findings as published in “Health Affairs”, March 2010. These greens were sold at the Fairview Elementary School Garden Harvest Festival.be consuming two servings of fruits and three of vegetables daily,as reported by NPR. However, it is not just a lack of affordability or accessibility—according tothe Post article, America does not actually grow enough fruits and vegetables to meet the 5-a-day goal, making consuming a healthy diet increasingly an issue of availability.
How are Americans responding to growing prices of food and corresponding growing levels of hunger and malnutrition? NPR gives an example in this storythat tracks one family’s experience of gathering food from a variety of assistance programs. At the national level, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, offers food stamps to those in need. In addition to using these stamps at grocers, SNAPs can also be used at many local farmers’ markets, increasing access to locally grown healthy food and supporting our local economy. Food Banks provide another option, as do local soup kitchens, for those cobbling together affordable means of feeding themselves and their families. Here in Denver, theSAME Caféis a unique restaurant that serves up a fresh, organic meal for donations or volunteer time exchanged in the kitchen, rather than set prices, and believes that everyone, “regardless of economic status, deserves the chance to eat healthy food while being treated with dignity.”
Of course another supplemental option is growing your own veggies through gardening. DUG has done plenty of research alongside the Colorado School of Public Health on the benefits of community gardening, specifically. The findings of the “Gardens for Growing Healthy Communities” community-based research initiative include, among other benefits, these facts specifically relating to the articles highlighted in this post:
More than 50% of community gardeners meet national guidelines for fruit and vegetable intake, compared to 25% of non-gardeners.
95% of community gardeners give away some of the produce they grow to friends, family and people in need; 60% specifically donate to food assistance programs.
These children learn first-hand the value of working in community gardens.Additionally, there may be a financial benefit to growing your own grub. Rob Baedeker explores “What’s the Value of home-grown food?” in his piece in the San Francisco Chronicle. One gardener he interviewed found that his family of 5 saved $2000 over one year of home gardening. That gardener and the writer conclude that ultimately, monetary value is only a small part of the worth inherent in growing your own produce. The cultural exchange, first-hand learning, neighborly relationships, physical activity, and practice of living in community are all invaluable parts of the community gardening experience.
Read more about the inherent worth in community gardening, or better yet, get involved yourself! Check out the gardens in your neighborhood and contact your garden leader to get involved, or give us a call at the DUG office (303.292.9900) to explore volunteer opportunities.
Posted by Emily Frost, Communications & Programs Intern.
Change.org Sustainable Food writer Jason Mark tries to unearth the real benefits of urban farming in his recent article “If Urban Farms Can’t Feed Us, What Are They Good For?” Acknowledging that urban farming is unlikely to ever fully sustain us, he counters that community farming provides us with important intangibles that, though not quantifiable, are nevertheless invaluable:
There’s no doubt in my mind that urban farming is important. We should, though, be thoughtful about what we can realistically expect urban food production to achieve. At its best, urban farming is an important avenue for environmental recreation, a way to help protect farmland threatened by sprawl, and a chance to bring together diverse groups of people.
Mark also points out that having urban agriculturalists aim to harvest just a third of their total veggies, fruits, and eggs would allow surrounding farms to diversify their own crops. This would in turn expand the availability and spread of locally grown foods available to city-dwellers from farms that, though not urban, still exist within their food shed area, creating a more sustainable system for all.
Posted by Emily Frost, Programs and Communications Intern.
This past weekend, the National League of Cities hosted the “Congress of Cities” at the Denver Convention Center. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack spoke at the event, presenting praise and a challenge to the city officials in attendance as he represented the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” campaign to combat childhood obesity.
Among other things, Vilsack noted the importance of community gardens in creating healthy communitiesThese girls get moving as they bicycle around the Fairview Harvest Festival. Community gardens are great spaces for both nutrition and exercise. and setting a foundation for success of the campaign. He encouraged officials in attendance to practice coalition building and map out food deserts in their cities, but also to take note of where community gardens were having successes.
USDA offices around the county are now providing ground for 700 gardens that this growing season produced 90,000 pounds of fresh produce. Most went to local food banks.
Here in Denver, DUG’s extensive community of gardeners donate a hefty portion of produce each year to our area food banks, including non-profits like Project Angel Heart, which exists to ensure that the metro area’s very ill receive free, consistent and appropriately nutritious meals.
Another hot topic during the USDA Secretary’s speech was the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 that recently passed in Congress. This act, coupled with cities committing to make nutritional food available throughout the school districts, has the potential to really make an impact on what Vilsack sees as a matter of national security.
DeLaney Community FarmCSA, or community supported agriculture, is a buzzword we’re hearing a lot these days. It’s frequently offered up as a solution to many of the problems with our nation’s food system: produce that travels hundreds or thousands of miles before it reaches the consumer, food that’s grown with pesticides, herbicides, or hormones, food that’s genetically modified, environmentally destructive growing practices, etc. Community supported agriculture is an agricultural model in which the farmer and consumer share in the risks and bounty of the farm. In practical terms, this means that you pay a set amount up front, and that helps the farmer cover the cost of production. In return, you receive freshly harvested shares of the farm’s produce (usually once a week) throughout the growing season. Some CSAs have farm pickups, some deliver directly to your door, and some have in-town pickup points. Most CSAs are smaller farms that cultivate a variety crops, and use organic growing practices.
CSAs are a wonderful way to satisfy your desire for fresh, organic, locally grown produce, and a great way to support your local farmers. It’s also a great way to eat seasonally, and try out new foods and recipes. There are some challenges, however, that go along with being a part of a farm community. Weather, pests, and other factors outside the farmer’s control can mean lower yields or damaged crops, and that means a lighter share for the consumer. Not being able to predict quantities or varieties means that you might end up with a lot of something that you’re not sure how to use, or don’t like.
This video, which features Gary Brever of Ploughshare Farm, Kate Stout of North Creek Community Farm, and Margaret Marshall of Featherstone Farm, does a great job of summarizing what you can expect as a member of a CSA:
You can also check out this post, which features an interview with Faatma Mehrmanesh, the Operation Coordinator at DUG’s DeLaney Community Farm. DeLaney Community Farm is Denver Urban Gardens’ community supported agriculture project in Aurora. DeLaney is different than other CSAs in that its operations are centered around a mission which includes providing healthy, locally produced food for people of all economic levels, including helping challenged populations improve their nutrition and their access to healthy food.
DeLaney’s Community Partner Share program provides fresh, organic produce to partner nonprofits like Project Angel Heart and The Gathering Place, and DeLaney’s WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program allows WIC clients to work with staff for an hour in exchange for a freshly harvested share of produce. To keep costs low, DeLaney operates with a small staff, and relies on volunteers to assist in the day-to-day operations. To learn more about DeLaney Community Farm, please click here. To make a secure, online donation to the DeLaney Community Farm Partner Share Fund, please click here.
Pemaculture is a buzz word these days. But what does it mean exactly? You’ll get a different answer depending on whom you ask. Bill Mollison, one of the creators of Permaculture orginially defined it as “permanent agriculture.” Today, it means a lot to those who practice it. As Urban Harvest Defines it,by Milkwooders via Flickr
Permaculture is an ecological, holistic and sustainable design system and philosophy for human living spaces. It is a viable method for finding sustainable solutions to modern problems. It has been successfully used around the world to maximize food production, regenerate springs, cool homes without air conditioning, revive deserts, transform lives, reorganize towns and neighborhoods, reduce pollution, and much else.
The possibiltiy of transforming the urban landscape may just become more accessible using Permaculture as a guiding theory. Pemaculture can even be applied to your small backyard plot so that you make the best use of your time and energy. Check out your local library for more information on the subject. If you have a lot of interest you can enroll in a certification course. These courses tend be rather expensive, but they often offer need-based financial assistance or work/study postions. This spring, several courses will be offered in the Front Range Area. Check out one of the organizations listed below for more information on available classes.
A recent flurry of Internet articles has brought to light a very interesting case of trademark infringement. The Dervaes Institute, an incorporated church that has operated in California since 1985, has a trademark claim on “urban homesteading” and derivates of the phrase. Just recently, a group of organizations such as “Denver Urban Homesteading” had their Facebook pages shut down. Apparently, blogs that use their trademark phrase have also been shut down. Furthermore, the Westwordis reporting that the Dervaes Institute sent out a cease-and-desist letter to a publishing company that has printed books such as “The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-Sufficient Living in the Heart of the City.” It looks like the phrase might no longer be used to describe the city farming movement any longer.
But what implications does this trademark case have for the urban farming movement? None at all, but it is both entertaining and ironic. As the Dervaes Institute states themselves, an “urban homesteader” is “someone participating in the movement of 21st century eco-pioneers striving to create a better world for themselves and others” and “a person who practices self-sufficiency through home food production and simple living in a city or suburban environment.” Who would have thought the self-sufficient “urban homesteader” would be so dependent on their lawyer?
Check out the article from the Westwordfor more details.
By Lauren Christensen, Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator
Sadie Robertson, our featured volunteer, has been a tremendous help in assisting Denver Urban Gardens in promoting Youth Farmers’ Markets, where those using SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits can utilize the double value program, which allows participants to buy twice the amount of produce that they would otherwise be able to. Sadie came to DUG via the Denver Public Schools AmeriCorps Urban Education Program. Through this program, she had a chance to create and implement an independent project that would serve the needs of a particular community. Linking Robertson’s passion for food and nutrition to her work, she spent part of the summer facilitating cooking, gardening and nutrition classes for parents and students at Smith Elementary, which Robertson describes as a profound learning experience. However, as the summer continued, Robertson wanted to change her focus to increasing awareness of Denver Farmers’ Markets that accept SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits. Sadie found that DUG’s Youth Farmers’ Markets lined up with what she was imagining for her summer. She called Shawnee Adelson, DUG’s Education Facilitator and offered her services. Of the experience, Sadie says, “Needless to say, I finished up my AmeriCorps hours addicted to gardening, and also feeling honored to have worked with an organization so caring and passionate as DUG.”
When asked what Robertson enjoyed about being involved with DUG, she answered, “What I think is amazing about organizations like DUG and Slow Food, is that they are invested in providing the community with the raw materials and knowledge it needs to start a garden from scratch. Once this happens though, it is up to the community to give the garden character; to love and tend to it, to make it sustainable, to teach it’s children the material and spiritual value of living off the land. The gardens become what the community makes of them, and DUG is there for support. It seems to me the ideal way to implement projects; where the backer doesn’t demand recognition, the community is responsible for the project’s success, and the result is truly sustainable.” She added, “The collaboration between DUG and Slow Foods also makes my heart scream with glee. I know that sounds corny, but it’s true. If the world could run like these organizations do– by collaborating instead of competing with each other- how productive we would be! Or at least we would all be bursting at the seams with fresh, local, delicious cherry tomatoes, and that’s not so bad either.”
Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at 4:32PM
Rosedale Community Garden. Photo credit: Breaking through Concrete
