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Urban Agriculture Grants Awarded to Promote Food Growth in Disadvantaged Communities
Eleven Southeast Michigan urban farming groups received $75,000 in funding from the Mahindra Automotive North America Urban Agriculture Grant Program this week.
by Mid-Michigan Now Newsroom
June 9th, 2020
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., - – Eleven Southeast Michigan urban farming groups received $75,000 in funding from the Mahindra Automotive North America Urban Agriculture Grant Program this week.
The grants address COVID-19’s impact on locally available food supplies in inner-city areas.“We felt that concentrating our 2020 grant funds on strengthening the urban agriculture community’s ability to grow and distribute food to people in need was one of the ways we could be of the most help during the pandemic,” said Rick Haas, Mahindra Automotive North America’s President, and CEO.“
Now more than ever, we need to support Michigan’s urban farmers who are growing healthy food for their communities,” said U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow. “I applaud the commitment of Mahindra Automotive North America and all businesses and organizations who are strengthening urban farms in our state.”
I am confident,” Haas said, “that this year’s grant recipients will rise to—and meet—this new challenge and help improve the quality of life for hundreds, if not thousands, of people throughout this region. Mahindra Automotive North America is grateful and humbled to be able to support their heroic efforts.”
The eleven (11) groups receiving 2020 Mahindra Urban Agriculture Grants are:
Asbury Community Development Corporation (Flint) - $10,000
Burnside Farm (Detroit) - $2,000
Charles Drew Transition Center Horticultural Program (Detroit) - $10,000
Detroit Black Community Food Security Network-D-Town Farm (Detroit) - $15,000
Edible Flint (Flint) - $5,000
Greening of Detroit (Detroit ) - $5,000
Keep Growing Detroit (Detroit) - $15,000
Micah 6 (Pontiac) - $5,000
Mt. Olivet Neighborhood Watch (Detroit) - $2,000
Northend Christian CDC (Detroit) - $5,000
Yorkshire Woods Community Association (Detroit) - $1,000
Lead Photo: Money - WEYI.jpg
Growing Up: The Rise of Vertical Food Production
Vertical farming is a novel food production system that doesn’t require arable land, but instead makes use of derelict spaces in an urban environment. Instead of growing crops the traditional way, in fields, utilizing the sun or greenhouses, vertical farming grows crops by stacking them vertically, in cities, utilizing UV lights
Today the population of the world is approximately 7.8 billion, and it is predicted to grow by another 2 billion people by 2050. Arable land is continuously lost due to industrial development and urbanization, and as such the increasing food demand of the growing population alongside the decreasing of arable land is an enormous challenge. There is thus a need for realistic strategies for implementing novel food production systems around the world. Could the answer lie in vertical farming?
What is Vertical Farming?
Vertical farming is a novel food production system that doesn’t require arable land, but instead makes use of derelict spaces in an urban environment. Instead of growing crops the traditional way, in fields, utilizing the sun or greenhouses, vertical farming grows crops by stacking them vertically, in cities, utilizing UV lights. This method of indoor farming meets all seventeen requirements of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. These goals are a plan to attain a better and more sustainable future for the world’s population and address current global challenges. Furthermore, vertical farming also incorporates all of the Urban Future program’s ten tracks, who believe that cities are key to a sustainable future for our planet.
Furthermore, it has been proposed that rooftop greenhouses be developed in schools in Barcelona, Spain. It is believed that schools can play an important role in environmental sustainability and the Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology in Barcelona has developed a procedure to install rooftop greenhouses in compact cities. The implementation of urban agriculture proposals supports the development of novel methods for environmental sustainability in our ever-growing world.
How Does it Work?
There are three main models for vertical farming:
Hydroponics, where plants are grown in a nutrient-rich basin of water.
Aeroponics, where crops’ roots are periodically sprayed with a mist containing water and nutrients.
Aquaponics, which involves breeding fish to help cultivate bacteria that is used for plant nutrients.
Aeroponics uses less water overall but is technically more complicated. Interestingly, the water used in hydroponics can be recycled several times after it has evaporated from the plant and recaptured from the humid air.
Pros and Cons of Vertical Farming
Vertical farming is able to yield more crops per square meter than traditional farming or greenhouses can. Furthermore, vertical farming is not weather or season dependent, and as such year-round crop production is possible. Vertical farming also uses 70-95% less water than traditional methods and as the crops are produced in a well-controlled indoor environment it is possible to eliminate the use of chemical pesticides and grow organic crops with a faster harvesting method. This is key, as one of the biggest problems with fresh vegetables is the time it takes between harvest and consumption. A faster harvesting times could mean that more vitamins and nutrients are also maintained within the produce.
Vertical farming is a relatively new venture and as such, the financial and economic feasibility remains uncertain. Yet several vertical farming companies have been set up in the past decade utilizing old warehouses and disused factories with structures to grow vegetables and herbs. One certain disadvantage is the initial cost of real estate in cities, which could impede the viability of urban locations. In addition, labor costs in cities tend to be higher. Although, maybe most impeding is the total dependence on power for lighting, maintenance of temperature, and humidity, and as such the loss of power for just one day could see a significant loss in production.
Conclusion
Vertical farming has the ability to provide fresh and safe food in sufficient quantities, independent of climate and location. Today, we are well aware of climate change and the immediate need to change our current way of life, as such vertical farming and food production has the potential to become a necessary solution in global food production.
References
The United Nations. Sustainable Development Goals. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/
Urban Future Programme’s Ten Tracks. https://www.urban-future.org/about/
What You Should Know About Vertical Farming. https://www.thebalancesmb.com/what-you-should-know-about-vertical-farming-4144786
Association for Vertical Farming. https://vertical-farming.net/
How Vertical Farming Reinvents Agriculture. http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170405-how-vertical-farming-reinvents-agriculture
Nadal A et al. (2018) Rooftop greenhouses in educational centers: A sustainability assessment of urban agriculture in compact cities. Science of The Total Environment. Jun 1;626:1319-1331
Marc Oshima on Innovations In Urban Vertical Farming and Frida Herrera-Endinjok on Nutrition Justice
Today on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg,” Dani interviews Marc Oshima, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer for AeroFarms, a technology company that operates indoor vertical farms around the world
To Listen, Please Click Here
Today on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg,” Dani interviews Marc Oshima, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer for AeroFarms, a technology company that operates indoor vertical farms around the world. They discuss how the latest innovations in controlled agriculture can bring healthy food to urban communities while also minimizing environmental impact. Dani also interviews Frida Herrera-Endinjok, a student activist, master gardener, and food system leader from California State University at Northridge. They discuss Frida’s work eliminating food waste on college campuses and improving nutrition in underserved communities through urban community gardening education.
You can listen to “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” on Apple iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, Spotify, or wherever you consume your podcasts. While you’re listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback.
WEBINAR - JUNE 3: USDA $3M In Grant Money Available For Urban Agriculture, Innovative Production Projects
A webinar, which will be held on June 3, from 2 to 4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, will provide an overview of the grants’ purpose, project types, eligibility and basic requirements for submitting an application.
Planning Projects:
USDA is making available $1 million for Planning Projects that initiate or expand efforts of farmers, gardeners, citizens, government officials, schools and other stakeholders in urban areas and suburbs. Projects may target areas of food access, education, business and start-up costs for new farmers and development of policies related to zoning and other needs of urban production.
Implementation Projects:
USDA is making available $2 million for Implementation Projects that accelerate existing and emerging models of urban, indoor and other agricultural practices that serve multiple farmers. Projects will improve local food access and collaborate with partner organizations and may support infrastructure needs, emerging technologies, educational endeavors and urban farming policy implementation.
Webinar:
A webinar, which will be held on June 3, from 2 to 4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, will provide an overview of the grants’ purpose, project types, eligibility and basic requirements for submitting an application. Information on how to register for and participate in the webinar, or listen to the recording, will be posted at farmers.gov/urban.
More Information:
The Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production was established through the 2018 Farm Bill. It includes representatives from many USDA agencies, including Farm Service Agency and Agricultural Marketing Service, and is led by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. More information is available at farmers.gov/urban.
Additional resources that may be of interest to urban agriculture entities include AMS grants to improve domestic and international opportunities for U.S. growers and producers and FSA loans.