October 16, 2015 | seedstock

1 Westchester food bank looks to local gardens to fill bags for hungry [New York Times]

Excerpt: Westchester is among of the wealthiest counties in the country, but with 200,000 residents at risk of hunger, a food bank is seeking local produce.           

                   

2 Berkeley, Concord nonprofits awarded federal grants to expand farmers market food stamp use [Contra Costa Times]

Excerpt: A $242,828 grant to Berkeley’s Ecology Center and a $190,951 grant to Fresh Approach of Concord are part of an $8.1 million package of U.S. Department of Agriculture Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Farmers Market Support Grants.                                      

3 Growing Chicago: A flourishing city in a garden [Chicago Tribune]

Excerpt: In 2013 we asked readers for ideas to help Chicago prosper in our New Plan of Chicago series. Many pitched the same smart thought: Why not divert empty or underused land to urban farms? Let oases of fresh produce flourish in food deserts. Don’t force local residents to trek miles for fresh kale or collards. Give high school and college students a glimpse of a calling — careers in farming or the food industry.                                   

4 Bill passes for urban agriculture in Sparks [Reno Gazette-Journal]

Excerpt: Sparks residents will officially be allowed to raise chickens and bees in particular city zones with proper permitting.                                    

5 Urban farming grows along with (and on top of) Boston’s development boom [Boston.com]

Excerpt: Developers are starting to understand how much residents value community gardens.                               

6 On the roof & in the living room, startups tackle urban farming [WGBH Boston]

Excerpt: It took Courtney Hennessy and John Stoddard two years to find the right Boston rooftop for a farm — one that was big enough, could take enough weight, wasn’t being used for something else like solar panels, and had an agreeable landlord.                                     

7 15 urban farms and activists that are changing the way we eat [The Root]

Excerpt: They’re remaking the culinary traditions in African-American communities and diversifying the farm-to-table concept.                                      

8 b.good grows veggies under I-93 [The Boston Globe]

Excerpt: Tucked under an I-93 overpass near the South End, an urban garden project is thriving. It was launched in a freight container to supply b.good kitchens.                                  

9 In American South, local food systems key to transition away from extractive industries [Alternet]

Excerpt: The local foods movement has become much more than a short-lived dietary or environmental trend. In Appalachia, it may help fuel a new economy.                              

10 An urban farm in Salem grows vegetables, flowers, and cans pickles on the side  [The Boston Globe]

Excerpt: Carved out of a residential neighborhood, Maitland Mountain Farm is perched on a 2½-acre lot not far from a Staples and Dunkin’ Donuts, the only urban farm in Salem.                                     

11 Urban farms are sprouting up like weeds — in closets, on rooftops, even major airports [Inquisitr]

Excerpt: If your town isn’t on board with urban gardens, they are living in the past, because urban gardens are sprouting up all over the nation as people search for more sustainability and more control over what they put in their mouths.                                      

12 In speech at Wauwatosa West, urban farmer Will Allen stresses need for sustainable food systems [Wauwatosa Now]

Excerpt: “I didn’t set out to build the largest urban farm,” Growing Power Founder and CEO Will Allen said to a small gathering at West High School on Oct. 6. “My intent was to train young people.”                                    

13 SEED Aquaponics is changing the way we grow produce [NEXTpittsburgh]

Excerpt: SEED Aquaponics systems are creating a more sustainable way to garden.                                    

14 Sustainable seafood businesses tackle food deserts with an ancient farming technique [National Geographic]

Excerpt: One of the most interesting trends to emerge from the Fish 2.0 business competition is the increasing use of aquaponics, which combines fish farming (aquaculture) with growing plants in water (hydroponics).                                      

15 Hydroponics help reduce SBU’s carbon footprint [Newsday]

Excerpt: On Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015, Stony Brook University provided a look at its Freight Farm, a repurposed freight container where lettuce and herbs can be                                                                           

16 Vertical farming’ in urban high-rises to be both greener and cheaper [Food World News]

Excerpt: Vertical farming is an innovative method that is both eco-friendly and convenient.                                 

17 Downtown’s Food Roof is growing produce for restaurants across St. Louis [Riverfront Times]

Excerpt: When it came to growing fresh food, downtown St. Louis used to be something of a desert. “There are over 200 community gardens in St. Louis, but not one is downtown, in the neighborhood that needs it the most,” Mary Ostafi, the founder of FOOD ROOF, explained in a TEDx GatewayArch presentation in 2014.                                    

18 More details on proposed ‘vertical farm’ in South Bend [South Bend Tribune]

Excerpt: An indoor farming operation may be coming to a spot on East Sample Street that hasn’t seen agriculture in well over a century.                                      

19 Farm to School: Goochland brings locally sourced foods to classroom and cafeterias [Richmond Times-Dispatch]

Excerpt: Hungry students swarmed around the cafeteria tables inside Goochland High School in waves, eagerly grabbing at homemade cranberry-apple muffins. Others noshed on buttery empanadas filled with spiced, roasted sweet potatoes and black beans — served with a cool, chili-lime dipping sauce — after kicking off the sampling bonanza with slices of fresh Red Delicious and Gala apples.