January 5, 2017 | seedstock

To Grow Community and Jobs of the Future, Suburbanite Launches Vertical Farming Enterprise in Detroit

BY TRISH POPOVITCH

After spending time with street children in Brazil as part of a missionary trip, Jeff Adams, founder of Detroit, Michigan-based urban vertical farming enterprise Artesian Farms, felt compelled to change his community. “If we can go 7,000 miles to work with young people we won’t see again, what can we do in our own backyard?” Keep Reading –>

Planned Vertical Farm in East Baltimore Aims to Train Ex-offenders [Baltimore Business Journal]
The Vertical Farm: Growing Crops in the City, Without Soil or Natural Light [New Yorker]
Refugees Plant Roots in World’s First Hydroponic Community Garden in Tel Aviv [Green Prophet]
Are These Startups the Future of Food Tech? [The Guardian]
College Vertical Farm to Help Feed Homeless [Wigan Today]

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Armed with Data, City of Louisville Builds Thriving Local Food Economy

BY CHARLI ENGELHORN

A principal objective of Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer’s Six-Year Strategic Plan outlined in 2012-2013 to create new jobs and stimulate the economic development, is to develop ways to promote the city’s local food economy. Toward this end, three studies were conducted by the Local Food Economy Work Group, made up of elected officials from six counties and two cities, to gauge the needs of farmers and consumers pertaining to demand for local foods. Keep Reading –>

How One Community is Using Agriculture to Support Community Health [USDA]
Are ‘Open Source’ Seeds Necessary for a Resilient Food System? [GreenBiz]
By Returning To Farming’s Roots, He Found His American Dream [NPR]
New Food Stamp Rules Could Hurt Smaller Markets [Reading Eagle]
This Small Town Refused to Settle for Wal-Mart When Its Last Local Grocery Store Closed [Yes! Magazine]

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Urban Farming Org Transforms 9 Empty Greenhouses to Tackle Food Insecurity and Grow Meaningful Jobs

BY VANESSA CACERES

When Lynchburg, Virginia resident Paul Lam’s beloved garden was destroyed inadvertently in 2003, residents rallied around him to find a new space. With the help of community members, Lam, who is disabled, eventually found a seven-acre site with nine empty greenhouses on it that had been the home of a large rose supplier. Keep Reading –>

These Futurists And Urban Farmers Are Figuring Out How To Farm On Mars [Co.Exist]
When Urban Agriculture and Food Justice Are at Odds [Foodtank]
Urban Farmers are Trying to Bring More Green to St. Louis [St. Louis Mag]
Phoenix Fruit Tree Program Has Deep Roots [City Sun Times]
Urban Agriculture: A New Way to Look At Green [Edible Silicon Valley]