San Diego Org Offers Unique Urban Farming Training Program, Preps Students for Careers in Sustainable Ag

October 2, 2012 | Missy Smith

In downtown San Diego, on San Diego City College’s campus, [email protected] Urban Farm is growing a variety of crops, as well as grooming students for careers in sustainable agriculture. Formed in 2008, the 1-acre urban farm—a cooperative of San Diego City College and San Diego Roots Sustainable Food Project—gives students hands-on training in sustainable urban farming.

“[email protected] was created to fill a void in southern California for those who want to learn about organic farming in an urban setting,” explains Erin Rempala, associate professor of biology and [email protected] program manager. Read More

Burgeoning San Diego Startup Slings Locally Grown Hydroponic Butter Lettuce with Roots Intact

December 26, 2011 | Noelle Swan

Pierre Sleiman of Go Green Agriculture has turned a seed of teenage curiosity into a full-grown farm.

The Sleimans have never been farmers. When a friend proposed the idea of a hydroponically grown farm to Pierre’s father about ten years ago, he quickly brushed off the idea. However, fifteen-year-old Pierre saw potential.

“From that point on, I have been interested in turning it into a viable business,” Sleiman said. For several years, he explored hydroponics—a method of farming where plants are grown in nutrient rich water rather than in soil. He said that he found most of the existing hydroponic farms to be large-scale facilities that shipped their products over large distances. He had a different vision: small-scale greenhouses focused on just one product—locally distributed butter lettuce. Read More