Street Farmer Genius: Will Allen And Future Of the Good-Food Movement

nytimes.com:

Like others in the so-called good-food movement, Allen, who is 60, asserts that our industrial food system is depleting soil, poisoning water, gobbling fossil fuels and stuffing us with bad calories. Like others, he advocates eating locally grown food. But to Allen, local doesn't mean a rolling pasture or even a suburban garden: it means 14 greenhouses crammed onto two acres in a working-class neighborhood on Milwaukee's northwest side.

Read the whole story: nytimes.com

Comments

[lbrty 2112]

Absolutely fantastic display of urban agriculture.

[TigersEye]

Great article - this guy is doing a lot of good there.

[roseau]

Now I just wish more people logged on to comment about something as beautiful, tangible, positive and constructive. More growing, less griping!

[Moshe]

Home gardening, and small local operations, have the potential to change our lives for the better, making us healthier and wealthier.

It took some initial effort, but as our home operation grew we saw our food bills decline and our health dramatically imrprove in very tangible ways (lower blood pressure; better cholestorel levels; etc.).

Start small, talk with other local organic growers in your area to learn the tricks of the trade (it's really pretty simple; but if you can learn from others familiar with your local growing conditions you can save repeating their mistakes), and then get planting.

You will be very happy you did. We now have a solar energy only year-round operation with cold-frames and greenhouses, giving us, our family, and neighbors year-round fresh produce.

Shalom to all.

[orangepetal]

Don't forget the opportunities in the service sector packaging, preparation and distribution. Jamie Oliver said planting beans naturally creates nitrogen rich soil which is supposedly very good. Most important is to first check the soil, toxins could be a problem and could make people sick!!

[EgyptianMysterySchool]

Very Inspirational, I'm going to a workshop.

[redstrat]

i would love to operate a business like this, simply amazing.

[BannedNBoston]

Will Allen a great role model.

[gbrooks]

This guy is my new hero. Thanks so much for covering this story.

[calfacon]

hate it when the story is for subscibers only

[CaptainFailmore]

I'm not a subscriber and I could view it.

Anyone else having trouble?

[CaptainFailmore]

The sheer yields this operation is pushing are staggering. Not only are Will Allen and his colleagues at Growing Power performing a tremendous service for their community, they're demonstrating the long-term viability of the methods they've put to use, from already tried and proven greenhouse growing methods to the community supported business model they're operating by. This is beyond exemplary. I wonder if a similar outfit would thrive here.

[roseau]

I simply love what this man is doing. Thank you for a wonderful article.