The Farmery, an Urban Vertical Farm Project

Industrial designer Ben Green and grower Tyler Nevers have successfully developed and raised $25,000 for The Farmery - a small scale urban farm and market on Kickstarter.

The Farmery is an integrated retailing and growing system for locally grown food that raises the value of the produce through a stimulating retail experience and reduces the costs of the produce by consolidating the entire food distribution system. It is constructed of stacked shipping containers and greenhouses oriented to form a vertical farm. It uses a proprietary growing system to grow edible plants vertically on the sides of the containers. They hope for this to soon become commonplace in urban areas.

The Farmery is able to offer an entire diet of mushrooms, fish, greens and herbs for prices that meet or beat organic supermarket prices. The team for The Farmery has two prototypes located in Raleigh, NC. These are used to develop new growing systems so that they can discern that the growing systems work and are profitable. These also provide opportunities to test market the crops at local farmers markets, restaurants and retailers.

For more information on The Farmery including the designs and layout of the prototypes visit: www.thefarmery.com

iFarmers

We talk farmers markets a lot on The Garden Plot.  Now, Cassandra Daily reports that farmers are seeking new ways to reach diverse consumer groups without having to set up shop weekly. Among the new technologies they’re implementing are digital marketplaces that marry the ease of online shopping with the feel-good factor of locavorism.  Here are just a few:

FarmersWeb eliminates the need for middlemen by connecting buyers directly with farmers. The wholesale management tool and online marketplace allows store owners, chefs and schools to find farms within 300 miles of their location, view available produce, and order items from multiple vendors at once.

Good Eggs: San Francisco-based start-up Good Eggs is an e-commerce site that aims to build human connections by linking consumers with nearby farms and artisanal food companies. Good Eggs eventually hopes to support tens of thousands of food vendors nationwide, and to better integrate technology within the locavore system. 

Read more on Cassandra Daily here. And, let me know what you think!

-Katie @KatieGMG

Foraging for pawpaws and easy pickins'

Every summer, I remember my grandmother singing a folk song to my sister and me as she baked homemade cornbread and cooked grits, as we gathered around her homespun apron in her Carolina farmhouse.

It goes something like.. "Picking up paw paws puttin in your pocket... way down yonder in the paw paw patch..."  We sang with gusto but never actually tasted a paw paw!

Today, this indigenous fruit (and a favorite of Thomas Jefferson) is making a slow but steady comeback. It's rich in antioxidants and other nutrients and can be used in multiple recipes.

The pawpaw (Asiminia triloba) fruit has a tropical flavor that resembles a mix of banana, mango and pineapple (depending on your discriminating palette) with a creamy, custard-like texture similar to an avocado and a thickish skin. 

For those intrepid foragers, wild paw paws are smaller than the new cultivated varieties. You probably won't find them at grocery stores (yet) and may have to wait for these seasonal fruit to appear at select farmers markets, generally in September.

Thanks to Kentucky State University, pawpaw research is under way for developing orchard management, conducting regional trials, and improving propagation methods.

For those who prefer to forage in their own backyard, berries and small fruit trees are the ticket. From blueberries and raspberries to small citrus trees in containers, new cultivars are making it easier for all of us to enjoy fruit and berries (and pawpaws) too!

Just wish I knew all the words to that paw paw song...

Lynne
Garden Media Group
Photo credit: Dr. Kirk Pomper, Kentucky State University
Tigersandstrawberries.com

'Occupy local': Farmers Markets and CSA's!

No matter your political stance, we can all rally around a  heap of ripe cantaloupe and fresh-picked veggies as we 'occupy local' and support our local farmers market.

According to our own Susan McCoy, trendspotter and garden expert, "Farmers markets are our new backyard veggie gardens and are becoming our local grocery store. 'Occupy local ' means chickens in your own backyard, buying produce at the local food shed and CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture) and gardening with a purpose."

Although it's technically still winter, some winter farmers markets are open and provide year-round fresh produce and local specialties. Check 'em out!

The USDA is actively engaged in developing partnerships with farmers markets via their initiative: Know your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative. In 2011, they've counted over 7,100 operating farmers markets in the nation and over 170 food hubs. And Local Harvest has a great list of organic food grown closest to you. Their tag line: Real food. Real farmers. Real Community seems to say it all.

Tell us what market you prefer, fabulous finds, and whether you'll be joining a CSA this year.

And "occupy local" to support your local farmers and CSA's for better tasting, healthier, fresher food with a nod to a more sustainable future and a "happier" Mother Earth.

~Lynne

GMG 
photo credit: Garden Media Group
Kennett Square Farmers Market

The future of Urban Farming

Entrepreneur Magazine released it's "10 Hot Startup Sectors for New Business Ideas in 2012" yesterday and, according to their research, Urban Farming is one of the hottest sectors in entrepreneurship.  

Of course, since this was one of our trends released in the 2011 Garden Media Group Trend Report and GMG President, Susan McCoy was quoted in the article, we tend to agree!  

Urban farming converts spaces in blighted areas into thriving farms that produce fresh produce for inner city communities. 

According to the Slow Food Movement, farmer's markets and CSA's were up a whopping 60 percent last year.  And with blogs like Apartment Therapy's Re-Nest and Occupy Local being big trends for 2012, it's no wonder Urban farming is on the rise.

"There's a push back against larger companies that make too much money and don't support their community," says Suzi McCoy, founder and president of Garden Media Group, a PR firm representing outdoor-living businesses. "People living in cities are transforming small backyards and public alleys into lush green gardens that are kid-friendly and social meeting places." 

Like minded young gen Y's are joining together to plant specific herbs, exotic spices, small fruits and haute couture veggies that enhance cooking and sharing their edibles with the “tribe.” It's a modern version of the “pot-luck” dinner that allows people to connect over the food they grow and eat, creating a unique bonding experience that in today‟s techno world feeds the soul- as well as the belly. 

Look out for our 2012 Trend Report to drop in the next few weeks to be ahead of the curve.

 

Gotta' love the Farmers Market!

Yay! Our local Farmers Market is open on Fridays with tables brimming with local fresh produce, plants and hard-to-find specialty foods.

This past Friday, the farmers and merchants had just set up and I couldn't wait to scarf up the tubs of creamy savory goat cheese, herbal honey and buy a huge bunch of leaf lettuce.

Ah... so many choices, so little time.

One farmer had cherries. That's all. A table buried in rich, dark, sweet cherries that were just harvested.

Unfortunately, I recently bought a pound at a store, but these beauties looked so much nicer. He's getting ready to harvest peaches in a few weeks. Worth the wait.

More people arrived who began the ritual of picking up and inspecting, pinching and thumping fruit and produce piled on the tables, and chatting with like-minded souls who love these marketplaces.

I grabbed some zucchini and made a mental note to buy kale and rhubarb, next visit.

As we meandered through the market, we saw a table with info and cool t-shirts touting 'Buy Fresh, Buy Local.' Indeed!

I was tempted to buy the dill, basil and sage plants (now regret I didn't) and some fresh, organic eggs from the local Amish folks. But there's always another Friday, and this time, I'm bringing along an extra sturdy, very large canvas bag!

If your town has a Farmers Market, it's definitely worth a visit. Let us know what great buys you discovered and send us your photos. Love to see!
~Lynne
GMG