THIS IS AN HOUR AND A HALF INTRODUCTION TO URBAN AGRICULTURE. WE'RE OPERATING ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT MOST OF YOU ARE NOT URBAN FARMERS, ALTHOUGH I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU ARE. SO WE'RE TREATING IT AS AN INTRODUCTION UNLESS SOMEONE OBJECTS. THERE ARE FOUR OF US ON THE PANEL WHO ARE PRESENTING ONE OF OUR PRINCIPLE PANELIST WAS TAKEN ILL YESTERDAY AND HAD TO BE TAKEN, NOT IN AN AMBULANCE, BUT HAD TO BE TAKEN AWAY IN A CAR AND SHE HASN'T SHOWN UP TODAY SO SHE'S STILL ILL TODAY AND I CAN'T REPORT ON HER CONDITION SO I DIDN'T GET THE DETAILS UNTIL RECENTLY. WE'RE MAKING DUE WITHOUT ONE OF OUR MAIN PRESENTERS BUT THAT MEANS MORE TIME FOR YOU. AND I WILL FIND OUT WHAT HER CONDITION IS.

I'M JACK SMITH AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE URBAN AGRICULTURE NETWORK. THE URBAN AGRICULTURE NETWORK IS A GLOBAL INFORMATION SERVICE. WE HAVE ABOUT 6,000 MEMBERS IN OVER 80 COUNTRIES. THE LAST TIME I CHECKED I RAN OVER 80 SO. AND ABOUT 20 PERCENT OF THOSE HAVE INSTITUTIONAL CONNECTIONS SO THEY MAY BE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS BUT THEY WORK FOR AN INSTITUTION. SO I'LL BE PRESENTING THE GLOBAL PICTURE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE LOOKING OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES. ON MY RIGHT IS JUDY TIGER. JUDY TIGER IS OUR LOCAL SPECIALIST. SHE'S THE HEAD OF THE GARDEN RESOURCES OF WASHINGTON. AND THE GARDEN RESOURCES OF WASHINGTON WAS FOUNDED IN 1982 AND SHE'S BEEN DIRECTOR FOR 9 OF THOSE YEARS. AND GARDEN RESOURCES ESTABLISHES COMMUNITY GARDENS PRIMARILY IN LOW INCOME AREAS. AND, WHAT ELSE AM I SUPPOSE TO SAY JUDY? WE WORKED TOGETHER FOR 12 YEARS SO, OK. OH YES, JUDY GREW UP IN A FOREIGN SERVICE FAMILY AND HAS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE AS A YOUNG PERSON IN OTHER COUNTRIES.

OUR NEXT PANELIST WILL BE ALLISON MEYERS. ALLISON YOU WANT TO SAY HELLO? AND ALLISON IS OUR CHICAGO FIELD REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE HEFFER PROJECT AND THEY'RE ADVOCATING AND ESTABLISHING LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION IN AMERICAN CITIES.

ALLISON AND I MET WHEN SHE FIRST STARTED THIS PROJECT TWO YEARS AGO. SEEMS LONGER. SO THEY'RE PRESENTING VERY INTERESTING THINGS AND THIS IS THE FOCUS ON LIVESTOCK WHICH REPRESENT. SHE HAS A BACKGROUND IN SOCIOLOGY AND HAS DONE FIELD WORK IN SENEGAL AND MALI AND EL SALVADOR. THAT'S RURAL MINNESOTA. SO, NOW THERE IS ANOTHER PANEL MEMBER AND WE HAVEN'T MET SO ALLISON'S GOING TO INTRODUCE HER WHEN THAT TIME COMES. SO I GAVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF THE SET UP OF HOW THIS IS GOING TO OPERATE.

NUMBER ONE, I WANT TO MENTION THAT WE HAVE A TABLE IN THE EXHIBIT ROOM. IT'S TABLE NUMBER ONE. AS SOON AS YOU COME DOWN THE STAIRS IT'S RIGHT THERE. SO ANYTHING, ANY FOLLOW UP YOU WANT TO DO YOU CAN DO IT THERE AS WELL AS HERE.

I WANT TO MENTION THAT THERE IS A FILM TOMORROW EVENING AT 7 P.M. CALLED "CITY FARMERS" BY A FRIEND OF MINE, MARYL JOSEPH. IT'S AN EXCELLENT FILM WHICH SHOWS CITY FARMING IN NEW YORK BUT IT GOES WELL BEYOND THAT IN IT'S SCOPE. SO I RECOMMEND THAT TO ALL OF YOU IF YOU HAVE AN HOUR AND A HALF TOMORROW EVENING.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO AS THE URBAN AGRICULTURE NETWORK IS THAT WE PRODUCE THIS BOOK WITH THE UNITED NATIONS CALLED URBAN AGRICULTURE. AND THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT TO GO FURTHER, YOU CAN ORDER COPIES OF THE BOOK. THAT'S THE LAST COMMERCIAL. OH, IT'S $24.00 PLUS SHIPPING $25.00. SORRY ABOUT THAT.

WE HAVE TWO SIGN IN SHEETS AND THE FIRST ONE SAYS PLEASE SIGN AND GIVE US YOUR NAME AND SO-FORTH AND THE PANEL WILL FOLLOW UP. SO IF YOU WANT TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS THEN OR OTHER-WISE WE WILL FOLLOW UP. SO I'LL START THIS HERE WITH KATHY SNEED. AND THE OTHER SIGN IN SHEET, AT THIS POINT, ASKING A QUESTION, BUT BECAUSE OF THE SHORTAGE OF TIME I'VE WRITTEN IT OUT. AND WHAT IT SAYS IS, URBAN WOMEN FARMERS, 250 MILLION, THAT'S OUR ESTIMATE OF HOW MANY YOU ARE, SALUTE RURAL WOMEN FARMERS AND REQUEST THEIR SUPPORT IN OVERCOMING MANY BARRIERS WHICH HINDER OUR CONTRIBUTION TO FAMILY AND COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. SO WE CAN DISCUSS THAT AFTER THAT WE'VE HAD SOME OF THE INPUTS FROM THE PANEL IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE WORDING ON IT. BUT THOSE OF YOU WHO COULD SIGN IT, WE REALLY WANT TO GET THE MESSAGE THROUGH TO THIS CONFERENCE ON WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE THAT, AS I POINT OUT, HERE ARE AS MANY URBAN WOMEN FARMERS AS THERE ARE RURAL. THE WHO EMPHASIS AT THE TOP OF THE CONFERENCE AND CONTINUOUSLY IS ON THE RURAL PROBLEM. SO WE'RE ADVOCATING THE OTHER.

NOW THE WAY WE THOUGHT WE WOULD DO THIS IS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TWO PANELIST AND THEN A DISCUSSION AND THEN TWO PANELIST AND THEN A DISCUSSION, BUT AS IT TURNS OUT WE'RE MISSION A PANELIST SO THEN WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION AFTER THE TWO AND THEN WE'LL HAVE JUDY PRESENT AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A FURTHER DISCUSSION.

THE TIME AS YOU KNOW IS 3:45 UNTIL 5:30. WE STARTED AT ABOUT 3:55 OR SOMETHING. THERE'S NOTHING ELSE SCHEDULED IN THE CONFERENCE AT 5:30. SO IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN STAYING LATER THE PANELIST THAT WERE OFFERED NOT TO LEAVE PROMPTLY AT 5:30. SO THEY CAN PROBABLY STICK AROUND UNTIL ABOUT 6:00 OR SO, IF THERE'S THAT MUCH INTEREST.

SO I WILL NOW BEGIN THE FIRST PRESENTATION HAVING DONE THE INTRODUCTIONS AND THE ANNOUNCEMENTS.

SO THE FIRST QUESTION ABOUT URBAN AGRICULTURE IS THE SCALE OF THE EVENT. WELCOME. ANOTHER MAN. (LAUGHTER) AS LONG AS HE'S INTERRUPTING THE FLOW OF THE DISCUSSION, JOHN FREDERICK RUNS A FARM AT THE ST. ELIZABETH'S HOSPITAL WHICH IS THE LOCAL MENTAL INSTITUTION AND THIS IS AN IDEAL WAY TO GET URBAN AGRICULTURE INTO A CITY OR TOWN IS TO GO TO AN INSTITUTION AND ASK IF YOU CAN USE SOME OF THEIR LAND WHICH IS NOT IN ACTIVE USE. AND HOPEFULLY JOHN, HE'LL BE ABLE TO SAY SOMETHING LATER. HE'S ONE OF OUR LOCAL ACTIVIST.

SO LET'S START WITH THE SCALE OF THE EVENT. HOW MANY URBAN AGRICULTURIST ARE WOMEN AGRICULTURIST? AS WOMEN FARMERS? IF WE LOOK AT WORK POPULATION AT PRESENT IS ABOUT 2.5 BILLION LIVING IN URBAN AREAS AND 2.7 BILLION IN RURAL AREAS. ALL DEPENDS ON WHOSE STATISTICS YOU USE. IT'S HITTING 50/50 IN ABOUT 2000. THERE'S STILL MORE RURAL PEOPLE THAN THERE ARE URBAN PEOPLE. AND WHEN YOU TAKE THE FAMILIES, WHAT HAPPENS IS THE RURAL FAMILIES ARE A BIT LARGER. SO IT REALLY AVERAGES OUT. THERE ARE 800 MILLION URBAN FAMILIES AND THERE ARE 800 MILLION RURAL FAMILIES. GIVE OR TAKE 5 PERCENT OR WHATEVER. AND THEN YOU HAVE A QUESTION OF HOW MANY FAMILIES ARE FARMING? NOW WE KNOW THAT ABOUT 80 PERCENT OF RURAL FAMILIES ARE FARMING EITHER FULL OR PART TIME. URBAN IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT SO LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THAT. WHAT HAPPENS IS IN RUSSIA WHERE THERE'S BEEN A VERY GOOD SURVEY DONE BY A BRITISH UNIVERSITY, 72 PERCENT OF THE URBAN FAMILIES ARE FARMING. IT'S A VERY GOOD SURVEY DONE BY A CANADIAN ORGANIZATION IN TANZANIA, AFRICA. AND 68 PERCENT OF THE FAMILIES IN TANZANIA ARE FARMING. THE SURVEY THAT WE DO IN THE UNITED STATES IS DONE BY THE ROPER ORGANIZATION AND THE QUESTION ASKED IS ARE YOU RAISING VEGETABLES? SO IT DOESN'T COVER ALL OF FARMING. AND WHAT WE FIND FROM THAT IS THAT ABOUT 25 PERCENT OF URBAN FAMILIES ARE FARMING IN THE UNITED STATES. 40 PERCENT OF THE SMALLER TOWNS AND ABOUT 15 PERCENT IN THE LARGE CITIES. SO WE TAKE A GLOBAL VIEW, WE'VE USED A FIGURE OF 50 PERCENT. IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE TO SHADE IT UP FROM THAT BECAUSE SO MANY COUNTRIES ARE HIGHER THAN 60. BUT IF WE JUST SAY 50 PERCENT WHEN COVERED FAIRLY REASONABLY.

QUESTION/ANSWER: RAISING FOOD. SO FARMING IS THE ACTIVITY. OR EVEN LESS. UNDER THESE DEFINITIONS. THE QUESTIONS THAT'S ASKED, ARE YOU RAISING FOOD? COULD BE TANZANIANS AND SOME HYDROPONICS ON THE ROOF. SO FARMING IS THE ACTION OF RAISING FOOD AND THAT'S CHARACTERISTICS OF URBAN AND SUBURBAN AGRICULTURE. IT'S AS RELATIVELY SMALL AND PART TIME. THERE ARE MANY FULL TIME BUT AS CHARACTERISTICALLY PART TIME AND SMALL. AND THAT'S THE INTRODUCTION TO THIS, SHALL WE SAY, THE FARM OF THE FUTURE IS SMALL URBAN AND FEMALE BECAUSE MORE LIKELY THERE'LL BE WOMEN THAN MEN. SO THEN THE WOMEN AS THE CHIEF FARMER THE QUESTION THAT WE HAVE ASKED, I WAS DOING THIS WITH THE UNITED NATIONS, AND OTHERS HAVE ASKED IS WHO IS THE CHIEF FARMER? WHO IS THE PERSON THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR RAISING THE FOOD? AND WHAT WE FIND IS THAT WE GET FIGURES FROM 60 TO 80 PERCENT DEPENDING ON WHICH COUNTRY AND WHICH CULTURE. SO UNLIKE IN AMERICA, WE GET ABOUT 80 PERCENT OF THE URBAN FARMERS RAISING FOOD ARE WOMEN. IN AFRICA, IT'S ABOUT 60 PERCENT. SO IT GIVES US 2/3 AND WE USE THE FIGURE OF 1/3 OF THE FARMERS IN RURAL AREAS WHERE THE CHIEF FARMER IS A WOMAN. WHICH MAYBE IS A BIT HIGH BUT IT DEPENDS ON COUNTRY TO COUNTRY. SO TO RUN THAT THROUGH, YOU COME TO A CONCLUSION THAT THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY AS MANY WOMEN FARMERS RAISING FOOD IN CITIES AS IN RURAL AREAS. AND THIS IS BROADLY NOT RECOGNIZED.

SO THE NEXT QUESTION IS, WHAT IS URBAN AGRICULTURE? THIS YOUNG LADY HAS ALREADY INTRODUCED THE SUBJECT.

URBAN AGRICULTURE IS MOST CHARACTERISTICALLY IN EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES RAISING VEGETABLES. MOST CHARACTERISTICALLY IN LARGE CITIES, SUCH AS MEXICO CITY, OR CAIRO RAISING SMALL LIVESTOCK AND IN MANY CITIES IT INCLUDES FISHERIES. AND OF COURSE ORCHARDS ARE VERY COMMON AND A GREAT DEAL OF ORNAMENT AND CULTURE. SO HERE ARE SOME BROAD THINGS I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED IN THE UNITED STATES TWENTY FIVE PERCENT. RUSSIA SEVENTY TWO. TANZANIA 68.

IN METROPOLITAN LAND VIEWS I HAVE A DEGREE IN CITY AND REGIONAL PLANNING SO I FOLLOW THIS ALSO. IN BANGKOK, MADRID, AND IN SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA 60 PERCENT OF THE METROPOLITAN AREA IS IN AGRICULTURE. AND YOU CAN FIND THE SAME THING BEING TRUE. FOR INSTANCE IN TORONTO, CANADA. IN VANCOUVER, IT'S SOMEWHAT HIGHER THAN THAT. BUT IT'S VERY COMMON TO HAVE FIGURES OF ABOUT 60 PERCENT, 50 PERCENT, 2/3 OF THE METROPOLITAN AREA WITHIN 20 TO 60 MILES OF THE CITY CENTER DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE CITY BEING IN AGRICULTURE.

FOOD SECURITY, THE PEOPLE THAT DO THE FOOD SECURITY THE BEST IS IN CHINA. THERE ARE 14 LARGER CITIES IN CHINA PRODUCE 85 PERCENT OF THE VEGETABLES THAT ARE CONSUMED IN THE CITY WITHIN THE CITY. AND THEN THEY TRADE OFF WITH OTHER CITIES. ONE OF THE MOST STARTLING FIGURES THAT WE HAVE IS IN DARCELON, TANZANIA. NINETY PERCENT OF THE LEAFY GREEN VEGETABLES THAT ARE CONSUMED IN THE CITY ARE PRODUCED IN THE CITY. AND THAT'S NOT THE METROPOLITAN AREA, IT'S ACTUALLY WITHIN THE CITY ITSELF. AND THIS IS TRUE VERY MUCH IN AFRICA. AND ALSO WE HAVE 70 PERCENT OF THE SPINACH THAT'S CONSUMED IN VAN COUVER, CANADA THAT'S PRODUCED IN VAN COUVER. BUT THAT'S METROPOLITAN AREA, THAT'S NOT STATISTICS. IT VARIES SOMEWHAT. SO THE FOOD SECURITY IS VERY MUCH PROVIDED WITHIN THE METROPOLITAN AREA. AS WE HAD A LADY YESTERDAY, I DON'T SEE HER IN THE ROOM, FROM SOUTH AFRICA. AND WHAT SHE WAS SAYING WAS ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS HOW WOMEN ARE PRODUCING FOOD WITHIN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITIES AND ACHIEVING FOOD SECURITY WHICH THEY NEVER HAD WHEN THEY GOT FOOD THROUGH THE MARKET SYSTEM. AND THIS IS HAPPENING IN CITIES EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD. AND THAT'S MY NEXT POINT AS IN TRENDS.

ROMANIA RECENTLY WE GOT THE FIGURES FROM THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION. IN ROMAN IA, FROM 1990 WHEN THE RUSSIANS LEFT UNTIL 1995, THE PERCENTAGE OF FOOD PRODUCED IN THE COUNTRY WAS IN THE CITIES AS THEY DEFINE. IT WENT FROM EIGHT PERCENT TO 26 PERCENT. IN ARGENTINA A SUPPORT FIRM IN AGRICULTURE CAME UP CALLED PRO-WHETA. AND THIS WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1990. BY 1994, IT HAD GONE FROM 50 THOUSAND TO 550 THOUSAND DURING A FOUR YEAR PERIOD. IN HURAWAI, ZIMBABWE, DURING THAT SOME PERIOD EXCEPT IT WAS 92 TO 96, THE NUMBER OF ACRES BEING FARMED IN THE CITY DOUBLED. OF COURSE, WE HAVE EXPLANATIONS FOR SOME OF THOSE. AND IT'S NOT ONLY IN THE OTHER COUNTRIES. IN THE UNITED STATES THE NUMBER OF FARMERS MARKETS, AND FARMERS MARKETS CAN ONLY SURVIVE IF THEY SELL LOCALLY GROWN, INCREASED BY 40 PERCENT BETWEEN 1994 AND 1996. IN THE SECOND YEAR PERIOD, WE HAD A 40 PERCENT JUMP IN THE NUMBER OF FARMERS MARKETS THAT ARE REGISTERED. AND THAT'S FROM ABOUT 1,750 TO 2,200 AND SOMETHING. YES MA'AM - (QUESTION)

ACTUALLY THAT'S A QUESTION OF HOW YOU DEAL WITH THAT. AND THIS IS BEING REGULATED STATE BY STATE. IN CALIFORNIA YOU CANNOT SELL AT A FARMERS MARKET UNLESS YOU ARE A REGISTERED GROWER WITHIN CALIFORNIA. OUT OF STATE ISN'T ALLOWED. BUT SOME STATES HAVE REGULATIONS.

SO I'M RUNNING OVERTIME, RIGHT? MY TIME HAS RUN OUT SO I HAVE TWO OTHER THINGS TO SAY. ONE IS THE BENEFITS OF URBAN AGRICULTURE. THE ONE WE WANT TO DISCUSS IS SAY FOOD. WE HAVE VERY GOOD STATISTICS THAT SHOW THAT THE SAFEST FOOD IN THE AREA ARE PERISHABLE FOODS, THAT WHICH IS GROWN LOCALLY. AND MANY OF THE CONCERNS AREN'T THERE. ANOTHER POINT IS THAT URBAN AGRICULTURE IS VERY FRIENDLY TO THE ENVIRONMENT. AND WHAT YOU SHOULD KEEP IN MIND IS THAT THE ENVIRONMENT THAT MATTERS MOST IS THE ENVIRONMENT BELOW THAT LEVEL. IT'S THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THE CHILD LIVES IN. AND THAT'S WHERE PRODUCTION AND VEGETABLES AND FRUIT REALLY COMES INTO PLAY BECAUSE IT COVERS THE SOIL SO THE CHILD ISN'T PLAYING IN DIRT THAT'S CONTAMINATED AND IT PROVIDES GREENERY SO THAT AN AGRICULTRAL IN THE CITY IMPROVES THE ENVIRONMENT FOR LIVING. AND IT PROVIDES A GREAT MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO SMALL ENTERPRISE AND JOBS. AND WE'LL GET AFTER WHAT IS NEXT.

ALLISON: MY NAME IS ALLISON MEARS AND AGAIN, MY NAME IS ALLISON MEARS AND I'M THE CHICAGO FIELDS REPRESENTATIVE FOR A CUSTOMER PROJECT INTERNATIONAL. EVERY PROJECT IS A 53 YEAR OLD ORGANIZATION AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING AROUND THE WORLD IN RURAL DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AS WELL AS RURAL AREAS IN THE UNITED STATES. PROVIDING LIVESTOCK AND TRAINING IN THEIR CARE TO RESEARCH FOR FARMERS. TWO YEARS AGO, WE LAUNCHED AN URBAN AGRICULTURE PROJECT THE FIRST THAT WE EXPERIMENTED WITH IN NORTH AMERICA. AND AGAIN, OUR FOCUS IS PREDOMINANTLY ON INCORPORATING LIVESTOCK INTO THE FARMING SYSTEM. SO WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SHOW YOU AND TELL YOU ABOUT IS VERY NEW. IT'S ONLY TWO YEARS OLD. WE'RE WORKING WITH THREE DIFFERENT GROUPS NOW IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO AND IN MILWAUKEE. YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT THE MILWAUKEE PROJECT SHORTLY FROM ANDY, HERSELF. AND SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGY WE'RE WORKING WITH ARE EXPERIMENTAL AND ARE SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT BUT WE ARE UP AND RUNNING AND WE'RE HOPING TO CONTINUE THIS AND TRACK IT AND SEE WHERE IT GOES. WHAT WE SORT OF FEEL LIKE WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO DO IS WEAVING TOGETHER THE LANDSCAPE AND THE LIFESCAPE. IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO A LOT OF THE LANDSCAPE LOOKS LIKE THIS. WE HAVE A LOT OF LAND IN PUBLIC HOUSING AND A LOT OF LAND IN PUBLIC HOUSING AND A LOT OF VACANT LOTS. WE HAVE OVER 700 VACANT LOTS IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO THAT COULD BE FARMED IN ONE WAY OR THE OTHER AND MOST OF THEM ARE SITTING COMPLETELY EMPTY. BECAUSE OF PEPPER PROJECTS MISSIONS WE'RE PREDOMINANTLY WORKING IN THE INNER CITIES. THIS IS THE CAREEN GREEN PUBLIC HOUSING COMPLEX AND YOU CAN SEE THE BEGINNINGS OF A FARM AND A PIECE OF LAND THAT IS BEING TILLED RIGHT THERE IN THE FRONT. WE ALSO WORK AS I SAID VACANT LOTS. LOTS THAT HAVE BEEN ABANDONED AND TURNING THEM INTO PRODUCTIVE AGRICULTURAL AREAS. AND AGAIN WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO BRING IN, WE EVEN GET THE LANDSCAPE AND LIFESCAPE NOT ONLY INVOLVES THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT BUT THE PEOPLE AS WELL AND PLANTS AND ANIMALS. THE KIND OF THINGS WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH BY BRINGING AGRICULTURE BACK TO THE CITY OF CHICAGO. FIVE DIFFERENT THINGS. I ONLY HAVE FOUR LISTED UP HERE. I SHOULD AMEND THE SLIDE TO INCLUDE A FIFTH. BUT WE'RE INTERESTED IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS. THINGS SUCH AS CLOSING THE NUTRIENT CYCLE. ANIMALS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IN PROVIDING BOTH NOT ONLY MILE AND MEAT AND OTHER PRODUCTS BUT ALSO MANURE. AND IT'S A WAY TO SORT OF CLOSE THAT NUTRIENT CYCLE. SECONDLY, WE'RE INTERESTED IN HELPING DEVELOP ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES. ENTREPRENEURIAL PROJECTS. THIRD, THERE IS A TREMENDOUS EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT. WE'RE WORKING RIGHT NOW WITH A LOT OF TEENAGERS AND MANY OF THEM SURPRISINGLY WILL TELL YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, HAM COMES FROM THE DELI. AND DON'T REALLY HAVE A CONNECTION TO FOOD BEYOND THAT. SO THAT'S ALSO ANOTHER PIECE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH. FOURTH, EMPOWERMENT. WE'RE WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES. SORT OF INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES WORKING WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS OR FAMILIES THAT COMES TOGETHER AS A GROUP IN ORDER TO ORGANIZE THEMSELVES AND ADDRESS OTHER PROBLEMS THEY ARE HAVING IN THEIR COMMUNITY AS WELL AS RECOGNIZING WHAT STRENGTHS AND ASSETS THEY HAVE. AND FIFTH, I WOULD ADD A THERAPEUTIC COMPONENT. WORKING WITH ANIMALS IN PARTICULAR ESPECIALLY THE FOUR LEGGED FUZZY KIND IS A WONDERFUL BONDING EXPERIENCE FOR MANY INNER CITY TEENAGERS THAT DON'T HAVE. YOU CAN TELL A GOAT ALL OF YOUR SECRETS AND NOBODY WILL, THE GOAT WILL NEVER TELL ANYBODY. IT'S JUST A WONDERFUL. IT'S BEEN PROVEN TO BE A WONDERFUL THERAPEUTIC EXPERIENCE. ALSO THE NURTURING LIFE IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE DEATH IS SOMETIMES, SEEMING MORE PREVALENT. WE'RE WORKING IN SOME REALLY GANG INFESTED AREAS. SO THAT ALSO PROVIDE SOME THERAPEUTIC BENEFIT.

LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE THREE DIFFERENT ENTERPRISES WE'RE WORKING WITH VERY QUICKLY HERE AND THEN ANDY WILL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING SPECIFICALLY. VERMI-CULTURE IS AN AREA THAT WE VENTURED INTO. WORMS ARE INDEED A LIVESTOCK. A KIND OF LIVESTOCK ACCORDING TO USDA. AND WE'RE WORKING WITH RED WIGGLERS.

THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF TECHNIQUES THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH, OR TECHNOLOGIES WE'RE WORKING WITH. ONE IS A VERY LOW INPUT APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGIES. ONE IS SIMPLY IN RUBBER BANDS. I MEAN PLASTIC BANDS. AND STARTING OFF WITH ABOUT A POUND OF WORMS IN THESE BANDS AND THEY GROW FAIRLY RAPIDLY. SO THIS IS WHAT YOUR TYPICAL BANDS LOOKS LIKE AND THE WHITE THAT YOU SEE ON THE TOP IS A LITTLE BIT OF SPRINKLED LYME TO HELP CONTROL THE ACIDITY OF THE BANDS THAT THE FRUIT FLIES DON'T STAY IN IT. ALSO ON A LARGER SCALE OF VERMI-COMPOSTING OPERATIONS LIKE THIS ONE AND THIS IS AN OUTDOOR ONE AS WELL. SO THEIR'S INDOORS AND OUTDOORS. THIS IS THE PRODUCT - CAN YOU HOLD THAT FOR ME A SECOND - ONE OF THE PRODUCTS. YEAH, COULD YOU PASS THAT AROUND? YES, THIS IS COMPLESTING. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PRODUCTS THAT ONE PARTICULAR GROUP, GOD'S GANG, HAS GOTTEN OUT OF THIS. CAROLYN THOMAS WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF GOD'S GANG, IF YOU CAN JUST STAND UP CAROLYN. SHE'D BE ABLE TO TALK TO ANYONE AFTERWARDS AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. SHE'S WORKING WITH A GROUP OF INNER CITY TEENAGERS IN ROBERT TAYLOR HOMES. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HER PROJECT TO DO VERMI CULTURE AND ALPA CULTURE, WHICH I'LL TALK TO YOU ABOUT IN A MINUTE. SO TWO PRODUCTS. THIS IS THE FIRST ONE. CASTINGS. WORM MANURE. IT SELLS FOR ABOUT A DOLLAR A POUND. GARDENERS ARE EATING IT UP IN THE CITY. THEY'RE USING IT FOR THEIR HOUSE PLANTS. IT'S A DIRECT COMPETITOR TO MIRACLE GROW. AND IT DOESN'T BURN THE ROOTS TO THE PLANTS AT ALL. IT'S COMPLETELY ORGANIC. VERY SAFE AND VERY, VERY PRODUCTIVE.

THIS IS SORT OF THE SET UP WE HAVE GOING NOW. THIS IS IN THE BASEMENT OF THE ROBERT TAYLOR HOMES IN GOD GANGS LIBRARY. THEY HAVE, TRULY HAVE, BOOK WORMS. (LAUGH) BOOKS ON ONE SIDE AND WORMS ON THE OTHER. YOU'RE UP TO ABOUT WHAT 60 POUNDS OF WORMS NOW CAROLYN? MORE THAN THAT. STARTED OUT WITH 30 POUNDS LAST NOVEMBER AND THEY'VE ALSO ESTABLISHED A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS. AND THEY'RE SELLING WORMS FOR - HOW MUCH A POUND? TWENTY DOLLARS A POUND TO THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND THEY'RE USING THEM IN THEIR BIOLOGY PROJECTS AND ALSO IN ENVIRONMENTAL VERMI COMPESTING PROJECTS. SO MARKETING IS A, DIRECT MARKETING IS A BIG PIECE OF WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON.

SECONDLY, WE'RE BEGINNING TO WORK WITH AN AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY. THIS IS A RECIRCULATING SYSTEM WE'RE WORKING WITH. WE'RE RAISING TALATHIA. THIS SYSTEM IS A THREE TANK SYSTEM AS YOU CAN SEE. IT TAKES UP ABOUT 16 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE. IT CAN FIT IN FRONT OF A MICE SUNDAY WINDOW IN AN APARTMENT. AND THIS SYSTEM COSTS ABOUT $70 TO PUT IT TOGETHER. WE HAVE GONE DOWN AS LOW AS $40. MOST OF THESE MATERIALS EXCEPT FOR THE CBC PIPE AND THE SMALL AIR PUMP THAT POWERS IT CAN BE GLEANED FROM DIFFERENT URBAN SOURCES. QUICKLY HOW IT WORKS IS, ANDY IS GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS, THE TANK IN THE BACK THERE, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE BACK RIGHT, IS THE PLANT TANK. TO THE LEFT OF IT IS THE FISH TANK AND WHERE YOU SEE THE DOLOMITE IN THE FRONT, THAT'S THE FILTER TANK. AND THE FISH WASTE WATER IS PUMPED INTO THE FILTER TANK WHERE THERE ARE SNAILS AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE - THE DOLOMITE HELPS THE BACTERIA CLING TO IT AND THE SNAILS HELP TO EAT UP SOME OF THE OTHER STUFF. AND THEN THE FILTERED WATER IS PUMPED INTO THE PLANT TO WHICH FEEDS THE PLANTS. THERE ALGAE ARE PUMPED INTO THE FISH TANK AND THE FISH FEED ON THE ALGAE. BECAUSE WE WANT THE FISH TO GROWN MORE RAPIDLY. WE'RE ALSO FEEDING THEM CAT FISH FEED. AND WE'RE GETTING READY TO HARVEST THE FIRST IN ABOUT A MONTH. OUR FIRST BATCH SO, THIS IS STILL VERY NEW TO US. AND THEY HAVE TWO SYSTEMS SET UP IN MILWAUKEE WHICH ANDY IS GONNA SHOW YOU HAVE TEN GOING NOW. THEORETICALLY, YOU CAN RAISE ABOUT 40 TO 50 POUNDS OF FISH IN THE SYSTEM EVERY SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS DEPENDING ON THE SPECIES. SO IT'S NOT HIGH PRODUCING AT THIS POINT BUT IT'S VERY VERY LOW INPUT. LOW COST.

AGAIN, HERE'S A PICTURE OF THE SYSTEM WITH THE WORM BANDS ALL AROUND IT. JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA. WE FITTED DIFFERENT PIPES DOWN INTO THE SYSTEM AS WELL SO YOU CAN JUST SORT OF GET A LOOK. LOOK SEE HOW IT _______ TOGETHER. WE STARTED OUT BY CONCEIVING OF THE BANDS, THE TANKS THAT WE'RE USING. AD THESE ARE JUST OLD PLASTIC 55 GALLON TANKS THAT WERE GLEANED FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES IN THE CITY AND WE TOOK THEM TO THE CAR WASH AND SCRUBBED THEM OUT. THE ADVANTAGES OF BEING IN THE CITY AND THEN TOOK THEM OVER TO THE ROB TAYLOR HOMES AND BUILT OUR SYSTEMS.

FITTED THE PIPES INTO THE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS. INTRODUCED THE FISH. WE STARTED WITH THE TALAPIA. THERE ARE A LOT OF INTERESTING CAT FISH BUT WE'RE GONNA STICK WITH TALAPIA FOR A WHILE SINCE IT'S A PRETTY HARDY FISH. AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. HERE, SOME OF THE KIDS JUST CHECKING OUT THE FISH.

IN THIS PROJECT THERE ARE FINE CORE TEENAGERS THAT ARE INVOLVED. BUT THERE ARE UP TO 50 KIDS. IS THAT RIGHT? FIFTY KIDS, 54 KIDS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT IN SOME WAY. BUT THERE ARE 5 THAT ARE DIRECTLY BENEFITTING FROM IT ECONOMICALLY AND HAVE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY.

DAIRY GOATS. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE HAVE OUR FIRST DAIRY GOAT FROM IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO. RIGHT NOW IT CONSISTS OF 2 DOE'S AND A KID. (LAUGH) SO WE'RE REALLY STARTING SMALL. WE'RE WORKING AS A GROUP IN THE COMMUNITY HOUSING COMPLEX. THEY ALSO HAVE A MARKET GARDEN AND WE'VE DONE A LOT OF TRAINING ABOUT BASIC MAINTENANCE AND GOAT CARE. ONE OF THE DOE'S HAVE SUCCESSFULLY KIDDED LAST WEEK. UNFORTUNATELY, SHE HAD JUST A SINGLE WHICH IS DISAPPOINTING, BUT THE OTHER ONE WILL BE KIDDING SOMETIME THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. THERE GOAL IS TO EVENTUALLY BUILD UP A SMALL HERD THAT WOULD, FROM WHICH THEY COULD PRODUCE GOATS MILK AND EVENTUALLY GOAT CHEESE. THEY'RE ALREADY SELLING THEIR HIGH END VEGETABLES TO RESTAURANTS, SOME OF THE UP SCALE RESTAURANTS IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO AND SO THEIR HOPING JUST TO ADD GOAT CHEESE TO THEIR REPERTOIRE. WE LEARNED HOW TO DO EVERYTHING FROM CLIP TO WORM AND TO VACCINATE. JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE BEGINNING TO EXPLORE A LITTLE BIT AND BEGINNING TO WORK WITH. THIS IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH OF AMERICA WHICH IS HEADQUARTERED IN CHICAGO IS WORKING WITH AND THEY'RE TRYING TO COME UP WITH DIFFERENT ROOF TOP GARDENING TECHNOLOGIES. THEY HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL ROOF TOP GARDEN LAST YEAR AND PRODUCED OVER 70,000 POUNDS OF VEGETABLES. ON TOP OF A PARKING DECK IN THESE LITTLE BABY POOLS. WITH ORGANICALLY PRODUCED, PESTICIDE FREE.

THIS BELIEVE IT OR NOT IS A SPROUT GARDEN AND THIS IS ACTUALLY AN URBAN FARM IN THE CITY OF TORONTO. HE MAKES ABOUT $6,000 A YEAR OFF OF THIS LITTLE TOWER SPROUTS AS HE CALLS IT. SO AGAIN, THIS IS URBAN FARMING THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE A LOT OF LAND OR SPACE AND CAN BE DONE INDOORS YEAR AROUND.

HONEY BEES. THER ARE OVER 150 BEE KEEPERS CURRENTLY IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO. MOST OF THEM ARE HOBBYING. IN FACT, I THINK ALL OF THEM ARE HOBBY FARMERS. THIS IS RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF THE CITY. AND WE'VE BEGUN TO DO SOME TRAINING WITH GROUPS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN BEE KEEPING AND WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT WILL SORT OF BE OUR NEXT VENTURE AND ENTERPRISE.

I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT WHATEVER PROJECTS WORKS. OUR PRIMARY GOAL IS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND LIVESTOCK IS THE VEHICLE TOWARDS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. LIVESTOCK AND AGRICULTURE IS THE VEHICLE TOWARD SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. WE TAKE THE APPROACH OF LOOKING AT HOW LIFE SCAPE AND LANDSCAPE INTERACTS. THESE PROJECTS ARE REALLY NOT HEFFER PROJECT PROJECTS. THEY BELONG TO THE GROUPS THAT WE WORK WITH AND THEREFORE, THEY PLAN THEM AND MAKE THE DECISIONS AND THERE'S FULL PARTICIPATION. WE ALSO HELP THE GROUPS TO START BY IDENTIFYING WHAT VALUES THEY WANT TO KEEP IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND WORK BASED ON THAT. AND LAST, KIND OF OUR SIGNATURE PIECE IS CALLED PASSING ON THE GIFT. THIS MEANS THAT THE GROUP DEVELOPS A CONTRACT WITH HEFFER PROJECT THAT SAYS WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU X HOURS OF TRAINING AND X HOURS TO START UP YOUR PROGRAM AND A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF LIVESTOCK AND YOU AGREE TO PASS ON THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU'VE GAINED AS WELL AS SOME OF THE LIVESTOCK TO ANOTHER COMMUNITY GROUP THAT ALSO WANTS TO GET STARTED IN THIS. SO THAT THE ORIGINAL RECIPIENT BECOMES A DONOR.

ANDY: I'M GONNA PUT IT ON CYCLE SO IT CAN CYCLE CONTINUOUSLY. HAND ON A SECOND. THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION. ONE OF THE REASONS WE ARE STARTING IN CHICAGO IS SO THAT IT'S FAIRLY ANIMAL CITY IN TERMS OF VARIANCES. WELL, FOR ONE THING, HONEY BEES AND VERMI CULTURE ARE NOT REGULATED IN THE SLIGHTEST. THE LAW IS STILL VERY FAVORABLE TO RAISING POULTRY WHICH WE'VE ALSO STARTED DOING AS WELL AS RAISING DUCKS. AND THE FOUR LEGGED CREATURES ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT. THE GOATS, WE MANAGED TO FIND A _________ THAT'S STILL KNOWN AGRICULTURALLY. IT'S ACTUALLY A STABLE FOR THE ________ WHERE HORSES ARE KEPT. WE RENTED A COUPLE OF THEIR STABLES AND KIND OF DID IT THAT WAY. BUT WE ARE WORKING ON - WE'VE DONE TOGETHER A NETWORK OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN URBAN AGRICULTURE IN CHICAGO SO THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO LOBBY A LITTLE BIT AND WE HAVE SOME OF THE NEW ORDERS OF CHANGE. IT'S FAIRLY EASY TO GET A ZONING IF YOU ________. SO POLITICIZING IS PRETTY IMPORTANT IN THAT RESPECT AS WELL.

ANOTHER SPEAKER IN THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, YOU CAN STILL FARM AND RAISE ANIMALS. IN NEW YORK YOU CAN'T. AND IT WILL VARY FROM PLACE TO PLACE. VAN COUVER IS JUST KIND OF VARIANCE SO THAT YOU CAN RAISE CHICKENS IN VAN COUVER. SO IT'S A CHANGING CYCLE.

ANOTHER SPEAKER IN CHICAGO, THE RESTRICTIONS ARE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT THAN THEY ARE IN THE CENTER CITY. YOU WANT TO START A POULTRY OPERATION YOU'RE BETTER OFF IN THE CENTER OF CHICAGO THEN OUT IN THE SUBURBS. GET IN TOUCH WITH US CAUSE WE'RE WORKING WITH THE AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION AND WE'LL HAVE A PANEL. THEIR CONFERENCE IS IN APRIL. WHICH WILL SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS THIS BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE TOP OF THE PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS TO GET PROPOSALS IN TO THE STATES AND IT'LL BE A PROCESS BUT NOT SUCH A LONG PROCESS. CAUSE IT SHOULD BE UNDER HEALTH CODES AND NOT UNDER LAND USED CODES.

QUESTION/ANSWER: A LITTLE BIT THEIR - GEOGRAPHICALLY THEY'RE ALMOST ______. SO THAT CREATES A LITTLE BIT OF A PROBLEM. THEY ARE A PART OF THE CHICAGO SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THEY DO __________. I'M ACTUALLY ON THE ADVISORY COUNCIL AND WE'RE TRYING TO WORK OUT WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN BEGIN TO COOPERATE. SO FAR, IT'S BEEN MOSTLY EDUCATING KIDS ABOUT WAYS THEY CAN TAKE AGRICULTURE OUT OF RURAL AREAS OR THROUGH THE CERTAIN BUSINESS TECHNOLOGICAL END OF IT AND NOT REALLY THINKING SO MUCH ABOUT PRODUCTION IN THE CITY. SO WE'RE BEGINNING TO THINK MORE ABOUT KEEPING OUR PART OF THE MISSION ALSO.

SO I SUGGEST WE GO AHEAD AND LET ANDY PRESENT AND WE'LL PICK UP. OK.

MY NAME IS ANDY MCKENNEY AND I WORK AT NEIGHBORING HOUSE OF MILWAUKEE WHICH IS A INNER CITY COMMUNITY CENTER FOUNDED 53 YEARS AGO IN THE SETTLEMENT HOUSE TRADITION. THAT'S LIKE JAMES ADAMS AT HAL HOUSE IN CHICAGO. WE'VE STARTED THIS PROJECT LAST YEAR. I GOT A COMMUNITY SERVICE BLOCK GRANT FUNDING OF $30 THOUSAND TO START IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ANOTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION CALLED FARM CITY LINKS. THESE ARE GREEN HOUSES WE WORK WITH. THEY'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY. THIS IS THE FARMER, WILL ISLAND, WHO RUNS FARM CITY LINKS.

WE HAD TWO FUNCTIONAL GREEN HOUSES. TWO OF THE GREEN HOUSES ARE FUNCTIONAL NOW. FIVE OF THEM ARE FUNCTIONAL. WE START OUR CROPS INSIDE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINTER IN ABOUT FEBRUARY. WE START GROWING MOSTLY VEGETABLES. THIS YEAR WE STARTED WITH FLOWERS BUT THAT'S STILL VERY EXPERIMENTAL. BUT WE STARTED WITH VEGETABLES. NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE OWNS A FARM WHICH IS RIGHT OUTSIDE THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE. WISCONSIN IS MOSTLY A RURAL STATE AND NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE BOUGHT THIS FARM FOR VERY LITTLE MONEY IN 1969. SO WE TRANSPLANT THE PLANTS OUT THERE AND GROW THEM AND SELL THEM IN THE FARMERS MARKET. WE HAVE DISCUSSED GARDENING IN THE URBAN LOTS IN THE CITY. IN THE AREA WHERE THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE IS LOCATED WE HAVE A LOT OF BROWN SPOTTING AND A LOT OF LEAD IN THE SOIL. AND SO IN ORDER TO DO ANY KIND OF SERIOUS URBAN FARMING WE HAVE TO GO RAISE GARDENS. WE ARE WORKING WITH ANOTHER MAN WHO HAS GOTTEN A DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY GRANT TO STUDY THE USE OF TAKING LEAVES AND COMPOSTING THEM TO CREATE REALLY WONDERFUL SOIL WHICH CAN BE DONE WITHIN A YEAR. TO A RAISE BY GARDENS IN THE CITY AND WE ARE WORKING ON THAT NOW. I SAW SOME EXPERIMENTAL GARDENS STARTING UP WITH THAT.

WE ENTERED INTO ANOTHER PARTNERSHIP, FARM CITY LINKS NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE AND HEFFER PROJECTS LAST YEAR AND WE STARTED DOING FISH FARMING AND THE GREEN HOUSE WHICH WE JUST STARTED THIS YEAR. AND SO OUR FISH ARE ABOUT SIX MONTHS BEHIND CAROLYN'S FISH. AND HER KIDS COME UP TO MILWAUKEE TO TEACH OUR KIDS HOW TO BUILD THE SYSTEMS AND HOW TO GET THEM STARTED. WE ALSO JUST STARTED OUR BENE OF WORMS AND WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING THE SAME KINDS OF THINGS THAT CAROLYN HAS BEEN DOING.

QUESTION: WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THESE FIRMS AFTER YOU RAISE THEM?

ANSWER: WE SELL THE CASTINGS FOR COMPOSTINGS AND ALSO TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. MILWAUKEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS ALREADY HAS A NUMBER OF PROJECTS GOING RAISING RED WORMS. BECAUSE OF THE WHOLE MOVEMENT IN BIOLOGY NOT TO DISSECT THEM TO LOOK AT THEM AS A LIFE - A WHOLE PROCESS. A LOT OF SCHOOLS ARE MOVING INTO THAT DIRECTION. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW CHICAGO ON IS HOW THEY MARKETED THEIR WORMS.

OKAY. SO THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR OF OUR PROJECT AND WE'RE DOING OUR WHOLE PROJECT AS A ENTREPRENEUR PROJECT. WE'RE TEACHING THE KIDS HOW TO START FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END IN THE FOOD CYCLE AND ALSO TO START WITH FISH AND WORMS. IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'RE GOING TO BE USING SOME OF OUR CASTINGS ON OUR OWN STUFF. WE USE OUR FISH WATER WHEN WE KEEP PUTTING NEW WATER INTO THE TANK WHILE WE TAKE SOME OF THE OLD WATER OUT AND WE WATER ALL OF THE PLANTS IN THE GREEN HOUSE WITH THE FISH WATER TO FERTILIZE IT.

OH, THE FARMER'S MARKET. THIS IS OUR SECOND YEAR IN THE FARMER'S MARKET IN MILWAUKEE. WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD NETWORK OF FARMERS MARKET WHICH IS GROWING EVERY YEAR. IT'S PRETTY EXCITING. THE KIDS GO TO THE MARKET AND SELL STUFF AND THEY ARE MAKING MONEY. THEY MADE A FAIR AMOUNT OF MONEY LAST YEAR. WE'RE EXPECTING TO MAKE MORE THIS YEAR BECAUSE THIS YEAR WE'RE RAISING THREE ACRES OF CORN. WE HAVE ANOTHER THREE ACRES OF VEGETABLES OF TOMATOES, POTATO'S, GREEN BEANS, GREENS, CUCUMBERS, MELONS. I'M SURE I'M FORGETTING SOMETHING.

IT'S A LOT OF HARD WORK, BUT IT'S BEEN REALLY REWARDING AS THAT EVERY KID FROM LAST YEAR CAME BACK THIS YEAR. THIS YEAR WE'RE RAISING THREE ACRES OF CORN. WE HAVE ANOTHER THREE ACRES OF VEGETABLES, TOMATOES, POTATOES, GREEN BEANS, GREENS, CUCUMBERS, MELONS. I'M SURE I'M FORGETTING SOMETHING. IT'S A LOT OF HARD WORK BUT IT'S BEEN REALLY REWARDING AS THAT EVERY KID FROM LAST YEAR CAME BACK THIS YEAR. LAST YEAR WE HAD ONE GIRL AND SIX BOYS BY THE END OF THE SUMMER. THIS YEAR WE HAVE FOUR BOYS AND 15 GIRLS THAT ARE ON THE PROJECT. WHICH I'M REALLY PLEASED TO SAY. THEY WORK INCREDIBLY, INCREDIBLY HARD AND IT'S A REAL GROWING EXPERIENCE TO THEM. NOT JUST WITH THE FOOD BUT ALSO WITH THE FISH. THE OTHER THING I WANT TO SAY TOO IS THAT IN DEALING WITH THESE CHILDREN, THEIR IDEA OF FOOD IS MC DONALD'S. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE INNER-CITY KIDS AND THEY'RE NOT USE TO EATING FRESH PRODUCE AT ALL. THE HUNGER TASK FORCE IN MILWAUKEE DID A STUDY OF THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE. THERE'S ONE MAJOR GROCERY STORE IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE INNER-CITY. ACCESS TO FRESH FOOD IS PRACTICALLY NON-EXISTENT. WE'VE HAD TO PUT IN A LARGE COMPONENT OF EDUCATION, ESPECIALLY IN NUTRIENT WITH THESE KIDS. AND WE HAD TO BE REAL CREATIVE IN OUR WAYS OF TRYING TO GET THEM TO EAT FRESH FOODS AND VEGETABLES. AND I THINK THAT'S A REAL IMPORTANT PART OF DOING URBAN FARMING WITH KIDS.

QUESTION: IS THE FARMERS MARKET WHERE THE SELL LOCATED WHERE THEY LIVE OR IS IT SOMEWHERE ELSE? I MEAN WHEN YOU SAY THAT YOU HAD TO EDUCATE THEM FOR THE FRESH PRODUCE OR SO. ARE THEY SELLING IT WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED OR ?

ANSWER: WE'RE SELLING WITHIN TWO MILES OF WHERE WE'RE LOCATED.

QUESTION: THER GREEN HOUSES THAT YOU HAVE ARE THESE GREEN HOUSES THAT YOU BUILT?

ANSWER: NO. THERE WAS AN ABANDONED, THERE WERE ABANDONED GREEN HOUSES THAT THIS AFRICAN AMERICAN, WILL ALLAN, BOUGHT INCLUDED A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. HIS GOAL IS TO EDUCATE INNER-CITY YOUTH ABOUT FARMING AND AGRICULTURE. AND VERY SLOWLY AND SUBTLY, THEY'VE BEEN REHABBED. THIS SUMMER WE'RE GOING TO PUT SOLAR PANELS ON THE GREEN HOUSES AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO HEAT THE FISH TANKS WITH THE SOLAR PANELS ALSO. SO THAT'S ANOTHER COMPONENT THAT'S GONNA COME IN THIS SUMMER AS THE WHOLE SOLAR TECHNOLOGY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO TEACH THE KIDS ALSO. WE'RE TRYING TO GO BACK TO THE WHOLE IDEA OF SELF SUFFICIENT COMMUNITY AND THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN IN THE CITY AS WELL AS IN RURAL AREAS. LIKE CHICAGO, WE HAVE A LOT OF VACANT LAND AND IT CAN BE RECLAIMED. AND IT CAN BE USED TO FEED PEOPLE. AND I THINK IT'S REAL CRITICAL ESPECIALLY IN THESE TIMES IN WISCONSIN UNDER WELFARE REFORM, THAT TOMMY THOMPSON CALLS IT, THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WE'VE HAD THE HIGHER RATE OF, HIGHEST RATE OF HOMELESSNESS EVER SINCE WELFARE REFORM CAME IN. W2 THEY CALL IT THERE. WISCONSIN WORKS. ONE OF THE GOALS OF OUR PROJECT IS THAT WE GIVE 25 PERCENT OF WHAT WE GROW TO HOMELESS SHELTERS AND TO FOOD PANTRIES. SO THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING THE BENEFITS OF WHAT WE GROW.

COMMENT: IT'S A WONDERFUL PROGRAM AND I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR TIME. IT'S NOW 20 OF 5. SO WE CAN HAVE PRESENTATION AND AT THE END THEY CAN SAY AND DISCUSS. IT'S BEEN INSPIRATIONAL.

JUDY TIGER AND I HAVE WORKED TOGETHER FOR YEARS. SHE'S HERE IN WASHINGTON, DC. AND YOU'RE REPRESENTING THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY GARDENING ASSOCIATION. RIGHT?

YES.

I'M HERE, BASICALLY WEARING TWO HATS. ONE IS AN AMBASSADOR, I SUPPOSE YOU CAN CALL IT, FOR THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY GARDENING ASSOCIATION. AND ONE IS AS THE DIRECTOR OF GARDEN RESOURCES OF WASHINGTON. WHICH IS A LOCAL ORGANIZATION.

IN A WAY, I HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF SPEAKING LAST BECAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY HAD ILLUSTRATED FOR YOU SOME OF WHAT THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY GARDENING ASSOCIATION IS ALL ABOUT. I'M MOSTLY HERE TO TELL YOU THAT IT EXIST IN THE FIRST PLACE. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE EVER HEARD OF THE ACGA. I HAVE HAND OUTS, A LITTLE FLYER THAT JUST SAYS WHAT IT IS. IT BASICALLY SERVES AS A NETWORK FOR PRIMARILY URBAN BUT NOT SOLELY URBAN COMMUNITY GARDEN, GARDENING AND AGRICULTURE PROJECTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHICH ARE QUITE VARIED IN SCOPE.

I THINK ALLISON'S COMMENTS WERE REALLY ELOQUENT IN TERMS OF PURPOSE OF THE COMMUNITY GARDENS BEING SO MANY FOLD IN PRIMARILY ABOUT COMMUNITY BUILDING AND ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PARTICIPATING FOR MOST IN ALL OF THE PROJECTS. AND FOR THAT REASON, IT'S ALWAYS A CHALLENGE AND GUIDED BY THE IMPULSE TO FOLD INTO ANY GARDENING WORK THE ENVIRONMENTAL LESSONS, THE ECONOMIC LESSONS, THE NUTRIMENTS LESSONS, THE FUN AND LEARNING LESSONS FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES. ANY CREATIVE POSSIBILITIES THAT AND END ANY COMMUNITY POSSIBILITIES THAT COME AND BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER. IT'S SUCH AN ACTIVE HANDS ON EXPERIENCE. IT'S TOLD MANY TIMES OVER IN COMMUNITY GARDENING CONFERENCES THAT THE EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER IN A COMMUNITY GARDENING IS SO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THAN MOST ANY OTHER KIND OF COMMUNITY ACTIVISM IN THAT IT'S ABOUT SOMETHING SO POSITIVE, IT'S SO REWARDING. AND IT'S NOT AT ALL LIKE GOING TO A COMMUNITY MEETING WHERE PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT - USUALLY THE AGENDA'S ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S A PROBLEM. ALMOST ALWAYS. IN A COMMUNITY GARDEN THINGS MAY BE CHATTED ABOUT OVER THE READINGS. PEOPLE DISCOVER THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY MANAGE TO MAKE SOMETHING INCREDIBLE HAPPEN. AND THEY CAN JUST DO THAT ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE AS WELL. SO THERE'S NO UNDERESTIMATING HOW MUCH THAT IS ADDED RIGHT ON TOP OF THE NATION OF THE FARMING ASPECT. WHICH IS PRODUCING FOOD.

I THOUGHT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WOMEN EITHER IN, AT THE LEVEL OF THE KIND OF WORK THAT I DO THAT KATHLEEN DOESN'T, ALLISON DOESN'T. JOHN DOES. EVEN THOUGH HE'S NOT A WOMAN HE DOES WORK WITH WOMEN. AND I THOUGHT TO SORT OF OBSERVE HOW MANY WOMEN I NOTICE THAT ARE EITHER AT THE PROFESSIONAL LEVEL OF TH IS KIND OF WORK OR ACTUALLY IN THE GARDENS. TWO OF THE STUDENTS WHO ARE EMPLOYED WITH US THIS SUMMER ARE FROM ONE OF THE HIGH SCHOOL PROJECTS AND HAVE TAKEN THE LEAD IN PROPOSING TO A FUNDER THAT THEIR GARDEN BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE NUTRITIONAL NEED FOR AID'S PATIENTS AND TO DEVOTE THEIR GARDEN TO/AMONG THE OTHER THING THEY DO TO FEEDING TO VOLUNTEERING FOR AN AID'S PATIENT FEEDING PROGRAM AND TO FEED. TAKE THE FOOD THERE. A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY GARDENERS ARE WOMEN OR A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY GARDENERS ARE WOMEN. MANY OF THEM ARE OLDER WOMEN AND AS A SIDE COMMENT AS TO WHAT TH IS MEAN TO THEM. MANY OF THEM LEFT FARMING AREAS IN THE SOUTH AND THEN LEFT HAPPILY OR THEY LEFT THE FARMING PART BEHIND THEM. BUT LATER IN LIFE SEEM TO COME TO FIND THAT TO BE FAMILIAR AND COMFORTING. THEY REALIZED THAT FARMING ON A HUGE SCALE IS DIFFERENT THAN WHEAT YOU CAN DO IN YOUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD. AND THEY HAVE THE INTEREST TOO. THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE WELFARE OF THE CHILDREN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO THEY VIEW IT AS NURTURING OF THEMSELVES. THE LAND AND THE YOUTH. AND ACTUALLY I'VE NOTICED THAT IN THE FARMERS MARKET WHERE I SHOP WHERE THE PRODUCE IS MAYBE COMING FROM AS FAR AS 150 MILES AWAY. WE SORT OF TH INK THAT'S REGIONAL HERE. AND MANY OF THEM ARE WOMEN AS WELL. I WAS PLEASED TO SEE ONE OF THEM AS ACTUALLY SEE ONE OF THEM IN THE HALLWAY. NO SOIL UNDER HER FINGER NAILS. SHE'S HERE FOR A WHOLE WEEK. BUT MANY OF THEM ARE WOMEN THAT I SEE AT FARMER'S MARKETS.

THE NEW INITIATIVE IN WASHINGTON, I'M SORT OF LIKE A NEWLY FORMING PARTNER, IS LUTHERAN TO SOCIAL SERVICES OF PARTLY FUNDED UNDER THE SAME PROGRAM THAT ALLISON WAS MENTIONING. AND THE LEAD PERSON ON THAT PROJECT IS WOMAN WHO'S A LUTHERAN PASTOR.

THEN QUICKLY SOME NATIONAL NOTES. THESE ARE A LITTLE AD HOC BUT THEY'RE THINGS THAT I THOUGHT OF AS I WAS COMING HERE. MENTIONS OF WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE. THERE IS AN EASY SANTA CRUZ. A PROGRAM CALLED THE ANGRICOLOGY PROGRAM WHICH TEACHES ORCHARD ECOLOGICAL FARMING AND ORCHARD GROWING AND ALSO THE FARM MARKET MANAGEMENT SIDE OF THIS EQUATION. THE NEW DIRECTOR OF THAT IS A WOMAN. THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA HAS JUST CREATED AN INITIATIVE, FUNDING INITIATIVE TO EXPLORE CREATION OF GARDENS IN SHELTERS FOR HOMELESS AND BATTERED WOMEN. WE'VE HAD THREE CONFERENCES AND CREATIVE KIND OF MANUAL AND APPARENTLY MANY OF THE ATTENDEES WERE STATE LEVEL AND AGENCY LEVEL ADMINISTRATORS FROM WHERE I SIT QUITE AMAZING AND REALLY, REALLY WONDERFUL. ALSO, MANY AREAS ARE BEGINNING TO HAVE A GARDEN IN EVERY SCHOOL INITIATIVE. CITY OF CALIFORNIA, STATE OF NEW JERSEY AND CITY OF BOSTON. THESE ARE THE ONLY THREE THAT I AM AWARE OF. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE IS AWARE OF OTHERS. AGAIN, THERE'S A __________ TO TEACH MATH AND SCIENCE AND OTHER SUBJECTS IN A HANDS ON WAY AND TO FOLD IN ENVIRONMENTAL CARE TAKING FOOD PRODUCTION CONSCIOUSNESS OF NUTRIENT AND COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY.

AND AGAIN, IT'S BEN SAID THAT SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE CITY SEEM TO HAVE LOST A SENSE OF WHERE FOOD COMES FROM. BROCCOLI GROWS ON TREES AND TOMATOES, THE PIZZA SAUCE, AND THE SPAGHETTI SAUCE, THEY HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT'S IN IT EXCEPT IT'S RED. AND ALL THESE KIND OF PROJECTS HAVE IMMENSE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT PEOPLE BACK IN TOUCH WITH WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW IS VERY BASIC AS IF YOU'RE FARMING. SO THAT'S A BRIEF CAREEN THROUGH MY COMMENTS. I DO HAVE SOME PHOTOGRAPHS OF SOME LOCAL WORK. JOHN IS HERE. INTERN, RACHEL, ORVAL IS HERE. AS WELL SHE'S BEEN FARMING WHILE THESE LAST FEW WEEKS. AND ALTHOUGH YOU COULDN'T TELL FROM THE WAY SHE'S DRESSED. AND CATHERINE SNEED IS HERE AND I HAVE ALSO A BIG - IN ADDITION TO THE HANDOUTS I HAVE A BIG STACK OF SORT OF SAMPLE LITERATURE FROM AROUND AND ABOUT IF THAT'S HELPFUL TO USE THEM.

THANK YOU JUDY!

I'D LIKE TO JUST TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE IDENTIFY THEMSELVES IF THEY CHOOSE TO. PRESENTATIONS HAVE REALLY CONCENTRATED ON WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE UNITED STATES. AND THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE IN THE ROOM WHO CAN SPEAK ABOUT OTHER PLACES. I WAS THINKING IN PARTICULAR, MISS GOMANY, FROM REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA. IS SHE STILL IN THE ROOM? SHE SIGNED IN. OH SHE HAD TO LEAVE. IS MISS PERNELL STILL HERE FROM SOUTH AFRICA? SHE LEFT ALSO. OK, AND MISS OTWISEY FROM ITALY? YES. CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN ITALY? JUST.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND VERY WELL WHAT IS THE IDEA? THE FIRST IDEA?

AND THIS IS THE FIRST IDEA. THIS IS MY THE SECOND. IF THE PROBLEM IS ALSO TO WANT WORK THAT TO GIVE SOME MONEY FOR THE PEOPLE. THE PROBLEM NOW IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE HAVE AGRICULTURE NEAR THE TOWN. NEAR THE CITY. AND EVERYONE KNOWS AGRICULTURE. BUT ALSO FOR US START A NEW AGE. AND THE BABY, THE CHILDREN AND NOT JUST THEM DON'T KNOW AGRICULTURE. AND SO BUT WE HAVE USUALLY, FOR EXAMPLE THEY NEED COOL ALTI. ALTO IS THE PLACE WHERE IS GROWING VEGETABLES FOR THE FAMILY. THE OLD PEOPLE. JUST FOR SOME MANY CITY FOR _________ IS LONG EXPERIENCE. AND THEN FOR THE TRADITION, WE HAVE ALL OF THE WORN SOME BEGGIE TOMATOES. THERE IS A VERY STRONG LINK BETWEEN AGRICULTURE AND FOR EXPERIENCE FOR TRADITION.

I DON'T KNOW IF I SUCCEEDED TO GIVE MY IDEA. THANK YOU.

NEW SPEAKER: THANK YOU MAGGIE. I TRY TO RESPOND TO THE QUESTIONS ANYONE ELSE HAS WHICH MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE SITUATION IN ITALY IS FOR MUCH OF THE POST WORLD WAR 2 PERIOD THE SOCIALISTIC GOVERNMENT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL OF THE CITY AND REGIONAL LEVEL HAS REACHED THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY GENERALLY AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL. SO IT WAS A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR FARMERS ASSOCIATIONS AT THE COUNTY/STATE LEVEL. AND SO YOU HAVE A CONTINUITY OF SUBURBAN AREA AGRICULTURE. THIS LADY'S RECORDING IS NOW LOST BECAUSE THE YOUNG PEOPLE HAVEN'T TAKEN AN INTEREST. YOU'RE CONCERNED WHETHER WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS A SEPARATION. NO, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT COMING BACK TOGETHER. OH YES, BUT I UNDERSTAND BUT THESE NECESSARY COUNTS WERE BEFORE THERE WAS A SEPARATION. THIS IS WHAT I SAY. YES?

NEW SPEAKER: I FOUND THIS YESTERDAY ALSO IN THE CAUCUS IN THE COMMUNITY. AGRICULTURE ON THE COMMUNITY. EVERY WOMAN IN THE ROOM HAS EXPERIENCED A SEPARATION OF LARGE CORPORATION SAYING NO TO THE PRODUCTION AND A DISCONNECTION. WHAT URBAN AGRICULTURE IS DOING IS BRINGING THE FAMILY FARM INTO THE CITY. SECURITY TO THE FAMILY.

NEW SPEAKER: THIS GETS TO SOMETHING IN MY WORK WHICH HAS GREAT CONCERN AND THAT'S AS FOOD PRODUCTION - AS FARMERS BEGIN TO PRODUCE COMMODITIES RATHER THAN FOOD, IT BOILS DOWN TO THE COST OF LABOR. AND SO EVEN IN URBAN PROJECTS THERE IS AN ARGUMENT TO BE MADE.

THIS WAS FIRST BROUGHT HOME TO ME, THIS DICHOTOMY BETWEEN WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE PRODUCING FOOD OR YOU'RE PRODUCING A CASH CROP FOR MONEY INTO BLIGHTED AREAS WHEN I TRY TO GET THE SCHOOL CAFETERIA TO BUY FROM AN URBAN GARDEN FROM LOS ANGELES AND I WAS BOTH GRATIFIED AND DISMAYED TO FIND OUT THEY WOULD NOT SELL WHAT THEY WERE PRODUCING BECAUSE THEIR WHOLE PHILOSOPHY WAS TRYING TO BREAK OUT OF THAT CASH - CROP CYCLE. SO THEY WERE ONLY PRODUCING FOOD FOR THEIR COMMUNITY AND THEY REFUSED TO SELL, EVEN THEIR ACCESS, TO THE SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO GET INTO THE QUESTION OF, WELL DO WE PRODUCE THIS IS IN LOS ANGELES - DO WE PRODUCE RASPBERRIES FOR A HUGE AMOUNT OF PROFIT OR DO WE PRODUCE FOOD FOR OUR COMMUNITIES AND FOR OURSELVES. SO ANY OF YOU THAT WANT TO ANSWER THAT?

NEW SPEAKER: THAT'S A VERY SPECIAL PROBLEM. THAT'S NOT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MOST CITIES IN NORTH AMERICA. I KNOW IN HARTFORD THE LOCAL FARMERS ARE SELLING.

NEW SPEAKER: I WAS GOING TO MENTION FOOD FROM THE HOOD IN L.A. I MEAN THEY STARTED GROWING - NOT SO MUCH AS CASH CROP - THEY SOLD THEIR VEGETABLES AND MADE VINEGARS AND OILS OUT OF THEM AND PUT IT INTO A SCHOLARSHIP FUND AND THEY STARTED RIGHT AFTER A L.A. RIOTS AND THEY RAISED $500,000.00 FOR SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THEIR SCHOOLS. IT'S NOT SO MUCH THAT I THINK SOME OF US LOOK AT IT AS SELLING IT AS A CASH CROP BUT WE ARE LOOKING TO BRING INCOME BACK INTO THE CITY. NOT JUST TO RAISE FOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY BUT ALSO TO BETTER OURSELVES. I MEAN AT LEAST THAT'S THE WAY WE'RE LOOKING AT IT.

NEW SPEAKER: THE LADY IN THE BACK ROW.

NEW SPEAKER: WE HAVE AN ORGANIC FARM IN PHILADELPHIA. RIGHT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANTED TO DO WE SAW THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO HAVE KIDS REALLY BUY INTO FARMING AND AGRICULTURE. AND WHERE WE SEE THERE'LL BE A GAP IS THAT KIDS ARE - CAUSE TRADITIONALLY, FROM AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE PUTTING KIDS, AFRICAN-AMERICAN YOUNG PEOPLE, INTO SOIL AND GROWING, THAT WAS A NEGATIVE CONNOTATION FROM THE PAST. BUT WE SEE NOW THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. SO WE ACTUALLY APPLIED FOR A PLANTING GRANT TO START ON ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL IN CHESTER. NOW THE IDEA IS THAT WE FACILITATE THE SCHOOL BEING STARTING FOR SIX TO EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS. AND WE WANT TO DEVELOP THE PRODUCTS AND HAVE THE KIDS LEARN AGRICULTURE, MARINE SCIENCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY. BUT WE AS AN ORGANIZATION DON'T WANT TO RUN THE SCHOOL WE WANT TO BE BASICALLY THE ONES THAT CAN PROVIDE THE RESOURCES. BUT ULTIMATELY, WE WANT TO SEE THE KIDS GET INVOLVED IN THESE CAREERS. BECAUSE AGRICULTURE IS ONLY 20 PERCENT OF PRODUCTION. THERE'S SO MUCH OUT THERE AND WE WANT KIDS TO UNDERSTAND THAT. SO, THE IDEA IS TO CREATE THIS. IT'S CALLED THE SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION ACADEMY. SO EVERYTHING THEY LEARN IS HOW TO SUSTAIN THEMSELVES AND THEIR COMMUNITY. AND SO WE CHASE CHESTER BECAUSE CHESTER HAS BEEN SO HARD HIT ENVIRONMENTALLY, YOU KNOW. YOU ALWAYS HEAR ABOUT CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES. AND SO WE WANTED TO GIVE BACK. AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS YOU GO TO CHESTER - I'M FIGHTING NOW - IS FIGHTING FOR THE LAND. JUST LIKE RURAL FARMERS HAVE TO FIGHT FOR THE LAND IN PHILADELPHIA. AND SO THE IDEA IS - YOU GO THROUGH CHESTER, YOU SEE ALL THIS OPEN SPACE, YOU CAN GO ABSOLUTELY CRAZY LOOKING AT ALL IT'S POTENTIAL FOR FARM LAND OR FOR GROWING ORGANICALLY. SO, THAT'S WHAT WE LIKE TO DO.

NEW SPEAKER: WHAT ABOUT, I'D LIKE TO FIND OUT FROM ANY EARLIER, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT PROPORTION OF REVENUE THAT SUPPORT YOUR PROJECT THAT'S COMING FROM THE SALES PRODUCE? WE HAVE SOME GRANT MONEY BUT DOES ANY OF THE PRODUCE SALES.

THIS YEAR 15 PERCENT WILL GO BACK INTO THE PROJECT. NEXT YEAR 25 PERCENT WILL GO BACK INTO THE PROJECT. AND THE YEAR AFTER WE'RE HOPING 50 PERCENT WILL GO BACK INTO THE PROJECT. WE ARE TRYING TO CREATE A SELF SUSTAINING. THEY WOULD NOT EXPECT WHAT WE HOPE NOT TO BE DEPENDING ON GRANTS. THERE'S NOT REALLY THAT MUCH GRANT MONEY. ALL TING CONSIDERED BUT WE ARE TRYING TO CREATE IT AS A SELF SUSTAINING THING.

NEW SPEAKER: AND IS THAT JUST A PROPORTION OF THE SALES REVENUE?

NEW SPEAKER: RIGHT. FIFTEEN THIS YEAR. TWENTY FIVE NEXT YEAR.

NEW SPEAKER: BUT I MEAN OF ALL THE SALES REVENUE. DOES ALL OF IT GO BACK INTO THE PROJECT OR DOES SOME OF IT GO

NEW SPEAKER: ALL THE REST GOES TO THE KIDS. IT'S DIVIDED UP AMONG THE KIDS. IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA COME TO ABOUT MINIMUM WAGE. IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S THERE. BETTER THAN I EXPECTED.

NEW SPEAKER: FIFTEEN PERCENT TO THE PROJECT AFTER YOU'VE PAID THE KIDS.

NEW SPEAKER: YES. YES.

NEW SPEAKER: WHAT ABOUT - AND YOU MENTIONED THE POSITIVE LEAD IN THE SOIL. IS ANYONE DOING ANYTHING BY WAY OF TRYING TO RECLAIM SOIL IN CITIES?

NEW SPEAKER: I'M NOT OPPOSED TO URBAN FARMING AT ALL. WE HAD ONE OF OUR SENIORS INVOLVED IN THAT ASPECT. BUT THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, RECYCLE LEAVES. THERE ARE VERY SIMPLE WAYS TO RECLAIM THE LAND BY DOING RAISE BACK GARDENS, YOU KNOW. RAISE BACK PLASTIC AND RACKS. THE LEAVES ON TOP OF THEM IN A YEAR WE'LL HAVE SOME VERY GOOD SOIL. IF THE SOIL UNDERNEATH IS STILL CONTAMINATED. SO YOU HAVEN'T GOT ANYTHING THAT - EFFORTS TO FUND ACTUALLY CLEANING UP THE SOIL.

NEW SPEAKER: WELL YOU KNOW, WHAT WE NORMALLY DO EVERY YEAR, WE DO A SOIL SAMPLINGS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT AND THEN FROM THE SOIL SAMPLING OR THE TESTING, WE ACTUALLY AMEND OUR SOIL. AND ACTUALLY, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF LEAD CONTENT IN OUR SOIL. WHICH IS KIND OF INTERESTING FOR US. AND IN FACT, ALL WE'VE EVER READING IN ONE OF OUR GROWING SITES. AND LAST YEAR WE SENT THE SOIL SAMPLES UP AND THEY HAD MORE LEAD IN THEIR SOIL AT THE ABRIDIUM. SO IT'S REALLY A CATCH 22. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO SAY IS THAT SINCE WE'RE STARTING THIS CHARTERED SCHOOL IS LIKE CREATING SOMETHING FROM THE BEGINNING. ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN AT OR SCHOOL IS - CAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE A FOOD PROJECT, IS THAT THE KIDS TAKE CONTROL OF HELPING US TO CREATE THE FOOD SYSTEM AFTER SCHOOL AND WE TAKE FROM WHAT WE'RE GROWING IN THE GARDEN AND CREATE PRODUCT. SO, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT YOU CAN DO WITHIN THAT SCHOOL AND YET SOME OF THE THINGS THE HEFFER PROJECT DOES JUST EXCITES ME BECAUSE THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'D LIKE TO INCLUDE IN WHAT WE DO. AND THE THING I'D LIKE TO SAY TO EVERYONE IS THAT THERE'S SO MUCH KNOWLEDGE WITHIN THIS CONFERENCE THAT YOU SHOULD TRY TO AT LEAST PARTNER UP AND FIND RESOURCES TO STRENGTHEN WHAT YOU DO BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT REALLY MAKES - BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE IN URBAN AGRICULTURE. WHEN YOU SERVE IN AGRICULTURE THEY LOOK AT YOU LIKE YOU'RE CRAZY. BUT IN PHILADELPHIA WE ACTUALLY HAVE A LONGER GROWING SEASON THAN IN LANCASTER COUNTY. WHICH IS KIND OF THE COUNTY FOR AGRICULTURE IN THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA. I MEAN THERE ARE PLUSES AND MINUSES. YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO FIGHT FOR YOUR LAND LIKE RURAL FARMERS BUT THE THING THAT'S EXCITING - TOMORROW'S HARVEST DAY FOR US. WE HAVE A CSA. AND WE HARVEST THE SAME DAY AND WE GIVE OUT OUR PRODUCE WITHIN A COUPLE OF HOURS. YOU CAN'T GET ANY LOCAL THAN THAT. SO I THINK THAT SUBURBAN AGRICULTURE IS A VERY VIABLE WAY OF GOING.

NEW SPEAKER: IF I COULD JUST MENTION THAT IN PHILADELPHIA THERE ARE VERY GOOD PROJECTS IN THE DESIGN THE UNIVERSITY AS A PROGRAM. THE STUDENTS IN THE UNIVERSITY ABOUT EIGHT YEARS NOW WHICH IS SIMILAR TO YOUR TARGETS. IT'S A DIFFERENT LEVEL. THE SENATOR PROJECT HAS ACCOMPLISHED A LOT OF WHAT'S BEEN DESCRIBED BY EVELYN.

NEW SPEAKER: I JUST WANT TO SAY QUICKLY, MOST OF THE PEOPLE I WORK WITH FROM AUSTRALIA WON'T BELIEVE I HAVEN'T SAID ANYTHING IN THIS WORKSHOP. (LAUGHTER) I WANT SOME PEOPLE TO BE WITNESS OF THAT. NOW I ACTUALLY HAVE TO APOLOGIZE BECAUSE I'M ACTUALLY WITH THE AUSTRALIA CONTENTION IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IT. WE'VE BEEN INVITED TO THE AMBASSADOR'S RESIDENCE. SO I HAVE TO SORT OF HAVE TO GET READY. BUT I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT COMING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN A RURAL TOWN AND I MEAN RURAL IT'S REASONABLY RURAL, BECAUSE THEY HAVE THESE LOCAL TOWNIES OF POPULATION OF 4,000 PEOPLE. OUR BIGGEST CITY NEXT DOOR IS ABOUT A HALF HOUR AWAY AND IT'S 23,000 PEOPLE. SO IT'S PRETTY SMALL. BUT I'VE REALLY ENJOYED LISTENING TO YOU. YOU'VE REALLY INSPIRED ME TO GO HOME AND THINK ABOUT OTHERWISE, IN TERMS OF HOW WE CAN GET OUR OWN CHILDREN INVOLVED BECAUSE DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE STILL LIVE IN RURAL, I THINK THEY STILL THINK TOMATO SAUCE IS JUST RED STUFF TOO. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'VE REALLY ENJOYED IT AND I'M SORRY I HAVE TO LEAVE.

NEW SPEAKER: TO ADD TO THIS DISCUSSION AND SAY THAT YOU HAVE TO SORT OF EXPAND YOUR VISION AND YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT AGRICULTURE IS. CAUSE WE'RE EXPERIMENTING SOME THINGS THAT REQUIRE NO LAND WHAT-SO-EVER. I MEAN CAROLYN'S GROUP THAT KING IS WORKING IS BASEMENT AND THERE IS TALAPIA. THEY'RE RAISING WORMS AND MANY OF THE KIDS ARE WORKING THE GREEN HOUSE. THEY'RE IN TORONTO, THEY'RE TOGETHER WORKING IN THE BASEMENT GROWING SPROUTS. THERE'S A WHOLE WAREHOUSE IN CHICAGO CALLED THE URBAN GARDEN AND SHE'S MAKING ABOUT - SHE'S A SINGLE ENTREPRENEUR - SHE'S MAKING ABOUT $50,000.00 A YEAR PUTTING IN HER POCKET FROM GROWING SPROUTS, ORGANICALLY GROWN. CERTIFIED SPROUTS IN A WAREHOUSE. AND SHE'S THE ONLY ORGANIC GROWER OF SPROUTS WITHIN A RADIANCE OF LIKE 300 MILES IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO. SO, IF YOU CAN EXPAND YOUR NOTION OF AGRICULTURE AS WELL. YOU NEED A ROOF TOP. BUT SOME BEADS UP THERE. MY HOPE IS THAT WE DO GET MORE AND MORE VACANT LOTS INTO AGRICULTURE, INTO PER COUPLE PRODUCTION. AND IT'S MY HOPE ONE DAY WE'LL SEE ANIMALS, SHEEP GRAZING AGAIN ALONG LINCOLN PARK IN CHICAGO. MANICURING THE PARKS WHILE THEY'RE PRODUCING WOOL. RIGHT? BUT WE CAN ALSO BEGIN TO THINK OF AGRICULTURE.

NEW SPEAKER: NO, I'M ALSO REALLY GRATIFIED THAT THEY WOULD USED TOO. BECAUSE IT MEANT WHAT THEY WERE DOING WAS BUILDING COMMUNITY RATHER THEN LOOKING TO JUST CONVERT THEIR LABOR INTO CATCH. WHICH - THERE ARE TWO FIXES. ONE IS JUST PUTTING MONEY TO THE PROBLEM AND THE OTHER ONE IS BUILDING COMMUNITY AND THAT'S WHY I WAS REALLY PLEASED THEY WERE DOING THAT. I WAS JUST PASSING WORK JUST SELFISHLY BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FUN TO HAVE THAT LOCALLY PRODUCED. SALADS, GREENS, VEGETABLES. THERE IS SO MUCH VARIETIES AND OPPORTUNITIES.

NEW SPEAKER: MY QUESTION WAS HOW DO YOU MAKE THAT CHOICE AS A COMMUNITY?

ANSWER: WELL, I DON'T THINK THERE'S AN EITHER/OR. I THINK THERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES AND I KNOW ANDY HAS ONE OF THE MARKET BASKET PROGRAMS. THERE, WILL ALLEN, DIRECTOR OF THE STATE OF MILWAUKEE, SAID WE DON'T WANT TO JUST GROW IN THE INNER CITY AND THEN HAVING TO GO OUT OF THE INNER CITY. WE WANT TO SELL WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES SO THERE'S BENEFITS TO BOTH THE FOLKS THAT'S GROWING AND THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE ACCESS TO FRESH VEGETABLES. THEY CREATED SORT OF LIKE A CSA MARKET BASKET PROGRAM. AND THEY PUT TOGETHER A BASKET LITERALLY OF FRESH PRODUCE WEEKLY AND SOME HOW THEY PAY THE $400 TO $500.00 PRESCRIPTION PRICE UP FRONT. LOCAL PEOPLE WHO HAD - PEOPLE RIGHT IN THE COMMUNITY PAID $10.0 A WEEK. AND SO - ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE. SO WE NEED TO COME UP WITH A CREATIVE WAY OF ENABLING PEOPLE TO BUY FRESH PRODUCE WITHOUT HAVING TO COMMIT TO $400 TO $500.00 PRESCRIPTION PRICE.

SO, THERE ARE - I MEAN THERE ARE TREMENDOUS CHALLENGES. HOW DO YOU GROW INNER CITY AND SELL INNER CITY? HOW DID POOR FARMERS GROW IN ORDER TO GET RICH THEMSELVES? ADMIT IT TO THEMSELVES ECONOMICALLY THAT ALSO BENEFITTED FROM PEOPLE THAT NEEDED TO EAT FRESH PRODUCE AND IT'S A REAL CHALLENGE BUT THERE ARE SOME CREATIVE WAYS.

IS THAT THE PROGRAM THAT HAS THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION? THERE ARE ALSO PROGRAMS THAT REALIZE THAT LIVING IN TH INNER CITY, THERE'S SOME PEOPLE THAT HAS REAL TRANSPORTATION ISSUES AND THAT IF IT'S 20 BLOCKS AWAY YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY GO IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CAR YOU HAVE TO RIDE A BUS. AND THERE'S A COMMON DROP OFF POINT. THERE'S SOMEWHERE IN CALIFORNIA THAT HAS A PROGRAM THAT THEY HAD A DROP OFF POINT IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES CENTERS AND CHURCHES AND THIS TYPE OF THING. TO DELIVER IT TO NEW ORGANIZATIONS AND CHURCHES AND THEN THE PEOPLE COME THERE IN NEW YORK. THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO GET YOUR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED. ANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE WOMEN THAT HAVE WORKED WITH THEIR CITY/STATE. YOU CAN'T JUST GO IN AND ______ DOWN THE FARMERS MARKET.

PART OF WHAT'S A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING ABOUT THE ISSUE IS, ARE WE TRYING TO TEACH YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT AGRICULTURE OR ARE WE LEADING THEM TO A DEAD END CAREER? AND CERTAINLY IN THIS COUNTRY THE TREND EXTENDS. THE DIRECTION HAS BEEN TO MOVE OFF THE FARM AND FARMING HAS BEEN VIEWED AS A CAREER. A VIABLE CAREER CHOICE. SO PART OF WHAT I'M HEARING - I'M HEARING SUCH AN IDEALISTIC VIEW OF - WOULDN'T IT BE WONDERFUL IF WE COULD JUST PRODUCE FRUIT AND GIVE IT AWAY. SO WE STILL HAVE TO MAKE A LIVING. AND SO DO WE WANT TO CREATE MODELS THAT ARE VIABLE CAREERS?

NEW SPEAKER: I DON'T THINK THEY'RE - FOR EXAMPLE HOW YOU CAN GROW - THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE NOW THAT ARE LOOKING NOW AND GROWING, RAISING FISH IN WAREHOUSES AND USING THE SAME SYSTEM THAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT IN A LARGER SCALE AND ARE SELLING TALAPIA. WE'RE THINKING ABOUT SELLING SNAILS, ESCARGOT.

NEW SPEAKER: LET ME GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES. WHAT WE'VE DONE IN PARTICULARLY CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF WOMEN TO LOOK ON THE SOCIAL SIDE. PROFITS WHICH IS REALLY A REPRESENTATION OF AGRICULTURE. A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE WHICH IS KNOWN ALL OVER CALIFORNIA IS THAT IS A YOUNG MAN WHO WAS LOOKING TO GET A BUSINESS TO START A BUSINESS STARTED GROWING HERBS AND SELLING THEM. THAT DIDN'T GO VERY WELL. SO AT THE END OF THREE YEARS, 4/10THS OF AN ACRE HE GROSSED $238,000.00 SELLING ________ AND WITHIN EIGHT HE GROSSED OVER A MILLION BY THAT TIME HE HAD OVER _________. NOW THAT'S NOT A UNIQUE STORY. I HAVE ANOTHER ONE WHICH HAPPENS TO BE IN NEW ZEALAND.

NEW SPEAKER: THERE IS A PROFIT. IT'S PROFITABLE THEN PEOPLE WOULDN'T PAY FARMERS WHAT THEY'RE PAYING. SO THE REALITY IS THAT IF WE'RE GONNA DO THIS STUFF THEN WE HAVE TO GET IT SUBSIDIZED IN SOME WAY.

YET ANOTHER ASPECT TO THIS WHICH WAS GROWING WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE PROFIT MAKING AGRICULTURAL SIDE. I WANT TO GET BACK IN ONE SECOND DUE TO THE FACT THAT I THERE ARE SOME ISSUES OF THE INTEGRITY IN THE WAY THE PROJECT IS PRESENTED TO THE COMMUNITY. IN FACT, WHETHER A PROJECT CREATES STAND ALONE, SELF SUFFICIENT, CAREER-MONEY PROFITS. MAYBE NOT ALL OF THESE PROJECTS WILL DO THAT BUT THERE ARE MANY, MANY, MANY ISSUES IN CITIES WHICH CAN BE RESPONDED TO TO SOME DEGREE OR ANOTHER IN THESE PROJECT NAMELY - GET TO NAME A FEW - IT'S NOT ONLY THE YOUTH OVER HERE, TIT'S UNEMPLOYMENT UNDER-EMPLOYMENT INDIVIDUALS. THERE'S A THREAD THERE OF THE LACK OF OPPORTUNITIES. AND THERE IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS WORKING PROJECTS LIKE THESE THAT CHANGE THAT VIEW.

NEW SPEAKER: YEAH, I KNOW, SOME DO BUT ALSO ADD THAT IT CAN BE VIEWED AS SUPPLEMENTAL INCOME. AND THE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE HOPING TO ACCOMPLISH, WHEN WE STARTED DOING THIS IN CHICAGO, THAT'S CRAZY, TO STAY OUT IN THE RURAL AREAS WHERE IT MAKES SENSE AND WHERE PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING. WHAT WE NEED TO CONTRIBUTE IS TO TRAIN EVERYONE HOW TO USE COMPUTERS. HOW TO BE A COMPUTER WHATEVER, WIZARD. AND RESPONSE WAS WELL, WE'RE - THEY'RE ________ THIS SUMMER WITH ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS AND WORK AND SKILLS THAT COULD BE TAUGHT AND MARKETING SKILLS. THINGS THEY CAN TRANSLATE NOT ONLY ON AGRICULTURE JOB BUT OTHER JOBS AS WELL. THIS IS ONE VEHICLE - ONE ROUTE TO DO THAT. SO, I THINK THERE'S THAT JOB RELATED SKILLS AND ENTREPRENEURIAL ATTITUDE AND SPIRIT THAT CAN BE FOSTERED IN THIS WAY AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE AND I KNOW OF AGRICULTURE BUSINESSES THAT DON'T PAY THEIR CITY URBAN, FOLKS. SO IT IS POSSIBLE - IT'S NOT THE NORM. THERE'S AN ARTICLE THAT CAME OUT ABOUT WORLD PERSPECTIVES ABOUT LAST YEAR SPRING TIME BY FRED GAILS THAT TALKS ABOUT WHERE THE FARMERS THAT DO DIRECT MARKETING.

NEW SPEAKER: I GUESS I WOULD DO THE SAME. DEVELOPING A SMALL FARM WOULD COST YOU. TRY TO BALANCE OF MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY. MEANING TAKE A FREE MARKET PLACE OBVIOUSLY IS NOT ON ITS OWN PUTTING IN A LOT OF FOOD STORES THERE. AND NON-SUBSIDIZED FARMERS ARE CHOOSING TO SELL WHERE THEY MAKE THE MOST MONEY. SOME ORGANIC PRODUCE, OTHER THINGS THAT UPSCALE AUDIENCES IN THE FREE MARKET PLACE THEY WILL NOT GO TO ANACOSTIA. AND SO THEREFORE A SUBSIDIZED MAINLY FROM FOUNDATION ORGANIZATIONS BUILT A VOID IN FREE MARKET, COMES IN AND TRY TO MEET FOOD SECURITY NEEDS. THE QUESTION I WANT TO ANNOUNCE BEFORE SHE LEFT WAS, CAN YOU MAKE A FULLY MARKET JUNCTION NON-SUBSIDIZED OPERATION MEETING THE NEEDS OF LOW INCOME FOLKS. NOW THAT WOULD BE YOUR PRIMARY AUDIENCE. OUT TO WOULD BE WIN-WIN. SOMEONE WOULD MAKE MONEY FROM THE COMMUNITY - AND THE COMMUNITY WOULD GET THE FOOD BUT DOES THAT MONEY IN OF ITSELF PROVIDE ENOUGH TO SUSTAIN THE LOW INCOME GROWERS TO LOW INCOME SALES OR DO YOU NEED TO ULTIMATELY - BEING IN A FREE MARKET PLACE, GO TO WHERE YOU MAKE THE MOST MONEY TO SUSTAIN SOME NUMBER OF FARMERS AND THE DIFFERENCE I WAS WONDERING