Farm to Market by Mary Dennis, Civic Landscape

FARM TO MARKET

production, distribution and selling
of food within the
community

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Hello! Today, I am gong to start with the land....and end at the table.
Agricultural Urbanism includes more than community gardens and green roofs.
It includes food production within the whole region, from the wilderness to the city center.

• large scale farm

Wheat Fields Montana

Farms, from the very large

City Slicker Farm Oakland

to the very small, are part of the whole picture


in securing food resources for the future.

Maine Farms at Work

We must protect our agricultural lands and economies with

Protecting Farmland

planning that includes farmland, with the ecological beneﬁts of watershed and natural resource protection.

Rhode Island’s farmers contribute
90 million dollars to economy.

and by Supporting local farmers bringing fresh food to the urban marketplace.

Chicago IL

Holyoke MA

Small specialty farms, can net respectable incomes and be dovetailed within the civic fabric.

• tiny with big car

Typical size of community garden plot

Even a tiny 10 X 20 plot, the size of a parking spot, can yield signiﬁcant food.

Farriers and Veterinarians


But A single farmer cannot survive without nearby agricultural services,
which requires the support of a community of farmers.
By forming co-ops, farmers share the costs of support businesses

Farriers and Veterinarians Community Kitchens

Seed and Feed Store Implement dealer

But A single farmer cannot survive without nearby agricultural services,
which requires the support of a community of farmers.
By forming co-ops, farmers share the costs of support businesses

A dairy collective of
9 farms

Some local examples include Rhody Fresh Milk....


..... Little Rhody Natural eggs

Over 120 Sheep Growers

and Rhody Warm Blankets.


Little City Growers Cooperative pools their resources to supply local restaurants and farmers markets,

City Farm

Scratch Farm

Red Planet Farm
Front Step Farm

Little City Growers Cooperative pools their resources to supply local restaurants and farmers markets,


Even large scale organic farms and orchards rely on co-ops, In particular, access to certiﬁed organic processing plants.


Cascade Farms, in the Paciﬁc Northwest, pools fruit, vegetable and grains, to be processed and delivered nationally

Culinary and Economic Placemaking

The region, the climate, and traditions of people, reﬂect what comes to market and table.
After all - a Big Mac tastes the same everywhere, but lobster chowder and green chili stew are as unique to their regions as their buildings
and landscapes.

Codman Community Farm in Lincoln MA

Small farms help preserve these regional and cultural food-ways,

HARVESTING THE WILD T1


So let’s start with the Wilderness.

The Original Organic

Which requires intimate knowledge of the land, plants, animals and seasons,

Gathering dulse

Nova Kim and Les Hook
Gathering rice source wild foods for
restaurants inVermont

The Original Organic

Which requires intimate knowledge of the land, plants, animals and seasons,

WILDERNESS CASE STUDY YOSEMITE


Yosemite provided a bountiful source of food.

WILDERNESS CASE STUDY YOSEMITE

YOSEMITE

map


for the Miwok Indians, whose village settlements date back thousands of years.


Husbandry practices included annual burns, to maintain open meadows and savanna like groves.
Practices that profoundly shaped the landscape in which they lived.


In addition, pruning, tilling and harvesting created favorable conditions for browsing game,
controlled insect pests,

Acorns from black oaks managed over hundreds of years

increased the harvests of food staples, and produced better materials for building and basketry.


By 1850, 80% of the Indian population had been decimated by old world diseases


and then further reduced in the wake of the gold rush.

Our ﬁrst National Park 1890


So when Yosemite was ‘rediscovered’ it was mistakenly believed to be a pristine landscape,
untouched by human hands.


A majestic arcadia,
Now the realization has dawned that ‘wilderness’ must in fact be tended and cultivated.


Cultural practices are being reintroduced to help restore and manage our public lands,
Stewarding the wilderness is rekindling Native skills and economies and bringing the ‘products’ of arcadia to the marketplace.

RESTORING AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES T-2

T2

20+ acres
The Rural Zone

Our cities and towns are only as healthy as our natural resources, including how and where food is grown.

Farm as Foodshed

Stemming the loss of farms involves supporting strong agricultural communities, the sources of fresh food for the urban region.

7 acres
Rhode Island contains
10% of land it needs


This is the land necessary, we need, per person, for food and clean water.
Think of farms as food sheds, similar to a watersheds, as the land resources needed to support a metropolitan area.


Practices that preserve the health of the soil are critical too.
Systematic crop rotations build soil fertility, reduce erosion and act as carbon sinks.

Tuscan


This beautiful landscape is a Powerful testament of wasteland restoration.
Val D’ Orcia was once so depleted it resembled a moonscape.


Centuries of war had left the ﬁelds untended, and shepherd’s grazed the land to ruination.


Careful cultivation has been the 20th century work of Iris and Antonio Origo.
Now protected as a UNESCO heritage site; the quintessence of a fertile, and scenic Tuscan Landscape.


To Protect our Farms as an important part of our scenic and cultural heritage

• Land Trusts
• NRCS National Resource Conservation Service of the USDA

• Co-ops
• American Farmland Trust s aving the land that sustains us

• SAGE• land trustssustainable agriculture education

• New • NRCSSmall Farm Institute
England National Resource Conservation Service of the USDA

• Leasing Co-ops
•
• American Farmland Trust saving the land that sustains us

• SAGE sustainable agriculture education
• New England Small Farm Institute


many organizations and are partnering with farmers, to provide educational programs,

• legacy farm

Billing Farm VT

preserve heritage live-stock breeds, crops, architecture,

Crop rotation through grazing

and sustainable land practices.

“Connecting farmers, chefs and eaters”

But we all can make a difference ........Buying local, tops the list of enabling farmers to stay in business,
Farm Fresh is a distribution co-op, which allows farmers to spend more time doing what they do best, growing food.

Community Supported Agriculture CSA

By joining a CSA, you help guarantee a source of income for a farmer in exchange for a share of the produce.

Ayers Creek Farm

Restaurants that support specialty crop growers as sources of seasonal and local produce,

new farm to table


bring Fresh and Innovative cuisine to the table, creating a wider demand in the marketplace.

• road side farm stand

Seasonal Farm Stands

Distribution in the rural zone include roadside sales...

General Store

.....General stores....
.

Truck Farmer
Pick Your Own


direct farm purchases and sales.

RURAL CASE STUDY LOS POBLANOS NM

Los Poblanos


The Rio Grande River, ﬂowing through the North Valley of Albuquerque, has supported civilization for thousands of years.


Once an extensive land grant dating back to 1716, the Present, 25 acre farm, keeps 80%
protected in agricultural cultivation.

Acequias

As part of the heritage of the North Valley, Los Poblanos is preserving their acequias, an irrigation method of field flooding, that channels
the river onto the fields.

• lavender ﬁelds


However, the farm is shifting away from water intensive crops such as alfalfa, and pioneering lavender as a high commodity crop for the
arid southwest.

• CSA


The farm also partners with Los Poblanos Organics, a large CSA with over 2,000 members,


To revive the nearly extinct Navajo Churro Sheep, Los Poblanos participated in a breeding program that has re-introduced the sheep to the
Navajo Nation.
A 4-H program, hosted at Los Poblanos, continues the work of preserving heritage breeds.

Sand Hill Cranes

Winter ﬁelds are left uncultivated, so that migrant birds, have a protected area to glean and serendipitously fertilize the ﬁelds.

Farm to Table

Today the farm is a Historic Cultural Center and Inn.
The chef takes pride in serving the bounty of the farm to guests.

Mount Vernon

George Washington’s Georgian farm on the Potomac River.

Digniﬁed living arrangements for skilled laborers, farm hands and their families is an important planning element for all farm communities.
At Mount Vernon, these were laid out in both a practical and inclusive manner.

• farm worker housing

Moule & Polyzoides, design by Bill Dennis

Farm-worker Housing Shafter CA
And here, NEW housing in the Central Valley.

RECONFIGURING SPRAWL T-3

T3

• Reconﬁguring Sprawl

Medium scale agriculture Small farms 5-20 acres
The Sub Urban Zone:
For farms to be viewed as an environmental amenity, a broader literacy of where our food comes from needs continued advocacy,
especially in this highly contested zone where the pressures of development are high.

Agricultural District Before Development

Rural by Design


Sprawl can be re-channeled to preserve agricultural resources,

After Conventional Development
Dodd Associates, Rural Design Manual

Rural by Design


Instead of large lot sub-divisions,

After Creative Development

Rural by Design


This saves considerable infrastructure and land costs.

Better Still Inﬁll

Comparative size Mall vs Town
116 acres
Rockland Maine

But Better Still, Inﬁll.


Grey ﬁeld sites,


reconﬁgured into streets and blocks, with civic spaces


and mixed use buildings, saves even more farmland from new development.

Mixed lot sizes

Historic hamlet plans, diagram the components of the food-shed,
from small farmyards and kitchen gardens,

Village Market

to civic spaces accommodating market days,

general store

• general store

General Store

to General Stores, which serve as post ofﬁces and gathering places,

Direct Farm Purchase

to home businesses.

SUB - URBAN CASE STUDY HADLEY MA
Incorporated 1659


Situated on a bend in the Connecticut River, this area has some of the best farmland in all of New England.

SUB - URBAN CASE STUDY HADLEY MA


The mile long town green spans the peninsular plain.


Farmsteads are aligned to the Green with formal setbacks.
Barns and farm structures are behind the houses with ﬁelds stretching continuously beyond.

Typical Farm Complex
Pittsﬁeld


The cross roads at mid-section form a civic and commercial center.

Town Center

Hadley Commons sugar maples Farm House

330’ ROW - Green + Two-way Trafﬁc Both Sides

Farm Based Codes, would be a useful tool for protecting working landscapes from rural sprawl and big box development. A
counterpoint to Form Based Codes.

RURAL URBAN CONNECTIVITY T-4

T4

Specialty farms 1-5 acres
• Rural Urban Connectivity Community Gardens
Front Gardens
Kitchen Gardens

Neighborhood Edges
Small farms and large gardens buffer the rural transition towards the urban core

• green thumb lots


and give ambitious gardeners and farmers closer access to civic life.

edible ﬂowers and herbs

But, current ordinances will need to be rewritten,
allowing agriculture in urban zones, and giving farmers protection from development.

Backyard sheep, geese and chickens Portsmouth NH

and permitting small animal husbandry and home businesses

INTRA-URBAN AGRICULTURE T-4

Community gardens
Yard Gardens
Container Gardens


The weave of rural into General Neighborhoods is enhanced by the addition of community gardens

Historic Boston Community Gardens

which have the potential to supply a huge share of locally grown food - over 40% during WWII.

Cleveland City Hall Plaza -1943

and can be planted in Civic greens,

kindergarden

Portland OR - 1943

school yards,

Toronto

street medians, you name it,

Urban Farming
leading the way

• Milwaukee

• Mac Arthur Genius

• $400,000. to create jobs in
urban agriculture

Will Allen CEO Growing Power


passionate activist are leading the way

40 squares miles of vacant land 25,600 acres

DETROIT - Motor City to Farm City

Detroit is being re-imagined, as a urban farming city

Urban Agriculture in Chicago:
Navigating the Rules of Zoning for Urban Farms

Chicago is pioneering the legal work of necessary to encourage urban farming

YARDS


Yards are being redesigned

kitchen garden

Tsawwassen B.C. Canada

as Kitchen gardens

Williamsburg

Herb gardens

Williamsburg

Vegetable gardens

Kitchen Gardens, Orchards and Fields

that feather in with joining ﬁelds and civic greens

Market Hall with Community Room Above

As density increases, a greater reliance and diversity of markets becomes important.

GENERAL STORE

Apartments above

General stores, small grocers,

Farmer’s Market

CSA’s pickup points,

garden center

Small Garden Shop

and a variety of small specialty shops,

EDGE CASE STUDY New Town St. Charles MS

Founded in 2003


North of St. Louis, situated on the plain at the conﬂuence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.
The 12 acre Organic farm sits on the edge of the town fabric,
providing a buffer from the surrounding, large scale farms.

New Town Organic Farm

Functions as a community asset,

In -Town Markets

providing fresh produce to the town market and restaurants.

• comm

Community and production plots

A full time farming couple live on the farm and actively engages with the town,

NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER T-5

T5

• Secure Community Gardens
secure open space for community gardens


Community gardens should be considered as integral as parks and playgrounds, in the overall green space system, and
given special designation as a type of open-space that is protected from future development.


well interspersed within easy walking distances within neighborhoods.


The reclamation of vacant lots, creates strong community ties and pride, a powerfully positive and proactive way to transform the places we
live and stabilize real estate values

• Oakland City Farm

City Slicker Farm Oakland CA

Small plots of land managed by individual farmers, are also transforming vacant land.

Farm Steward Rich Pederson

South Side Community Land Trust
City Farm Providence RI

Last year, City Farm grew 1,539 pounds of food on just
3/4 of an acre!

A bio-intensive commercial farm and outdoor classroom. City Farm sells produce at local farmers markets and restaurants and gives
regular food donations to local charities.

Urban Apple Trees - Peterborough NH

Growing edible plants in the public realm is relatively untapped.
Street trees and tree verges are prime areas for extending the edible landscape.

Brooklyn Orchard

Trees and shrubs with edible fruits, are highly ornamental and suited for both the civic and residential landscapes.

Edible Streets - Portland OR

street tree verge

Driveway to Foodway

wild cherries, elderberries, spring ramps, purslane, ......

Ginkgo nuts, a delicacy

Urban Foraging Networks


edible ‘weeds’ are in abundance, if you know where to look. Urban Foraging networks

Mapping Seattle’s Urban Orchard

Post where, what, and when the urban bounty can be gleaned.

The link between fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy citizens,
is being promoted from the White House to the classroom,

Alice Water’s School Yard Edible Garden

Alice Waters Edible School Yard teaches children to grow and prepare fresh nutritious food,
A model for schools across the country,

Involving City and Suburban Kids with Growing Food

Programs such as Kids First RI, City Spouts Cambridge, and the Food Project Boston, source food from local farmers for school lunches,
giving urban children direct connections to where their food comes from.

CONTAINER AND ROOF GARDENS


Containers and planters transform

Transforming a Parking Lot

unattractive paved areas into gardens,

Vertical Fence Maine Botanic Garden

pocket parks

St. Louis
Planter Buffers

or pleasant sidewalk seating areas.

Civic Square

The economic boost to adjacent businesses in making streets attractive is unequivocal.

detroit

Edible Walls Growing Power Headquarters

Containers maximize limited space

Salad Wall

for growing food

Mobile Edible Wall Units
(MEWU)


Planting Strip Gardens , Portland OR

in both the civic

alley way herbs

Herb Alley behind Restaurant

Balcony Gardens

and private realm

Truck Farm

some people even take truck farming literally

Dock Farm

ﬂoating greenhouse and dock containers

Pot Farm

herbs

Roof Farm

Roof- tops are, the ultimate container garden.

Culinary Farm


But remember, the vast majority of our food comes from our rural farms

CITY CENTER T-6

Permanent Market Halls, Squares & Grocers

The greatest variety of markets is represented in the city center, a receptor of goods rather than a producer of
goods

Quincy Market Boston MA 1825 Cuadios de John Stobart


Market districts are part of our cultural DNA

Faneuil Hall Market 1890

and are embedded within the fabric of the city.

T-6

Faneuil Hall Market circa 1922

Old maps are valuable resources, to study how cities have facilitated receiving goods .....

Pike Place Market Seattle

One of the oldest continuously operated farmers market in the country, begun in 1906, to cut out middlemen.
Now encompassing 9 acres, housing over 200 businesses, 190 craftspeople and 100 farmers

Produce Market Hall

Lucca Italy has a central hall ringed with small shops open to both street, plaza and hall.

• districts, food streets
• Specialty shops
• Push carts

Food Street

Districts that specialize in a variety of food shops.

market street

Pick ‘n Eat

Market Hall

Local Products

and local venders

No Market

Lost places can be revitalized as market districts.

Food Market

Borough Market in South London uses space under elevated train tracks.

Market Under Bridge

and this one in Portland OR

Market - No Hall

Permanent market square

market with espalir

Ephemeral Market

in a civic square

• farmers market

Street Closures

• green grocers

Sidewalk Market

green grocers,

• corner stores

Corner Market

corner stores,

Mobile Market

Roving Truck Farms

Push Cart Markets

penetrate into neighborhoods that have limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables

URBAN CASE STUDY BOSTON EMERALD NECKLACE


Boston’s Emerald Necklace, begun in 1870, represents a comprehensive interweaving of green infrastructure
from T1, Blue Hill Forest Reserves to T6 City Center and Market Halls


Within this magniﬁcent park and urban wild system,

Back Bay Fens

a full range of civic amenities are provided,

Fenway Victory Gardens

including the countries earliest community gardens

Boston Emerald
Necklace

City Bountiful

Established in 1892,

Farm to Table

Direct connections to locally grown food include: restaurants


such as New Rivers, which sources all of its food from local organic farms, fair trade organizations and sustainable seafood distributors.


Oleana: in Cambridge MA, which owns a 50 acre organic market farm, 25 miles west of Boston, that supplies local restaurants (including
Oleana), farmers markets, and a 300 member CSA

• Grocers

Rising Tide Market, Damariscotta ME ,

large photo posters of local farmers give a visual connection to customers
of the people growing the food sold in the market

WHAT’S NEXT?

• Conclusion


Urban Agriculture is more than just growing food.
It is about the design of the places in which we live, work and sustain ourselves.
It is not about de-urbanizing our cities, but about re-integrating green space into the urban fabric to include growing food and civic spaces
for markets squares and halls. Designs that will give farmers greater accessibility to civic life and urban neighborhoods a direct
connection to where their food comes from.


Andres Duany caught the grass fed bull by the proverbial horns, when he realized, it is current zoning codes that are driving the course of
development and preventing Town Building in a traditional mixed-use fashion.

a book about creating policies for new urban uses


As we work to change this course, let us also remember to include farming and community gardens into our zoning and plans, along with
market squares and the protection, of agricultural resources, so that locally grown food is secure and readily available well into the future.

Bon Appétit!

Farm to Market by Mary Dennis, Civic Landscape

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