Disqus - Latest Comments for Roxsen

Re: Every Picture Tells A Story - Urban Farming: Green Dreams’ Carbon Footprint

Roxsen — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 10:15:13 -0000

server farms to run the AI

Re: Every Picture Tells A Story - Urban Farming: Green Dreams’ Carbon Footprint

Roxsen — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 13:24:48 -0000

This study has received massive attention, with the results being accepted uncritically. It is deeply flawed, however, because it compares apples to oranges. Some examples:

Conventional farmers are professionals, while most urban farmers are not. Most are glorified gardeners whose contribution to the local food supply does not even amount to a rounding error. Urban farming has yet to be professionalized with commercial grade growing practices,
The infrastructure of conventional agriculture is energy intensive to create, operate and maintain because of its scale and , especially as it becomes more computerized. Comparing its infrastructure to garden beds is specious..
A sizeable amount of the food produced by conventional agriculture does not go directly to eaters’ plates, unlike food that is grown in cities.
The number of urban farms at this point is too small to have a significant global environmental impact
Sometimes data-driven research can benefit from an overlay of common sense. Those who have the resources should debunk this study's findings. In the meantime readers should take it with a grain of salt.

Re:

Roxsen — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 12:48:53 -0000

Has the tribe considered becoming food producers themselves? They have the land. Unlike other communities that are trying to take plot a different future which gives them more control, this one has land. Here is an article that can provide some direction and inspiration. While it seems to me to have the same paternalistic tone used by a lot of the media, it’s a great story. They make much of this:
"Innovative as it may be, the Quapaw are essentially resurrecting a way of life — living off the land that sustained them before they were driven off of it by American settlers."
It seems to me what they’ve accomplished is that they have become part of the prevailing economic system while also maintaining self-reliance, and staying true to their heritage.
https://reasonstobecheerful...

Re: 137861

Roxsen — Mon, 12 Aug 2019 14:26:02 -0000

York Fresh Food Farms in York PA is running a similar project. They retrofitted a bus from the school district and set up at public transit stops, as well as neighborhood spots. Though a non-profit, they operate as a business and are hoping to cover 50% of their expenses from food that is produced at their own farm. https://www.facebook.com/yo...

Re: Finding Water in the Great American Food Desert

Roxsen — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 13:22:48 -0000

The past 100 years of urban farming cycles correlated to world
wars and economic downturns. While it temporarily helped communities get
through hard times, it has never become a significant source of food production
or provided a serious alternative to the industrialized food system. For this time to be different, urban agriculture needs to succeed as a business. And that does not mean catering to rich people. It means serving and selling to the growing number of eaters who are deciding eating healthy is worth it and and are re-prioritizing their budgets accordingly.

Re: Of Goats And Gardens: Making Sense Of Urban Agriculture In LA

Roxsen — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 10:53:55 -0000

You don't need a lot of space to produce an economically significant amount of food. SPIN-Farming is a small plot intensive system that can be used to generate $50K+ from 20,000 sq. ft. It's being used by a new class of occupational farmers to establish viable farm businesses without having to own much if, any land. They can get income producing farms in and off the ground quickly, using backyards and scattered spaces. Their main advantage is being able to locate close to lucrative markets willing to pay the real cost of real food.

That is a main big advantage of urban agriculture - its proximity to markets. Community and guerrilla-style gardening has been around forever, but its contribution to food production does not even amount to a rounding error. For urban agriculture to become established on a serious scale, it needs to be economically viable.

Re: Chipotle Proves Farmers Need to be Advocates for Agriculture Like Never Before

Roxsen — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 11:13:12 -0000

Consumers don't need to be educated about where their food comes from. They are figuring it out for themselves via new learning approaches like SPIN-Farming.

Re: Does "Corporate Farming" Exist? Barely.

Roxsen — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 09:57:00 -0000

The current system was the result of fewer people wanting
to farm, and making it faster and easier for those who do. The capital and
chemical intensive agriculture we now have does more with fewer people and less
complex management. The only way that is going to change is if enough people
are willing to get their hands dirty again.

Re: A Farmer's Reponse to Chipotle

Roxsen — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 10:14:08 -0000

Here are the issues for those considering the future of farming:
--conducting business in a way that gives you no control over your income is not a good business model
--basing the purpose of farming on feeding the world is increasingly being called into question
--how can you combine all of the agricultural knowledge we have to date, including its environmental impacts, with technology to create an appropriately scaled food system that produces healthy food, at affordable prices, and that provides a profitable return to the farmer?
--will the majority of consumers be willing to pay the real cost of real food?
--will there be a vast increase in the number of people willing to practice the type of farming that produces for local markets?
Chipotle's edgy video does nothing to advance a meaningful examination of these issues.

Re: HOLD FOR IMAGES: The Largest Urban Orchard In North America Is Now Open For Business

Roxsen — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 15:06:39 -0000

How much is this costing and what is the ROI?

Re: BLOG: Can urban farming solve problems in Fresno?

Roxsen — Sun, 25 Aug 2013 09:27:00 -0000

Importing rural-style farming, and all of its environmental problems, to cities is not the way forward. Alternative, appropriately- scaled and economically viable urban food production systems do have a place in cities and should be considered for interim use situations like this. It will take some "outside the box" thinking and willingness to take some bold steps. Perpetuating old and failing agriculture models is not progress.

Re: The next great farming frontier? Look up

Roxsen — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 14:14:56 -0000

What does commercial mean? Stories like this should dig a bit deeper into the ROI of these operations, if they are touting them as businesses.

Re: Singaporeans' appetite for farming growing | News | Eco-Business - Asia's Cleantech & Sustainable Business Community

Roxsen — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 09:22:01 -0000

In the US and Canada, urban farming is also a profession - see here - www.spinfarming.com

Re: Letter: Urban farming will bring long-term benefits to city

Roxsen — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:38:43 -0000

The most efficient, low-cost and replicable model for commercial urban farming is proving to be SPIN-Farming. It requires minimal investment and infrastructure, and it's low-tech growing system and direct marketing business model make it possible to earn significant income from backyards and neighborhood lots. It is taught via an online learning series which provides
everything you'd expect from a good franchise: a professional identity, a business concept, marketing advice, financial benchmarks and a
detailed day-to-day workflow. In standardizing the system and creating a
reproducible process it really isn't any different from McDonalds. By offering
a non-technical, easy-to-understand and inexpensive-to-implement system, farming can be learned by those who don’t come from traditional
farm families or who may not even have grown up connected to the land. Organizing and Implementing a SPIN-Farming -based training program in Buffalo will establish income producing farms quickly and inexpensively and channel interest in enthusiasm into economic activity.

Re: Milwaukee seeks to win Bloomberg Challenge

Roxsen — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 09:30:11 -0000

It shows great vision by Mayor Barrett to use urban ag as tool in the foreclosure crisis. But don't sell it short. These vacant properties can produce farm-size income if Milwaukee channels some of the energy and enthusiasm surrounding local food into entrepreneurial businesses. This will require training a large and diverse number of residents in appropriately scaled farming methods and microenterprise development and getting them operational quickly and inexpensively. SPIN-Farming is a training approach that accomplishes this.

It is easy to help people grow food. It is quite different to equip them with ability to grow consistently, in significant volume, at commercial grade. For urban agriculture to achieve the potential the mayor envisions, it needs to be regarded as a profession,not a social service program.

Re: Urban Agriculture Roundup

Roxsen — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 09:47:26 -0000

Hi, Anna. $50k gross on a half-acre (which is about 20,000 square feet) is acutally being exceeded by some SPIN farmers. If you do the math using Kelowna farmer Curtis Stone's one plot, he could be grossing $150k from a half-acre. Let's not sell commercial urban ag short. People should realize that significant amounts of money can be made growing in yards and neighborhood lots if they follow a business-oriented farming system like SPIN-Farming.

Re: http://dmdhashw.tumblr.com/post/22282726390

Roxsen — Sun, 06 May 2012 10:40:03 -0000

Most of the current crop of urban farms are social programs that happen to grow food. A successful urban agriculture industry that can compete successfully with agribusiness can't be built based on community gardens, kids and ex-offenders. It needs to be professionalized. The next important step in rebuilding local food systems is to convert some of the energy and enthusiasm surrounding urban farming into viable farm businesses. This will require training a large and diverse corps of new occupational farmers in appropriately scaled farming systems and microenterprise development and getting them up and operational quickly. Success is a numbers game. The more farming talent can be developed, the more new farm businesses will be created. As farming becomes more commonplace, it will start to again be obvious where real food comes from and why it is better. This will expand and solidify the already rapidly developing markets that will sustain local food systems long term. Real food needs real farmers.

Re: One Thing Missing from the Urban Farm Movement: Farmers - Neighborhoods - The Atlantic Cities

Roxsen — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:15:45 -0000

Daniel—
Yes, the discussion of etymology points up another characteristic of the urban farming movement, which is intellectualism. No value judgments here. It’s just that our culture has become hyper-articulate. What is ironic about a culture that invents a word like “locavore” is the extraordinary effort it now takes to achieve something that was once straightforward, and the amount of hype that surrounds what was once unspoken. Rhetoric-laden food has replaced chemical-laden food, and we are causing farmers to get all tangled up in semantics. Once the food industry becomes re-localized, the simple words “trust me” will mean something again. –Roxsen

Re: One Thing Missing from the Urban Farm Movement: Farmers - Neighborhoods - The Atlantic Cities

Roxsen — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:38:49 -0000

This begs the question, What is a farmer? It's easy to help people grow food. It's quite different to equip them to grow consistently, in significant volume, at commercial grade. Ironically what has gotten lost in our zeal to connect with the source of our food is that farming is an occupation.It not only takes intent and passion. It requires talent, training, knowledge and business savvy. It is no different than any other highly-skilled profession.

The leap people are having difficulty making is that commercial farming has a place in cities. That is because there have not been any economically viable crop production models that were appropriately scaled for cities. But in the last few years new farmers in the US and Canada have been having success with SPIN-Farming, which is an organic-based, small plot farming system that outlines how to make money growing in backyards, front lawns and neighborhood lots. The next important step in the urban farming movement is to convert some of the energy and enthusiasm surrounding local food into viable farming businesses.

Re: Tuscaloosa looks to other disaster sites for guidance

Roxsen — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:16:04 -0000

Urban agriiculture can also be an economic engine if there are local markets to support it. In the last few years new farmers in the US and Canada have been having success with SPIN-Farming, which is an organic-based, small plot farming system that outlines how to make money growing in backyards, front lawns and neighborhood lots. A free calculator that shows how much farm income can be made from backyards and neighborhood lots is available at the SPIN website – http://www.spinfarming.com/...

Re: MSU: Urban farming could supply Detroit’s needs

Roxsen — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:18:51 -0000

Lots of cities are jumping on the urban farming bandwagon, but few make a distinction between commercial and noncommercial. Most don’t recognize that urban food production can produce significant economic activity because there have not been any economically viable models for commercial crop production that were appropriately scaled for cities. But in the last few years new farmers in the US and Canada have been having success with SPIN-Farming, which is an organic-based, small plot farming system that outlines how to make money growing in backyards, front lawns and neighborhood lots. A free calculator that shows how much farm income can be made from backyards and neighborhood lots is available at the SPIN website - www.spinfarming.com/free/, and you can see some of these entrepreneurial farmers in action at www.spinfarming.com They have found solutions to all of the problems raised in the negative posts and are starting their farm businesses without major policy changes or taxpayer support.

Re: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jun/24/city-folk-get-taste-rural/

Roxsen — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 10:02:54 -0000

New farmers in the US and Canada are having success with SPIN-Farming, which is a small plot farming system that outlines how to make money growing in backyards, front lawns and neighborhood lots. SPIN provides everything you'd expect from a good franchise: a business plan, marketing advice, and a detailed day-to-day workflow. In standardizing the system and creating a reproducible process it really isn't any different from McDonalds. By offering a non-technical, easy-to-understand and inexpensive-to-implement farming system, it allows many more people to farm commercially, wherever they live, as long as there are nearby markets to support them. You can see some of these SPIN farmers in action at www.spinfarming.com

Re: Report Recommends Policies to Improve Access to Healthy Food in Cities | NorthWest Hub

Roxsen — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:49:06 -0000

What all cites can do is begin to regard commercial urban farming as an economic engine and encourage and support entreprenurial farmers to set up businesses within their borders. What is needed are: land - and all ciites have vacant and underutilized land'; appropriately scaled farming systems - and SPIN-Farming is one example which greatly reduces the amount of land needed for commercial crop production; micro-level financing which can be readily found; and markets - and cities have a variety of markets, both direct to consumer as well as institiuional markets, that can easily be accessed. In the first urbanized century, it is no longer useful to segregate food production outside of cities. While policymakers are struggling with how to address food security, their citizens are helping to lead the way by starting to practice an economically viable post-industrial agriculture that is less energy and capital intensive, more easily monitored and controlled and that produces safe, healthy food. You can see some of these pioneering commercial urban farmers in action at www.spinfarming.com

Re: Burnaby NewsLeader - A touch of France in the flats

Roxsen — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:36:36 -0000

What is helping to spur the urban farming industry is a franchise-ready sub-acre farming system called SPIN-Farming. Developed by Canadian farmer Wally Satzewich, SPIN makes it possible to earn $50,000+ from a half-acre. SPIN's growing techniques are not, in themselves, breakthrough. What is novel is the way a SPIN farm business is run. SPIN provides everything you'd expect from a good franchise: a business plan, marketing advice, and a detailed day-to-day workflow. In standardizing the system and creating a reproducible process it really isn't any different from McDonalds. By offering a non-technical, easy-to-understand and inexpensive-to-implement farming system, it allows many more people to farm commercially, wherever they live, as long as there are nearby markets to support them. By using backyards and front lawns and neighborhood lots as their land base, SPIN farmers are recasting farming as a small business in a city or town and helping to accelerate the shift back to a more locally-based food system. SPIN is now starting to be practiced throughout the U.S.,Canada, UK, Australia, Ireland and the Netherlands, and you can see some of these entrepreneurial farmers in action at www.spinfarming.com

Re: Political Affairs Magazine - Cuba: Gardening its Way Out of Crisis

Roxsen — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:14:21 -0000

While policymakers in both developed and developing countries are grappling with how to create food systems that work, citizens are helping to lead the way by starting to practice an economically viable post-industrial agriculture that is less energy and capital intensive, more easily monitored and controlled and that produces safe, healthy food. You can see some of these entrepreneurial commercial urban farmers in action at www.spinfarming.com