March/April 2011 Urban Farm

March/April 2011

Features

Sustainability: Coming to a City Near You
From accessible recycling facilities to green-building requirements, cities and towns are making sustainable strides.
by Pattie Baker

Coop Sweet Coop
Before you bring your new flock to your yard, make sure their home meets their—and your city’s—needs.
by Christine Heinrichs

Springing Ahead
Don’t wait til the freeze breaks. Start your seeds now for your most productive spring garden yet.
by Debbie Moors

Portable Sunshine
Build a grow-light stand for starting seeds this season. We don’t look at it as cheating, just padding your seedlings’ odds.
by Bill Bradley

Where Urban Meets Farm: Clandestine Seeds
You don’t need a cloak and mask to be a guerrilla gardener, just the creativity and resolve these folks share for greening city blocks.
by Lora Shinn

Blueprint for Blueberries
If you share the UF editors’ love for these yummy little fruits, you can grow some for yourself in containers or your backyard.
by Jessica Walliser

The Birds and the Bees
Fruits and veggies aren’t brought here by storks, you know. It takes pollination with a little help from the birds and the bees (and a few other insects).
by Amy Grisak

Arts and Grafts
With a snip here and a tuck there, these easy steps will have you on your way to grafting an orchard for your urban backyard.
by Jim Ruen

A Garden for Every Plot
Think your yard is too steep for a garden? Think again—and build this tiered garden to make the most of your lot.
by Laura Hill

From the Ground Up
Starting a community garden is no easy feat and often complicated by zoning and soil issues. Read about how the Venice Community Garden grew over one season’s time.
by Peter Bennett

Farm & Forage
Danielle and Justin Leszcz aren’t your typical next-door neighbors, unless your next-door neighbors grow corn in their front yard and raise pigeons, chickens, ducks and goats out back.
by Sharon Biggs Waller

Small-time Sugarin’
Make maple syrup from the trees in your neighborhood. Seriously!
by Lynda King

Urban Farm Road Trip: Detroit
Motor City is seeing a renaissance like few other towns can boast. What was once chrome is going green.
John D. Ivanko