A Capitalist Dream: Company Designs and Maintains Organic Garden In Your Backyard
Most environmentally aware Americans would love a personal organic vegetable garden, but how many people actually have the time to cultivate one?. Thanks to a San Francisco-based company called MyFarm, Bay Area denizens can pay a weekly fee to have a backyard garden designed and maintained by professionals.
Customers choose between a Personal Installation (just enough food for themselves) and an Owner Member Installation (enough food for MyFarm to sell to other members). Owner members receive a discounted membership.
The company leaves no gardening detail ignored. Each garden is tested for toxins and receives a drip irrigation system to automatically water the vegetables. MyFarm even maintains a compost pile and takes care of all pesky weeds that arise.
MyFarm founder Trevor Paque envisions a decentralized urban farm in San Francisco, made up of a network of organic urban vegetable gardens where clients in sunny areas grow tomatoes for those in foggier areas, and those in the foggy parts of town grow broccoli and other cool-weather veggies for those in warmer climes.
Paque and his crew do all work by hand and follow permaculture farming principles to ensure the long-term sustainability of each garden. Sample garden produce includes artichokes, spinach, squash, sweet peppers, carrots, and peas.
While some people may protest that a service such as MyFarm downplays the importance of individual farming and gardening skills, I believe that this is an important step in creating a local food economy. After all, in today’s era of high food and gas prices, shouldn’t we welcome a service that wants to provide high-quality produce close to home?
Sounds like a good idea to me. I wish it was out in Kansas City. Food is an issue that is coming up next and were not using our space. Sometimes its just hard to get out and keep your garden up. I’ve been doing it for 20 years too, but sometimes get a bit back and I am not doing all the irrigation and testing. Sounds a good way to have reliable healthy food.
This is fabulous and exactly what I am looking for. We are moving to Austin, TX in 6 months. I hope to find a service exactly like this there. If I can’t, I may encourage someone to start one.
Interesting idea. It must be a fairly expensive service, or the labor costs just wouldn’t work out. It’s true that permaculture techniques might lower the amount of labor involved, but there’s quite a bit of time and effort that would just go into visiting different houses every week.
Great concept & article. I think this is going to be a trend in the future. In fact our team is creating a sustainable community in the eco tourism hot spot of La Paz in Baja California Sur, Mexico and organic gardens are going to be a focal point of the development.
http://www.mesaverdebaja.com
What a great i d a. Shame I live in Australia or I would likely be a candidate!
This is a growing movement! Your backyard farmer has pioneered this model of backyard farming and has been bringing small farms and building community in neighborhoods since 2006 in Portland Oregon. They are now in there third season. Your backyard farmer model is now being used thru out the country and Europe. There program has expanded and is offering Full service small farms, a consultation programs for Do it yourself people and those who would like to start a backyard farming venture in there home towns. Your Backyard farmer uses healthy, local and sustainable practices they just won the BEST award in 2008 for sustainable food systems in Portland OR.
Building community one farm at a time!
I found this post through google… (No Impact Man was talking about this type of business in NYC and…) I was looking for a similar business in Los Angeles (SFV).
Any recommendations?
Also, Jake might think growing food isn’t that hard, and it probably isn’t but I spend 48 hours a week at work and then another 15-20 at school. I’m lucky if I can make it to Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. If the price is reasonable, why shouldn’t I have the option of paying someone to “farm” my apartment balcony. I’m already paying people in Iowa to grow corn I don’t eat. ($28/acre government subsidy)
Hi Stefanie - Unfortunately, I don’t know of any similar services in LA. I have a feeling that some might spring up in the near future since backyard farming services are becoming popular in other cities. Good luck!
[...] read more | digg story Posted by magdalena43 Filed in Uncategorized [...]
[...] read more | digg story [...]