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First Urban ‘Agrihood’ in America Feeds 2,000 Households for Free

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Re: First Urban ‘Agrihood’ in America Feeds 2,000 Households for Free

#11

Post by flyaway »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #7
vanattab wrote: post #3

Are there lots of problems with soil contamination when growing food in old city lots?

As I understand it, there's lots of problems with things like this, and that's one of the potential issues, but I would imagine that this mostly uses raised beds with clean soil brought in from elsewhere. We thought about doing some gardening when we had a backyard in an apartment in New York, but even grass wouldn't grow in that soil - it didn't help that the soil was littered with debris like glass, concrete, rando…

It's pretty cheap to have soil samples tested, but it winds up just confirming what you expect - our NYC backyard had 18x the upper limit for lead! Definitely raised beds.

Re: First Urban ‘Agrihood’ in America Feeds 2,000 Households for Free

#12

Post by 300bps »

mdashx wrote: post #2

How is it free? Isn't labor+supplies required to tend those gardens?

From TFA, "Volunteers are essential for MUFI to flourish." That explains the labor part but I didn't see reference to land and supply costs.

It's a really nice idea I just can't imagine it's as scalable or sustainable as the article seems to wish for.

Re: First Urban ‘Agrihood’ in America Feeds 2,000 Households for Free

#13

Post by meowpants »

> despite the fact that there is presently more than enough resources to care for every citizen

This is wrong. The fact there are more than sufficient resources to care for every citizen does not preclude the need to pay for something.

Suppose that I self-sacrificed by under consuming and taking a risk. Instead of enjoying my free time and spending my money, I choose to spend many days building bricks. After a while, in a hut-less society, someone might ask why they need to pay for my bricks, when there are more than enough to build huts for everyone.

Raw materials may be abundant and "free", but labor, investment, and capital are not. They're they product of blood, sweat, and tears. Hardly free.

Re: First Urban ‘Agrihood’ in America Feeds 2,000 Households for Free

#14

Post by chrisper »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #4

> Have you ever contemplated the fact that humans are the only species on Earth that pays to live on the planet? This sounds vaguely profound, until you realize that other species are also predated on, starve to death, and die from trivially preventable issues.

I thought we are paying for convenience and not to live on the planet. Like, I could do it all by hand for free, but I am choosing to pay so I don't have to.

Re: First Urban ‘Agrihood’ in America Feeds 2,000 Households for Free

#15

Post by DougN7 »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #4

> Have you ever contemplated the fact that humans are the only species on Earth that pays to live on the planet? This sounds vaguely profound, until you realize that other species are also predated on, starve to death, and die from trivially preventable issues.

Humans don't have to work. We can sleep in the rain and hunt and gather to survive like the animals.

Although I would argue hunting and foraging is work, so most animals don't get out of it either.

Re: First Urban ‘Agrihood’ in America Feeds 2,000 Households for Free

#16

Post by dagw »

300bps wrote: post #12
mdashx wrote: post #2

How is it free? Isn't labor+supplies required to tend those gardens?

From TFA, "Volunteers are essential for MUFI to flourish." That explains the labor part but I didn't see reference to land and supply costs. It's a really nice idea I just can't imagine it's as scalable or sustainable as the article seems to wish for.

They ask for cash donations from the families that get 'free' food, and they also sell produce at local markets and to local restaurants.

Re: First Urban ‘Agrihood’ in America Feeds 2,000 Households for Free

#17

Post by [deleted] »

300bps wrote: post #12
mdashx wrote: post #2

How is it free? Isn't labor+supplies required to tend those gardens?

From TFA, "Volunteers are essential for MUFI to flourish." That explains the labor part but I didn't see reference to land and supply costs. It's a really nice idea I just can't imagine it's as scalable or sustainable as the article seems to wish for.

[deleted]

Re: First Urban ‘Agrihood’ in America Feeds 2,000 Households for Free

#18

Post by hacknat »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #8
67726e wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds profound until you realize we are too.

The majority of humans have very few natural predators, and to even be exposed to animals like bears, mountain lions and sharks usually requires a bit of effort. (What's going to eat me in a city? Maybe my cat, if I die in my apartment.) And while there are more people that starve to death that should, and more people who cannot get affordable health care, I would still much rather live in the modern world than head…

How about rolling the dice now and ending up in a backwater of SE Asia or the DRC?

I don't disagree that this is probably the best time to be alive on average, but the standard deviation is pretty enormous, and I would argue that it might not be the best time to be alive in all places.

Re: First Urban ‘Agrihood’ in America Feeds 2,000 Households for Free

#19

Post by smacktoward »

chrisper wrote: post #14
pavel_lishin wrote: post #4

> Have you ever contemplated the fact that humans are the only species on Earth that pays to live on the planet? This sounds vaguely profound, until you realize that other species are also predated on, starve to death, and die from trivially preventable issues.

I thought we are paying for convenience and not to live on the planet. Like, I could do it all by hand for free, but I am choosing to pay so I don't have to.

Civilization: the ultimate in-app purchase?

Re: First Urban ‘Agrihood’ in America Feeds 2,000 Households for Free

#20

Post by flippyhead »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #4

> Have you ever contemplated the fact that humans are the only species on Earth that pays to live on the planet? This sounds vaguely profound, until you realize that other species are also predated on, starve to death, and die from trivially preventable issues.

Yeah that seems silly, money is just a tool we created to organize our activities. It's no different than any other kind of animal behavior.

This statement is just as "profound" as saying "Did you ever consider that bee's are the only animal that has to make honey just to live on the planet?" Mind blowing!

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