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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

#21

Post by TulliusCicero »

DougN7 wrote: post #15
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.

And hunting and gathering isn't work...how? Not to mention you'd still have to make your own clothes, your own shelter, take care of children, etc.

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

#22

Post by TulliusCicero »

This article is really dumb. It's only 3 acres, there's no way that satisfies 2,000 households' caloric needs, it's just a small supplement.

Not to mention that it's 'free' because of volunteers. I can also feed myself for close to free by growing my own vegetables...but it's way more efficient to just work and pay for food.

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

#23

Post by Broken_Hippo »

wang_li wrote: post #9

What does "feeds 2,000 households" mean? This is a three acre project. From what I can find it takes about half an acre to provide a single person's caloric requirement for a year.

I was thinking something similar, and I think it is weirdly both simplified and exaggerated.

I'm gonna guess if they give a family food once, they are counted as "one family fed", and their output ranges from April (if they are growing lettuces, spinach, and peas) to October (for some squash varieties). I very highly doubt they grow and store such things like potatoes and carrots for wintertime use.

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

#24

Post by cnnsucks »

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.

It sounds fashionably misanthropic and I stopped reading at that point. Based on the feedback here I didn't miss much.

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

#25

Post by riebschlager »

TulliusCicero wrote: post #22

This article is really dumb. It's only 3 acres, there's no way that satisfies 2,000 households' caloric needs, it's just a small supplement. Not to mention that it's 'free' because of volunteers. I can also feed myself for close to free by growing my own vegetables...but it's way more efficient to just work and pay for food.

Agreed. It's a little bizarre how gardening went from being a default feature of American life to REVOLUTIONARY INDUSTRY-DISRUPTING IDEA in less than one generation.

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

#26

Post by carleverett »

Urban farming is one of those things that "feels" good, but doesn't make any economic sense. Why would you move farms, which are currently on the cheapest land available, into cities, where the most expensive land is? I agree that more vegetation in cities is a good thing, but the allure of an "urban farm" is misguided. If these people are serious about providing food for as low a price as possible, they should move their farm out of the city.

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

#27

Post by toomuchtodo »

meowpants wrote: post #13

> 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,…

> 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.

Renewable energy and automation are free once bootstrapped. Its the initial investment that requires concessions to give it away.

Given enough of both, I don't need your labor nor capital.

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

#28

Post by randomfool »

wang_li wrote: post #9

What does "feeds 2,000 households" mean? This is a three acre project. From what I can find it takes about half an acre to provide a single person's caloric requirement for a year.

Their website says 50,000lbs of produced since 2011, so 10,000lbs a year for 2,000 households = 5lbs of produce per household per year.

For reference, an average 1kg rabbit eats 2.6oz of greens a day, or 57lbs a year.

So it sounds like they can feed one rabbit per household for one month of the year.

- Agrihood numbers: http://www.miufi.org/america-s-first-urban-agrihood

- Rabbit numbers: http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabb... http://www.cookitsimply.com/measurements/cups/lettuce-shredd...

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

#29

Post by panglott »

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.

Where are you going to sleep and store your tools?

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

#30

Post by djrogers »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #27
meowpants wrote: post #13

> 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,…

> 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. Renewable energy and automation are free once bootstrapped. Its the initial investment that requires concessions to give it away. Given enough of both, I don't need your labor nor capital.

Ever heard of maintenance?
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