This past summer, I had an opportunity to visit my friend Greg Peterson down in Phoenix, Arizona. Among the many hats he wears, Greg is owner of The Urban Farm. This "farm" is quite different from the stereotypical cows and barns and fields of hay. It is a real-world working example of the future of just how we might grow our food, live more lightly upon the planet, and have fun doing it, too!
Meet Greg,
No, this is not a personals ad. It's just a story about Greg, his farm, and the incredible goings and growings on that are happening there.
Greg first started up The Urban Farm back in 2001. The idea emerged from a project for his undergraduate work in Bachelors of Interdisciplanary Studies at Arizona State University (a program where students have an opportunity to combine two areas of study for their degree).
Since that time, The Urban Farm has become a local destination for everyone from the farming curious to the average suburban citizen just curious about what the heck Greg and his crew are doing over here.
The Urban Farm is located on a 1/3 acre lot in a typical Phoenix suburb. If you were to do a drive-by, you likely wouldn't even notice it. The house is typical of others on the street, as is the driveway, front "lawn" and shrubs. Once you step on to the lot, though, you're in for a treat.
Join me for a stroll around "the farm"! Also, click on any photos in this entry for a larger view. Hit the play button when there and watch a slideshow of all the pics!
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One of the first questions people tend to ask when they arrive at The Urban Farm is, "where's the farm"? No barn. No cows. Chickens, though. No tractor or rolling hills. No meadows or fields. Just a house and bunch of gardens out front (the back gets more interesting). This is one of the key ideas about The Urban Farm. It's a farm in that everything planted in the ground is edible! It's not a farm because it looks like the gardens next door and likely at your house too. They're just used more for sustenance than aesthetics.
Aside from the standard leafy greens, tomatoes, and peppers, The Urban Farm has 85 fruit trees on the property. The trees are pruned regularly to maintain a small size. This is how they were able to pack so many trees into such a small space. The Urban Farm also employs a number of Permaculture practices. While the definitions of "Permacultre" are many, my favourite is establishing a relationship with non-human systems to accomplish human goals in the surrounding landscape. A simple example is planting a large tree the right distance from your house to shade your home in the summer and allow sunlight through in winter.
The Urban Farm employs a number of Permaculture principles, such as rainwater harvesting, companion planting, composting, animal husbandry, and materials reuse. From the chicken tractor (fill it with chickens, move it around the lawn, chickens eat bugs and grass, lawn gets mowed) to the use of "Urbanite" (term invented by The Urban Farm -- refers to reclaimed concrete and stone from sidewalk or building demolition) for structures, The Urban Farm is full of fascinating living models of what most of us might just read about theoretically in progressive literature.
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As mentioned, Permaculture is about systems and The Urban Farm employs many. One of my favourites is water usage. The outdoor kitchen (constructed with Urbanite walls) is an excellent example. Wastewater (greywater) from the sink is directed out the back and into an underground storage tank. Water from the tank is then used to water the various plants, fruits, and vegetables around the farm. Greywater may even be used for toilets, but The Urban Farm does not (yet?) have such a system in place. |
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| This photo doesn't do it justice, but the rainwater barrel is a daunting eight feet tall (!). After all, we're in the desert, so any rain that falls from the sky is like liquid gold. It's used for crops, as well as showering off after sweating in the hot Arizona sun! |
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| Arizona receives an abundance of heat. The Urban Farm employs a series of solar panels for electricity and a solar hot water heater as well. When the sun is really shining, the local electrical utility actually pays The Urban Farm for its net production of electricity that is fed back into the city grid. Imagine how many nuclear plants could be eliminated should such a system be mass produced, distributed, and installed on to the majority of households in the sunshine States. Electrical production vs. consumption can even be monitored over the Internet and you can track your generating trends and compare with others. |
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In the spirit of grow-food-anywhere, you'll find veggies growing in horse troughs and stainless steel garbage bins, which gives a whole new meaning to the term "container gardening."
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Of course, what farm is complete without a truck? The Urban Farm uses a highly reliable Toyota from the 80's. A dedicated and reliable workhorse, Greg has received many offers for the truck. It's definitely not for sale, though. They just don't build 'em like this anymore.
And for more the day-to-day, Greg uses a Honda Insight. The hybrid sips gas and is excellent for the flat desert terrain. Looks pretty darn cool, too.
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There are simply all sorts of cool things around. This artistically bizarre piece sprouting up on the edge of a garden helps guide the garden hose as various areas are watered. Hose stays out of the garden and doesn't flatten plants. Gee, Greg could retire on this idea alone!
Indoors, you'll find several solar tubes throughout the house. These tubes are similar to skylights, but without the direct light. The advantage is that the diffuse light does not fade furniture and can be directed into the house in a non-linear fashion. Just position the dome structure on your roof, install the reflective tube, and go straight down or at an angle, to the ceiling of interest. You can even direct sunlight from the roof down to your basement if you stay within the maximum length requirements! Such systems have been used in offices and commercial shopping centres to provide daylight in otherwise artificially lit areas. Many advantages for people's health and electrical savings. Great conversation piece, too.
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| Inside, you'll also find an awesome retro stove (wish they still built appliances like this!), herbs drying, freshly harvested eggs (often in many colours!). You'll also stay cool complements of an evaporative cooler. Different from an energy-hungry air conditioner, an evaporative cooler passes air over water. The water pulls the heat out of the air and a nice cool breeze greets you from the air vents throughout the house. |
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A photo on the wall represents a possible future for The Urban Farm. It is a layout and design for a large-scale application of The Urban Farm concept. From inviting entranceways to food production to just plain experiential areas, one can envision an oasis, a place for children to learn, for students to practice, and for adults to gain wisdom. Should the dream because a reality, it would provide a Permaculture playground full of exciting possibilities.
This photo has hung on the wall since the day it was received. It is a subtle reminder. An idea. Just waiting. Ever so patiently. All in good time I imagine. All in good time.
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The photo below shows Greg doing one of the things he does best -- educating, inspiring, and instilling passion in others to learn new ideas and possibilities.
To learn more about The Urban Farm, visit the website!
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