Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Britan Fights the "Wonky Veg Mountain"
Check out this article in the Sun to see some unbelievable photos of what a pile rejected mountain of rotting, oddly-shaped parsnips looks like. And find out how Britain is counteracting the waste!
Monday, October 17, 2011
F.A.Q.
What are the regulations about growing food/raised beds in my Median Strip?
Is it safe to eat food grown so close to the street?
What if I don't know anything about gardening or growing food?
What if I don't have a median strip or yard, can I still be involved?
Is MF interested in working with lawns or other gardening real estate?
well i never promised you answers did I? :p
Is it safe to eat food grown so close to the street?
What if I don't know anything about gardening or growing food?
What if I don't have a median strip or yard, can I still be involved?
Is MF interested in working with lawns or other gardening real estate?
well i never promised you answers did I? :p
Sunday, October 16, 2011
About
Who we are
We are a motley group of Portlanders with a passion for food as a source of security, justice and health for people and the environment. We are gardeners, activists and eaters--and many other things as well. Median Farms is our new project.
About Median Farms
The Median Strip is the often ignored little piece of land that buffers the sidewalk from the curb.
The intention of Median Farms is to convert this barely thought-of land into a community resource that increases food-security, public knowledge of food gardening, and strengthens neighborhood bonds. Median Farms is part community project, part social experiment--in which we will work together to grow food in median strips. Median Farms will be a community snack-resource, an educational activity,and a testing ground for small-space gardening, permaculture, winter gardening and organic techniques. It will be a social activity between neighbors and a small step towards increasing local food-resilience in this time of great change.
We are a motley group of Portlanders with a passion for food as a source of security, justice and health for people and the environment. We are gardeners, activists and eaters--and many other things as well. Median Farms is our new project.
About Median Farms
The Median Strip is the often ignored little piece of land that buffers the sidewalk from the curb.
The intention of Median Farms is to convert this barely thought-of land into a community resource that increases food-security, public knowledge of food gardening, and strengthens neighborhood bonds. Median Farms is part community project, part social experiment--in which we will work together to grow food in median strips. Median Farms will be a community snack-resource, an educational activity,and a testing ground for small-space gardening, permaculture, winter gardening and organic techniques. It will be a social activity between neighbors and a small step towards increasing local food-resilience in this time of great change.
Mission Statement
Why the Median Strip?
The Median Strip has a unique if not (yet) glorious position in the urban landscape. Median Strips are technically the property of the city, or “public property,” but are in stewardship of the nearest property owner. They are a sort of border land between the public and the private. The lawn as we know it now, is the inheritance of various enclosure movements in which common grazing land has been increasingly fenced off into private ownership. This movement from public to private has had huge implications, good and bad, for the political and social life of Western civilization. In his famous essay The Tragedy of the Commons, Garrett Hardin uses the example of a communal grazing area as a parable that illustrates that a commonly held resource is inevitably depleted by the selfish economy of individuals. Or as Aristotle said “that which is common to the greatest number has the least care bestowed upon it.”
The central concept of Median Farms is to reject the inevitability of the Tragedy of the Commons. Changing our relationship to and stewardship of common resources is THE challenge that our century must rise too. In the Torah or Old Testament law, there is an agricultural practice of leaving the borders of one’s fields unharvested. These border crops are left for the poor to gather in a practice known as gleaning. Median farms is envisioned in the tradition of gleaning and in the tradition of commons.
The Median Strip has a unique if not (yet) glorious position in the urban landscape. Median Strips are technically the property of the city, or “public property,” but are in stewardship of the nearest property owner. They are a sort of border land between the public and the private. The lawn as we know it now, is the inheritance of various enclosure movements in which common grazing land has been increasingly fenced off into private ownership. This movement from public to private has had huge implications, good and bad, for the political and social life of Western civilization. In his famous essay The Tragedy of the Commons, Garrett Hardin uses the example of a communal grazing area as a parable that illustrates that a commonly held resource is inevitably depleted by the selfish economy of individuals. Or as Aristotle said “that which is common to the greatest number has the least care bestowed upon it.”
The central concept of Median Farms is to reject the inevitability of the Tragedy of the Commons. Changing our relationship to and stewardship of common resources is THE challenge that our century must rise too. In the Torah or Old Testament law, there is an agricultural practice of leaving the borders of one’s fields unharvested. These border crops are left for the poor to gather in a practice known as gleaning. Median farms is envisioned in the tradition of gleaning and in the tradition of commons.
Wish List
Over the Fall and Winter, we will be resource mapping--taking stock of what we have and what we need to start gardening in the Spring. If you have or have access to any of the following things, and want to contribute them to Median Farms, let us know!
The most valuable things you can contribute to Median Farms are your time, talents, energy and enthusiasm! Please email us if you are interested in getting involved, medianfarms@gmail.com
- Storage space. Do you have an unused corner in your garage or basement?
- Gardening expertise. We are looking for creative gardeners to contribute both to the gardening process and the planning process.
- Photos. Do you have an amazing food garden in your median strip or similar small area? Send us a photo and description and we will feature it on our blog!
- Volunteers. We will be needing plenty of person-power in the months to come.
- Clean, organic soil
- Soil amendments, lime, compost, compost tea, etc.
- Building materials, untreated wood, metal bins, bags, buckets
- Gardening tools, wheel barrows
- Promotion. Do you have a blog or website that can promote MF?
- Fund-raising ideas and opportunities.
- Any other ideas or information that you might have are welcome.
The most valuable things you can contribute to Median Farms are your time, talents, energy and enthusiasm! Please email us if you are interested in getting involved, medianfarms@gmail.com
Resources
help us expand this list in comments below!
Local Resources
National and International Resources
Local Resources
- Free Tool Libraries
- Internet
- Download Seed Saving Handbook
- Watch The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil Documentary on youtube, or visit their website
- Books
- The Transition Companion by Rob Hopkins
- Food Not Lawns by Heather C. Flores
National and International Resources
- Seed Savers, preserves and sells heirloom seeds. provides seed saving education
- WWOOF, a very low-cost way to learn about organic farming and meet the loveliest people.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
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