Pedal-powered Urban Farmers to Save the World: One lawn at a time! by Fleet Farming
 Damian Bayne Aug 22, 2017 03:59  | Hi, I enjoyed reading through the proposal. Easily, one of the best entries that I have seen here at the Climate Colab. I'm interested to see how this idea 'grows'.
All the best, Damian |
 Olawale Olaniyan Aug 23, 2017 11:37  | Dear Fleet Farming Team, A great idea from you! The objectives of your project were well explained and seemed realizable given your description. May I implore you to take a deeper look at how community participation can be sustained withing the context of fleet farming. Achieving energy security was mentioned in your pitch but how this will be actualized was not very clear in your project description. You may wish to clarify that aspect! Best of luck! Olawale |
 Julie Barry Aug 23, 2017 02:06  | I agree with the previous two commenters. This is a great idea that appears to be ready to execute. I'd suggest including additional educational components, perhaps with local schools to help educate children about the sources of their food and how to take charge of their nutrition.You may also want to explore opportunities with the sustainable urban farming communities (SUFI) that may have ideas on how you can transform residential space other than lawns, perhaps in the context of multifamily residential developments and vegetable gardens on rooftops or south facing parking garages. Good luck and best wishes. Julie |
 Hayden Haffey Aug 24, 2017 10:39 | Proposal contributor Damian: Thank you for your kind words. Olawale: I appreciate your suggestions and have updated our proposal to clarify how community participation can be sustained along with achieving energy security (Please see, other key benefits). We will be keeping our proposal up to date until 9/10. Thanks! Julie: I appreciate your suggestions and have updated these aspects of our proposal as well. Through Fleet Farming's bi-weekly "Swarm Rides", community members receive hands on experience forming beds, installing irrigation, seeding and harvesting, while learning about healthy eating, soil building and creating biodiversity in our environment. We attract a wide variety of community members, which includes families. Through our Fleet Garden Installs we have installed gardens and lead classes at many schools in the Orlando area as well as multifamily residential developments and community gardens. We also offer presentations and private Swarm Rides for corporations, schools and group events. As we continue to scale the Fleet Farming model, projects such as rooftop gardens and south facing parking garages are definitely within our reach!
|
 Pia Jensen Aug 24, 2017 12:33 | Hi, this is a great proposal. I am concerned that the time frame to accomplish goals is fairly long and that there is a "next-level" of urban farming occurring which ought be considered. You might consider engaging local community college and university students to expand the project's potential. More local television news outlets are picking up and reporting on permaculture activities - not sure if your project will practice permaculture, but think your local news outlets could help attract supporters as you get going. The next level urban farming design and practice is to create longevity in the gardens - growing perennial food plants, shrubs and trees as opposed to annual food producers. Utilizing this design/practice will eliminate much of the labor intensive activities and will provide food all year - especially in Florida. There are practitioners in Floroda that you could probably engage for your project.
Urban Food Forest provides aquaponics in Pasco and beyond www.tampabay.com/news/business/urban-food-forest-provides-aquaponics-in-pasco-and-beyond/2187840 Installing an Urban Food Forest – Updated https://permaculturenews.org/2016/11/22/installing-urban-food-forest/ How to Grow a Food Forest & Market Garden for Free and Cheap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ58szpJTk8
|
Pia Jensen Aug 25, 2017 11:38 | Here's a super video of "Epic Harvest In Small Space, BACKYARD Food Forest" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwhGor5UVV0 |
Hayden Haffey Aug 31, 2017 09:45 | Proposal contributor Pia: Thank you for your insight. When considering the time frame of our project we wanted to make our efforts as sustainable and successful as possible, not only for the health of our plots but also our staff and volunteers. As mentioned in our proposal, we are currently hiring 20+ farm apprentices. Our apprentices are from area colleges and universities as well as the Parramore community. Local and national news outlets have been extremely helpful for us in getting the word out and we plan to continue building these relationships. (You may enjoy some of these articles and videos listed here. I really appreciate all the links you have shared. These look like some great projects! Over the last year we have started to redesign our plot exteriors at our Audubon Park Branch in Orlando, FL to include perennial food plants and pollinator gardens. This includes fruiting trees and many permie crops which we have had great success with at the market. As you mentioned, these crops will allow us to provide food year round while limiting labor inputs. Thank you Pia. We really appreciate your ideas and support! |
Pia Jensen Aug 31, 2017 01:56 | Great to hear and thanks for the link. |
 Ridwan D. Rusli Sep 4, 2017 07:02 | Novel idea, allowing (almost) everyone to contribute in a (small/large) way. Excellent and good luck. |
 Sergio Pena Sep 18, 2017 08:58 | Hallo, good idea. My contributions: a.- Why not to share with the world this idea? I have seen ideas like this in various other countries however, not from the viewpoint you have depicted here. b.- Be aware that this idea has grown in Florida where the conditions might help enourmously to the project. Try to think about it in other part of the US and even the world in which the best possibility is lawn. Alternative crops with the capacity to survive extreme conditions might be useful and you can try to define which ones if not already define by natural science. c.- Consider the possibility of sharing your ideas in books and other form of communications but the social rejection should be included too (for example, this will not contribute, I do not want to change my lawn, it is easy to have lawn than to have a plantation, etc). Best regards. Sergio |
Hayden Haffey Sep 29, 2017 10:25 | Proposal contributor Ridwan: Thank you for your kind words. Sergio: Thank you for your contributions. Great to hear that other individuals are taking these steps as well. We are working to spread the word and expand to other cities, states and countries. Fleet Farming has managed to successfully launch branches in West Oakland, CA; Riverside, Jacksonville; and Audubon Park, Orlando, FL. Applying this idea in various conditions would definitely require season extension practices, experimenting with cultivars, alternative crops etc. Fleet Farming is currently in the process of putting together a manual for aspiring Fleet Branches. Will definitely make these adjustment in the next phases. Thanks! |
Pia Jensen Sep 29, 2017 12:48 | Great idea: "Fleet Farming is currently in the process of putting together a manual for aspiring Fleet Branches" - hope that you hook up with translators to produce the manual in at least three other languages considering the ethnic mix of different states. |
