Posts Tagged ‘economics’

Like many cities have been recently doing, Detroit is looking to urban agriculture in it’s toolbox of revitalization and economic development strategies.  Nancy Kaffer of Crain’s Business Journal does an excellent job of boiling down the issues and opportunities for the post-industrial city. “Detroit doesn’t have agricultural zoning, and so far urban agriculture projects have operated under the radar, according to an Urban Agriculture Working Group draft report delivered to the Detroit City Council last week by the City Planning Commission. Policy measures in the working group’s draft report include the creation of an agricultural zoning designation and a reduced tax rate for urban farms or gardens.” How will the plan be actually implemented?  As mentioned in APA’s Zoning Practice, there are various intensities of urban agriculture.  Planners in Detroit are savvy enough to recognize the need for a multi-pronged approach.  Kathryn Lynch Underwood of the planning commission is quoted

Gardening in the city is all about maximizing space.  That said, if you’ve gone through the traditional set of questions (what will grow best here?  what do I enjoy eating?) and are still trying to decide whether to grow the tomatoes or the eggplant, consider the economic factor.  The Virginia Tech cooperative extension program pulled together a list of the top 15 vegetables based on economic value.  If you want to maximize your return on investment and minimize your outlay of cash at the grocer or farmers’ market, consider growing the following: Top 15 Vegetables in economic value Tomatoes Green bunching onions Leaf lettuce Turnip (greens and roots) Summer squash Edible podded peas Onion storage bulbs Beans (pole, bush) Beets Carrots Cucumbers Peppers Broccoli Head Lettuce Swiss Chard Values based on pounds produced per square foot, retail value per pound at harvest time, and length of time in the garden.