Urban Farming

By the end of the 20th century, nearly 80% of Americans lived in urban areas. And they no longer knew who grew their food. Then something happened. Across America, an urban farming movement has begun. Whether it's on city rooftops, beside freeway off-ramps, in vacant lots, and even in their front yards, when people like Novella Carpenter in Oakland, California grow food in cities it reconnects them to where their food comes from.

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A Rumplefarm, LLC Production
Produced by Laura Howard-Gayeton
Written and Directed by Douglas Gayeton
Edited by Pier Giorgio Provenzano

"Y.I.M.B.Y."
Colin McCrate
Seattle Urban Farm Company
Seattle, WA
"Founder and co-owner of Seattle Urban Farm Company, Colin has been working in sustainable agriculture since 1999. An advocate of experiential education, his agricultural expertise comes from years of hands-on field learning on a variety of farm sites. Past projects include the design and construction of educational and residential gardens, management of a 5-acre diversified vegetable farm, development of garden-based environmental education curriculum and small-farm and garden consultation. His new book Food Grown Right, In Your Backyard(Mountaineers Books, 2012) is a step-by-step guide to small-scale food production for the beginning food gardener.

"Rooftop Farm"
Ben Flanner
Brooklyn Grange rooftop Farm
Brooklyn, NY
Ben Flanner is the head farmer, CEO, and co-founder of Brooklyn Grange rooftop Farm, based in New York City. A pioneering urban farm operation, the business produces vegetables, herbs, and honey on over 2 ½ acres of intensive green roofs, and sells its produce via restaurants, farmer's markets, and CSAs. Prior to founding the Brooklyn Grange, Ben co-founded and managed the Eagle Street Rooftop farm. He has a BS degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, and prior experience in management consulting and marketing. The Brooklyn Grange received the LICBDC Green Business Award in 2010, the Green Roofs for Healthy
Cities Award of Excellence in 2011, and Queens Community Business Award from Mayor Bloomberg's office in 2012. He was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and currently resides in Brooklyn.

"Rooftop Farm"
Robert Lateiner
Brooklyn Grange rooftop Farm
Brooklyn, NY
Rob, a farmer at the Brooklyn Grange, which is widely recognized as the leader in rooftop agriculture and as an exceptional green and community-minded business.

"Guerilla Gardener"
Mr. Stamen
LAGG
Los Angeles, CA
The la guerrilla gardeners want people to engage their own community with a new sense of pride and ownership. Lagg began in june of 2008 after the response generated from building a garden for the birthday of one of its founding members, Mr. Stamen. His friends and neighbors immediately asked when they would be doing the next one and LAGG was born. They find orphaned land, pick the right plants, and involve their friends.

"Front yard Farmer"
Trathen Feldman
Daily Acts
Petaluma, CA
Trathen Heckman, Executive Director, is the founder of Daily Acts, publisher of Ripples Journal and a backyard farmer. Former director of Green Sangha, he serves on the board of Transition US. Trathen inspires, educates and collaborates with communities, business and municipal leaders to harness the power of nature and inspired action to restore the health of our lives and communities. He lives in the Petaluma River Watershed where he grows food, medicine and wonder while working to compost apathy and lack.

"Urban Farmer"
Novella Carpenter
Ghost Town Farm
Oakland, CA
Novella Carpenter is the author of Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer, and co-author of The Essential Urban Farmer. She farms still in Oakland, CA with her partner Billy and their daughter, Frannie. Her blog,www.novellacarpenter.net details day to day life on her little farmlette in the city, Ghost Town Farm.

"Urban Apiary"
Jon Feldman
Brooklyn, NY
Jon was inspired by Chef Eve Felder's bees in Duchess County. He'd always assumed that one day he would live out in the country with a small garden and bees close by. He never considered keeping bees in the city (he thought the noise and pollution would keep the bees from doing their jobs). Then his friend Brandon had the idea to put them on the roof above Roberta's Pizza. When they began beekeeping it was illegal in New York.

"Urban Apiary"
Eddie Diaz
Brooklyn, NY
Eddie Diaz is a self-taught beekeeper, punk rocker and Brooklyn restaurateur.

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