Growing Up?

Monday, March 23, 2009

A modern day urban farmer uses vertical growing methods to turn small lots into big producers and bring fresh produce to thousands of local residents.

Urban Farmer Sells Affordable Fruits and Veggies, Envisions Skyscraper Farms

When most people think of farms, they think flat, endless fields of corn or wheat in the heartland of the American Midwest.

When former professional basketball player Will Allen thinks of farms, he thinks community centers and, maybe later, skyscrapers.

Allen, 59, is CEO of Growing Power, an organization that built a farm right in the middle of a Milwaukee residential neighborhood to help feed the community’s residents affordably in a practice known as urban farming.

Although the farm is relatively tiny at 2 acres, it can produce enough food to sustain 2,000 people.

“Well, my goal has always been to feed people healthy, safe, affordable food and make sure that everybody has access to the same food, regardless of your economic situation,” Allen told “Good Morning America.”

You can read the rest of the story here.



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