San Francisco never ceases to amaze me with the frequency and number of sustainably-driven projects they continue to undertake; projects that many cities would never even begin to consider implementing. One such project is a new organic urban farm going right into the heart of of San Francisco on the site of an abandoned lot and freeway entry ramp that was part of the Central Freeway destroyed in Loma Prieta earthquake over 20 years ago.
Though the land is still destined to be developed in the next 5-7 years, Mayor Gavin Newsom’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development approached a number of organizers, including Hayes Valley Farms (HVF) (a volunteer organization known for sprouting up farms in the most unlikely of urban settings), about temporarily making the land farmland. The $50,000 granted to the first year of the project comes from revenue generated from parking meters in the surrounding area.
Because the project is expected to be temporary, the existing asphalt will remain on the site considering the cost of removal would be in the tens of thousands of dollars. To still make the paved areas useful, farmers will grow fruit trees in pots that can be moved and/or planted in other gardens and areas around the city.
One concern that many people have about growing food on land that immediately surrounded a freeway is pollution. I know that when I first read about this plan my first reaction was “how are you going to have an organic farm on a site that was constantly exposed to petroleum, heavy metals, and all sorts of pollutants?”. From the streetsblog.org:
Addressing concerns about growing food on the site of a former freeway, the group has lab tested 64 soil points from the site and found that all parts except for one came back with less than the EPA’s standard for lead in soil. The HVF also notes on its FAQs page that using organic soils up to two feet thick generally makes food grown there safe for consumption. Nonetheless, the group will measure lead in the roots and leaves of the food they harvest before it can be eaten.
Given the hyper-aware eco-consciousness of San Franciscans, coupled with the fact that almost 3 feet of organic mulch/soil is being put on the site, one could safely assume that all steps have been taken to make sure that the food raised on this ‘farmland’ will indeed be safe.
While the site will yield a fair amount of food, a ‘bountiful and marketable harvest’ is not the true aim of this site. The real goal, say organizers, is education. Not only will the temporary farm show the relative ease and economic/environmental benefit of undertaking such a project, but organizers will use the urban farm as a living classroom for both children and adults alike. Currently, there are plans in the works to develop a curriculum for interested schools in the area that would allow for onsite education of students in a variety of subjects.
pics courtesy of sf.streetsblog.org
The Good: An environmental, economical and educational beneficial solution to a plot of 20 year old unused land. The farm is supposed to be organic.
The Bad: The farm is temporary. Though testing of the site has been rigorous, some may question the true safety of growing food on a previously heavily used transportation site.
The Bottom-Line: Doing pretty much anything on land that has been abandoned for almost 20 years is better than doing nothing, but placing an organic farm on such area is probably one of the best uses one could come up with seeing as it benefits the environment and economy of the community surrounding it.
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