Meeting2009–02–12
Milwaukee Urban Agriculture Network meeting 2/10/2009,
Coffee Makes You Black, 2803 N. Teutonia Ave.
MUAN is grateful for a great presentation by three University of Wisconsin-Madison professors who lead a discussion on soil at the meeting. MUAN participants identified research issues in urban agriculture. Three broad realms were identified; participants were prompted with key words from these areas. Through discussion, they identified specific issues related to those topics and provided ideas on information and on-going research related to the topic. These are the notes from that meeting.
Steve Ventura, sventura@wisc.edu, (608)262–6416
Sam Dennis, sfdennisjr@wisc.edu, (608)263–7699
Doug Soldat, djsoldat@wisc.edu, (608)263–3631
Keyword prompts: soil fertility, remediation, amendments, compaction, drainage, water management, infiltration, runoff
- Checklist and decision-making guidelines to help growers make choices about soil remediation or replacement, crop and variety selection, fertility and water management, etc.; decisions guided by intended uses, available resources.
- Development of simple, inexpensive tests for soil and food safety (the equivalent of an “over-the-counter pregnancy test”); cost-effective soil testing, particularly for contaminants.
- Measures of soil health coupled with standards and guidelines for soil remediation.
- Rate and extent of mercury, PAH and other atmospheric deposition; implications for soil health and food safety.
- Potential for penetration of caps and liners; potential for migration or release of contaminants; migration of contaminants in the long term – volatilization, transport by ants and worms, frost heave, solifluction, etc.
- Evaluation/ranking of remediation methods – cost, effectiveness, suitability for urban ag purposes.
- What is the research base supporting remediation?
- How do soil properties affect runoff and infiltration; growing recommendations adapted to Milwaukee conditions; affects of soil amendments, e.g., compost and organic matter on runoff and infiltration.
- Types and amounts of contaminants from rooftop collection systems; implications for use as irrigation water.
- Understanding soil surveys, local interpretation of soils data for urban ag purposes; combining local knowledge with database information.
Keyword prompts: crops and varieties, compost production and use, raised beds, seed bed preparation, tillage, intensive production, hoop houses, greenhouses
- Crops and varieties adapted to urban environment ( update of 1992 Extension gardening publication ).
- How much soil (how high to raise) does a raised bed need to have to be effective; what conditions, plants, management strategies influence this decisions (relevant information at Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture – kccua.org ).
- Safety of compost; affects of different source materials and processing methods on compost quality, nutrient status, and safety.
- Cost, durability, use, legality (building code issues) of backyard structures (e.g., greenhouses, hoop houses, cold frames, chicken coops).
- Design of low cost structures; design of temporary structures.
- Life cycle assessment of structures.
- Issues and opportunities for intensive production; get a lot out of small plots.
Keyword prompts: local food systems, markets, food safety, public information and education; legal issues (e.g., land tenure, local statutes, right to farm); research interactions
- Local, state, national policy’s affects on local food systems ( e.g., Kloppenburg’s research on barriers to use of local produce in schools ).
- Food processing bottlenecks – facilities, storage, distribution.
- Facilities and patterns of food access – interface with food production systems, implications for nutrition and health, promoting “healthy corner stores.”
- Incentives and education to buy local, buy healthy; using WIC funds.
- Impacts of mass media on perceptions and awareness of urban ag and food environments.
- Tying food production to food preparation ( Johnson Park Health Alliance, Fondy Food Market programs ).
General comments on urban agriculture research and interactions with academia
- Research driven by community needs; translating research and assessing its impacts.
- Culturally relevant and sensitive information.
- Increasing capacity for community driven and conducted research.
- Evaluation of the methods and effectiveness of engagement methods, e.g., programs for youth to grow for elders.
- Connecting opportunities and lessons from Madison - Troy Gardens initiatives and FH King Students for Sustainable Agriculture.
