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 lopan
Registered: 09/24/08
Posts: 114
Last seen: 13 years, 6 months
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 Urban Gardening? 
#190394 - 01/28/09 08:21 PM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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Urban Gardening.. I have been reading and hear much about this, and how it is the way of the future. "To move the farm to the city."
I have access to a building with ~1,000sf of space. The rent is cheap, and it is very close to home. There are a number of markets in my area (a few specialty shops which only use organically grown produce), and also a few larger grocery chains (Whole Foods, Shoppers).
Quote:
http://www.fastcompany.com/articles/2009/01/best-green-jobs.html
Since sustainable agriculture requires small-scale, local, organic methods rather than petroleum-based machines and fertilizers, there is a huge need for more farmers -- up to tens of millions of them, according to food guru Michael Pollan
My idea is to rent the building and convert it into an urban garden of sorts, selling the produce that I grow. I could employ vertical growing, aeroponics, shorter food miles, solar energy and other newer technologies to cut my costs, and to increase yields. Twice as good for half as much.
What do you all think? Could something like this become a (mutually) profitable business? Are the larger chains that much less, or completely, unlikely to be willing to purchase locally grown produce, even if it could pass some kind of quality / whatever check? Are the local markets more likely to become a customer, and that they wouldn't provide enough business to make this worth doing?
This is something that very much interests me, so please - discuss!
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 mhbound
Ballin out at all cost
Registered: 09/22/08
Posts: 8,144
Loc: High 
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Re: Urban Gardening? [Re: lopan]
#190425 - 01/28/09 09:46 PM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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Where do you live? Well you don't have to answer that but I live in Alabama and around here we have these produce stands that will buy organic foods etc. for good prices.
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Suck my balls America
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yellownotepad
Pharmaceutical Agriculturalist
Registered: 06/22/08
Posts: 1,702
Last seen: 12 years, 5 months
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Re: Urban Gardening? [Re: mhbound]
#190430 - 01/28/09 10:39 PM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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think about the cost of rent, equipment, electricity, nutrients, etc. is it possible theres a reason why weed is the only thing people grow this way on any scale other than for fun?
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mhbound
Ballin out at all cost
Registered: 09/22/08
Posts: 8,144
Loc: High
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Yea I assumed u understood how much this will cost you...But it will be a fortune.
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Suck my balls America
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TripityDooDaDay
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 7,600
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Re: Urban Gardening? [Re: lopan]
#190439 - 01/29/09 12:03 AM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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Nice idea but doesn't sound profitable as a start up. Especially in this economy. Organics are one of the first industries to take a big hard hit when money gets tight.
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mhbound
Ballin out at all cost
Registered: 09/22/08
Posts: 8,144
Loc: High
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You could look in to growing salvia etc places will buy it now...Not just salvia other things like that damn root they banned...Ummmm...Starts with a K I think...Helps you sleep. It's illegal to import but you can grow it here. KAVA!!!
And things like that. Places will buy it and hell I would probably buy some.
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Suck my balls America
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TripityDooDaDay
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 7,600
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Re: Urban Gardening? [Re: mhbound]
#190452 - 01/29/09 01:16 AM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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Fuck! I lost all 50+ of my Salvia plants in one weeks time last year due to a bad week of insane stupidity that resulted in neglecting them right after bringing them indoors for the winter.  Oh well. 
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mhbound
Ballin out at all cost
Registered: 09/22/08
Posts: 8,144
Loc: High
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That sucks man. I don't know how many times you had tried in the past but I find it better to grow 3-4 or 5 of a new plant so I can get used to what I need to do. It's hard for me to tend to my peruvianus and those bitches, my green =], and all the other shit I grow.
I gotta cut down on what I grow...Although the san pedro and others aren't much work...Neither are the shrooms. But the greenery room is.
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Suck my balls America
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TripityDooDaDay
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 7,600
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Re: Urban Gardening? [Re: mhbound]
#190460 - 01/29/09 02:13 AM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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I hadn't really tried and am very capable. I went psycho and may as well have murdered the bitches considering how I took care of them at the time.
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mhbound
Ballin out at all cost
Registered: 09/22/08
Posts: 8,144
Loc: High
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Eh it's all good. You won't do it again I bet. 
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Suck my balls America
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perosiste
I controls the spice
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 2,193
Loc: I controls the universe
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Re: Urban Gardening? [Re: mhbound]
#190467 - 01/29/09 03:05 AM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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OP.
if this is an endevour that you want to undertake, I would reccomend turning the warehouse into a greenhouse. Rather than using electric lights, I would put in as many sunlights as the city will allow and only suppliment where needed with grow lamps. This might cut down on the cost some.
Also rather than paying for high priced nutes, set up trades/deals with a horse farm, or a ranch of some sort and get as much poo as possible.
I think that the biggest hurdle will be finding places to sell your crops, although in the current ecomony, if you can set up at a farmers market on the weekends you might be able to make a decent buck.
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[quote]hemostats said:
like i said before
quite simply, you are a nuisance while i am a smooth criminal.[/quote]
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Simisu
Registered: 05/06/08
Posts: 240
Loc: Israeli in 
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Re: Urban Gardening? [Re: perosiste]
#190673 - 01/30/09 05:03 AM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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it's interesting indeed... i'm not sure property and utility wise it could be profitable if you don't already own the building but...
installing solar panels all over, converting roof space into a garden using the basement for mushroom growing (that's a VERY expansive operation by the way, you need loads of technology for a commercial mushroom grow) using the floors for hydroponics and crops that don't need as much sun light (i have no idea like what but i would imagine that even if you covered the whole building with solar panels (which in itself costs a ton) you'd still not have enough electricity for HPS lighting on all floors to grow all the food?)
not to mention setting up some water recycling and pumping cycle...
it also depends where the building stands taking account of sun realastate and weather conditions.
what i'm curious is **IF** you had the money to make it happen COULD you do it?
its a nice vision though
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 It's a WEED man! 
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perosiste
I controls the spice
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 2,193
Loc: I controls the universe
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Re: Urban Gardening? [Re: Simisu]
#190678 - 01/30/09 05:22 AM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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I didn't mean solar panels I meant sunlights
aka
big ass holes in the roof.
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[quote]hemostats said:
like i said before
quite simply, you are a nuisance while i am a smooth criminal.[/quote]
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