City farmers project is fruitful

Anders Gurda hops off his bicycle at various backyards in Minneapolis, Minnesota, grabs his garden tools and starts weeding.

When he is done checking for garden pests, adjusting the irrigation system and harvesting the vegetables (which he puts in the home's refrigerator or cooler), he cycles to his next plot and starts over.

He is an urban backyard farmer, one of a growing breed throughout the United States thanks to programs like Minnesota's Backyard Harvest.

"It's like having a CSA (community-supported agriculture program) in your own backyard, and you're supporting a farmer without a farm," Gurda said.

Co-ordinator Krista Leraas said the goal of Backyard Harvest was to encourage the growing of local foods.

The group, under the non-profit umbrella organisation Permaculture Research Institute, is in its second year. Dozens of programs with similar missions have sprung up around the country and worldwide.

In Portland, Oregon, a group called Your Backyard Farmer began in 2006 when Donna Smith and Robyn Streeter were growing weary of driving through the city's outskirts looking for affordable land to farm.

The thought struck them: "Why aren't we bringing food to the people?"

They drove back to the city and printed out flyers advertising their farming services in urban neighbourhoods. By the time they got home, they had 11 messages inquiring about Your Backyard Farmer. That is the most advertising they have done.

Fast-forward four years and Your Backyard Farmer is thriving, with 58 backyard farms and a waiting list for 2011. At least 27 other programs around the country and 15 abroad have consulted with Smith and Streeter.

People loved the program for its convenience, the food's freshness and the ability to customise, Smith said.

"People could choose what they wanted. Every single farm is different," Smith said.

"Typical yards include tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and people thought it was pretty cool to have those in your own yard. Then everybody started going, 'I'll try arugula or radicchio'.

"We have 42 vegetables, and they can choose them all or just a few. If you don't like it we'll pull it out of the ground."

Robyn Streeter and Donna Smith pose for a photo in a residential front yard vegetable and flower garden they created in Portland. Picture: AP/Don Ryan

In many backyard-farming programs, homeowners can choose from a wide variety of vegetables and fruits, and can choose full service (a farmer plants, maintains and harvests the garden) or a consulting service (the farmer teaches the homeowner how to maintain the garden so the homeowner can take over the next year).

Farmers also may give advice on how to use, cook and store the produce.

Prices depend on the growing season and the size of the land. In Minneapolis, prices average around $US1250 ($1415) for the season and in Portland, prices start at $US1675 per season.

Services often are available only in certain neighbourhoods to reduce the farmers' commutes.

The programs often focus on sustainability and organic foods.

Robyn Streeter works in a residential front yard vegetable and flower garden she helped create in Portland. Picture: AP/Don Ryan

Leraas said the aim was to create urban homesteads where - in addition to gardening - people raise chickens, reuse rainwater and keep honeybees.

"We're spokespeople, pushing the local foods movement just by being there," Gurda said.

Urban gardens carry challenges: carting tools and materials from yard to yard, working in confined spaces that can make it harder to organise plants, and using soil that is sometimes contaminated with lead.

For the farmers, the rewards often go beyond money. Smith and Streeter have made enough from Your Backyard Farmer to support themselves, but Gurda works three other jobs to support his part-time work as a farmer.

"There's a disconnect here. It feeds the soul, but doesn't add much heft to your bank account," Gurda said.

"No one does it to get rich, we do it because it feels good. It makes sense. It's a statement that speaks not only to our dedication to good food for all people, but it addresses our land ethic, our sense of priority, or moral code, our need to do something of positive consequence."

Gurda works about 15 hours a week for Backyard Harvest. He said that farming full-time would be his dream job.

"The best days are when I'm just finishing seeding as the sun is setting, or get to watch a spring thunderstorm roll in as I'm thinning the beets," he said.

"I feel pretty damn lucky to be able to make a living doing this."