Executive Summary
Over the past century, urban expansion and industrial agriculture have transformed America into a vast land of unsustainable and environmentally harmful monocultures, or single species crops. Residential turf grass is the largest of these monocultures, blanketing an area greater than the entire state of Ohio. Lawns commonly require large amounts of chemicals in order to maintain their customary green, uniform appearance. Meanwhile, when it comes to food sourcing, most urban consumers rely exclusively on rural industrial farms that are often located thousands of miles away. SPIN farming, a new model of urban agriculture, is one potential solution that simultaneously addresses both of these problems. It offers residents a convenient opportunity to trade in their lawns for an organic, bio diverse vegetable garden that thrives on composted urban waste, improves the environment, feeds their family and local community, and provides steady income to area farmers, all at no cost to the owner of the land. In order for SPIN farming to have a broader impact, urban farming advocates should push for reallocation of government subsidies that currently contribute to a massive surplus of industrial corn and soy. To overcome social or political resistance, involving neighbors in the process and beautifying the garden with thoughtful landscaping can help gain their support.
SPIN Farming Advocacy Media Piece: Looney Tunes Cartoon Short
This is a video storyboard concept that I put together as a part of this project. It is an advocacy piece, encouraging homeowners to trade in their lawns for urban gardens, using the SPIN Farming model.
