from Hacker News

Growing food instead of lawns in California front yards

by CrypticShift on 11/7/24, 1:32 PM with 85 comments

  • by CrypticShift on 11/7/24, 1:32 PM

  • by gr2m on 11/7/24, 6:34 PM

    CropSwapLA is in my neighborhood, they do amazing work! Just the fact that a single residential property can grow enough produce for 45 families _each week_ is astonishing. Their technology in their latest farm (https://www.cropswapla.org/degnan) is very special as well: they refer to it as terraponic. 100% recycled water, but also using some soil for temperature and moisture control. Best of both worlds between traditional farming and 100% controlled aquaponics farms. The growing boxes are entirely separated from the ground, which limits pests and maintenance. Nutrition is provided through the water, with exactly the right balance that the respective plants need.

    Yes, I'm biased, I'm a big fan. Just wanted to share some highlights because I think the article doesn't do the amazing work of Jamiah and his team justice. I hope we get to see many more such micro farms all across Los Angeles and Southern California.

  • by komali2 on 11/7/24, 1:54 PM

    Huh, I thought this was going to be about Food Not Lawns, but apparently not. This is a whole movement: https://www.foodnotlawns.com/

  • by hcarvalhoalves on 11/7/24, 2:24 PM

    Lawns are an upper-class, 18th century invention, because of course growing food on land is for peasants. The larger the lawn, the more expensive the maintenance, so a well kept lawn was a display of status.

    Then, 19th century middle-class, in an attempt to look wealthier and having no personality whatsoever, replicated the trend on their tiny lots, even though they owned much less land, and keeping a lawn is a financial burden.

    Nowadays, there's so much profit in this space (equipment, herbicides, etc) that there's an immense marketing budget to keep the status quo.

    That's why it's important to learn your history. Good to see this trend reversing.

  • by johnea on 11/7/24, 9:11 PM

    I was surprised the first time I saw reference to this in the HN feed, but even more surprised at how many times it's been reposted.

    Is this weird to people? In general I've learned to not pay attention to anything in the NYT when it comes to discussing California.

    I'm in San Diego, many many people grow a garden in their yard. Front, back, wherever they have room.

    Lawns are still more prevalent than I would expect. Even now, most people here don't realize that anything that's not brown sage scrub is being sustained with water from Colorado.

    I was lucky enough to know some people before they died, who taught me: if you can't eat it, or smoke it, don't water it...

  • by underseacables on 11/8/24, 3:07 AM

    It would be nice if I could donate my front yard to a community garden. I would not have the time or the physical ability to maintain it. Myself, brass is actually easier that way, but if others are willing to grow and maintain crops there than I think that would be a fantastic use of the space.

  • by whalesalad on 11/7/24, 2:26 PM

    California has some of the best weather in the country to do stuff like this. It's a no brainer. So many wonderful crops can be grown year round. Growing up we had an avocado tree, kumquat, lemons, limes, tomatoes, cukes, apples, grapefruits, you name it. As a Michigander now, I miss this a lot. If you are on the fence about this idea - please do it on behalf of everyone in the midwest or colder climates who can only grow outdoors for a few months out of the year.

    Having a lawn is a ridiculous waste of resources, anyway. It's a win-win.

  • by Roxsen on 11/8/24, 9:37 PM

    There is also the opportunity to turn this scale of farming into a livelihood. Jamiah Hargins followed the SPIN-Farming system to start Crop Swap. Google SPIN Farming. There's a lot about it. It is being used in the US and Canada.

  • by octocop on 11/7/24, 1:58 PM

    Yes, one of the main reasons to have a garden. I guess the next article will be "Fishing instead of swimming in the Ocean"

  • by BurningFrog on 11/7/24, 3:27 PM

    If you enjoy growing your own food, go ahead and have fun.

    If you think it can replace industrial farming, we need to have a serious talk.

    Growing your own food is also called "subsistence farming". It's how many of the poorest of the poor survive. It's back breaking work to get just enough to survive, and in bad years you get to watch your kids starve to death.

    One of the greatest and least appreciated miracles of the modern age is industrial farming, which produces huge amounts of food in small areas. Without it most of us 8 billion humans would die quickly.

  • by helboi4 on 11/7/24, 2:37 PM

    I guess its a nice idea but really what California needs is less NIMBYs forcing all housing developments to be detached houses with gardens, instead of affordable housing blocks.