Comments on: BIG BOX AGRICULTURE: A Productive Suburb

By: dennymack

dennymack — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:32:18 +0000

My prediction? In ten years the big box stores will be…
big box stores.
Big boxes are very efficient at what they were made for, and not particularly adapted to agriculture. Offer a farmer the chance to farm on a parking lot and he will turn you down.
This design shows no understanding of just how much food flows through a retail food seller. A two acre farm does not produce enough to stock a year round grocery store, and the production methods to increase yield (hydroponics, etc) are only economically feasible if you are charging $3 per pound everything you grow. At least!
Besides, when did we discover the demise of big boxes? All the ones I see are thriving, except for the occasional loser like Circuit City. (Who was beat out by the bigger box of Best Buy.)

By: lee

lee — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 09:51:28 +0000

wow. thats great. would love to be able to actually see how my food was grown.

By: andy

andy — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:34:48 +0000

great idea, good proposal. i’d like to see the restaurant rendering worked out a little further – it’s far too open, tables would be more dense, space behind the counter would be smaller, and, yes, the comments about the dog and the woman with 4 wine bottles are on point. that image is poorly realized and it undercuts the strength of you concept and the other images.

By: andy

andy — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:15:57 +0000

its not the worst project at all. but, this is an obvious and simple solution. you’d need to elevate this above any street run off or heat island, yet still have deep enough soils. inner or suburb city pollution from vehicles could produce bad crops. i completely support the idea of “ripping out asphalt and putting in a park”. i wish all parking was underground anyway… and have some huge air movers under there pulling exhaust air back to the surface through some schweet filter’s of sorts.

By: david a

david a — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:54:40 +0000

this is the worst project that I’ve ever seen. why did that lady drink 4 bottles of wine? who let the dog in there?

By: raul

raul — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:15:20 +0000

tht looks pertty kool i would go there every day if i had a car!!!!!!!!!!!

By: Brendan

Brendan — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 02:57:03 +0000

The idea of bringing food production closer to urban and suburban communities is really gaining momentum. I’ve given this issue a lot of thought and I’ve struggled with the material and energy demands required to grow nearly year-round in colder climates (it is costly in many ways to multiply and enlarge hoop houses, for example, to the scale we need to make a difference). To me, the unique contribution of this proposal is the simple, practical suggestion of using a large, existing and abandoned structure to accomplish this end result. What a radically obvious solution. I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of it already, but I will certainly broadcast the concept in the years ahead. Thank you Forrest!

By: Critic

Critic — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:09:07 +0000

I don’t believe plants could ever grow again on a vacant Walmart, for example. It’s never a great idea to reuse a Walmart. You have to rip it down and start all over again.

By: bassam

bassam — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:38:23 +0000

POWER !!!!!!!

By: Done

Done — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:27:25 +0000

A few of the hurdles one must consider are the following: Regulations of farming within the zoning ordinances that most cities/county supervisors have established. For example it can take some cities many years just to approve a Farmer’s Market. In San Bruno, California it took 5 years and in the Castro District of San Francisco it took 10 years. Next the land is owned by someone and that someone wants to get paid. Depending on tax laws that land maybe worth more to the owner undeveloped than developed. Then there is the issue of water usage for agricultural purposes, which is becoming more and more regulated. And then there is the food safety issue. After many lax years at the FDA, suddenly there is a looming sense of micro managing the health of our food sources, which mean more stringent health regulations. So before these Utopian green ways can be integrated and successful, the engaging parties needs to find out the “who, what, how, why’s and where’s” of Urban-Agri Farming as it relates to its own zoning rules. Just because its abandon doesn’t mean that its available for Urban Homestead Farming.