Elmwood Farm in Dallas Will Either Close or Move, Highlighting the Challenge of Urban Agriculture
“It’s important to see [the whole umbrella of] urban farms … as more of a public good than a capitalistic enterprise.” Over time, “community spaces like ours offer real economic returns as property is improved and foot traffic increased.”
By Eve Hill-Agnus
D Magazine
Dec 15, 2021
Excerpt:
They initially struck a deal with their landlord in which they paid $200 a month and the cost of water for the non-retail-zoned plot. But, according to Cagle, their landlord wanted to lease to a tenant who would park work vehicles and store lumber, and he believed he could charge $1,500 a month.
“About the time we learned that we would need to end our lease early, this August, was when we felt we had a good enough grasp on operations to get better at integrating community involvement,” Cagle says.
The building of an urban farm is two-phased. The first year was paid for with the first $10,000 Methodist grant. Those first 12 months are all about infrastructure—establishing the plot, buying tools. “Once that’s there, you can focus on growing and events and all the things you’re really trying to do,” Cagle says. “The first year of funding gave us enough to get everything started. After that phase, it gets a lot cheaper, just trying to maintain it.”
Between water and seeds, they might need $150 per month, he estimates. And enough to activate the space and make events free. They could earn that by selling eggs and vegetables.
Read the complete article here.
