b'One of the bigger issues we face is that urban agriculture hasThere is a heightened awareness to make sure we are put-been primarily focused on the nonprofit model, which is good inting together solutions that are applicable to urban settings, many ways, but I do think that makes it more difficult for indi- he says. Even with small scale gardening in an urban space, we viduals to see the true businesses potential, he says.need to be realistic with customers and if they are committing to In addition to considerable upfront costs, its tempting forwater it and care for it.urban agriculture projects to be seen as little more than educa- Its about aligning products with projects and understand-tional opportunities for students. ing that urban environments come with unique challenges and Were so far removed from our food production, and it ispotentially more extreme conditions. For example, Lizotte recalls important to connect kids to that, but when we focus on that tooa project where a rooftop garden was planted at an airport. much, people dont see urban farms as a true business model,Whoever selected the plants didnt choose varieties that Wheet says. There is money out there when we shift that focus forcould tolerate that extreme heat and constant sun exposure in people and truly adopt those efficiency-based business practices.that environment, and it turned into a complete failure, he says. Wheet manages the Bertie Backus Food Hub for the CenterWe have to make sure to select the best plant material to handle for Urban Agriculture and Gardening Education. He specializesthose growing conditions. in hydroponic and aquaponic methods to grow plants without soil in nutrient-rich water, with 2,500 square feet of each at hisRising to the Challengefacility. He sees this type of urban production as the most likelyUSDA offers educational and financial resources developed option to sustainably meet the nutritional demands of urbanby federal, state, and local partners, detailed in their Urban consumers.Agriculture Toolkit. Topics covered include land access, soil quality, water usage, safety, infrastructure, production, market Seed Selections and Industry Interests development and capital resource and financing support.When it comes to crop selection, Wheet prefers to try a varietyThis fast-growing phenomenon has the potential to nourish of fruits and vegetables. the health and social fabric of communities and create economic The beauty of hydroponics is that you can grow anything,opportunities for farmers and neighborhoods. But it also comes but investors and businesses need proof of concept that whatwith a unique set of challenges and opportunities, as stated in the were trying to do will actually work long term. I like to push theUSDA toolkit.boundaries of what can be grown this way, he says.When considering these challenges, and especially the financial He believes that to truly fill nutritional voids of these urbanfactors of urban agriculture efforts, Wheet encourages the consid-communities, urban farming businesses must continue to expanderation of broader benefits. beyond the world of lettuce and microgreens. Yes, we can give more people access to healthy foods, and we I grow a lot of peppers, and per square foot, they arent thatcan decrease the cities carbon footprint, those are important. But profitable. But I want to offer a complete salad, rather than justfrom a business perspective, I often talk about how many jobs can lettuce, Wheet says.we sustainably create, or how many downstream entrepreneurs Lizotte, who serves on the board for the Home Garden Seedcan we support, he says. These are all big picture benefits that Association, says the seed industry is working to provide resultspeople might not originally connect with urban agriculture, but it to support these trends.helps justify that this is something worth investing in.SWDECEMBER 2021SEEDWORLD.COM /11'