#Agriculture #VerticalFarming #UrbanFarming FoodDesets #Nutrition #SustainableAgriculture #CommunityWell-being #AccessibleFood #InnovativeFarming
Enkabeni ye-Arlington, indawo yokugcina impahla engabonakali inomsebenzi wezolimo oyinqaba ohlose ukuchaza kabusha ukufinyelela kokudla okusha nokunomsoco. I-Area 2 Farms, eyasungulwa ngo-2022, yethule uhlelo olusha lokulima oluma mpo, olwaziwa ngeSilo, olusebenza unyaka wonke futhi olunamandla okulwa nezingwadule zokudla ezindaweni zasemadolobheni. Hlanganyela nathi njengoba sihlola leli bhizinisi elimangalisayo kanye nomthelela walo ongaba khona ekondlekeni nasekuphileni kahle komphakathi.
Uma ucabanga ngepulazi, kungenzeka ukuthi ukhumbule amasimu amakhulu namadlelo. Kodwa-ke, uguquko olusha lwezolimo lwenzeka buthule ngaphakathi kwezindonga zendlu yokugcina impahla e-Arlington, eVirginia. I-Area 2 Farms, eyasungulwa ngo-2022, isilungele ukushintsha umdlalo wokudla ogwadule ngokusebenzisa ubuchwepheshe bokulima obuqondile ukukhulisa umkhiqizo omusha unyaka wonke.
Uma uthi nhlá, le ndlu yokugcina impahla ingase ingabonakali njengepulazi lendabuko. Itholakala phakathi kwesitolo sezimoto kanye nendawo yokunakekela izingane, ukubukeka kwayo kuyakhohlisa. Noma kunjalo, ngemuva kwefaçade yezitini kanye nomnyango opendwe ngokuluhlaza ngokuphawulekayo kukhona isimangaliso sezolimo zesimanje. U-Jackie Potter, umxhumanisi wezokukhangisa we-Area 2 Farms, uqondise Intatheli Yezempilo Nempilo yethu u-Victoria Sanchez phakathi nendawo eswakeme yendawo yokugcina impahla, eveza umnyombo walo msebenzi wokulima omusha.
Isizinda se-Area 2 Farms yiSilo, isisetshenziswa sokulima esiphakeme esime mpo esifakwe amazinga ayisishiyagalombili okutshala imifino. Okuhlukanisa iSilo yikhono layo lokuphindaphinda umjikelezo wosuku lwemvelo wezitshalo. Izendlalelo ezimbili ezingezansi zihlala zingakhanyi, zilingisa isigaba "sokulala" sezitshalo. Njengoba umjikelezo uqhubeka, izitshalo ziyakhuphuka, zithole amanzi, futhi kancane kancane ziphaphame, zenza isibuko senqubo yemvelo ebonakala emapulazini endabuko.
Omunye angase azibuze ukuthi ipulazi laphelela kanjani ngaphakathi kwesakhiwo samahhovisi. UJackie Potter wachaza, “Konke kuncike ekutheni yisiphi isakhiwo kanye nokuthi umnikazi wendawo uthini. Sidinga nje indawo yokuphuma namanzi.” Emhlabeni wangemva kwe-COVID, izakhiwo ezingenamuntu ziye zashukumisela abanikazi bezindlu namadolobha ukuthi bahlole izindlela ezintsha zokuhlala, futhi ukulima emadolobheni kubonakala kuyisinqumo esihehayo.
ISilo size siziqhayise nabalingisi abangajwayelekile—balingisi beNdaba yamathoyizi. Ama-radishes atshalwa ngaphansi kweso elibukhali lika-Stinky Pete, kuyilapho u-anyanisi oluhlaza ugadwe ngu-Rex. Amathoyizi emishini, asetshenziswa amathoyizi epulasitiki afana ne-Claw, i-Slinky, i-Buzz Lightyear, ne-Zurg, asiza ekuthutheni izitshalo njengoba zikhula, engeza ukuthinta okuthakazelisayo kulo msebenzi wobuchwepheshe obuphezulu.
Kodwa-ke, ingqikithi yangempela ye-Area 2 Farms isenhloso yayo yokubhekana nezingwadule zokudla ezindaweni zasemadolobheni. Emadolobheni amaningi, izindawo ezihlala abantu abahola kancane azikwazi ukuthola ukudla okusha nokunomsoco, nezindawo zokudlela ezidayisa ukudla okusheshayo ezivame ukubusa indawo yonke. Ngokusho kwe-USDA's Food Access Research Atlas, eWashington, DC izingwadule zokudla zitholakala kakhulu empumalanga yoMfula i-Anacostia. I-Area 2 Farms izimisele ukushintsha lokhu.
“Ezindaweni zasemadolobheni kukhona abakubiza ngokuthi ‘izingwadule zokudla’ lapho ungase ube neMcDonald’s neWendy’s, kanti isitolo segrosa esiseduzane sizoba ngamamayela ambalwa lapho abantu bengakwazi ukufinyelela khona. Ingabe lokhu kungasiza kulokho?” Kubuza uSanchez.
Impendulo ka-Jackie Potter igcizelele amandla oguquko alo mzamo: “Uma singaletha ipulazi lapho, ukutholakala okusha kokudla, ikakhulukazi ezindaweni zabantu abahola kancane, kukhulu. Bathola izikhwama zamashibhisi noma ezinye izinto ezizosiza ogwadule lokudla, kodwa uma besingaletha ipulazi lapho, ngiqonde ukuthi lokho kuwukushintsha ukudla okunomsoco.”
Ngaphezu kwalokho, i-Area 2 Farms isebenza ngenkuthalo ukwenza umkhiqizo wayo utholakale ngezinzuzo ze-SNAP ne-WIC, ezisiza imindeni ehola kancane ekwengezeni isabelomali sayo segrosa ngezithako ezintsha nezinempilo. Lokhu kuzibophezela ekufinyeleleni kugcizelela ukuzinikela kwepulazi ekwenzeni ngcono umsoco womphakathi kanye nokuphila kahle.
Emhlabeni lapho amagama anjengokuthi “organic” kanye “nefarm-to-table” ngokuvamile asho ukunethezeka, i-Area 2 Farms iveza umbono okhuthazayo wekusasa elibandakanyayo neliqhubekayo. Ngobuchwepheshe obusha nokuzibophezela ekusebenzeleni imiphakathi enganakiwe, leli pulazi eliqondile lase-Arlington lilungele ukuba uguquko lwangempela lokudla okunomsoco kanye nokulingana kokudla.
Omaka: Ezolimo, Ukulima Okuqondile, Ukulima Emadolobheni, Izingwadule Zokudla, Isondlo, Ezolimo Eziqhubekayo, Impilo Yomphakathi, Ukudla Okufinyelelekayo, Ukulima Okusha.