June 2009
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FacebookBy Natasha Evdokimoff
The family farm is an idyllic notion that’s deeply ingrained in our collective social psyche. Acres and acres of open land, handed down from one generation to the next, stretching out to the horizon.
Romantic, sure. Sustainable? Maybe not. Traditional farms aren’t the bastion of abundance and prosperity they were in decades past, and certainly the vast majority of large country farms these days don’t follow organic practices.
Enter Wally Satzewich, an entrepreneur from Saskatoon with an idea and a green thumb.
Satzewich is the founder of SPIN Farming®, a movement that is spawning profitable, organic farms in cities across North America. That’s right. Deep in the heart of concrete jungles like Philadelphia and Milwaukee, Satzewich’s plan has taken root and thrived, inspiring folks with little or no farming experience to transform urban backyards into lush, organic, modern-day Edens.
SPIN is an acronym for Small Plot Intensive – a fitting moniker, considering that most SPIN farms are under an acre in size. Satzewich came up with the concept about 15 years ago, in his pursuit to make a living doing something he loved.
A life-long city dweller, Satzewich began what he calls “serious gardening” in the mid 80s on an acreage he purchased just outside Saskatoon. Devotion to his hobby and weekly chats with various growers at the local Farmer’s Market eventually convinced Satzewich that farming was something he’d like to do full-time.
Realizing that it would be necessary to expand his operation in order to become profitable, Satzewich purchased 20 acres of farmland north of the city. He also began growing small crops in his backyard, as well as in his uncle’s backyard – both of which were within city limits. To his surprise, Satzewich discovered that the city grown crops were more successful, more profitable, and easier to manage than those grown in the country.
“I could never grow things like radishes in the country because of the deer and harsh elements, and those kinds of crops brought more money at market,” Satzewich recalls.
Satzewich sold his land and set out to create an urban farm comprised of small garden plots located throughout Saskatoon. He placed a simple ad in the paper (Wanted: Garden Plot To Rent) and received dozens of responses almost immediately. It wasn’t long before Satzewich was growing crops in 25 residential backyards across the city, and selling his produce for a tidy profit both at market and to local restaurants. Satzewich reports that the growing season for urban farms is much longer than rural farms, due to more intense solar energy, fewer pests, and better protection from the wind. When country farmers are just beginning to seed (usually around the end of May) Satzewich is already harvesting his first crops of lettuce and spinach. Plots can be replanted and harvested several times between late April and the end of October.
“The beauty of it is that there isn’t a huge financial investment to get started or keep things going,” Satzewich says. “You don’t need to own land, and the only materials required might be a rototiller and a few garden hoses.”
Satzewich developed a profitable business model for SPIN Farming®, but thinking outside the acreage has proven beneficial in ways that extend beyond the bottom line. The SPIN approach provides a direct connection between growers and consumers (ideal for anyone that follows the 100-mile diet) and greatly improves the overall condition of the local food supply – not to mention the environment at large. Crops are grown organically, and production requires very little energy consumption because almost all of the work is done by hand. Aesthetically too, SPIN farms are winning accolades wherever they crop up.
“There is an urban renewal wherever SPIN farming happens,” Satzewich says. “People are always very receptive and enthusiastic about the gardens. They’re a real source of pride.”
SPIN farming is catching on globally – Satzewich recently received an e-mail from a woman looking to start a SPIN farm in India. There are variations on the theme too, such as a project underway in Newark, New Jersey under the name Brick City Urban Farms.
The potential of SPIN farming is limited only by the number of people willing to participate in it – an obstacle that Satzewich hopes to eliminate by getting word out that anyone can become a SPIN farmer, and by offering resources and support to help them along.
“The food supply situation is getting more and more critical,” he says. “I’d like to see SPIN farming really take off. It makes too much sense for it not too.”
TAKE ACTION:
- Go to www.spinfarming.com to learn more about the movement and it’s founder, Wally Satzewich.
- Inquire at your local Farmer’s Market or at Community Natural Foods, both of which support local producers, as to which, if any, growers follow the SPIN farming model.
- Create a mini SPIN farm in your own backyard by digging a plot and growing a few of your favorite vegetables. For inspiration about what will grow best in our climate, talk to the experts at Greengate Garden Centre.
- Talk to your neighbours, family, and friends about SPIN farming. You may be able to create a community SPIN farm just between the people you know.
- If you don’t have any yard space, planting boxes on a patio or deck work great for salad crops like lettuce, radishes, green onions, and spinach. Potted tomato plants love sun-drenched cement slabs too! Or check out the Community Garden Resource Network to learn more about the community gardens in your area or how to start one.
- The next time you plant something, buy local or eat organic, tracks your actions to see the difference you are making by living more sustainably.
June 24th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Great article. Brilliant concept and makes total sense. Thanks for passing this along. While I don’t anticipate that we will create a business out of this, it has inspired us to plan our garden carefully.