A team of Penn State researchers will develop a long-term solution for the testing and management of urban soils for the safe production of garden and food crops in urban settings, funded by a $100,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
The researchers – agronomists, soil scientists, and urban agriculture and community resilience experts in the College of Agricultural Sciences – will collaborate with Penn State Master Gardeners and Penn State Extension educators to identify a strategy for affordable testing of key contaminants for Philadelphia urban growers.
“We will create clear guidelines for soil sampling and interpretation of results and best practices to minimize the risk of exposure when working with contaminated soils,” said team leader Patrick Drohan, professor of pedology. “And we will identify community engagement strategies for greater soil education and knowledge application for working with low income, Black and Indigenous people of color, and other historically marginalized groups.”
Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding called the research a crucial investment in ensuring that Pennsylvania’s urban soils are safe for growing healthy, nutritious food to feed Pennsylvanians. “To feed the nearly 8 billion people on our planet, we’re changing where and how we grow food and who grows it,” he said. “Urban agriculture is increasingly important not only to expand our capacity to feed people, but to create jobs and improve food access and nutrition in urban areas.”
Philadelphia is no different than other U.S. cities, Drohan explained. Across the country, cities are seeing a drive to utilize vacant lands for food production. However, urban growers face challenges in identifying sound, scientific guidance on how to safely use soils for production. As cities evolved through time, people made decisions about land use that left industrial contaminants behind.
“In some cases, soils were contaminated in the 1800s and sites became available to growers after redevelopment efforts,” Drohan said. “We need to let people know whether growing food in abandoned lots is safe and teach them how to do assessments that consider the historical characterization of what was there prior. That way, they’re better informed about the appropriateness of what the soil can be used for today.”
More accurate and effective testing and site analysis will allow urban agriculturists to avoid the worst problems with legacy contaminants, Drohan pointed out. “It doesn’t make sense to reclaim some tracts because the cost of cleanup would be prohibitive,” he said. “Now, having said that, most urban areas are not a problem. In many cities, most sites and most soils are not contaminated.”
Urban agriculture already is burgeoning in Philadelphia, noted extension educator John Byrnes, a team member who has been working with city officials for three decades. The city has about 500 community gardens comprising nearly a100-acre growing area, with an annual crop yield approaching 5,000 pounds, worth almost $20,000. And, it could be much greater, he suggested.
“But I think it’s reductive to talk about urban agriculture just in pounds of food grown and the dollar value of food,” he said. “It’s more significant than that. Generally, people understand that the benefits of urban agriculture go beyond growing food. It is a powerful vehicle for cultural preservation and represents the abundant diversity of our cities. Urban agriculture is a tool for economic development, community development and environmental restoration.”
Urban farms and gardens are gathering spaces for communities, he added. They are hotbeds of creativity and production, and they are safe, green spaces for youth and elders.
