Meatless Monday: BK Farmyards makes it easy to grow your own fruits and veggies

August 24th, 2009

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Even at an early age, it was never difficult to convince me to eat my veggies — my mom loves to tell the story of how she rushed me to the doctor with a suspected case of jaundice, only to discover that I had, in fact, turned orange from eating too many sweet potatoes. But joining the Meatless Monday movement has expanded my plant-based repertoire even further; I’ve since been inspired to shop more frequently at farmers markets, join a CSA, and even try my hand at growing my own food (which is limited to herbs at this point, but I have plans for more substantive fare in the future).

Growing your own produce, of course, is the ultimate goal of any green foodie; aside from eliminating the environmental costs associated with its farming and transport (fossil fuels to operate gas-powered farming equipment and ship the produce to stores, chemical fertilizers and pesticides that pollute our waterways), it’s also the most nutritious and delicious way to eat those fruits and veggies.

But what if you don’t have the time to lovingly cultivate organic tomatoes in your backyard? Or what if (like me), you’ve inherited a touch of the black thumb? One Brooklyn organization has the answer.

BK Farmyards, which launched in May, is turning backyards and empty lots around Brooklyn, NY, into flourishing farms — and you barely have to lift a green thumb. The nonprofit’s motto is: You have the land, we grow the produce. Sign up to share your little patch of land, and BK Farmyards will do all the work for you, transforming your outdoor space (a minimum of 400 square feet) into a thriving urban garden that will feed your family and friends for up to six months out of the year.

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