Project Explores Feasibility of High-value Specialty Crops for Urban Growers

A team of researchers from University of California Cooperative Extension in San Diego County is investigating the economic feasibility of growing high-value specialty crops in urban settings like vacant lots. The team developed a 17,000-square-foot farm, the Small-Scale Urban Ag Demonstration Site, that’s testing containerized production of high-value specialty crops both outdoors and in high tunnels. The researchers are focusing on crops of turmeric, ginger, and blueberries in portable containers, to account for the temporary nature of vacant urban land and allow possibility of relocation. They point to the potential for other, culturally relevant crops in different areas. Another aspect of the project is identifying spaces within the community that urban growers could potentially use.