Agricultural Soil in Urban Environments

Once America was called the breadbasket of the world because of how many crops were grown here. As our nation an economy flourished we farmed less focusing more on business and industry becoming more dependent on imported crops. Today as the American economy is moving in the other direction people are once again turning to farming as a means to reduce their financial obligations. In urban areas that can be a problem greatly due to the lead in paints which now have found their way into the soil. This material is poisonous to humans and could potentially be absorbed by and ingested in vegetables. Using various soil sampling and testing techniques we can ascertain if there are threatening levels of lead in the soil. One common method used to bypass this process is the utilization of raised flower beds which are generally constructed out of wood and filled with imported dirt that is lead free.

Here is a video I found of an urban garden in Atlanta

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRFaDUpXDWs