Brooklyn Farmyards
By: Shoshanna Levy
Published: May 2, 2011

The sustainable food movement is booming here in Brooklyn. There are many markets, seasonal restaurants, and  foodie events. Now the BK Farmyards, started by Stacy Murphy in 2009, is turning backyards into farm plots. Her goal was to “blur the lines between consumers and producers in order for us all to be co-producers of the foodscape.”
Now BK Farmards is a mecca of urban agriculture. Imani Garden in Crown Heights has a whopping 42 chickens, not bad for a yard with views of high rises. The High School for Public Service in Crown Heights in partnership with Green Guerrillas  have their own farm and market. The best part is teens not only learn about the food distrbutio
BK Farmyards has also established community supported agriculture (CSA) programs–one each for eggs, the backyard farms and the youth farm. People pay by the week and they offer a sliding scale system based on income. Much of the produce comes from Foxtrot Radish Farm in Ditmas Park, which was a simple backyard just two years ago.
Between the rising gas prices and worldwide food costs skyrocketing, this does seem like the perfect time to support your local economy while eating a delicious bounty from the backyard.
photos: Kevin Krejci and Monkey Myshkin