Community gardens have been popping up all over the place in urban areas over the past few years, bringing communities together and allowing people in larger cities to have access to organic, straight-from-the-dirt veggies. These rented plots of land seem like the perfect solution to our increasingly individualized society, and are especially valuable in lower income areas, where people may have a hard time providing a balanced diet for their families. Structured differently depending on the city, urban gardens provide plots of land in the middle of the metropolis to rent for a low price and grow your own food. The benefits to urban gardens are countless, but there’s one problem—lead.
Lead was used all over the place a few generations ago, until it was discovered to be terribly harmful to human health. Not only was lead used in the paint on the walls and kids toys, it was also in gasoline. Leaded gas was used prevalently in vehicles for 30 years, and wasn’t banned until 1990. That means soil near roadways can still be quite contaminated with lead, and that many of the urban gardeners out there are eating carrots grown in lead-infused soil.
What’s the solution for this serious health risk? Should urban gardens that are giving inner-city dwellers access to nutritious foods be shut down, or should people have the freedom to eat vegetables that are likely poisoning them? Thankfully, there is another option: testing the soil. It’s a simple process, but an essential step to take before putting your seeds in the ground.
If you’ve tested the plot you’re eying to rent (or are already renting) and find that the soul contains lead, try putting a raised bed in place instead. You can buy these raised bed gardens all ready to go, or get ambitious and build your own! If you’re a city-dweller who wants to enjoy growing your own food while also connecting with neighbors, don’t shy away from the idea of urban gardening because of the risks. Take the precautionary steps and get your hands dirty growing fresh food in clean, lead-free soil.
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