Progress report for ONE24-448
Project Information
Objective 1: This project seeks
to reduce soil lead concentration on two urban farm sites using a
standardized remediation plan that prioritizes soil health Best
Management Practices (BMPs); progress analysis through a
combination of traditional laboratory testing and field based
monitoring techniques; and on-going direct support to the urban
farmers throughout implementation via the Technical Assistance
Team.
Objective 2: This project seeks
to better understand the true cost of building soil health and
reducing risk of soil lead exposure through enterprise budgeting,
exploring viability for non-edible crop sales to support a
portion of this work, and compensating farmers through stipends
for the labor and ecosystem services their farm sites
provide.
Objective 3: This project seeks
to highlight challenges and viable solutions for growers working
with urban soils through comprehensive outreach efforts that
center farmer expertise and experiences in order to successfully
scale vacant lot remediation for urban agriculture
expansion.
Pittsburgh is facing impacts from climate change, loss of industry and land vacancy, and racial inequity, which includes food insecurity. Justice 40 communities experience these impacts acutely and lead to negative health consequences. Urban agriculture sits at the crux of these challenges as a potential solution, so long as the legacy of soil contamination is addressed. ACCD has been providing soil testing and analysis at no charge; community interest in specific lead data on urban agriculture sites has increased, and remediation for contaminated soil is required.
According to Penn State University’s Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science, Pittsburgh could resemble Knoxville, TN by mid-century and Jonesboro, AR by 2080 (currently 10 degrees warmer in the summer). The PA Department of Environmental Protection reports that PA annual precipitation has increased by 10% over the last century, and projects increased trends. The area can expect increasing flooding, landslides, and stress on infrastructure.
Allegheny County’s urban/peri-urban communities have high levels of vacancy, 60,000 vacant parcels (27,000 in the City of Pittsburgh). Black residents are nearly 3x more likely to live near at least 1 distressed block and twice as likely to live in a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) eligible area. These parcels are often laden with legacy contamination (Pb, As, Cr, Cd) and have poor soil health and surface ecology features (low organic matter, compaction, invasive species). Due to a variety of health concerns, vacant lots need to be tested for lead. Lead binds with the soil at a molecular level and can be ingested or inhaled, exposing individuals to a toxic level, particularly concerning for children. Certain vegetables, especially leafy greens have high lead uptake (Heckert, 2018). Children tested in the City of Pittsburgh in 2021 have confirmed elevated blood lead levels (>= 5 μg/dL), higher on average than children tested elsewhere in Allegheny County (Allegheny, n.d.).
Allegheny County and Pittsburgh also have deep inequities in employment, income, and environmental conditions. In June 2020, Pittsburgh metro area unemployment was at 16.9%; a University of Pittsburgh study showed that although levels improved in the past several years, there were disproportionate effects on Black workers. An Equity Indicators Report from the Pittsburgh Mayor’s office reinforces this observation; the average wage for Black Pittsburghers is less than half that of white residents, and the gap has been widening. The percentage of Black Pittsburghers living below middle-income, and the percentage living below the poverty rate, is nearly 3 times as great as white Pittsburghers, and Black Pittsburghers are 9 times more likely to be homeless (Warren, 2018). There is a clear correlation between low wages for Black Pittsburghers and the prevalence of vacant properties in Black communities.
Many social determinants of health can be connected to cycles of poverty, and chronic health conditions are compounded by lacking access to healthy food. In Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, the estimated rate of food insecurity exceeds the national rate of 11% at 19.4% and 13.1%, respectively. In Pittsburgh, 1 in every 3 Black residents live in a Healthy Food Priority Area. Areas where food apartheid is most prominent often coincide with areas of high vacancy and low income. Healthy soil is critical for urban agricultural operations and the communities that consume their food. Local Farm-a-Lot and Adopt-a-Lot programs streamline permissions needed for urban farmers to “adopt” vacant lots. In order to access these vacant lots, Pb average level must be <1000 ppm (City, n.d.).
Real potential exists in these prolific vacant spaces. ACCD and partners have opportunities to reduce risks from legacy contamination and open land to grow food, improve holding capacity for stormwater, increase carbon sequestration and biodiversity, and add value to surrounding real estate by encouraging green use. NRCS has found that a 1% increase in organic matter prequalifies an additional 20,000 gallons of holding capacity per acre of land. Ecosystem services such as this are particularly important in a county dealing with soil loss, compromised water quality, and increasing amounts of precipitation causing ongoing flooding, landslides, road failures, threats to public health, and high costs to local governments to respond to and manage these issues.
These challenges are evident on be.wilder and SSPN’s future farm sites. These growers want their sites to have a productive community use while building climate and food system resilience; current soil lead levels prevent this. Be.wilder’s site has levels from 106 PPM to 1221 PPM. SSPN’s site has levels from 54 PPM to 914 PPM. There are no federal guidelines on acceptable soil lead levels, both sites’ average is above the 400 PPM threshold and growing leafy greens and root vegetables is strongly recommended against. The farm operators are committed to reducing exposure to soil lead through site remediation and building long term soil health. Yet, it is a resource and labor intensive process and a return on investment is not immediately evident.
ACCD intends to offer meaningful, detailed information to help inform, inspire, and grow the scale of investment in urban agriculture, particularly within Justice 40 communities, by and for the benefit of residents. Doing so will create more functional connectivity between land and water and the people and wildlife depending on them. This in turn will increase Pittsburgh’s climate resilience, economic sustainability, and overall quality of life. ACCD will accomplish this through a combination of strategies including culturally sensitive, equitable outreach; robust technical assistance; subsidized services case study documentation; education about progress and findings to diverse practitioners and community groups; and accessible communications around best practices and standard operating procedures to facilitate replication.
Cooperators
Research
OBJECTIVE 1: This project seeks to reduce soil lead concentration on two urban farm sites using a standardized remediation plan that prioritizes soil health Best Management Practices (BMPs); analyze progress through a combination of traditional laboratory testing and field based monitoring techniques; and provide on-going direct support to the urban farmers throughout implementation via the Technical Assistance Team.
- Treatments:
- Part A
- Carbon rich organic matter: Six to eight inches will be spread across the entire research area; both sites will utilize a mix of wood chips and biochar. Compost tea application to assist with initiating breakdown of carbon heavy wood chips. Incorporate using a backhoe and remove debris.
- Compost: If available, applied at a depth of at least 2 inches on crops rows in the research area.
- Non-edible crop trial: on each site, the urban grower will select a non-edible crop to grow and market. Crop selection will take into consideration each urban grower’s existing customer base and market access, processing requirements and infrastructure, existing resources and skills knowledge, shortened seasonality, and high amount of biomass residue left after the non-edible crop has been harvested. Non-edible crop examples include cut flowers, flax for fiber, broom corn, or ornamental gourds.
- Be.wilder selected broom corn for non-edible crop in 2024 season.
- Part B
- Green manure: After non-edible crops have been harvested, remaining plant residues will be flail mowed or weed whacked, and incorporated into the soil using a walk behind tractor.
- Compost application
- Additional soil amendments: Specific soil conditions of each site will drive additional soil amendments. Lightly incorporate using a walk-behind tractor.
- Cover crop: The final treatment will be to broadcast seed a fall sown cover crop mix. Mow, incorporate the cover crop, and tarp to encourage decomposition.
- Part A
- Experimental design: On each site, a research area (area identified by urban farmer for in-ground crop production) and control area have been identified. Data will be collected in both research and control areas before and after implementation of the remediation plan to comprehensively understand changes in Pb concentration at each site. See attached “ExperimentalDesign”for research and control areas at Site 1 and Site 2. Urban Farmers and Technical Assistance Team will meet virtually 1x per month to 29 check in on progress and navigate unexpected challenges; additional site visits will be conducted as needed.
- Treatment application: See timeline for treatment application. Urban Farmers and Technical Assistance Team will meet virtually 1x per month to check in on progress and navigate unexpected challenges; additional site visits will be conducted as needed.
- Data to collect, Measurement protocols, and Methods for analysis:
- Soil samples: See attached “Soil Sample Data Collection Sheet”
- Conduct micro mapping of Pb PPM via ACCD XRF, before and after remediation plan in both research area and control area.
- Samples will be taken and documented on the same plot grid as shown in “SoilSisters_HeavyMetal_Mapping” and “Be.Wilder_HeavyMetal_Mapping” (see attached).
- Average site Pb concentration will be calculated using all sample results.
- Determine if amendments were successful based on net reduction in Pb concentration of research areas compared to the control areas by comparing before and after results Pb ppm results.
- Interpretation using Adopt-a-Lot and Farm-a-Lot program lease requirements of 400+ PPM Pb not suitable for vegetable production (City, n.d.).
- Collect 1 representative site sample for traditional lab testing, before and after remediation plan in both research area and control area.
- CASH lab testing via Cornell Soil Health Laboratory: change in overall soil health score and other soil health properties (Organic Matter, extractable Phosphorus)
- Be.wilder
- Pre: CASH score of 85/100
- Post: scheduled for Q1 of 2025
- Soil sisters
- Pre: CASH score of 91/100
- Scheduled for Q1 of 2026
- Be.wilder
- Total sorbed lead (EPA method 3050B + 6010) via Penn State University Agricultural Analytical Services Lab: Interpret using EPA standard of 400+ ppm Pb not suitable for vegetable production.
- Be.wilder
- Pre: 282 ppm pb
- Post: scheduled for Q1 of 2025
- Soil sisters
- Pre: 488 ppm pb
- Scheduled for Q1 of 2026
- Be.wilder
- Plant available lead (modified morgan) via UMASS Extension: Interpret using 22+ ppm Pb not suitable for vegetable production.
- Did not utilize this test as Farmer Cooperator feedback was to stick with PSU as it is the mostly widely utilized lab in our region; most familiar with sample collection and mailing process
- NRCS Soil Health Assessment, before and after remediation plan in research area only
- Conducted as outlined in NRCS Technical Guide 450-06 (United, 2021).
- Be.wilder
- Pre: completed Q1 of 2024
- Post: scheduled for Q1 of 2025
- Soil sisters:
- Pre: completed Q1 of 2024
- Post: scheduled for Q1 of 2025
- Be.wilder
- Conducted as outlined in NRCS Technical Guide 450-06 (United, 2021).
- CASH lab testing via Cornell Soil Health Laboratory: change in overall soil health score and other soil health properties (Organic Matter, extractable Phosphorus)
- Plant tissue analysis of Pb concentration in non-edible crop via Penn State University Agricultural Analytical Services Lab 30
- Analyze using UK regulations on maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs (European, 2011).
- Be.wilder: awaiting results from PSU plant analytics lab
- Soil sisters: scheduled for Q3 of 2025
- Analyze using UK regulations on maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs (European, 2011).
- Conduct micro mapping of Pb PPM via ACCD XRF, before and after remediation plan in both research area and control area.
- Soil samples: See attached “Soil Sample Data Collection Sheet”
OBJECTIVE 2: This project seeks to better understand the true cost of building soil health and reducing risk of soil lead exposure through enterprise budgeting, exploring viability for non-edible crop sales to support a portion of this work, and compensating farmers through stipends for the labor and ecosystem services their farm sites provide.
- Data to collect
- Track costs and labor associated with implementation of remediation plan.
- Track costs and labor associated with non-edible crop growth, harvest, post-harvest process, sales.
- Track revenue of non-edible crop.
- Measurement protocols
- Urban farmers will submit bi-weekly logs via Google forms tracking labor in hours and expense costs by activity.
- Urban farmers will report non-edible crop revenue at the end of season using tools developed by Technical Assistance Team in alignment with existing point of sale systems.
- Methods for analysis
- Use enterprise budgeting to evaluate viability of non-edible crop sales to support remediation plan implementation.
- Compare true cost of building soil health to stipend provided, develop recommendation for benchmark subsidy that recognizes value of ecosystem services performed by urban farms during remediation plan implementation.
OBJECTIVE 3: This project seeks to highlight challenges and viable solutions for growers working with urban soils through comprehensive outreach efforts that center farmer expertise and experiences in order to successfully scale vacant lot remediation for urban agriculture expansion.
- Methods for analysis
- Project results for each site will be comprehensively reported in a Site Case Study with input and review by Urban Farmers and Technical Assistance Team.
- See “Outreach Plan” below for details on how Site Case Studies will be used to achieve objective.
Research is still ongoing
Research is still ongoing
Education & Outreach Activities and Participation Summary
Participation Summary:
ACCD team members are currently directly involved in local, regional, and national collaboratives including the Urban Soils Regional Roundtable (local roundtable partners include City of Pittsburgh, Grounded Strategies, Western PA representatives of PASA, representatives of the Bio-Intensive Regenerative Market garden (BIRM) from Chatham University, Penn State University Extension (Pittsburgh); regional/state partners include PSU Extension (Philadelphia), PASA (Harrisburg, Philadelphia), & Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)). The existing urban agriculture-focused team includes four staff; they are assisted for data and mapping by two staff; and communications is provided by another team member. In the coming year, ACCD will add staff capacity focused on municipal and community outreach, specifically within environmental justice communities; this is the result of the Pittsburgh Canopy Alliance (over a dozen nonprofit/institutional partners plus Allegheny County and City of Pittsburgh) plan to significantly increase the urban canopy through tree care and planting. There will be ample crossover opportunities.
Using the ACCD website and social media, case studies of each farm in the project will be shared. This information will also be added to the Urban Soils Best Management Guide and is intended for a growers audience, but it is relevant to anyone in the region. ACCD will also include this information in a Model Urban Soils Program Standard Operating Procedures guide, intended for an agency audience. Partner PASA will help share this resource statewide. ACCD will coordinate on-farm workshops (one per pilot site) for a grower audience and a farmer-to-farmer format, with a goal of 15 people per event, detailing activities and outcomes. ACCD and participating farmers will submit proposals to make conference presentations for additional peer learning, including the annual PASA, 1501 attendees in 2024, (February 2025 and 2026), Mid-atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Growers, and the NYC Urban Soil Symposium. ACCD will host ongoing Soils Screening Events, with two to occur in Justice40 communities, with a goal of 25 participants each, during which the Urban Soils Best Practices Guide will be shared. ACCD will work with partner BIRM to promote heavy metals micro mapping opportunities with new urban growers.
ACCD will ensure that the technical assistance process is more formally documented between ACCD and PASA for future replication. While both ACCD and PASA offer various forms of technical assistance to farmers, and both are routinely collaborative, this relationship is largely informal. The desire is to delineate a more standard operating procedure to share with other organizations, partners, and farmers after the pilot concludes, to maximize effectiveness and efficiency.
By using stipends and compensation for the participating farmers, ACCD intends to help offset cost challenges they may have in implementing recommendations, and to ensure continued participation. Farmers will receive education and introductions to sources of information and other successful urban growers of both non-edible (year 1) and edible (year 2) plants/crops for market as well as incentives and other assistance offered via NRCS. All activities will be summarized, updated, and shared in detail in the case studies.
Learning Outcomes
- To date, we have not yet conducted post surveys with 2 farmer cooperators to measure change in knowledge, attitude, skills, and/or awareness. This is planned for Q4 of 2025.
- To date, we have not yet hosted on-farm workshops on soil health remediation for urban grower audience with pre/post surveys to measure change in knowledge, attitude, skills, and/or awareness. The first workshop is scheduled for Q2 of 2025 and the second is scheduled for Q4 of 2025.
- To date, we have not gathered feedback on Urban Soil Health Best Management Field Guide with case studies from cooperator farmers as it is still being drafted. Feedback from urban grower audience in BIRM network to measure change in knowledge, attitude, skills, and/or awareness as a result of this resource is projected for Q4 of 2025/ Q1 of 2026.
Project Outcomes
As a result of this project, both Farmer Cooperators are taking a full year to improve soil health instead of jumping immediately into production on newly acquired vacant lots. Through this process, Farmer Cooperators have been introduced to soil health BMPs such as cover cropping, mulching, and more as they are integral treatments in the Soil Health Remediation Plan. Farmer Cooperators have also been trained on and communicated more confidence on different soil testing methods and field assessment techniques. Both sites are still working through Objective 1, so final benefits and improvements are yet to be determined via case study development and Farmer Cooperator post-surveys.
Both farms are still progressing through Objective 1 with Objectives 2 and 3 dependent on completion of Objective 1. Throughout Objective 1, a number of lessons have already been learned to date with regard to project methods, keys to success, and unanticipated challenges. Our greatest hurdle has been the delay in remediation plan implementation at Soil Sisters due to the aforementioned delay in land ownership transfer. In addition to the delay in ownership transfer, Soil Sisters had negotiated an in-kind donation for a local developer to provide leveling services in exchange for utilizing the space as a staging site for building occurring nearby in the neighborhood. This leveling was an essential opportunity for Soil Sister’s long term success at the site, so our remediation plan implementation needed to be adapted to accommodate their work and timeline. Next, be.wilder needed to make some changes to the order of remediation plan treatments as a result of local supply. All of these challenges and changes demonstrate the need for this replicable soil health remediation plan to provide room for flexibility and adaptation to an urban grower’s specific needs, business goals, and timeline. As we are still implementing and collecting data for Objective 1, we have not yet answered our research questions. Conclusion of Objective 1 will allow Objective 2’s project analysis and Objective 3’s educational outreach plan and resources development to be achieved.