Cooperatively Owned Soil Steamer on Urban Farms

Commodities

Practices

As urban growers, we face unique challenges due to limited field space. Unlike larger farms, we cannot always rely on cover-cropping, crop rotation, fallow periods, or livestock integration to manage soil health. Warmer winters in past years have compounded these issues by failing to kill off pests, leading to increasing weed and disease pressures.

Our primary weed challenges include Stellaria media (chickweed), Convolvulus arvensis (field bindweed), and Chenopodium album (lambsquarters)—cold-hardy, fast-growing annuals with prolific seed production. These weeds often overrun entire beds of carrots, greens, and herbs, forcing us to reseed and cultivate repeatedly, particularly in spring and fall. Urban farmers like us lack the luxury of extended rotations or the time to tarp or repeatedly recultivate beds.

Additionally, black rot caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris devastates cruciferous crops. On Beaverland Farms, it caused up to 70% losses in some brassica beds in 2024, making it our most destructive disease issue. Many urban farms in Detroit face similar challenges.

We propose using a soil steamer to eradicate weed seeds and reduce disease pressures sustainably. This pesticide- and herbicide-free solution offers long-term benefits for urban farms, helping us maintain productivity and protect soil health.

Solution:

This project combines demonstration, education, and access to highlight the effectiveness of soil steaming in urban agriculture. The trial will involve three urban farms in Southeast Michigan and focus on the steamer’s ability to manage weeds, reduce disease pressure, and improve crop productivity. By addressing key challenges faced by urban farmers, this initiative aims to demonstrate how innovative tools like soil steamers can promote sustainable and efficient farming practices.

The trial will include diverse growing environments, including high-tunnel, low-tunnel, and open-field settings, to assess the versatility of the soil steamer across different conditions. Each participating farm will identify trial plots with documented weed and disease issues. These plots will be divided into two sections: one treated with the soil steamer and another left untreated as a control. Farmers will track key metrics such as weed coverage, disease symptoms, and crop productivity (measured by yield and days to maturity) using a standardized data collection template before and after treatment. This approach ensures consistent data collection and provides meaningful insights into the effectiveness of soil steaming.

The project emphasizes sustainability by promoting alternatives to chemical use. Soil steaming is an environmentally-friendly practice that treats the soil by using high-temperature steam to kill weed seeds, pathogens, and pests. This method reduces reliance on chemical inputs, which can negatively impact ecosystems, soil health, and water quality. By integrating this technology into urban agriculture, we aim to provide farmers with a sustainable and effective method for improving their growing conditions while reducing environmental harm.

A key component of this project is ensuring that the benefits of soil steaming extend beyond the participating farms. We will not only to use the steamer on our farm but also to share the knowledge gained through this trial with fellow growers. To address the lack of access to soil steamers in Southeast Michigan, we will implement a subsidized rental model, enabling farmers to rent the equipment at an affordable rate. This approach promotes resource efficiency and accessibility for small-scale farmers with limited budgets, helping them overcome challenges such as weed and disease pressures without heavy financial investment.

To facilitate knowledge sharing, we will organize field days at the participating farms. These events will feature live demonstrations of the soil steaming process, Q&A sessions, and presentations on the broader benefits of sustainable farming practices, such as reduced chemical inputs and improved soil health. We also plan to present our findings at a regional small farming conference, reaching a larger audience of growers, educators, and policymakers. During these events, we will distribute educational materials, including a user guide for soil steaming, fact sheets, and case studies developed throughout the project.

Ultimately, this project combines research, education, and collaboration to create a model for sustainable urban agriculture. By showcasing how technology can empower urban farmers to address common challenges, we hope to foster greater resilience and sustainability in urban farming while building a framework for shared access to innovative equipment.

Objectives:

1. Demonstrate the effectiveness of soil steaming for managing weeds and soil-borne diseases on urban farms by collecting and analyzing data from four trial plots to evaluate the impact of steaming on weed pressure, disease symptoms, and crop productivity. Beaverland Farms and Fisheye Farms will each identify two trial plots - one indoor and one outdoor.
2. Educate urban farmers through three field days and a conference presentation, providing hands-on demonstrations and practical resources.
3. Foster collaboration and resource-sharing within the urban farming community in Southeast Michigan by developing and implementing a subsidized rental model for soil steamer access. This will include creating a user guide, while also tracking usage and impact.