The Artichoke Project

Giraffe Group > Design for the Other 90% > 2009

A 10 year plan to enhance urban food systems

Artichoke


Jenna Goldblatt“I like traveling, camping and just being outdoors. I’m currently on the women’s club ultimate frisbee team at Syracuse and like to ice skate in my free time. In design, I have experience in packaging and product development. I’m highly interested in interaction design.”

Jeena Lee“I am a global designer who believes in what a fortune cookie once told me, “Life is not a mystery to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” Design experiences connect people to people, and people to objects.”

Jamie Garabedian“I play for the Syracuse University Rugby team. I

believe participating in outdoor and interactive activities helps in the design process by clearing

the mind and being able to see new perspectives. I like to design furniture using wood as a

medium. I am always inspired by sustainable solutions.”

Alan Kwok“I have always been a dedicated athlete. I

believe that regular activity fine-tunes one’s senses, allowing him or her to absorb as much

as possible from everyday life. I am interested in understanding social behavior and designing for

opportunities within social networks.”

About our Team


Table of Contents

The Artichoke Project

Phase 1: Seeding

Phase 2: Rooting

Phase 3: Sprouting

Phase 4: Maturation

Phase 4: Harvest

Credits

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According to our Secondary and Primary research, design efforts should be focused on 5 main areas - education, networking, alternative storage, transportation systems, and community-supported agricultural systems. Unfortunately, however, these areas cannot be fully addressed effectively within the first year. Therefore we have devised a 5-stage plan, Artichoke, in which to implement solutions. Each phase refers to a certain time-frame, and more problems shall be addressed in each phase, in addition to the already-existent solutions from each previous phase.

Our focus is in the initial year, which we call the “seeding” phase. This phase takes place in the first six months. During this time, education and alternative storage solutions will be implemented through an urban network. We will take advantage of abandoned urban infrastructures such as newspaper stands, while connecting with the “upper 10%” through online networking. This phase is intended to send out the initial wave of awareness and involvement.

After the “seeding” phase, the “rooting” phase will be implemented. This phase follows through to the one year mark. During this period, we will introduce a farmer-to-customer delivery system. This will build on established public infrastructures – e.g. bus and subway systems. This phase allows designers and planners to lay down the groundworks to a platform for farmers and shoppers.

The “sprouting” phase continues to the five year mark after rooting. During this stage, the main focus is on the farmer-to-customer connection. This is a chance for people to form a tight-knit relationship with their community and local resources. This phase allows for the previously established systems to gain momentum.

Then, the “maturation” phase follows. At this point, a community ambassadors program will be introduced – this program will allow urban community members to grow their own food, thus localize most of the city’s food sources. This spans on beyond the ten year mark. The “maturity” of this phase also implies a self-sustaining nature. This is quite a leap from the sprouting phase, but is intended to completely localize produce and fresh foods.

The final phase is “harvest.” This phase allows community-leaders to assess the progress, and fine-tune any necessary details.

The Artichoke Project

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“I’d say we go shopping for food about twice a week.Sometimes after work I’ll stop at the grocery store for dinner..”

- Sandy Goldblatt


Phase 1: Seeding

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This phase takes place in the first six months. During this time, education and alternative storage solutions will be implemented through an urban network. We will take advantage of abandoned urban infrastructures, while connecting with the “upper 10%” through online networking. This implementations during this phase are aimed at educating the public, and raising their general awareness towards the significance of food - as well as making interpersonal relationships within a community.

Firstly, a community network should be set up with current resources - preferably non-digital interfaces and systems.

* Reusing abandoned newspaper stands to create recipe/idea stands. * Install new recipe boxes throughout urban and residential “hot spots.” * Recipes will be published by farmers, restaurants, or just any community member. * Food preservation and cleaning methods will also be available. * These stands are meant to promote sharing of ideas within a community. * An online presence will also be established with the support of CSA.

Seeding

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The community bonding efforts will contribute to a problem that is not so intangible - the lack of education. These networks allow people to learn from and contribute to their own communities, something that a simple design solution cannot achieve. Through the community networks, people will become aware of their place in the food system. People will also be equipped with the knowledge to handle fresh foods. Some of these techniques include:

* Biltong - a South African method of preservation involving drying of meat.

* Zeer pot - a pot-in-pot refrigeration system that requires no electricity.

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“We constantly pay attention to the market,and what people are doing and what people want.”

- Rose Musumeci


Phase 2: Rooting

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Starting at the six month mark, the “rooting” phase will be implemented. At this time, we will introduce some sort of a farmer-to-customer connection, possibly a delivery system. This will build on established public infrastructures – e.g. bus and subway systems. This phase intents to connect the individuals of a community to their local food sources.

* Farmers could deliver a crate of current crops to towns, villages, and cities with tools/recipes necessary for cooking and consuming.

* Similar to a garbage pick-up system, farmers could pick up empty crates to reuse them on the next shipment.

* Fruit basket mailboxes, where fresh fruits and select produce can be delivered daily.

Rooting

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“This expanding cross-border trade... has exerted new pressure on the continental food sysem.”

- Pierre Belanger and Angela Larocci


Phase 3: Sprouting

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The “sprouting” phase continues to the five year mark after rooting. During this stage, the main objective is making the farmer-to-customer connection. This is a chance for people to form a tight-knit relationship with their community and local resources. This phase allows for the previously established systems to gain momentum.

This phase provides a transitional platform. A farmer delivery system will take some time to develop and gain strength. Supported by efforts to remain competitive with centralized retailers, this system gives back to farmers, small business, and eventually the people.

Sprouting

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“With the economy the way it is,[fresh produce] is a luxury, but people need food!”

- Rose Musumeci


Phase 4: Maturation

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During the “maturation” phase, a community ambassadors program will be introduced – this program will allow urban community members to grow their own food, thus localize most of the city’s food sources. This phase should be in effect quite some time after the seeding phase. The farmer-to-customer connection should provide somewhat of a transition to urban and suburban farms. The “maturity” of this phase also implies a self-sustaining nature of the system. This phase is the next step to completely localize produce and fresh foods.

This phase takes a fresh approach at the most relied-upon system of all - the monetary system. A few systems could be implemented.

* Barter system This system encourages people within a community to trade food, thus eliminating the need for money. This also builds on the already established local networks.

* Community Ambassador This allows parts of a community to grow different crops to enhance the barter system. For example, a certain suburb will become the tomato ambassador for the larger community. Similarly, there would be an “apple suburb,” or a “potato street,” or a “block of cabbage.”

Maturation

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“... follow the food chains that sustain us,all the way from the earth (or, more accurately, the sun) to the plate...”

- Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan


Phase 5: Harvest

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The final “harvest” phase allows community-leaders to assess the progress, and fine-tune any necessary details. This phase roughly takes place between the ten and twenty year marks. By this time, the community ambassadors will have been well established.

Urban source of fresh foods will be completely localized.

Harvest

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We had a truly insightful and inspiring visit of your greenhouses, and we wish you all the best in the coming season.

Thank you for a wonderfully informative interview. Moms know best!

We appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule for an interview.

We were tremendously inspired by your presentations. Your advice and guidance gave us confidence in our work.

Your constant presence throughout the project allowed us to take some leaps. Your words were always taken to heart and we now see a greater purpose in design.

Special thanks to...

Rose & John Musumeci

Sandy Goldblatt

Kathleen Garabedian

Sudhir Bhatia

Kathleen Brandt (teacher)

Credits

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Documents

The Artichoke Project