Abandoned city land turns into urban farm

Click here for entertainment news & info.

"Take a look at this one," says urban farmer John Seitz. "You can see the rings like a tree."

There's a treasure trove of green on this abandoned lot off Oliver Place in Minneapolis' Kenwood neighborhood. Green grass, green leaves and John Seitz's dirty green thumbs.

"I think people would be amazed by how little land you do need to produce a lot of food," says Seitz.

You see, Seitz and his business partner Julie Aponte, well they're growing groves of green where homes would normally stand. Uptown Farms, their fledgling urban business, takes abandoned lots, and empty yards and transforms them into working plots on a real farm. And, yep, their entire operation can be found amidst the hustle and bustle of Uptown.

"I don't know how many times I've been working out here and people have been walking by and give them a tour and see the kids faces and the amazement like, 'what's this?'," adds Setiz.

Seitz and Aponte sell their green goods at Minneapolis' Mill City Farmers Market, where they've developed a loyal customer base.

"We've got heirloom tomatoes, and 160 different plants," says business partner Julie Aponte.

These two imagine a city where empty space is used to grow the things we eat, and where the market is the field just down the block.

"There is so much empty space in cities and urban areas and it's our goal to put that empty space to work," says Seitz.

For now, Uptown Farms is more hobby than business for Seitz and Aponte. But, with a quarter acre already in production, and the search on for more land to farm, these unlikely farmers see themselves tilling soil and pulling weeds for years to come.

By: Chris Kallal, metromix.com reporter

Check out our KARE family of Web sites:
	takeKARE		Metromix
	Moms Like Me		Minnesota Bound
	Showcase Minnesota