V for Vertical? Veganic farming network could be a Philly food revolution

Today's V for Veg column talks about vegan organic growing as "a fully-functional edible ecosystem," a way to "become as self-reliant and self-sufficient as possible." In that context we were talking about kitchen gardens, but Jack Griffin of Metropolis Farms is, to put it mildly, thinking big and applies the same self-sufficiency to what he sees as a potential citywide network of vertical indoor farms that can be managed by "anybody with a high-school degree."

As we toured the South Philly second-floor warehouse space that is the Metropolis farm thus far, Griffin said that "what we really need is for more people to make more food," adding that "one of our goals is creating 'home versions'" of what he has going at Metropolis, the first vegan-certified farm in the United States. The certification is from the American Vegetarian Association, which not only did a chemical analysis of Metorpolis products to detect any residues but warned Griffin that he's subject to spot checks to verify the completely animal-free nature of his growing process.

Griffin's zeal to get more people involved in this kind of growing is palpable, but it's not just wishful thinking. He's already enlisting major players and moving projects from back-of-napkin sketches to real-world dinner tables, and throughout, he emphasizes that Philadelphia can eventually meet both energy and food needs and cut way down on importing with the spread of veganic indoor farms.

It's hard to argue the point, and not just due to Griffin's commanding, sometimes blustery personal style. The equipment and setup he has going at THE ADDREESS ON WATER STREET are impressive, with grow-lights that simulate the mvement of the sun and a specially-bred carnivorous plant that eats the black flies that would otherwise menace the crop. Griffin talks a big game, but the proof is in the hydroponic plantings, vibrantly green and colorful.

Griffin snipped off a tuft of microgreens that tasted pleasantly of radishes and while I was chewing he explained how vegan processes will allow him to match or undercut big supermarkets' prices, but with all-locally grown fruits and vegetables, harvested and sold the same day. "Bottom line is, our microgreens grow in a week instead of 10-12 days," as is normal for those found in boutique supermarkets such as Whole Foods. Similarly, he said that the basil that filled one whole bank of the main growing room will typically last around three weeks "instead of the maybe three days you get" with most fresh supermarket basil.

Most of the crops grown at Metropolis are leafy greens, whose veganic production is especially pertinent from a public-health standpoint, Griffin observes, citing the CDC statistic that one in six Americans yearly gets sick with food poisoning, the most frequent carrier being "lettuce grown in manure." Griffin adds that "people say manure is safe 'if handled properly.'Uh huh, well, so is radium!"

The point that ventures like Metropolis make so clearly is that animal wastes as agricultural additives are more trouble than they're worth, and that fundamentally, they're just not necessary. Factory farms and other industrial animal operations offset their costs by sales of byproducts like manure, and Griffin says he sees no reason to help them with that, given the major environmental negatives of animal farming.

In discussing a project in collaboration with Drexel University to grow a plant called carinata whose seeds can be made into jet fuel for the U.S. Navy (he also sees Philly as a potential 'energy hub' based solely on biofuels), Griffin notes that the plants leaves are a potentially valuable human crop that's essentially being thrown away as they rot on the plants during seed formation, and that the stems can be used for animal feed, "but I don't want to go that route, I don't want to do anything that helps [animal agibusiness']." He's looking into ways to convert that nutrient-rich material into some form that can nourish humans instead.

Maybe he'll wind up eating them himself. Griffin was nowhere near vegan when he began to get inot this industry (he was trained as an economist), but he's been trying out vegan eating and is now increasing his intake of plant-based foods. "I'm up to two days a week, all vegan," he said, vowing to keep pushing further. "That's the way it's going to work for me."

If Griffin does wind up going vegan he could be a powerful advocate, as he's shown the ability to get people to listen to his ideas and see their potential. One partner is City Councilman Al Taubenberger, who graduated from Penn State in 1975 as an agronomist, and knows a few things about making plants grow.

Taubenberger is enthusiastic about the prospect of the City of Philadelphia collaborating with Metropolis in one way or another - "I think We're looking at the Steve Jobs of the agricultural world," he told me - and has scheduled hearings on vertical-farming initiatives for September, when Council returns from summer recess.

The Councilman sees value in Griffin's big dreams beyond food that can be eaten in Philly on the same day it's harvested. "I believe this is a serious initiative to correct unemployment, jobs," he said, "plus fresh food that can be grown 365 days a year."

The jobs part is Griffin's commitment to getting "returning citizens" into the workforce through hiring veterans and ex-cons. But some projects can also work to prepare those who are not yet in the workforce. Starting this school year, third- and fourth-grade students at the Richard Wright School in NE Philly will oversee a vertical gardening project in partnership with Metropolis (and also via a grant from the USDA), according to principal Jeannine Payne.

"Yes," Principal Payne confirmed, "our goal is to be working on the space over the summer and have it ready to use at the beginning of the school year." She explained that until now, "I've been reluctant to do anything with outdoor gardening, only because we don't have a secure enclosed space outdoors." Given that you can't be sure who or what might traipse through such an area, "I Was considering maybe growing plants but nothing edible," but the vertical, indoor aspect allows the kids to grow their own fresh vegan food.

But it doesn't stop there. Griffin's curriculum would have the students bring the veggies to harvest and then to market, to gain earnings to plow back into the system. "I want to show them the entire cycle," said Griffin, "let 'em see how it works - 'I want this and this is what I want to be when I grow up.'"

Payne agreed: "The plan is to extend it to a more complete educational experience - to give the kids a taste of what it's like being in agriculture." And far from a one-off temporary project, Payne said that "I'm looking for something installed in the school as part of the experience of being a Wright student."

That fits well with Griffin's goal to have more people growing food and especially more people knowing what they're doing. He said generating a self-contained food system for Philly not only means fresher, more local food and more local jobs - "a more prosperous Philadelphia, and a more nutritious Philadelphia " - but also that "it makes for cleaner food that's also morally cleaner."

For his part, Councilman Taubenberger is "dusting off my agricultural books" and "setting up trips over the summer" in efforts "to help make this into a reality." He noted that "Around four or five councilpeople are very interested in seeing this firsthand," and that "even President [Darryl] Clarke wants to go out [to Metropolis]."

Griffin's faith in the success of his system is hard to argue with, and his commitment to providing jobs and skills to traditionally marginalized groups is laudable. Just as the current demo farm provides a model to show that this kind of farming can be done on a wide scale, his employment plans could help society at large get over its reluctance to give jobs to ex-criminals, with the evidence at hand that just as with plants, people can grow and change.

Then again... in the face of such temptation as fresh, lush organic greens, nobody's perfect, right?

Griffin practically confirmed as much during our meeting. "The biggest problem with our kale," he noted with a chuckle, "is employees eating it."