Supporting Urban Ag Growth through ACCD's Urban Soils Program

Breakout session Tuesday, February 11 at 10:30 a.m.

Allegheny County Conservation District's Urban Soils Program has supported the growth of urban agriculture in Pittsburgh over the past 8 years. ACCD will review history of the Urban Soils Program's implementation and development, while sharing progress on the current expansion efforts to pilot soil health remediation on 2 urban farms, funded by NACD's 2024 Urban and Community Conservation Grant.

Speaker: Hayly Hoch, Allegheny County Conservation District

1. 4/17/2023 accdpa.org Laying the Groundwork: Supporting Urban Ag Growth Through ACCD’s Urban Soils Program Hayly Hoch Community Agriculture & Soils Program Manager

2. Click icon to add picture Overview Introduction and overview Understanding Urban Soils Soil Lead Risks & Testing ACCD Urban Soils Program Soil Health Remediation Pilot and Case Studies Next steps Thank you & Questions

3. Where in the world? The Allegheny County Conservation District is an urban conservation district that engages and leads through partnerships, innovation, and implementation to conserve, promote, and improve Allegheny County’s natural resources. Agriculture in Allegheny County

4. Urban Soils Higher pH due to high calcium content (>8.0, basic) Compaction Low organic matter Nutrient deficiency (favors weeds and invasives) Artifactual fill (bricks, concrete, slag, waste/ litter) Loss of soil horizons (top soil + fill with little differentiation ) Highly varied texture; depends on fill source (river dredge vs. native soil) Lack of biodiversity Salinity (stormwater and road salts) Heavy metal contamination Average PA Soils pH of 6.5- 7.5 25% water and 25% air 3- 6% organic matter Nutrient requirements depends on crop* Clear horizon delineation C lay loam texture; typically limestone or shale parent material High biodiversity Soluble Salts: 0.15- 1.25 mmhos/cm Background heavy metals Background levels of heavy metals Understanding Urban Soils

5. Understanding Urban Soils: Physical Properties

6. Understanding Urban Soils: Loss of Soil Horizons This was a building Brick Rubble Brick Brick

7. Understanding Urban Soils: Loss of Soil Horizons

8. Understanding Urban Soils: Loss of Soil Horizons

9. Understanding Urban Soils: Variability in texture This was a building

10. Understanding Urban Soils: Variability in texture Really large soil particles!

11. Understanding Urban Soils: Variability in texture Highly stable aggregates!

12. Understanding Urban Soils: variability in soil texture Sol Patch Garden Measured Soil Textural Class: sandy loam Sand: 64% - Silt: 20% - Clay: 15% Braddock Farms Measured Soil Textural Class: silt loam Sand: 24% - Silt: 50% - Clay: 24%

13. Understanding Urban Soils: Physical properties impact Biological Properties

14. Understanding Urban Soils: Heavy Metal Contamination Table 1: Metals Considered in Developing Ecological Soil Screening Levels via EPA Aluminum (Al) Antimony (Sb) Arsenic (As) Barium (Ba) Beryllium (Be) Cadmium(Cd) Chromium(Cr) Cobalt (Co) Copper (Cu) Iron (Fe) Lead (Pb) Manganese (Mn) Nickel (Ni) Selenium (Se) Silver (Ag) Vanadium (V) Zinc (Zn) Mercury (Hg)

15. Lead in Soil: Decreasing Risk of Exposure

16. “The continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans.” (NRCS) Lead in Soil: Decreasing Risk of Exposure Physical Biological Micro and macrofauna biodiversity Organic matter content Pest and disease suppression Root zone activity and growth Soil respiration Texture (clay, silt, sand) Parent material Soil order Aggregation and structure Compaction vs. porosity Water infiltration and holding capacity pH Cation exchange capacity (nutrient holding capacity) Macro nutrient availability (N,P,K) Micro nutrient availability Salinity Heavy metal content Chemical

17. Lead in Soil: Testing Options

18. Lead in Soil: Testing Options Representative sample (5 digs across 100 ft x 100 ft site) Cornell soil test: nutrients, emphasis on soil biology Looks good!

19. Representative sample (5 digs across 100 ft x 100 ft site) PSU Environmental Soil Test Soil Pb under 400 ppm Lead in Soil: Testing Options

20. Lead in Soil: Testing Options

21. Organic and ongoing TA connection, often at the start of urban green space project development In 2024: 1304 soil samples screened for lead $39,120 value (assumes $30 value per sample) 22 sites visited for Heavy Metal Micro Mapping 159,150 sq ft sampled 8 pop-up screening events + 2 drop-off screening events 78 residents engaged at screening events ACCD’s Urban Soils Program

22. Challenges Standardized follow up after implementation of recommendations Land access Growing in-ground vs. cap/ raised beds: farmers want to work with, improve, and steward this precious natural resource! Site development is usually time sensitive: any time spent on site development is time taken away from generating revenue Remediation is costly and time intensive Coordination between technical assistance service providers Solution A. Develop and share out a replicable program structure for both grower and agency audience for B. quickly building soil health to dilute/ lock up soil lead using locally available resources in coordination with local technical assistance, C. all the while compensating growers and checking feasibility of revenue generation. How can we support (or even incentivize) growers to spend valuable time/ resources addressing this soil health concern?

23. Be.wilder farm: Practice run 2 acre diverse vegetable market for-profit farm established in 2016 on leased land 30 min north of Pittsburgh Primary sales channels are a farmers market and restaurant wholesale Cold storage and wash/pack are located at home closer to City, 30 mins away Sought land security closer to home Purchased ⅕ acre vacant lot adjacent to home via county VLRP (low cost, long timeline)

24. Be.wilder farm: Pre- testing Lower Phosphorus> plants may pull Pb when deficient in phosphorus pH is slightly acidic> Pb more bioavailable under neutral/ acidic conditions OM is 3.5% Higher CEC > result of clay soils, soil will likely hold tightly to nutrients Low soluble salts

25. CASE STUDY: be.wilder farm Deep tillage Compacted soils due to site history Debris likely remaining below soil surface Deep tillage dilutes lead Need to add organic material quickly Add tons of carbon- stores and supports fungi Increases CEC while diluting SCOOP DUMP! Scoop/dump informed by work done by MSU and Cornell

26. Applied for SARE Partnership Grant, relied on PA Uran Ag Infrastructure Grant to get started Stock piled wood chips over winter; usually free but took months to accrue enough. 120 yds to get 8-10” of coverage Mini skid steer to move and spread wood chips Amended with compost tea to inoculate and encourage breakdown of wood chips Backhoe moves backwards across site Walk through and pick debris during scoop dump be.wilder: Lessons learned

27. Debris: household items, car alternator, chain link fence, and more! Scoop dump worked great for reducing compaction, removing rumble, and incorporating OM even if Pb was not diluted BCS till after scoop dump to prep seed bed Solarized with tarp ahead of seeding be.wilder: Lessons learned

28. Seeded Sorghum Sudan Grass (cover crop) and Broomcorn (non-edible cash crop), both did well without fencing or irrigation Harvested broomcorn, value of $0.70 per stock Mow down remaining biomass as green manure Spread compost late fall Ongoing- tracking time and costs to see “true” cost of implementation be.wilder : Lessons learned

29. be.wilder farm: Post- testing

30. be.wilder farm: Pre- testing

31. Be.wilder farm: Creating a remediation roadmap PRE (Jan) A (Feb- April) GROW (May- Aug) B (Sept-Feb) POST (March) XRF screening Lab testing (PSU, CASH) NRCS Soil Health Assessment Scoop dump (C rich amendment + incorp with backhoe, remove debris) Bed shaping Compost application Additional soil amendment Seedbed prep via BCS Plant non-edible crop Plant tissue analysis Harvest/ process Market Cost analysis Chop n drop non-edible crop biomass Incorp residue Compost application Seed cover crop Spring mow and incorp cover crop Tarp solarization XRF screening Lab testing NRCS Soil Health Assessment Case study development

32. Soil Sisters Plant Nursery : Case Study 1 2020 Pittsburgh P A ’s first black owned seedling production company driven by the fresh food access in their community. Urban Redevelopment Authority Minority & Women Business Enterprise Loan Construct greenhouse for seedling production (project on hold) 2022 Open storefront with Soil Sisters House of Plants incorporating interior tropical plants to our inventory. 2023 Begin process to purchase vacant lots across from storefront with plan to establish an educational urban farm Wanted urban orchard via Tree Pgh Giving Grove (in-ground) Led Raynise to r each out to ACCD for soil lead screening services

33. Soil Sisters: Pre- testing Lower Phosphorus> plants may pull Pb when deficient in phosphorus pH is slightly basic> Pb less bioavailable under alkaline conditions OM is 4.4% High calcium is typical of urban soils; result of concrete fill in soils and contribute to basic pH Higher CEC > result of clay soils, soil will likely hold tightly to nutrients Low soluble salts

34. Land transfer successful! Leveling of site traded in-kind for nearby staging space PRE- tests Site plan with landscape architect Currently collecting wood chips Scoop-dump in spring 2025 Soil Sisters Plant Nursery: Progress to date

35. Soil Sisters Plant Nursery : Soil Health Remediation Roadmap PRE (Jan) A (Feb- April) GROW (May- Aug) B (Sept-Feb) POST (March) XRF screening Lab testing (PSU, CASH) NRCS Soil Health Assessment Scoop dump (C rich amendment + incorp with backhoe, remove debris) Bed shaping Compost application Additional soil amendment Seedbed prep via BCS Plant non-edible crop Plant tissue analysis Harvest/ process Market Cost analysis Chop n drop non-edible crop biomass Incorp residue Compost application Seed cover crop Spring mow and incorp cover crop Tarp solarization XRF screening Lab testing NRCS Soil Health Assessment Case study development Plant Trees via Tree Pittsburgh Giving Grove

36. Wilkinsburg Community Garden : Case Study 2 Resident led community garden project Lead steward owns local landcare company, Touch of Green Pgh 2024 goal to expand garden Wanted urban orchard via Tree Pgh Giving Grove (in-ground) Led Jess to reach out to ACCD for soil lead screening services

37. Wilkinsburg Community Garden : Soil health Remediation Roadmap PRE (Jan) A (Feb- April) GROW (May- Aug) B (Sept-Feb) POST (March) XRF screening Lab testing (PSU, CASH) NRCS Soil Health Assessment Scoop dump (C rich amendment + incorp with backhoe, remove debris) Bed shaping Compost application Additional soil amendment Seedbed prep via BCS Plant non-edible crop Plant tissue analysis Harvest/ process Market Cost analysis Chop n drop non-edible crop biomass Incorp residue Compost application Seed cover crop Spring mow and incorp cover crop Tarp solarization XRF screening Lab testing NRCS Soil Health Assessment Case study development Plant Trees via Tree Pittsburgh Giving Grove

38. Soil Health Remediation Roadmap POST testing at be.wilder to gauge changes; pla nt tissue analysis Soil Sisters Project Plan implementation Wilkinsburg Community Garden project plan implementation Plant urban orchards at Soil Sisters and Wilkinsburg Community Garden via Tree Pittsburgh Outreach Spring and Fall On-site workshops Urban Soils Best Management Guide with case studies for grower audience Train the Trainer ACCD’s Urban Soils Program as model program (draft SOPs) PASA implementing for other urban centers in PA! Regional Urban Soil Health working group with other TSPs to share trends and best practices Offer to Growers as awarded “micro-grant” opportunity Requires secured funding year over year Prioritize paying growers for their time to incentive Next Steps

39. Urban Soils Program: Pasa is Implementing across PA!

40. to the agencies that have supported this work through grant awards! NACD ’s Urban Agriculture Conservation Initiative grant SARE Partnership Grant: This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number ONE24-448-AWD00001359. PDA Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grant Thank you!

41. [email protected] accdpa.org [phone] ext. 8009 Hayly Hoch Want to learn more about Allegheny County Conservation District's work to protect , restore and preserve Allegheny County's natural resources?