Southwest Coffee Talk

[Vicelord John]

Originally Posted by Leo the Dog

So what you're saying is, they dressed the part, talked a lot of shit, but there were probably 3 talented players that had good jump shots?

lol. Actually, I didn't observe any great players, but they were fast and were running full court. I could have probably played 4-5 posessions.

[HooverDam]

So over in the discussions area theres a small thread on Urban Farming. Its very frustrating to me that Phoenix isn't a leader in this area. Once irrigated the Salt River Valley was one of the greatest fertile Valleys the world has ever known with 4 strong growing seasons, shouldn't we be all over this?

The City needs to first figure out how many vacant lots exist in the Valley. With leapfrogged lots, yet to be developed lots, etc. Id imagine Phoenix has more square acres of empty lot than any other city in the country. We also have dust, blight and urban heat island problems, urban gardening would help relieve all of those issues.

Obviously Id love for all the empty lots in Phoenix to be replaced with more urban uses, thus the zoning written to allow urban gardening should be temporary in nature. Using raised box beds for most vegetables seems to be a logical solution, and any citrus groves that are planted can have the trees later moved and used in another grove or ornamentally.

At the very freakin' least, the City can make this possible on the numerous lots that they own. Why not start with the City owned lots that will someday be the BioMed campus.

[Leo the Dog]

Hoover,
I read a couple of years back, that the owners of vacant lots get federal tax rebates if they plant crops on their fields. However, its a loophole that developers use. They don't have to cultivate the crops, just plant and grow them, receive tax breaks and plow it over.

There used to be a small dirt lot on Guadalupe Rd between Rural and McClintock that would plant corn.

[mwadswor]

Originally Posted by HooverDam

So over in the discussions area theres a small thread on Urban Farming. Its very frustrating to me that Phoenix isn't a leader in this area. Once irrigated the Salt River Valley was one of the greatest fertile Valleys the world has ever known with 4 strong growing seasons, shouldn't we be all over this?

The City needs to first figure out how many vacant lots exist in the Valley. With leapfrogged lots, yet to be developed lots, etc. Id imagine Phoenix has more square acres of empty lot than any other city in the country. We also have dust, blight and urban heat island problems, urban gardening would help relieve all of those issues.

Obviously Id love for all the empty lots in Phoenix to be replaced with more urban uses, thus the zoning written to allow urban gardening should be temporary in nature. Using raised box beds for most vegetables seems to be a logical solution, and any citrus groves that are planted can have the trees later moved and used in another grove or ornamentally.

At the very freakin' least, the City can make this possible on the numerous lots that they own. Why not start with the City owned lots that will someday be the BioMed campus.

It's no excuse for the lack of small scale gardening here, but a large part of the dropping farm acreage here is on purpose. Agriculture uses vastly more water per acre than any other use, and a large part of why the valley is in such good shape with water is because as we've been adding housing subdivisions we've been dropping farm acreage. I don't have a link to the presentation, but a few years ago I sat in on a presentation on water planning and at least at the time the plan was to completely phase out farming around the valley by 2050 or 2075 (where the sate can control it, obviously the reservations will keep farming if they want to). Phoenix may have 4 good growing seasons, but so does Saudi Arabia... farming isn't going to be big in either because it is extremely water intensive. Of course we could mitigate some of that by finding some less water intensive crops to be growing. I have no idea who decided it was a good idea to grow so much cotton here.

Also, it may not look like a farm because they're not in a nice, neat little grove, but I'd say Phoenix does plenty of urban citrus farming. Everyone has a fruit tree here, there are orange trees all over the ASU campus, and many of the roads around here are lined with orange or lemon trees.

[HooverDam]

^I can understand concerns about water, but Im not talking about filling the entire Valley floor with farms like it once was. Im talking about just filling in the dirt lots in Central Phoenix to start with, I can't imagine that being a water issue. It would help relieve the Downtown Urban Heat island a bit and would make the walk between the Arts area and the downtown core seem much more pleasant and safer, which would help businesses.

[Vicelord John]

Anyone wanna get a beginner/sucks/out of shape basketball game going? Its $10 for the day to play indoors at north phx baptist or we cpuld do maryvale rec center they have indoor as well as ymca.

[mwadswor]

Originally Posted by Vicelord John

Anyone wanna get a beginner/sucks/out of shape basketball game going? Its $10 for the day to play indoors at north phx baptist or we cpuld do maryvale rec center they have indoor as well as ymca.

I qualify move it closer to the east valley or do it on on a weekend and I'm interested.

[Vicelord John]

I wouldn't have to move it to a weekend. I don't care what day it is...

[glynnjamin]

I'd be down to play. I suck really bad though. Haven't played since I left the LDS church.

[Vicelord John]

How would a Saturday morning work for everyone? If we could get PHX31 we could do at least 2 on 2.

I generally work Saturday afternoons so I would want to be done by 10-11.

Obvoiusly my preference is the church, but YMCA would work as well.

[glynnjamin]

I can't do this saturday (softball and then a Sounders match) but a future saturday morning would be okay. Tuesday evenings are best for me though.

[Vicelord John]

Tuesday evenings are best for me as well. I'm almost always off tuesday/wednesday. That rules out Mwadsworth though.

[mwadswor]

Originally Posted by Vicelord John

Tuesday evenings are best for me as well. I'm almost always off tuesday/wednesday. That rules out Mwadsworth though.

Tuesday evenings are no good for me. Wednesday evening would actually be perfect for me now that I think about it though.

[Vicelord John]

Glenn, Wednesday evening? either one is fine with me. dont make me go two nights in a row.

[PHX31]

A couple of my friends and I are playing every Tuesday evening. Usually at Encanto. If there is a better option that is indoors and available/lightly used, that would be even better. The YMCA is usually packed with people, unless you just want to join in on their pick up games.

[Vicelord John]

NPBC is deserted every time I go, and there are 6 hoops soooooooo ya. $10 for the day you should go there this week I'll join ya. I loathe playing outside.

[PHX31]

$10 per day every day we play there?

[Vicelord John]

Or $30 for a month... After a month your membership just turns off and you pay again if you want to keep going or you just stop. With it being over 70 in the evening, I'm just not interested in it. Climate control, no dirt, and yeah I just like playing inside.

[PHX31]

I'll talk it over with them, but I doubt we're going to pay. I have a YMCA membership and a "membership" to the City's facilities where I play bball at both. I don't like playing that much to also pay at another place.

I used to play with a group of guys at a middle school on like 16th Street and Indian School. One of them knew the P.E. teacher/bball coach, and we'd play on their court after the kids had practice. That was the best: free, nice court, no one but us. I'll see if I can get that going again if anything.

[Vicelord John]

Maryvale has indoor courts and our city "memberships" would work there.