Eat my wall
A vertical urban farm will seed community farming in a graffiti-scarred L.A. neighborhood.
(Fortune Small Business) -- George Irwin builds green structures for a living, but his latest project aspires to rebuild lives. This summer, Irwin is donating a vertical urban farm for residents of Los Angeles' graffiti-scarred Central City East.
"Think of it as another way to make a community garden," says Irwin, 39, a landscaper by training.
He's installing four massive garden walls - a total of 750 square feet - in and around the neighborhood, including one in a high school yard and another at a local housing project. Each six-by 30-foot wall consists of 45 four-inch-deep, soil-bearing, irrigated vertical trays. Community farmers will be able to grow anything from strawberries to cherry tomatoes and melons.
Irwin estimates that each wall will generate as much as 400 pounds of produce a season. He envisions entrepreneurs opening "wall-side stands" and local youth getting work skills installing and maintaining the vertical gardens of L.A.'s Skid Row. 
A farm-equipment maker grows far afield
Cheese to the rescue
-
The Cheesecake Factory created smaller portions to survive the downturn. Play -
A breeder of award-winning marijuana seeds is following the money and heading to the U.S. More -
Most small businesses die within five years, but Amish businesses have a survival rate north of 90%. More -
The 10 most popular franchise brands over the past decade -- and their failure rates. More -
These firms are the last left in America making iconic products now in their twilight. More
My dream is to launch my own business someday. Now that it's time to choose a major, I'm debating if I should major in entrepreneurial studies or major in engineering to acquire a set of skills first. Is majoring in entrepreneurship a good choice? More
When it comes to in-flight pampering, the amenity kits offered by these 10 airlines are the ultimate in luxury More
From a text therapy platform to apps that push you reminders to breathe, these self-care startups offer help on a daily basis or in times of need. More
From Uber's flying cars to the Hyperloop, these are some of the neatest transportation concepts in the works today. More
More Small Business
