Talk:Market garden

Contracting uses of term (maybe US vs UK)
The use of what's described here as the "traditional" definition -- a farm which produces specialist vegetables, flowers, etc whatever the scale, is by far the most dominant in the UK, I'm sure. And "truck farm" seems to be virtually unheard of. Is this a UK/US distinction, maybe? If I'm right, for the article to go in so confidently with a definition that's at odds with its use in large english-speaking countries, and also academic practice, without even a slight equivocation, seems a little over-confident to me. Or maybe I'm just in a bubble. 79.72.6.58 (talk) 10:52, 9 June 2018 (UTC)

Social role of market gardening
I added this section with some, I think, reasonable text on the subject. It has since been deleted. As a non-regular user of Wikipedia I'm not sure what's going on. Can someone tell me if the text was completely out of line / off topic / whatever or some other reason to delete. Otherwise, could wiser heads insert it and make any edits necessary. Many thanks Denis 60.242.50.195 (talk) 01:50, 25 January 2008 (UTC)]

Deleted text: "In some more affluent countries, including Australia and the United States market gardening is rated as a low social status occupation. It is typically taken up by recent immigrant groups for one or two generations, until they can accumulate capital, language and trade skills. The succession of dominant market gardening groups in Australia, for example, was - from the early 1800s Anglo-Celtic, people from German-speaking countries, Chinese [following the peak of the goldrushes in mid-late 1800s], then southern European migrants from Italy and Yugoslavia [prior to its disintegration], then Southeast Asian migrant and refugee communities following the Vietnam War, such as the Vietnamese and Cambodians. Currently Somali migrants are the main group taking up market gardening.

Involvement in market gardening provides immigrant groups who otherwise have few marketable skills, apart from their labour, with an opportunity to become actively involved in the market economy. Benefits are that it is not reliant upon education or language, it adapts well to providing work for extended family groups, and in large market growing regions even wider community support networks. Sharing of knowledge and experience within communities reduces risks, and supports a network of other trades such as carriers, market agents, and heavy machinery contractors. Market-gardening land is typically relatively cheap and allows immigrants to purchase land, often with an accompanying residence, far more readily than in urban settings. However, like all agriculture it risks crop failure, market collapse and competition from industrialised broad-acre farming and 'fresh-frozen' imported produce. Other risks are from hazards such as pesticide use, especially where the market gardeners are not trained in their use or able to read product information. Another consequence is marginalisation of the succeeding generation where they are relied upon as the fittest and strongest to succeed in continuing the farm rather than pursue other ambitions and opportunities."


 * Since no comments adverse or positive have been made on this I've reinstated the text.124.183.134.19 (talk) 00:36, 13 March 2008 (UTC)

Truck Farm v. Truck Farming
Truck farm redirects here, but Truck farming does not.

To merge or not to merge? - William Shakespeare, aka: 4.240.159.131 (talk) 22:28, 2 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Truck farm now Rdr's to  Truck farming, which should be read since it makes clear the distinction that calls for the present cross-referencing but precludes merging.  --Jerzy•t 19:06, 17 February 2009 (UTC)

10th Dec
This article will be 10 years old. Just Saying.--Kitchen Knife (talk) 16:50, 6 October 2014 (UTC)

history
This goes back to ancient Egypt and Rome, so the history section could do with a drastic expansion. Vince Calegon 16:29, 18 November 2016 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Vince Calegon (talk • contribs)

Interwikilinks
"Market garden" is connected to de:Nutzgarten in the German WP, but "Market garden" describes almost the opposite of "Nutzgarten" (market garden is commercial, Nutzgarten is self-sufficiency). Please remove the interwiki connection to the German article. --Rennrigor (talk) 21:22, 10 June 2019 (UTC)

Etymology
The word 'truck' in Truck farms does not refer to the transportation truck, which is derived from Greek for "wheel", but rather from the old north French word troquer, which means "barter" or "exchange". I think this is false. Truck means trade, as in "I have no truck with her". The truck system was one manifestation of the company town where the company controlled the means of exchange. Jack Upland (talk) 07:42, 29 August 2022 (UTC)