1. The ample rainfall might preclude the need to water the plants a lot, but it also means a lot less sunshine.
2. Evergreen trees plus Sugar Maples and several varieties of Birches provide not only a lot of shade from the precious sunlight but an extensive root system that creates with leaf mulch their major growth requirement of ACIDIC soil.
3. Most vegetables and grains as well as lots of fruits require an ALKALINE soil to flourish.
4. Damp, cool, lakeside woodlands are a haven for airborne molds and other fungus that blows onto the crops – this rots the leaves and the fruit of many plants.

And, as you might suspect by the above, LOCAL organic produce is limited in variety as well as seasonally. Farmer's Markets are lately becoming more numerous, and I'm so grateful to have one just 3 miles away. It started up last summer, was enormously successful and offers local produce from gardeners and farmers from June to October.

I'll be busy at a booth there this coming summer as a collection depot for weekly online pre-selection/orders of gourmet prepared organic food. See: http://www.lodgeonlakeclear.com/adirondackcuisine.html if you want to know about the kitchen they'll be coming from.

I'd seen a rooftop gardening article as well. And this particular Pasadena family — it's surprising just how much produce they're getting out of a little urban plot, part of which is taken up by the house.

Can't wait until it's our turn to farm. :)

I've also recently learned that rooftop gardening is becoming extremely popular among high-rise dwellers particularly in Chicago. All that greenery can only help with air pollution, too.

I'd guess that's because they're picked when they're ripe.