Organoponico NEEM - an urban agroecological farm in its natural habitat

NEEM is a innovative replicable solution that has impacted childhood hunger as a leader in the field of sustainable local urban production. Other like minded organizations have adopted techniques developed by NEEM addressing food security in a bottom up approach and in a sustainable way. Principals we have promoted since 1974 and 1996. Our projects are not ours. Of the multitude of projects we have been involved in many were a first and all are the communities. 
NEEM as an organization operates Organoponico NEEM as an example of what can be achieved in small steps and expansion toward capability for community. Innovation is not the amount of land but what you do with it environmentally in a cooperative model.11.2 contiguous acres is our palate. Its a process of  community and at OG NEEM the cooperative model.
Organopoonico NEEM is the first and largest Farm Services Agency registered USDA sustainable urban farm in the United States. This property represents real capacity. Organoponico NEEM is a sustainable production facility. Our client are those who don't have transportation too and would or will not shop in organic natural stores or farmers market venues. We are sustainably producing food for the poor, those socioeconomically excluded from organic.

We ardently support the farmers market concept for urban and rural farmers but our mission is strictly relegated to the low income community where help is needed most and availability non existent. To do that effectively requires capability and to be affordable at least some infrastructure and support. Selling product at low or "loss prices" works because it satisfies the goal; introduction of organic, fresh to the minority low income population.We applaud the good work of food banks but we also point to the fact that while essential, they do not promote a self sustaining community.
President Carter told us not to give, or people will not respect but expect; and the foundation for Habitat. We applied a portion of that model to the Cuban model which NEEM replicates. We have developed a closed loop farm system in the most natural habitat that is off the grid displaying self sufficient possibilities. This initiative provides solutions to nutritional problems of our children and our own immediate community where health issues are prominent.

Community solutions lay in exposure to fresh organic, produced in neighborhood introduced to community. Educational solutions are achieved in sustainable community development concepts and Sustainable Food Security that must both go hand in hand. IF focus becomes solely Food Security then we lose the opportunity to educate in the area of sustainability. We must insure community that it is in fact dangerous to the city, streams, ground water, air, environment and the urban ecology to farm in town conventionally. The rural conventional farmers we work with agree that conventional urban is indeed dangerous. We do not want to address one problem while creating another as a bi product for the same community. This is why we practice Agroecology as a method that works with the land as stewards to it as opposed to against it in an environmentally sound way. When our neighbors are on the farm they are exposed to  to the Agroecological concepts we promote. That is innovative. OG NEEM is a cooperative organic urban farm and process. It is a production area, nothing fancy here; its a farm.

Processed food is a reality, it is fast food in the grocery, distribution of it feeds children but there must be a healthy balance.
NEEM as an organization seeks to off set imbalance by providing 100% sustainable production, fresh and healthy with no negative impact to the environment. We understand and support other answers but we must always be aware of the ramifications. If we seek self sustenance in part, then we will embrace it and sustainable ideas that are relative to effectively, tackling the issue that stands before us.
(NEEM leads Agroecological delegations to Cuba since 2003 as educational foreign exchange component for knowledge exchange) Got to: www.neemtree.org/cubatravel/

Neem in systemic applications and Purified protein from neem

Neem is a tree. 
NEEM is an organization in Durham, North Carolina that promotes Neem, Agroecology, food security and sustainable community. 

Neem in systemic applications modulates immunity against disease in plants. Its anti-viral properties provide a level of protection internally against pests. Anti-bacterial properties are effective against destructive bacteria if used in appropriate amounts to avoid potential negative ramifications to "good bacteria". Any input may have a negative affect on cultivars or soil biology if used in a inappropriate way. Care here should be taken but the level of Azadirachta indica in systemic applications is far to low to have any significant affect on bacteria mortality. Slow release and "in soil half life" insure positive outcomes in Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Systemic treatment is enhanced when complimented by topical applications of neem. Topical applications OPEN stomata allowing signalling and plant biology to behave beyond normal capability. Neem does not block stomata as some perceive it would.
The 5 - 7% nitrogen content insures a low level (also slow release) that enhances root ball development. Many focus on neem as a biological alternative to chemical pesticides but, it is also a very efficient fertilizer.
In entomology, neem disrupts the hormonal clock that enables effective perpetuation of the species. Therefore, neem impacts the ability to reproduce effectively reducing future populations. [Care must be taken for; pollinators in topical applications should be applied late afternoon and, soil where seed germination and "germ rate" would be inhibited as in the entomological process].  Neem should therefore be implemented after germination has occurred to insure the best "germ rate". These methods are especially effective when used in the stages of: post germination nursery, starts, to field ready plants coordinated with the soil amendments applied prior to and after planting. In this process, with the exception of the germ period, Azadirachta indica has been introduced to and providing a layer of internal protection to the plant for its plant life. 
For a nursery it will reduce loss and prevent or reduce transfer from their facility of pests and disease. This alone is an important issue of our time when many farms purchase contracted field ready starts for the farm and come with unseen issues unbeknown to the nursery itself. This is especially important to any facility in plant production for the retail market.
For the farm, the multiple process will increase yields and reduce loss as an answer to pest management, virus, blight, mites, borers, fungus and a list of pests too numerous to mention. How neem is affective against the "bad bugs" with little or no negative affect on the good ones is a mystery.
Introduction of neem leaf into a vermi-composting system will result in Azadirachta and nitrogen laden castings. Neem does not have any negative reproductive effect on worms. This is important to anyone with a worm casting soil amendment schedule. (neem oil is very high PPM and should not be introduced to a worm population when other neem tree by products are not available).
 
Pests will not become "neem tolerant" as in conventional chemical input applications where there is a representative increase each year in amounts required to remain affective. Any farm having to consider an increase per year in input budget due to increasingly ineffective properties could use this multifaceted alternative at approximately the same cost each year. The internal presence in a cultivar of neem is not total insurance against problems but it will reduce them significantly.
These same attributes are beneficial to harvested crops and protection against loss from insects and disease while in storage if neem leaf for instance is used in the storage area. 

Now test show that there are health benefits that are not foreign to the agricultural applications above. Our organization, NEEM, has been promoting agricultural and health applications. If we can benefit an emerging economy by educating, promoting development of a neem tree program that provides a natural alternative to farm inputs, that is effective and provides an alternative to prevention of Malaria, Dengue and now as noted below also a cure for cancer. We are all in!
We see plant and human health benefits that are all relative.
  Tests now show that Neem Leaf Glycoprotein (NLGP) modulates the immune cells (cells responsible for providing immunity to the body) present within the tumor environment and also in the peripheral systemic system. During tumor development these immune cells are enslaved by the cancerous cells to promote their growth and proliferation as against their actual function of remaining hostile to cells that are dangerous to the body. Therefore, instead of destroying the lethal cells, the guard cells actually favor their growth. The NLGP spurs these cells towards a normal state back again in the Tumor Micro Environment (TME- the cells surrounding a tumor). This restricts further growth of tumor cells. As the micro environment returns to the tumor-directed hostile state, triggered by NLGP, the population of T cells shoots up, thereby aiding in restriction of the cancer. NLGP also shields the T cells from developing a non-reactive state (called anergy).
These actions in cancer are the same actions in the agricultural applications and why
 
Neem truly is an answer to global problems. 
JAE