There's a whole "movement" devoted to organic urban agriculture, the low-volume production of top-quality herbs and vegetables for local restaurants and farmers' markets.

Of course, most home gardeners will always be principally involved in feeding themselves and their families, and that alone cuts costs substantially for the grower's household while having some impact (however minor) on overall demand. But the prospect of basing a small business or second income upon low-volume agriculture is also worth consideration.

In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, several of the many volunteer planners and archiitects who came to help out suggested that the empty lots in some of the worst-devastated neighborhoods might be used to grow stuff like cilantro and arugula as well as less exotic crops like tomatoes and peppers, celery and basil ~ especially if programs would be enacted to help residents returning to half-empty neighborhoods to buy neighboring lots at reduced prices.

It would then be theoretically possible to "farm" an acre or two, land formerly occupied by long-gone neighbors, and run a little home-based restarrant-supply business.

There is a potentially complementary "slow-food"/local-food movement among forward-looking restaurateurs locally and nationwide, so potential demand should not be a problem.

On the other hand, there has been absolutely no progress on the hoped-for "lot-next-door" purchase program for blighted properties, and if a few returnees have begun turning their backyard vegetable gardens into small commericial ventures, I'm not aware of it.