I'm all for urban farms and victory plots ("Urban farms taking root," April 21), but is anyone checking the soil for lead and other contaminants? The comment about turning "trash-strewn lots into beds of nourishing produce" is quite scary.
Many lots are dumping grounds for used oil, car batteries, and who-knows-what. The lead level in my backyard soil is nearly three times what is considered safe, and that's just from ambient lead pollution in Baltimore. As a result, all my vegetables need to be grown in pots. I'd approach lot-grown vegetables warily, especially if you are buying (or growing) for children.
Christopher Wanjek, Baltimore