I purchased my urban home 4 summers ago and finally this year got around to having my soil tested. I know, I
should have done that BEFORE I started growing food, a bit of cart before the horse for sure.
I took samples from all of the areas where I plant and grow food (none from the remaining
lawn areas or front yard) and my results were pretty cool!
It was a barren very short (scalped) lawn probably sprayed with pesticides and herbicides when I bought it. I put in a wide border of
cardboard and heavy
wood chips, overplanted the grass with clover, started mulching mowing and keeping it LONG, and immediately built a
compost bin.
I was especially concerned about lead contamination given the location and poor condition, but my number came back pretty low compared to the "safe" levels. Not zero, but low.