Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Both roadside stands and farmers' markets typify the growing importance of civic agri-
culture in the United States. They are places that bring together producers and consumers
and allow for meaningful interaction between them. Farmers' markets and farm stands bridge
the divide between the local community and the local economy. From a traditional econom-
ic perspective, farmers' markets and farm stands may not make good economic sense. From
a community perspective, however, they nurture local economic development, maintain di-
versity and quality in products, and provide opportunities for producers to come together to
solidify bonds of local identity and solidarity.
Urban Agriculture, City Farming, Community Gardens
To many people, urban agriculture and city farming sound like oxymorons. Most of our food
and agricultural products are produced on farms that are located far from the bright lights of
the city. Over the past twenty years, however, farming opportunities have been sprouting in
the nation's metropolitan areas.
According to the Canadian bioecologist William Rees, urban agriculture includes growing
crops and raising some forms of livestock in or very near cities for local consumption. Com-
munity or urban gardens are probably the most visible form of urban agriculture. The first
community gardens were organized by the mayor of Detroit in the 1890s to help families
cope with the effects of the economic depression of that era. Throughout history, whenever
there has been a shortage of food or money, community gardens have flourished. The Liberty
and Victory Gardens of World Wars I and II served to supplement the food rationing imposed
on the nation at that time. Community gardens also surfaced during the Great Depression as
part of the nation's “emergency food system.”
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Even today, many community gardens are critical sources of food for low-income people.
While it costs next to nothing to garden, the average urban garden produces about 540 pounds
of food a year. If purchased in a grocery store, the fruits and vegetables grown in the average
garden would cost almost $500.
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But many community gardens today are more than just sources of almost-free food for
poor and low-income people. Many observers have noted that community gardens are a “way
for people to work together, socialize and talk with their neighbors. Users plan, construct, and
maintain the space, thus building community relations at the same time they save money and
lower their cost of living.”
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Urban gardens nurture not only plants and animals but people
and their cultures as well.
Urban gardens can teach entrepreneurial skills and spawn and sustain a broad range of new
employment opportunities. Not only do community gardens teach horticultural skills, but in
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