Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
some cases they encourage new marketing initiatives, environmental management activities,
and community development processes.
Most importantly, William Rees notes that “urban farming can contribute to the rebirth
of civil society and development of community as neighbors cooperate in the establishment,
management and supervision of community-owned or accessible garden plots …” 18 Recently,
the Trends Journal noted that urban gardening will likely be among the most visible mani-
festations of a new urban revival—a revival that sees neighborhoods and the groups and or-
ganizations embedded in them as the building blocks of a vital civic community. 19
Measuring Civic Agriculture
Many civic agriculture enterprises exist off the radar screens of most federal and state agen-
cies. Only recently, for example, has the USDA begun collecting and distributing informa-
tion on farmers' markets. 20 And in 2002, the USDA began an organic certification program.
However, it is unclear how many “organic” farmers will actually participate in the Nation-
al Organic Program, in part because many smaller-scale producers already have a customer
base for whom national certification is not needed. 21
Despite the lack of reliable national statistics on civic agriculture, various organizations
around the country have been trying to monitor the growth of civic agriculture. The Com-
munity, Food, and Agriculture Program at Cornell University, for example, regularly updates
its listing of civic agriculture and food enterprises in New York. 22 Table 6.3 shows that the
number of farmers' markets grew from 6 in 1964 to 269 by 2002. The number of small-scale
organic farmers increased over tenfold between 1988 and 2002, while the number of com-
munity gardens increased threefold since 1978. The number of farmers selling directly to the
public increased by nearly 600 between 1992 and 1997. Today nearly one in seven farmers
in New York sells directly to the public.
Table 6.3. Civic Agriculture Trends in New York State
Types of civic agriculture
No. (year)
No. (year)
Farmers' markets
6 (1964)
269 (2002)
Organic farmers
26 (1988)
290 (2002)
Small wineries
35 (1981)
130 (2002)
Community kitchens
0 (1994)
7 (2000)
Community gardens
550 (1978)
1,500 (2000)
Small-scale food processors
320 (1980)
939 (2001)
Community-supported agriculture (csa)
53 (1993)
80 (2002)
Farms selling direct to public
3,453 (1992)
4,038 (1997)
Source: Community, Food, and Agriculture Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
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