Urban agriculture: how cities grow food
Urban agriculture covers far more than backyard tomatoes. Farmers.gov defines it as the cultivation, processing and distribution of agricultural products in urban and suburban areas, with examples including community gardens, rooftop farms, hydroponic, aeroponic and aquaponic facilities and vertical production. Tribal communities and small towns may also be included.[1]
Common forms
| Type | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Community gardens | Shared plots managed by residents, often on city, school or nonprofit land. |
| Urban farms | Larger growing sites, sometimes selling produce at markets or through subscriptions. |
| Rooftop and vertical growing | Beds, containers or stacked systems where ground space is scarce. |
| Hydroponics and aquaponics | Soil-free systems, which the EPA notes can avoid some soil-contamination concerns.[2] |
| Mobile markets | Moving produce to neighborhoods with poor access, such as Orlando’s Fresh Stop Bus, a 2015 GRO1000 finalist.[3] |
Federal support
USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production works across several agencies. Farmers.gov points community groups, schools and nonprofits to grants from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Agricultural Marketing Service, and notes that urban county committees run by the Farm Service Agency encourage urban and emerging production practices.[1] USDA started the first People’s Garden on February 12, 2009, and the initiative now lets gardens across the country register if they meet its criteria.[4]
Turning vacant land into growing space
Many urban gardens sit on former vacant lots. The EPA says converting brownfields, vacant lots and abandoned structures into gardens and farms can raise property values, remove hazards, improve soil and reduce stormwater runoff, and that its Brownfields and Land Revitalization Program offers grants and technical assistance to assess and clean up such sites.[2] Where contamination is a concern, the EPA lists alternatives including raised beds, container systems, greenhouses and hydroponics.[2][5]
An example: Detroit’s North End
The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative, which won the 2015 GRO1000 people’s-choice grant, described its work as using agriculture to address vacant land, blighted property and food insecurity in Detroit’s North End.[3] CBS Detroit reported at the time that the volunteer-run group had about $500 in its bank account before winning the $40,000 grant.[6] Read more in our GRO1000 history.
Getting started in your city
- Check zoning and permit rules for gardens, structures, compost and animals.
- Ask your city or county about available land programs and water access.
- Test soil and research site history before growing food.[5]
- Look for local USDA urban service centers, extension offices and community gardening networks.[1][7]
Related
- How to start a community garden, step by step
- Community garden grants: how they work and where to look
- Sustainable gardening practices for shared plots
Sources
- Farmers.gov (USDA), "Urban Grower Resources From USDA." farmers.gov
- U.S. EPA, "Urban Agriculture" (Brownfields and Land Revitalization). epa.gov
- Archived gro1000vote.com home page, Jan. 1, 2015 (Internet Archive). web.archive.org
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, "The People's Garden." usda.gov
- U.S. EPA, "Steps to Creating a Community Garden or Expand Urban Agriculture at a Brownfields Site." epa.gov
- CBS Detroit, "Michigan Urban Farming Initiative Wins $40K Grant," Feb. 19, 2015. cbsnews.com
- American Community Gardening Association, "Resources." communitygarden.org