Why Urban Agriculture

WHY URBAN AGRICULTURE?

Farming in cities is becoming more common in America and around the world. People everywhere are excited to re-discover the nutrition, flavor and beauty of freshly-harvested, locally- grown produce; they value the opportunity to get involved in agriculture--one of the most basic of human endeavors; and they appreciate the way urban farms and gardens enhance their neighborhoods by offering a natural sanctuary in the midst of the built environment and a place for people to work and learn together.

Urban farms come in many different sizes and shapes. Some consist of no more than half a dozen raised beds on a vacant city lot and others will have several acres in vegetable production. These small organic farms produce none of the hazards and nuisances often associated with larger-scale agriculture (toxic runoff, pesticide drift, offensive odors, etc). Rather they are an oasis in the urban landscape—places to which more and more people feel drawn so they can experience a healthier and more tangible pace of life.

TYPES OF URBAN FARMS

An urban farm is any plot of land, whatever the size, located within the metropolitan area that is used to produce food for sale. It could be:

An intensively planted garden worked by an extended family of Laotians for direct sales to their community and to local Asian grocery stores and restaurants,

A ¼ acre of tomatoes grown by a 2nd generation Mexican-American for producing salsa to be sold at farmers markets,

A 1-acre plot of land rented to a farmer by a church, with some of the vegetables going to the church’s after-care program and the rest being sold at an on-site stand,

4 acres of high-value organic vegetables sold to gourmet consumers through a weekly subscription,

A larger plot of land that offers “U-Pick” fruit trees and bushes, or

A back-yard garden and adjacent plots in the middle of a residential neighborhood where vegetables are produced and sold to neighbors.

LOCATIONS OF URBAN FARMS

These farms could be located in distinctly inner-city neighborhoods, reclaiming abandoned land that may require some measure of soil remediation. They could be located in one of the metro’s lower density communities where larger parcels are available (Argentine in KCK, for example), or they could be sited in neighborhoods farther from the city core, such as Shawnee or Raytown. They could be located under high-voltage power lines (as is common in other cities around the country) or occupy a small portion of a city park. The list of possibilities goes on. Kansas City has a lot of open land, each with unique opportunities and challenges.

OWNERSHIP OF URBAN FARMS

We envision several possible ownership structures for urban farm land: The land is privately owned and farmed by the owner; the land is leased to the farmer(s) under secure, long-term leases; the land is held by a non-profit organization such as a neighborhood association or church and either rented to a farmer or made available to the farmer for the benefit of the association, church and wider community. Finally, the land may be government-owned and made available to an urban farmer at low or no charge to save the public the ongoing costs of mowing and otherwise maintaining the property.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

The type of urban farm we work to promote is community-based, small-scale, and entrepreneurial in nature. We emphasize:

income production (as opposed to producing food for home consumption),

appropriately-scaled technology and practices suitable for working small plots,

organic and sustainable farming methods,

direct-marketing through farmers’ markets, on-farm stands, and subscription programs, and

active engagement of community members as supporters, volunteers and paid staff at all levels of production.