Urban Farms Take Root

ENVIRONMENT-US: Urban Farms Take Root – By Enrique Gili – - IPS ipsnews.net

SAN DIEGO, California, Aug 11 (IPS) – Juxtapose the word urban in front of farm and there’s bound to be a lot of head scratching. But in cities around the U.S. small-scale farms and garden plots are coming to life in unlikely places. Abandoned city lots, and neglected yards are being converted into vegetable gardens – as basic food literacy becomes part of the vocabulary of city dwellers.

Due to a faltering economy and numerous food scares, many U.S. households are asking two basic questions: ‘Where does my food come from?’ Followed by, ‘How do we pay for it?’

The recently established New Roots farm located in San Diego is part of an unusual experiment among food activists to bring sustainable agriculture within city limits. Under the aegis of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a non-profit organisation working with refugees worldwide, the immigrant community of City Heights has started an “urban farm” for local residents.

Open since mid-July, the New Roots Community Farm as the property has come to be called is a raw patch of land located on 2.2 acres of city property with the potential to supplement the diets of hundreds if not thousands of low-income individuals living in greater San Diego.

The so-called farm opened after nearly four years of negotiations with local and federal agencies. “It took us a long time to get access to this land,” mentions Amy Lint, IRC food security coordinator, when speaking of the effort to obtain and secure the proper permits from city planners.

via ENVIRONMENT-US: Urban Farms Take Root – IPS ipsnews.net.