Urban Gardening and a Sense of Civic Pride

I don't know if you've heard about these guys... but they're doing some amazing things that originated in one of the worst crime areas in Kansas City, the Lykins Neighborhood.  P.S., if you're ever nearby that particular area, stop by Arthur Bryant's BBQ; this original location put KC on the MAP for slow-cooked deliciousness.

The initiative of The Urban Farming Guys is simple: bring families together, learn about sustainability, rebuild a broken neighborhood.  Interesting concepts, particularly if you consider the goals of feminism that encompass a strong desire to engage communities in civic mindedness wherein people of all sexes, genders, cultures and lifestyles can unite for a common goal that spreads way beyond a monthly meeting or a shared wifi connection.

Urban agriculture can be defined as "agriculture occurring within and surrounding the boundaries of cities throughout the world and includes crop and livestock production, fisheries and forestry, as well as the ecological service they provide (Sumner 55)."  Across the globe, millions are catching on to the urban agriculture lifestyle and are using it for both practical and community issues.

The best way to know about food transparency is to know more about where you food comes from.  What better way to learn than by getting your own hands dirty in the process?

In Community Shared Agriculture (CSA), people in a local community can pay into a "subscription" fee to a farmer in exchange for a share of the farmer's yield.  Some urban areas take that idea a step farther: someone who knows someone who knows hot to grow vegetables teams up with people with some money.  The one with the know-how gets the process started, and the financial backers also participate along the way, gaining valuable knowledge to branch out in growing even bigger plots in following years.  The best arrangement with a CSA is that everyone chips in and everyone profits with their own share of food that has been fostered and nurtured by their own hands.

"Subscribers" in a CSA may receive weekly shares similar to the above photo.  This idea works across the board: farmers have a reliable market in which to sell their products, and local members receive garden-to-table food from a local source.  For those who participate on the farms, there is an added social benefit and education (Sumner 56).

In early 2011, the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council and the Skid Row Housing Trust launched a collaboration to bring rooftop gardens to the Charles Cobb Apartments, a building developed to offer shelter to the chronically homeless suffering substance abuse.

By the following October, the verdict was in: the garden was a hit, and offered a sense of community to an otherwise ostracized group.

Whether you're honing your skills or learning a new trade, urban community gardening or getting involved in community shared agriculture are environmentally sustainable ways to meet new people and find social acceptance.  Many of these programs exist because of the relationship they build in the community, while also fostering civic practices, building community and discovering a relationship with local food (Sumner 60).

Unlinked Source:
Sumner, Jennifer; Mair, Heather and Erin Nelson.   "Putting the culture back into
     agriculture: civic engagement, community and the celebration of local food."
     International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 8, 1-2 (2010): 54-61.  ProQuest.
     Accessed April 4, 2014.