what is urban agriculture ?

Urban Agriculture Improves the Environment and Enhances Quality of Life by:

* Turning unused vacant lots into attractive, safe urban farms.
* Improving storm water collection.
* Increasing biodiversity.
* Reducing air pollution.
* Composting the 30% of the waste stream that is organic waste.
* Cleaning up soil that is contaminated.
* Reducing fuel consumption by not transporting agricultural products

long distances.

* Reducing urban cooling energy requirements as a result of adding plants to the
environment.

Urban Agriculture Brings About Community Economic Development By:

* Providing employment and supplemental income opportunities.
* Increasing overall economic activity in local communities.
* Increasing green open space and the property values and tax revenues near them.
* Allowing residents to save money growing and/or buying locally.
* Reducing the costs of health care through the health and environmental benefits of
gardening and eating fresh produce.

Urban Agriculture Enhances Food Security By:

* Increasing the availability of healthy, affordable food for all.
* Teaching people how to grow their own food.
* Reducing the reliance on emergency food systems.
* Increasing residents’ income and access to local food.

Urban Agriculture is a Proven Benefit to Urban Areas:

* 40% of Toronto, Canada, residents grow some of their food in home or community
gardens.
* Residents in Havana Cuba, produced 8500 tons of agricultural produce including 7.5
million eggs and 3,650 tons of meat in 1996 alone.
* The United Nations Development Program estimates that 15-20% of food is produced in
urban areas world-wide.
* Salem, Oregon, reports that urban land next to a “greenbelt” was worth $1,200.00 more
per acre than land only 1000 feet away.


Urban Agriculture Models
Home Gardens
Home gardens are usually smaller than a city lot and adjacent to a house or
apartment. They are managed by residents and production is primarily for
home use. Small scale income generation from produce or value-added
products is possible.

Community-Based Gardens
Community-based gardens range in size from a portion of a city lot to several
lots. They are located at schools, churches, community centers, food pan-
tries, housing developments, or on other city or community-owned land. They
are managed by constituents of the community entity, and production is for
use by constituents, by the organization, or for income generation.

Commercial Gardens and Small Farms
Commercial gardens and small farms range in size from one city lot to 10
acres. They are usually located in vacant lots in commercial or residential
areas either owned or leased by the producer. Management is often by
an entrepreneur or employee of a restaurant, and production is primarily
for income generation.