DOCSLIB.ORG

Growing Urban Agriculture

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Growing Urban Agriculture Growing Urban Agriculture: Equitable Strategies and Policies for Improving Access to Healthy Food and Revitalizing Communities PolicyLink is a national research and action institute advancing economic and social equity by Lifting Up What Works®. Find this report online at www.policylink.org. ©2012 by PolicyLink All rights reserved. Design by: Leslie Yang Cover photos courtesy of (from left to right): iStockphoto.com; Blend Images; iStockphoto.com; Eli Zigas (courtesy of SPUR). Interior photos courtesy of (from left to right): p.2-3: Colleen McHugh (courtesy of SPUR); p.4: Colleen McHugh (courtesy of SPUR); p.6: Blend Images; p.12: iStockphoto.com; p.14: TNDC’s Tenderloin People’s Garden; p.20: Nuestras Raíces; p.22: Allison Hagey; p.24-25: Allison Hagey; p.26: Growing Home; p.27: Allison Hagey; p.28: Quesada Gardens Initiative, Caren Winnall (courtesy of Added Value); p.29: iStockphoto.com, Growing Home, Green City; p.30: Eli Zigas (courtesy of SPUR); p.32: Growing Power, iStockphoto.com; p.34: iStockphoto.com; p.40: Allison Hagey. Growing Urban Agriculture: Equitable Strategies and Policies for Improving Access to Healthy Food and Revitalizing Communities Allison Hagey Solana Rice Rebecca Flournoy PolicyLink 2 Growing Urban Agriculture PolicyLink Growing Urban Agriculture 3 PolicyLink 4 Growing Urban Agriculture PolicyLink Table of Contents 7 Foreword 31 Working Towards Financial Sustainability and Scale 8 Executive Summary 31 Diversifying the Market 13 Introduction 32 CASE STUDY // Growing Power, 15 Improving Communities through Urban Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Providing Farming Healthy, Affordable Food to All Communities 15 Improving Access to Healthy Food 33 Evaluating Impact and Success 18 Improving Economic Health 35 Policy Considerations and 20 CASE STUDY // Taking Foods Recommendations From Farm to Market: New Models for Change 41 Conclusion 21 Revitalizing Communities 42 Appendix: List of Interviewees 23 Common Challenges and Innovative 44 Notes Strategies 23 Lack of Land Security 24 Inadequate Business Training 25 Soil Contamination and Cleanup 26 Start-Up and Operating Costs 27 Insufficient Income Generation 27 Insufficient or Expensive Water Access 28 CASE STUDY // Transforming Challenges into Assets: Urban Agriculture in Older Core Cities Growing Urban Agriculture 5 PolicyLink 6 Growing Urban Agriculture PolicyLink Foreword A vibrant movement is changing the landscape, Agriculture and Community Gardens tool in the economic outlook, and vitality of cities across the PolicyLink Equitable Development Toolkit (located country. The recent recession affected many low- on our website). The report is grounded in extensive income communities—taking with it manufacturing conversations with farmers, advocates, and centers, jobs, and people while leaving behind policymakers to better understand the operational, abandoned homes and vacant lots. Now a new financial, and social challenges that arise in making crop of urban farmers, along with activists, and this work responsive and relevant to the needs community organizations are turning that land of underserved communities. It highlights the into productive use and turning around their creative solutions that are being implemented to communities. make certain that the products remain affordable and accessible and that community interests are Urban farming brings a multitude of benefits to represented in the process. Tough issues like land struggling communities: improved access to healthy security and access to water are addressed. food, workforce training and job development, and neighborhood revitalization. Innovative programs The scale of the efforts is impressive and the and policies are cropping up nationwide; and city commitment to finding solutions no less so. Urban governments are creating urban agriculture-friendly agriculture is not an oxymoron. It is a beautiful, policies to support urban farming. productive, and unifying movement that is making a difference in our communities. With this report, we While the movement is exciting, PolicyLink is hope it will only continue to grow. The time is ripe committed to ensuring that it is an inclusive one. to embrace such a system of food production. Many of the emerging policies could better target low-income communities and communities of color—the very communities that would so greatly benefit from the economic opportunities and revitalization offered by urban farming. Growing Urban Agriculture lifts up the policies, Angela Glover Blackwell practices, and programs that are working to sustain Founder and CEO urban agriculture efforts in low-income communities PolicyLink and communities of color, drawing from the Urban Growing Urban Agriculture 7 PolicyLink Executive Summary In urban communities across America, urban supported agriculture (CSA). Farmers can agriculture is taking root as an innovative solution to choose from a variety of these retail options increase access to healthy food while, at the same to provide healthy foods to their communities time, revitalizing the economic and social health of and surrounding neighborhoods. Many urban communities. For the purposes of this report, urban farmers offer sliding price scales and accept agriculture includes small and mini-sized agricultural EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) cards for operations in metropolitan areas that may include low-income families in their community. (EBTs distribution, processing, and marketing efforts. allow state government benefits—including Growing Urban Agriculture details the benefits of food stamp benefits—to be deposited into this new trend, lists many of the common challenges electronic accounts similar to credit card or ATM and solutions, and presents policy recommendations accounts so that recipients can pay for food.) for further growing an equitable movement. • Use community gardens to improve healthy food availability for farmers Improving Access to Healthy Food themselves, along with their families, friends, and neighbors. Families who In many low-income communities, the only places to participate in community gardening are buy food are fast-food and convenience stores that able to offset typically 30 to 40 percent sell fatty, sugary, processed foods. Some comm- of their produce needs by eating food 3 unities have no food vendors of any kind. This lack grown in their own gardens. of access to healthy foods makes it difficult for • Use urban farms as an opportunity to families to eat well, fueling the country’s growing obesity epidemic and the severe health problems grow and sell culturally appropriate that accompany it. Studies have consistently shown food and connect multiple generations. that there are fewer supermarkets and other retail Many farming projects support often healthier outlets selling affordable, nutritious food in low- ethnic diets and help people grow culturally income communities than in wealthier ones, and appropriate foods for their families and in predominantly African American and Latino communities, all while connecting multiple neighborhoods than in predominantly white generations through farming and diet. neighborhoods.1 However, there is good news: Studies show that residents with greater access to Improving Economic Health fresh produce consume healthier diets and have lower rates of diet-related diseases than their counterparts in neighborhoods lacking food access.2 The economic environment of a community—job Urban agriculture is one such innovative approach opportunities, homeownership, and the presence to improve access to healthy food. Strategies to of diverse businesses—affects the economic health distribute healthier food through urban agriculture of a community. Urban agriculture can improve include the following: that economic health by creating jobs, providing job training and skills development, incubating and attracting new businesses, and saving families • Sell produce through farm stands, money. farmers’ markets, and community 8 Growing Urban Agriculture PolicyLink • Create jobs by growing an urban race, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, farm’s capacity, including choosing all of which are in pursuit of one goal. appropriate crops, growing techniques, Neighborhoods with community gardens and scaling up production. Urban farms also typically report reduced rates of crime, that offer packaging and processing in trash dumping, fires, and violent deaths, addition to cultivating are typically able to and an unexpected advantage: increased create a considerable number of jobs. Farms voter registration and civic responsibility. often spur additional business development and entrepreneurship opportunities. • Divert organic waste from city landfills into compost. Many urban farms productively • Provide job training and skills use food wastes from local retail outlets, development. Numerous urban agriculture restaurants, and residents, recycling this projects focus on helping individuals find jobs waste to generate compost for their farms. and providing basic job skills and support within their communities, all while using Strategies for Addressing urban agriculture to provide productive and empowering transitional employment. Common Challenges • Save families money by offsetting Urban agriculture projects have great potential produce expenditures. Urban farmers for improving neighborhood conditions; however, and community gardens can supply farmers face many challenges and obstacles when most if not all of their families’ produce establishing and growing a garden in an urban needs, sometimes saving
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Lets Move Community Garden Resource Guide
    Community Garden Resource Guide As part of Let’s Move Faith and Communities, First Lady Michelle Obama has challenged congregations and neighborhood organizations to plant gardens in their communities. There are many positive benefits to starting a community garden: increasing access to healthy, fresh food; improving soil and water quality; providing exercise for people within a wide range of physical ability; and creating the opportunity to teach about nutrition, agriculture, and ecology. In short, starting a garden can help make real and lasting change in communities. Whether you are new to gardening or have had many seasons in the soil, there are a wide variety of resources available to help you start a community garden at your organization or congregation. How do I get started? To learn more about the “how-to” for starting a new garden, the University of California Cooperative Extension’s Community Garden Start-Up Guide provides guidance on how to organize a sustainable garden site in your neighborhood. This is a great starting resource for your community garden: http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/files/97080.pdf. Where can I find technical assistance? The People’s Garden: This U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) initiative challenges people from all walks of life to create gardens through collaborative efforts. People’s Gardens vary in size and type, but all have a common purpose – to help the local community they’re within and the environment. Visit the People’s Garden website to find the garden closest to you or consider starting one in your community. Search their online database to find technical resources, financial resources, and garden-based curricula.
    [Show full text]
  • Urban Agriculture
    GSDR 2015 Brief Urban Agriculture By Ibrahim Game and Richaela Primus, State University of New York College of Forestry and Environmental Science Related Sustainable Development Goals Goal 01 End poverty in all its forms everywhere (1.1, 1.4, 1.5 ) Goal 02 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture (2.1, 2.3, 2.4, 2.c) Goal 12 Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns (12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 12.4,12.5, 12.7, 12.8) Goal 15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss (15.9 ) *The views and opinions expressed are the authors’ and do not represent those of the Secretariat of the United Nations. Online publication or dissemination does not imply endorsement by the United Nations. Authors can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected]. Introduction Examples of UEA include community gardens, vegetable gardens and rooftop farms, which exist Urban Agriculture (UA) and peri-urban agriculture can worldwide and are playing important roles in the urban be defined as the growing, processing, and distribution food systems. 17 CEA includes any form of agriculture of food and other products through plant cultivation where environmental conditions (such as, light, and seldom raising livestock in and around cities for temperature, humidity, radiation and nutrient cycling) 1 2 feeding local populations. Over the last few years, are controlled in conjunction with urban architecture UA has increased in popularity due to concerns about or green infrastructure.
    [Show full text]
  • Reconnecting Rural Native Hawaiian Families to Food Through Aquaponics
    genealogy Article Reconnecting Rural Native Hawaiian Families to Food through Aquaponics Jazmine Kaleihua Beebe 1, Yvette Amshoff 1, Ilima Ho-Lastimosa 2,3,4, Ghazaleh Moayedi 1 , Asha L.C. Bradley 1, Inji N. Kim 1, Napua Casson 1, Robert Protzman 1, Danielle Espiritu 5, Michael S. Spencer 6 and Jane J. Chung-Do 1,2,3,* 1 Office of Public Health Studies, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa,¯ Honolulu, HI 96822, USA; [email protected] (J.K.B.); yamshoff@hawaii.edu (Y.A.); [email protected] (G.M.); [email protected] (A.L.C.B.); [email protected] (I.N.K.); [email protected] (N.C.); [email protected] (R.P.) 2 God’s Country Waimanalo,¯ Waimanalo,¯ HI 96795, USA; [email protected] 3 Ke Kula Nui O Waimanalo,¯ Waimanalo,¯ HI 96795, USA 4 College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources, University of Hawai’i at Manoa,¯ Waimanalo¯ Learning Center, Waimanalo,¯ HI 96795, USA 5 College of Education, University of Hawai’i at Manoa,¯ Honolulu, HI 96822, USA; [email protected] 6 School of Social Work, University of Washington, Indigenous Wellness Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98105, USA; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 30 November 2019; Accepted: 9 January 2020; Published: 15 January 2020 Abstract: Food insecurity is a pressing issue in Hawai‘i as the vast majority of available and accessible foods are imported. To address this issue, a backyard aquaponics program was implemented from 2010 to 2016 to offer additional avenues to food sovereignty in a rural predominantly Native Hawaiian community. Aquaponics provides a contained and sustainable food production system that models Native Hawaiian principles of land and water stewardship.
    [Show full text]
  • Change Climate: How Permaculture Revives Exhausted Soils for Food Production by Davis Buyondo
    Change Climate: How Permaculture Revives Exhausted Soils For Food Production By Davis Buyondo Kyotera-Uganda Wilson Ssenyondo, a resident of Kabaale village, is among a few farmers in Kasasa sub-county, Kyotera district, Uganda, who have managed to restore their fatigued land for sustainable food production. He has managed to revive nearly two acres of land on which he grows banana, cassava, vegetables-egg plants, cabbages, sukuma wiki, beans, and groundnuts to list few. He renewed the land through permaculture, a form of farming where you recycle very element that creates life in the soil. You can simply add compost manure after soil loosening in addition to environment-friendly practices such as consistent mulching and carbon farming. Kabaale A is one of the communities in the district with a long history of being hard-hit by persistent dry spells. In such a situation crops wither and a few existing water sources dry up. At some point, the livestock farmers are forced to trek long distances in search for water and pasture. Others communities that share the same plight include Kabaale B, Nakagongo, Kyamyungu, Kabano A and Kabano B, Sabina, Bubango and Sanje villages. They are characterised by scorched and hardened soils, while others by sandy and stony terrain in addition to the high rate of deforestation. Considering that state, one does not expect to find much farming in these communities. But as you approach the villages, you cannot help but marvel at the lush green gardens containing different crops. But amid all these pressing challenges, some crop and livestock farmers have learnt how to adapt and look for ways for survival.
    [Show full text]
  • Farmer's Income
    This PDF is a selection from an out-of-print volume from the National Bureau of Economic Research Volume Title: Income in the United States, Its Amount and Distribution, 1909-1919, Volume II: Detailed Report Volume Author/Editor: Wesley Clair Mitchell, editor Volume Publisher: NBER Volume ISBN: 0-87014-001-9 Volume URL: http://www.nber.org/books/mitc22-1 Publication Date: 1922 Chapter Title: Farmer's Income Chapter Author: Oswald W. Knauth Chapter URL: http://www.nber.org/chapters/c9420 Chapter pages in book: (p. 298 - 313) CHAPTER 24 FA1tiiERS' INCOME § 24a Introduction The information concerning farmers' income is fragmentary, butsuffi- cient in volume to justify the hope of attaining a fairly accurateestimate. Before this estimate is presented certain peculiarities of farmers'incomes and of the data concerning themmust be mentioned. (1) There is no other industry in which non-monetary income makesso large a proportion of the total as in farming. Besides the rental valuesof the farm homes occupied by owners, we must count in the value ofthe food and fuel which farmers producefor their own consumption. (2) Usually the farmer is not onlya producer but also a land speculator. Indeed, it is rather.upon the increasein the value of his land than sale of his produce that the upon the farmer rests whatever hopehe cherishes of growing rich. How large the growth in landvalues is appears from the Censuses of 1900 and 1910, which report an increase inthe value of farm lands of $15 billion in addition to an increase of $5 billion in thevalue of farm buildings, machinery, and live stock.'Fifteen billions for all farms in ten years means an average annual increase in thevalue of each farm amounting to $323.In the decade covered byour estimates the average increase must have been muchlarger, because of thegreat rise in the prices of farm lands which culminated in 1920.? Whena farmer realizes a profit by selling his land atan enhanced price, that profit constitutes him as an individual.
    [Show full text]
  • Urban Agriculture: Long-Term Strategy Or Impossible Dream? Lessons from Prospect Farm in Brooklyn, New York
    public health 129 (2015) 336e341 Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Public Health journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/puhe Original Research Urban agriculture: long-term strategy or impossible dream? Lessons from Prospect Farm in Brooklyn, New York * T. Angotti a,b, a Urban Affairs & Planning at Hunter College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, USA b Prospect Farm in Brooklyn, New York, USA article info abstract Article history: Proponents of urban agriculture have identified its potential to improve health and the Available online 25 February 2015 environment but in New York City and other densely developed and populated urban areas, it faces huge challenges because of the shortage of space, cost of land, and the lack Keywords: of contemporary local food production. However, large portions of the city and metro- Urban agriculture politan region do have open land and a history of agricultural production in the not-too- Land use policy distant past. Local food movements and concerns about food security have sparked a Community development growing interest in urban farming. Policies in other sectors to address diet-related ill- Food safety nesses, environmental quality and climate change may also provide opportunities to Climate change expand urban farming. Nevertheless, for any major advances in urban agriculture, sig- nificant changes in local and regional land use policies are needed. These do not appear to be forthcoming any time soon unless food movements amplify their voices in local and national food policy. Based on his experiences as founder of a small farm in Brooklyn, New York and his engagement with local food movements, the author analyzes obstacles and opportunities for expanding urban agriculture in New York.
    [Show full text]
  • 2020 Garden Mentor Program New Gardener Manual
    2020 Garden Mentor Program New Gardener Manual Mentor:___________________________ New Gardener Contact Information: Name:_____________________________ Telephone:_________________________ Email:______________________________ Victory Garden Initiative 249 E. Concordia Ave. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212 414-431-0888 VictoryGardenInitiative.org Dear Garden Mentor, Thank you for volunteering to help show others the joys of gardening! Your time and advice will change the food system for a person, a family, and a community. The Garden Mentor Program has two goals. First, to help new gardeners experience success in their first season. We believe that early success makes new gardeners more likely to continue growing food in years to come. Second, we want Garden Mentors to build community around growing food. By getting to know our neighbors, we build a resilient network of homesteaders and gardeners who can help each other and encourage others to grow their own food. Relationship building is at the core of this program. It is important to learn about your gardener and their goals first. The advice you provide should be based on the individual needs of the gardener(s) you are paired with. Some gardeners may be interested in topics not covered here. Therefore, this packet should be used as a guide rather than a road map. In the past our program had required you to meet with your gardener five times over the course of the growing season, but we understand that people are busy and cannot necessarily commit to this requirement and most people do not seek this much assistance. That is why we have changed the structure of the program to be more relaxed to accommodate each new gardener at their (and your) own convenience.
    [Show full text]
  • Course Handout for Introduction to Forest Gardening
    COURSE HANDOUT FOR INTRODUCTION TO FOREST GARDENING Complied by Jess Clynewood and Rich Wright Held at Coed Hills Rural Art Space 2010 ETHICS AND PRINCIPLES OF PERMACULTURE Care for the Earth v Care for the people v Fair shares PRINCIPLES Make the least change for the greatest effect v Mistakes are tools for learning v The only limits to the yield of a system are imagination and understanding Observation – Protracted and thoughtful observation rather than prolonged and thoughtless action. Observation is a key tool to re-learn. We need to know what is going on already so that we don’t make changes we will later regret. Use and value diversity - Diversity allows us to build a strong web of beneficial connections. Monocultures are incredibly fragile and prone to pests and diseases – diverse systems are far more robust and are intrinsically more resilient. Relative Location and Beneficial Connections – View design components not in isolation but as part of a holistic system. Place elements to maximise their potential to create beneficial connections with other elements. Multi-functional Design – Try and gain as many yields or outputs from each element in your design as possible. Meet every need in multiple ways, as many elements supporting each important function creates stability and resilience. Perennial systems – minimum effort for maximum gain Create no waste - The concept of waste is essentially a reflection of poor design. Every output from one system could become the input to another system. We need to think cyclically rather than in linear systems. Unmet needs = work, unused output = pollution. Stacking – Make use of vertical as well as horizontal space, filling as many niches as possible.
    [Show full text]
  • Sustainable Community Gardens Require Social Engagement and Training: a Users’ Needs Analysis in Europe
    sustainability Article Sustainable Community Gardens Require Social Engagement and Training: A Users’ Needs Analysis in Europe 1, 2, 3,4, 1 Jesus Ochoa y, Esther Sanyé-Mengual y , Kathrin Specht y, Juan A. Fernández , Sebastián Bañón 1, Francesco Orsini 2,* , Francesca Magrefi 2, Giovanni Bazzocchi 2, Severin Halder 5, Doerte Martens 6, Noemi Kappel 7 and Giorgio Gianquinto 2 1 Department of Vegetable Production (ETSIA), Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Paseo Alfonso XIII 48, 30203 Cartagena, Spain 2 Research Centre in Urban Environment for Agriculture and Biodiversity (ResCUE-AB), Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (Distal), Alma Mater Studiorium-University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127 Bologna, Italy 3 Department of Agricultural Economics, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany 4 ILS—Research Institute for Regional and Urban Development, Brüderweg 22-24, 44135 Dortmund, Germany 5 Centre for Rural Development, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany 6 Department of Environmental Education and Education for Sustainable Development, Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Schicklerstraße 5, 16225 Eberswalde, Germany 7 Department of Vegetable and Mushroom Growing, Corvinus University of Budapest, F˝ovám tér 8, 1093 Budapest, Hungary * Correspondence: [email protected] These three authors equally contributed to the manuscript. y Received: 13 June 2019; Accepted: 19 July 2019; Published: 23 July 2019 Abstract: Urban gardens are spreading in many cities across Europe, with community gardening being a fundamental form of urban agriculture. While the literature reveals the essential role that community gardens can play in terms of learning and education, no studies have investigated the training needs for participants in community gardens to ensure their successful development.
    [Show full text]
  • OSU Gardening with Oregon Native Plants
    GARDENING WITH OREGON NATIVE PLANTS WEST OF THE CASCADES EC 1577 • Reprinted March 2008 CONTENTS Benefi ts of growing native plants .......................................................................................................................1 Plant selection ....................................................................................................................................................2 Establishment and care ......................................................................................................................................3 Plant combinations ............................................................................................................................................5 Resources ............................................................................................................................................................5 Recommended native plants for home gardens in western Oregon .................................................................8 Trees ...........................................................................................................................................................9 Shrubs ......................................................................................................................................................12 Groundcovers ...........................................................................................................................................19 Herbaceous perennials and ferns ............................................................................................................21
    [Show full text]
  • The Farmer and Minnesota History
    THE FARMER AND MINNESOTA HISTORY' We stand at what the Indian called " Standing Rock." Rock is history. The nature of the earth before the coming of man he interprets as best he can from the records in rock. Rock in its varied formations is abundantly useful to man. It is of particular interest to the farmer as the soil he tills is com­ posed largely of finely divided rock. The great variation of soil is determined mainly by the rock from which it is derived. How fascinating that the student of the soil after reading the records of the rock finds by experi­ ment in certain cases that by adding rock to rock — as lime­ stone, nitrates, phosphate, or potassium to the soil — it may be made more responsive to the needs of man. Rock history then is quite engaging to the farmer, and if to him, to others also. Soil determines or may modify civilization. The role played by soil has determined the development of agriculture in the older countries of the world — Asia Minor, Spain, China, Greece, and Rome.^ Who would not say that the soil has been a major factor in the development of America? Hennepin made a pointed inference when, in the latter part of the sixteenth century, after exploring what he called " a vast country in America," he wrote: I have had an Opportunity to penetrate farther into that Unknown Continent than any before me; wherein I have discover'd New Countries, which may be justly call'd the Delights of that New World. They are larger than Europe, water'd with an infinite number of fine Rivers, the Course of one of which is above 800 ^ This paper was prepared for presentation at Castle Rock on June 16, 1926, as a feature of the fifth annual " historic tour" of the Minnesota Historical Society.
    [Show full text]
  • The Southern (California) Question
    Have Your City and Eat It Too: Los Angeles and the Urban Food Renaissance By Alexander Robert Tarr A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Geography and the Designated Emphasis in Global Metropolitan Studies in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Richard A Walker, Chair Professor Paul Duguid Professor Paul E Groth Professor Carolyn Finney Spring 2015 Abstract Have Your City and Eat It Too: Los Angeles and the Urban Food Renaissance By Alexander Robert Tarr Doctor of Philosophy in Geography Designated Emphasis in Global Metropolitan Studies University of California, Berkeley Professor Richard A Walker, Chair Time and time again, the residents of Los Angeles have used the promises of the “garden city” and urban agriculture to imagine a way out of the persistent problems of urban life. In the contemporary moment, alternative food system activists are again working to create a cultural movement committed to “slow,” local and small- scale community-based urban food systems – which, paradoxically, they are organizing through sophisticated digital tools and global social media. This study argues that, beyond debates over urban diets, food is a lens through which post- industrial imaginaries of an egalitarian digital society are fused with pre-industrial imaginaries of utopian, agrarian communities. The consequence of these entangled visions is a unique set of practices that attempt to inject a sense of radical possibility into an urban geography that is itself the result of decades of struggle over land use, livelihoods, and urban culture.
    [Show full text]