Urban Agriculture
Terri Roberts
During WWII, officials from the U.S. War Department encouraged urban dwellers to use any available space to plant victory gardens. As the war continued, the price of fruits and vegetables skyrocketed. Small vegetable and fruit gardens helped reduce the pressure on the public food supply. By eating the vegetables grown in their gardens, citizens were able to decrease the cost of produce needed to help feed the troops. The city gardens grown on apartment building rooftops and in vacant lots produced forty percent of the vegetables consumed each year. Once the war ended, many people abandoned their gardens and returned to grocery stores to purchase their produce.
2Today, a resurgence in urban agriculture is sweeping across the nation. Many modern concerns have contributed to the recent popularity of city farms. One of the most pressing issues is the high cost of oil and gas. The ingredients used to prepare most meals travel an average of forty-five miles each before reaching the local supermarket. In times when gas costs upwards of four dollars per gallon, buying locally helps offset the expense of transportation. This helps reduce the overall cost of produce for everyone. City farms also address growing concern over carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming. Purchasing locally grown foods can help reduce a city’s carbon footprint.
3There are many other advantages to urban agriculture, including the comfort that comes from knowing exactly where your food came from. City gardens also tackle nutrition by providing citizens with access to fresh, affordable produce. There are economic advantages to building gardens in vacant lots or unused lawns. Many city gardens supply food banks with much needed vegetables and fruit. Others sell the crops for profit, with the money going back into city projects. Guided tours of the garden can also add to students’ knowledge of the importance of agriculture and nutrition.
4City gardens also help promote community. Many of the non-profit organizations that help establish and manage city gardens enlist neighborhood volunteers to help with weeding, watering, planting, and harvesting. A box of vegetables and the knowledge that they are helping their communities are the only rewards these volunteers seek.
5Urban agriculture has taken hold in many cities across Canada and Europe—the practice is still a novelty in many U.S. cities. Organizers are hoping to change people’s ideas about farming by showing people that big things can happen with a little patch of soil and some seeds. Recently, volunteers transformed the lawn in front of San Francisco’s city hall from a quarter acre of grass into a lush garden of tomatoes, spinach, and beans. San Francisco’s Food Bank will receive donations from the harvested food.
6Though these are all wonderful contributions, many urban farmers are looking at an even bigger picture. Many people believe that the goal of urban agriculture is to create a sustainable food supply for the entire city. While this could take years and a lot of elbow grease, people are quickly realizing the benefits of city farming.
Read the passage on the left to answer the following questions:
1)
Room for Growth is a nonprofit organization that takes vacant lots and turns them into beautiful city gardens. The produce grown in each garden is donated to our city’s food bank to help those in need. We are currently in need of neighborhood volunteers to help weed and water these gardens.
Read this script for a television advertisement. Which sentence is an effective and persuasive conclusion for this script?
A) Volunteers will need to be available one weekend a month to work.
B) Although volunteers are unpaid, volunteering is still a good use of your time.
C) Volunteering at the garden is a great opportunity to get outside and meet new people!
D) Working in the city garden will give you the knowledge you need to plant your own vegetables.
