Finding Vegetables in Unexpected Places

Centers for American Progress - “In the city of Detroit, the most accessible food-related establishments are party stores, dollar stores, fast-food restaurants, and gas stations,” states the city’s Food Security Policy, which lays out Detroit’s plan for ensuring its residents have access to healthy and affordable food. Urban agriculture is an important part of the solution.

Urban agriculture, or urban farming, is becoming more common not only in Detroit—where some say the trend began—but around the country. Urban farms range from small-scale vegetable gardens in abandoned lots to larger operations with hoop houses and honeybees. Community leaders, unemployed workers, and families are hoping that urban farming can help address many of the problems of American inner cities, from crime rates to incidences of obesity and heart disease.

Economic recession is driving the growth of the farms—halted construction projects and foreclosures make land cheap. The recession has also put people out of work and made groceries less affordable than they once were for many mothers, fathers, and young people, who are turning to gardening to support themselves. Read more.