Community Engagement with Urban Agriculture
Haley Klanke, Katherine Carron, Mckenna Speed, Barry Crown, Emily Kurt
Embedded Files
Most consumers in the United States eat food produced by an industrial agriculture system, which is increasingly unsustainable. Our ability to meet current and future food needs, conserve natural resources, and support the long-term viability of agriculture is endangered.
Urban agriculture can play a role in a secure, healthy, and sustainable food system.
URBAN AGRICULTURE
Urban agriculture is an expansive term that encompasses a range of various food production operations in urban and suburban areas. From personal home gardens to large-scale urban farms, to community gardens, urban agriculture provides critical access to healthy food for local communities, as well as jobs, increased green space, closer community ties, and a response to climate change.
TRANSFORMING THE FOOD SYSTEM
TRANSFORMING THE FOOD SYSTEM
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a mission of transforming the food system across the nation. Recognizing the importance of urban agriculture in strengthening America’s food systems, the USDA funds various programs -including loans, grants, and cooperative agreements- that encompass urban agriculture.
Recently, the USDA announced it would be continuing to support urban agriculture by providing over $43 million in grants and adding six new Urban County Committees -two of which are in Michigan (Detroit and Grand Rapids).
The increasing recognition of urban agriculture by the USDA means that more citizens in Michigan -and across the country- will get the chance to participate and benefit from locally grown foods.
URBAN AGRICULTURE IN GRAND RAPIDS
New City Neighbors: a nonprofit organization in Grand Rapids that provides students with job and life skills training through an educational farm that feeds the community.
Produce is grown on over 4 acres of land at 3 locations.
Although Grand Rapids is surrounded by expansive agricultural areas, there are limited opportunities for residents to get involved with food production through urban agriculture. Access to fresh and affordable food has become especially concerning in the city’s low-income communities and communities of color -which have historically suffered from an inability to achieve food sovereignty.
Barriers to urban agriculture include issues of space, resources, technical assistance, and knowledge.
BUILDING A HEALTHY AND RESILIENT COMMUNITY FOR ALL
West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC): a nonprofit organization that focuses on building sustainable communities in West Michigan.
WMEAC’S USDA URBAN AGRICULTURE PROGRAM
Through a collaborative effort between WMEAC and New City Neighbors (among others) with funding from the USDA, the Urban Agriculture Program will address barriers by focusing on research, marketing/advertising, recruitment, and community engagement to improve the sustainability and long-term viability of urban agriculture operations in Grand Rapids.
Community engagement that increases awareness, knowledge, and participation will allow urban agriculture to thrive.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROJECT
Partnerships between farmers and agriculture professionals (e.g. extension educators from the USDA, WMEAC, and New City Neighbors, educators from Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids Urban Agriculture Committee, or other agriculture/natural resource consultants), providing technical assistance for an urban agriculture educational event series that engages the community.
Urban Agriculture Educational Event Series:
Grow Grand Rapids
Events include free educational activities, lectures and discussions, urban farm tours, demonstrations and hands-on experiences, and a cookout
Plant Power
Seeds of Knowledge
Healthy Harvest
Food For Thought Cookout
Week 1: Plant Power
lecture and discussion on urban agriculture: the importance and benefits
Week 2: Seeds of Knowledge
tour of New City Neighbor’s Urban Farm
classes on gardening: introduction to growing to more advanced lessons such as season extension and seed saving
activities for children: learn how plants grow
Week 3: Healthy Harvest
hands-on experience: plant maintenance and harvesting
culturally appropriate cooking class with nutrition education
canning workshop
Week 4: Food For Thought Cookout
community cookout with food grown locally
Resources:
Resources:
Stray Dog Institute. (2022, September 7). Industrial Agriculture: What is it & why is industrial agriculture bad? Stray Dog Institute. https://straydoginstitute.org/industrial-agriculture/
Tanner, Z. (2021, February 26). Food Systems for the future: Envisioning Urban Agriculture in the fight for Food Justice. Each Green Corner. https://www.eachgreencorner.org/2021/02/26/food-systems-for-the-future-envisioning-urban-agriculture-in-the-fight-for-food-justice/
USDA. Urban Agriculture. USDA. https://www.usda.gov/topics/urban
Marcos, J. (2022, August 12). Urban Agriculture: USDA Contiues to Advance Food Systems. WMEAC. https://wmeac.org/2022/08/urban-agriculture-usda-continues-to-advance-food-systems/
Formosa, L. (2023, February 10). Grow Collective Furthers Urban Agriculture Efforts in Southeast Grand Rapids. WMEAC. https://wmeac.org/2023/02/grow-collective-furthers-urban-agriculture-efforts-in-southeast-grand-rapids/
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