Urban Farms Providing Plenty of Food
By: Shoshanna Levy
Published: November 5, 2011

In cities across the country the urban farming movement is exploding. As food prices continue to go up while quality continues to decline, more people are growing their own organic produce and even raising chickens and other assorted livestock.
Organizations that help urban farms get started with funding and know-how are popping up everywhere, and there are many programs to help low-income families access the fresh produce.
"Kate Lee is the farm manager at Common Good City Farm, a non-profit urban farm tucked away in a low-income area of D.C. One of its programs, Green Tomorrows, asks members to either contribute at least two hours of work on the farm or $40 per month to receive some of the farm's produce. In order to qualify for the program, prospective members must make less than the D.C. living wage."
This trend is likely to continue to grow as more people have access to urban farms and realize that the veggies are fresher, cheaper, and even taste better.

Comments:
Doskogirl
November 6, 2011

I attended a conference this past week in Austin, Texas where we discussed Urban Farming and the avalance of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operations nationwide. Our focus was on how financial institutions need to recognize these entities  as a source of alternative lending. It was so interesting. Many cities are now catching on and allowing people to own chickens within the city limits.   Green tunnels are amazing and we discussed how they are used to provide locally sourced products. Restaurants have started green tunnel growing to supply typically foreign products to be grown within a few miles of their restaurant. I have had a garden in my back yard all of my life and have been able to enjoy fresh produce nearly every month of the year. This conference brought the realization to me that everyone else has caught on now to what they have been missing! Thumbs up to Urban Farming or should I say "Green" thumbs up to Urban Farming!