THE RURBAN FRINGE

The Urban Farmer?

Posted on | March 27, 2009 | No Comments

1908 Dewitt Clinton Park FarmTo many, the phrase ‘urban farmer’ is an oxymoron. 

But the notion of ‘urban agriculture’ has been around for decades and the concept  is used by the United Nations to develop safe, local food chains and generate employment for citizens in developing countries.

Today, urban agriculture is gaining popular momentum in urbanized settings as many metro centres recognize the value of urban agriculture as it contributes to the attractiveness of community neighbourhoods, offers alternative use for brownfield sites, opens space and creates natural infrastructure.

So why isn’t this innovative and sustainable land-use concept catching on with individuals within the rural-urban fringe?

I suppose the answer is:  space.  In many rural and rurban communities, land is still available for traditional farming enterprises, which uses a large amount of land to generate food product for profit.  What urban agriculture requires, however, is the creative identification, allocation, or reclamation of land for food production on a much smaller scale. 

At the end of the day, open space in metro centres is precious and rare; open space in rural and rurban communities is a commodity. 

Yet urban agriculture presents a promising means of addressing at least three important issues facing growing centres:  food security, ecological health, and community development.  It also creates connections on multiple levels:  between people and their environments, between people and other people, and within individuals.  And it can be an effective tool for general awareness and promotion of the diversity of agriculture in a non-traditional setting.

So what can communities do to encourage urban agriculture? 

At the municipal level, encourage officials and staff to review and/or creatively revise:

  • sanitary engineering rules regarding the reuse of wastewater
  • management of waste heat
  • guidelines regarding right-of-ways
  • planning guidelines regarding street trees
  • planning bylaws regarding land use
  • subdivision regulations regarding lot size, setbacks, etc.
  • building codes regarding rooftops
  • park and recreation guidelines regarding design and use of public land
  • traffic guidelines and the use of road verges and parking spaces
  • a ‘Buy Local’ campaign, offering incentives for businesses to use local suppliers
  • economic principles regarding the costs and benefits of agriculture incorporating the point of view of eco-economics

And foster local support to recognize these diverse agricultural opportunities:

  • pick-your-own and direct marketing
  • organic crops and livestock
  • farm to school and institution
  • waste to food, compost to landscape
  • phytoremediation
  • niche livestock, poultry, bees, aquaculture
  • mushrooms and culinary herbs
  • medical herbs and ’pharming’
  • ornamental horticulture, floriculture
  • edible landscaping
  • fruits and berries

Agriculture is changing.  And while it remains important to conserve and protect traditional agricultural resources, it is equally important explore emerging trends and develop effective processes and possible strategies to encourage local agricultural diversity and cultivate sustainability … for all our communities.

Note:  This post also appears at FarmOn.com … feel free to leave a comment or join the discussion at either place!

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