Small Gardens Have Room to Grow

Small farms are getting some attention from the Obama Administration, but what's still holding them back is the proper infrastructure, according to this piece from Citiwire.

1 minute read

March 30, 2009, 9:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


"The new administration's move on fresh food is no accident. Demand for local produce is on the rise nationwide. And the reasons are so many you can name your own–complaints about taste and nutrition in mass-prepared foods, obesity becoming a national epidemic (especially alarming among youth), climate change suggesting less long-distance food supplies, worry about loss of open farm fields around our cities, and revolt against federal subsidies to multi-millionaire commercial farmers."

"We may even be witnessing a reversal of a near-century of disappearing small farms. Vilsack recently released a new census of agriculture indicating more than 100,000 new small farmers. Some of the growth may be due to new (and often quite profitable) organic farms."

"Up to now, the federal government has given little more than weak lip service to small-scale local farming. Last year it appropriated just $15 million to support organic and other local foods–compared to a massive $7.5 billion for subsidies focused on big-time commodity crops. Local food evangelist Michael Pollan notes federal law has even prohibited farm operations receiving commodity subsidies from growing "specialty crops" of fruits and vegetables."

"And there's another problem: While small farms may be on the rise, they lack sufficient infrastructure, on a regional level, to get to scale and be truly sustainable."

Sunday, March 29, 2009 in Citiwire

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight