The Growing Urban Agriculture Movement

"Across the U.S., an urban agriculture movement is flowering. In Birmingham, Alabama, Jones Valley Urban Farm is reclaiming abandoned lots and using them to grow organic produce and flowers. Chicago's Ken Dunn takes over unused parking lots and uses the sites to grow heirloom tomatoes. In St. Louis, a housing developer, Whittaker Homes, is setting up an organic farm within a new subdivision.

Veteran environmental activists and community organizers say the recent increase in urban food production marks a real change. "Whether it's the Food Project or Redhook Farm or countless other projects, urban agriculture is definitely increasing," says Betsy Johnson, executive director of the American Community Gardeners Assocation (ACGA). "I think the trend is very positive." There are several concerns propelling the renaissance in city agriculture: the country's obesity epidemic, the drive for more sustainable economies and the fact that horticulture -- with its regular, seasonal rewards -- is an ideal vehicle for community organizing, especially when it comes to youth."