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The readings for this week marry urban landscapes with agriculture, focusing on the land tenure part of the food equation. In the preserving Community Gardens piece, Cobb frames community gardens as a space designated for much more than production, but for community members to learn from one another and create a healthier community (Cobb, 2011). However, in order to create a space for (and by) the community it is crucial to understand the process of securing land. In the "Saving Land" piece, Daniels brings to light the sophisticated process of gaining land tenure for farm use. Proponents of land preservation assert that preserving large blocks of land (zoned for agriculture uses) curb sprawl and limit chances for development. Daniels also tackles the issue of the bureaucracy that surrounds agricultural land tenure. 

Hodgson delves into the past and present planning practices that have been used to both encourage and discourage urban agriculture from taking place within city limits. Although we have talked about this extensively in class, this chapter delves into the 20th century WWI and WWII era. Until now, I had not realized how pivotal community gardens were during this time, with over 20 million food gardens constructed in 1943 (Hodgson, 2012). At such a vulnerable time in our country (and all over the world) it makes sense that residents would return to their roots, pull out their shovels, and begin to sow their seeds. During a time of such uncertainty, growing his or her own food must have been of great comfort. Despite the abundance of food gardens during this time, by the mid 20th century the industrialization of the United States' food system was well underway. In order to combat this grassroots organizations encouraged land preservation through land trusts and community gardens. 

Through land trusts, urban agriculture, "the production, distribution, and marketing of food within the cores of metropolitan areas" (Hodgson,2012) is possible. Through this definition, Hodgson asserts that urban agriculture is "embedded within the community."