Week 9 Reading Blog

We have been discussing urban agriculture in class for a while now, and understanding how planners can use urban agriculture as a tool can help create more green and sustainable places. It would be a challenge though, since urban and suburban areas have been entirely segregated from rural ones, in terms of both location and social practice. Many urban dwellers do not want to have a relationship with rural practices, including farming, and vice versa for rural dwellers. I thought it was funny how in the Farm City chapter Carpenter felt unsure about herself being able to adjust to city living. It would seem as though farming and city-living are natural adversaries.

 But the benefits of urban gardening are numerous. Planners can use urban gardens to build community ties in neighborhoods, promote food justice in food deserts, and offer food alternatives to local business. But one thing that always worries me about urban gardens is the risk of water pollution that may come about from the garden, as well as the possibility that water supplies for an area may not be able to sustain multiple gardens for one city. Serious problems, like the spread of illness, may occur if runoff full of fertilizer from a garden gets into local sewage. I especially thought of this upon reading about navigating livestock into the city as part of urban agriculture. Another thing I worry about is the security of the urban farms. Whenever I see one I am scared for them; I get the idea that someone will steal all the food there without any regard for those who need it. There are various other issues that an urban gardener would face, some even that we probably cannot think of. Making it a tool for planners would require the help of other players, such as environmentalists and learned farmers who will help understand these issues.