Urban Agriculture

This year has been declared the year of urban agriculture in Seattle. Is urban agriculture more than just growing food in P–Patches and backyard gardens? What is local government doing to support food production within the city? Some urban areas in Asia produce more than 60 percent of their food within city limits. Could Seattle be that fertile? Is urban agriculture the way of the future, or simply a hobby for people who have backyards?

According to Stella Chao, who is the Director of Seattle's Department of Neighborhoods which is in charge of the P–Patch Program, there are about 2069 Seattle-area residents currently on the waiting list for participation in the P-Patch Program; compare this to a waiting list of 800 in 2005. On KUOW's Weekday (on April 28), Chao stated that the surge in P-Patch interest is spurred by several factors: increased awareness about urban gardening and environmental issues, and the recent economic downturn which has resulted in people wanting to grow-their-own in order to reduce their monthly food bills.

Aside from the P-Patch Program, there are other grassroots, agricultural-based organizations that are expanding awareness and opportunities for people to dig their hands into the soil. A recent graduate from the University of Washington, Gia Clark, is a founding member of Alleycat Acres, an urban farming collective that aims to transform vacant spaces to create a network of sustainable urban farms in Seattle. This is very cool and provides another way for city dwellers to reconnect with the Earth and thier communities.

http://www.alleycatacres.com/2009/12/who-are-we.html

Another agricultural-based project being explored is Municipal gardening. This is a project that uses underutilized city land (street mediums, transport and utility easements and areas within city parks) which are planted with fruit and nut orchards and edible gardens. This is a top-down model that is overseen by municipal workers but draws members from the community to help maintain and harvest crops. These are shared within the community with excess produce being donated to area foodbanks.

KUOW's Weekday discussion with Steve Scher, Darrin Nordahl, Gia Clark and Stella Chao provides the listener with current information about community-based argriculture inside the Seattle of Seattle and other places around the country; the link is below:

http://www.kuow.org/program.php?id=20079