<
https://theconversation.com/how-growing-and-foraging-food-can-become-a-common-part-of-cities-253868>
"The early morning light spills over the raised beds of a thriving community
garden in Harlem, New York. It’s a Saturday, and people of all ages move among
the plants – harvesting collard greens, making compost and packing bags of
fresh vegetables.
A community initiative called Harlem Grown began in 2011 as a single urban farm
on an abandoned neighbourhood lot. It has since become a lifeline for the
people who live there.
The project combats food insecurity, provides fresh produce to local families –
150,000 servings of food in 2023 alone – and teaches the next generation how to
nourish themselves and their communities. As one long-term female volunteer
told me: “Healthy habits start young.” That’s why their programmes involve
schoolchildren as young as five.
Across the boroughs of New York City, a lively ecosystem of urban farmers,
non-profit leaders, dietitians and chefs work together to localise food
systems. This helps communities to become more self-sufficient and less reliant
on ultra-processed foods, all while ensuring support reaches the most
vulnerable.
While healthy food options are readily available in affluent areas such as in
upper east side Manhattan, lower-income neighbourhoods – dominated by fast-food
establishments – face a far greater need. In the Bronx, residents are
establishing community gardens to encourage access to fresh, organic produce
that people would otherwise require to travel outside the borough to find.
Some young, female urban farmers from minority communities in New York believe
that “like fashion, farming is political too”. Some have built their capacity
through courses at the Farm School NYC, which provides them with the tools
needed to become effective leaders in the food justice movement."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
