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In California, Michigan and New York, how urban agriculture combats food insecurity
Sustainability Mar 05, 2021
Photo by Patrick Daxenbichler on Shutterstock.
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By DJ McCauley
This story originally appeared in Eos and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalistic collaboration to strengthen coverage of the climate story. This article was also part of a series on food security in CSA News magazine.
“In times of crisis, people become really passionate about their food supply,” says Rachel Surls , sustainable food systems adviser for the Los Angeles County Cooperative Extension. “We saw a boom in urban agriculture during the recession in 2008, and we’re seeing it now.”
This observation isn’t confined to sunny California: Across the country, consumers are getting creative when it comes to their produce. Outlets such as Forbes , CBS and the BBC have likened the uptick of interest in gardening to a modern renaissance of wartime victory gardens. When you’re not sure grocery store shelves will have the produce you’re looking for, what better assurance than growing it yourself?
Although gardening made headlines last spring, urban farming is not a new concept. Extension agents and researchers in big cities have been running all sorts of operations for years, helping people grow nutritious food where it’s needed most. From backyard plots […]
