Friday, May 1, 2009

It's Hard to Live (Green) in the City?



This is a posting on one blog for another blog, namely, for Green Jobs Philly (www.greenjobsphilly.org). My overriding hope for sustainable agriculture is an urban one, that we can reclaim urban spaces, on an appropriate scale, to produce food locally. The problem is that I have had trouble finding resources and examples of just how and where this type of work is being done. This morning, over an energizing cup of tea, I stumbled upon a seeming landmine of resources, though not violent ones. Green Jobs Philly is a networking site, complete with news and resources about urban agriculture and other "green initiatives in Philadelphia. The site's most recent entry informs readers that "GRID MAGAZINE’S FOOD ISSUE celebrates edible Philadelphia with articles about neighborhood gardens, Philadelphia Orchard Project, growing heirloom veggies, and a list of Earth Day events." There is also a link on the blog to information about SPIN-Farming (www.spinfarming.com), which provides an imaginative approach to rethinking how spaces (especially urban to my mind) can be transformed into gardens and sources of local and healthy food.

Humans are an urban people, and our civilizations throughout history have been rooted in our cities. Therefore, the health of our civilizations is the health of our cities, and local gardening, and the reclamation of alienated spaces, to my mind, is an important component in fostering equality and mutuality in our urban communities.

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