b'Urban Agriculture Creates Sufficiency in the City The future of farming in urban areas continues to develop. Melissa ShipmanWHETHER SQUEEZING Amini meadow between the roadMini meadows can be a planter as small as two square feet and the sidewalk, or building a fully functioning farm, urbanor a plot of land as big as 2 acres. The idea is simply an informal agriculture has an important role to play in meeting the nutritionalflower garden started with seed sown directly into the soil. Not and environmental needs of a growing world population.only is it fun for consumers, but its helpful for pollinators, too. Various forms of urban agriculture are practiced by mil- There are a number of different environmental aspects work-lions all over the world and 15% of the worlds food is grown ining against them, but one of the biggest things thats threaten-urban areas, according to the 2018 USDA NRCS video segmenting pollinators is habitat decline. So, even in an urban landscape, Farming in the City. anything we can do to support pollinators, the better they are People are wanting to do something good for the earth,going to be, Lizotte says.and for us, that means providing solutions for people in urbanIts also better for cities. settings, whether thats through a mini meadow, or growingAccording to the EPAs Basic Information about Brownfields vegetables where we didnt used to be able to grow them,and Urban Agriculture, creating community gardens in New says Mike Lizotte, owner and manager of American Meadows.York, N.Y., increased residential property values by as much as Theres never been a better time to support pollinators or grow9.5% in five years in low-income neighborhoods. In Philadelphia, your own food. Pa., values have gone up by 30% after turning these now unused And while urban agriculture might be an intimidating subjectbut previously developed land plots into gardens or greenspace. on where and how to start, theres always ways to start small inBut its important to keep in mind theres a big difference encouraging food and seed production in the city.between a not-for-profit community garden, and a successful urban farming business.Mini Meadows and Community Gardens Thomas Wheet, research and logistics coordinator for Urban One suggestion Lizotte has is implementing a mini meadow.Agriculture & Entrepreneurship, University of the District of You can make a "mini meadow" anywhere, including on roof- Columbia, is working to shift the idea of urban agriculture to tops, next to sidewalks or in a planter box, he says.something scalable and sustainable.10/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2021'