City Living

7 of the Most Inspiring Urban Farm Projects Around the Country

There’s never been a better time to open an urban farm. For starters, the UN reports that urban agriculture is on the rise the world over – more than 800 million people across the globe farm in urban environments, and up to 20% of the world’s food is grown in cities. In the US, cities are increasingly investing in creative ways to get things growing, from transforming disused rooftops to upcycling empty lots.

But urban farm projects aren’t only valuable for their green space and green output: many of them are also linked with other laudable community endeavors, from youth development programs to food justice initiatives. If those aren’t good reasons to get your hands dirty, we don’t know what are.

WINDY CITY HARVEST YOUTH FARM, CHICAGO: What do you get when you combine urban agriculture and youth development programs? The Windy City Harvest Youth Farm, an initiative sponsored by the Chicago Botanic Garden. Comprising three farm sites in Chicago and one in nearby Lake County, Windy City Harvest employs 90 teens from low-income communities each year, and involves them in every step of the agricultural process, from urban beekeeping to crop planting. Want to get involved? Adults can also volunteer alongside students – and everyone can swing by area farm stands to snag some extra-fresh produce.

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EARTHWORKS URBAN FARM, DETROIT: Not only is Earthworks the only certified organic farm in Detroit, but this 2.5-acre patch of green, founded in 1998, is also an important local hub of social justice. The fruits and veggies grown at Earthworks are used in meals prepared at the partner Capuchin Soup Kitchen, while the farm provides classes for local gardeners, hosts after-school programs, and provides an intensive grower training course for adults looking to start their own urban farm projects. Here, food justice is what’s on the table.

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GREENSGROW FARMS, PHILADELPHIA: Once a steel galvanizing factory, now one of the most inspiring urban farm projects in the country. Greensgrow Farms, located in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, is proof that cities can get creative when it comes to rethinking land. Today, Greensgrow turns out thousands of pounds of produce each year, which is sold to local restaurants, available for consumer purchase at its farm stand, or shipped out to its local CSA subscribers.

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BROOKLYN GRANGE, NEW YORK: Urban farm projects don’t get much more picturesque than this. Spread across two rooftops in Brooklyn and Queens, Brooklyn Grange produces a whopping 50,000 pounds of organic produce each year, and hosts a collection of buzzing apiaries. Beyond its own turf, Brooklyn Grange also serves as an agricultural consultant, helping to install urban farming hubs far and wide, and is a non-profit partner to City Growers, an org that encourages city-dwellers to give farm life a try – skyline views included.

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REVISION URBAN FARM, BOSTON: ReVision Urban Farm began life as a garden next to the ReVision Family Home, a shelter for homeless mothers and families in Dorchester. Since then, ReVision has blossomed into a fully functioning farm, providing an oasis of fresh food to an under-served community and job training for young people and the homeless. Beyond the nabe, its CSA and seedling programs have all of Boston going green.

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BEACON FOOD FOREST, SEATTLE: Not just an urban farm, Seattle’s Beacon Food Forest is a seriously impressive grassroots initiative. Located next to Jefferson Park, the 7-acre forest is, by design, open to the public: anyone is welcome to come in and forage from its range of edible plants, from plum trees to fresh herbs. Private plots are also available for would-be farmers, and a range of educational programing is on offer for kids and grown-ups alike.

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FARMSCAPE, CALIFORNIA: Attention, West Coasters: inspired to start one of these urban farm projects in your own neck of the woods? Farmscape can help. California’s largest urban farming venture, Farmscape has created a network of more than 600 farms, connecting city-dwellers to fresh produce and giving farmers living wage gigs. The Golden State? We’re lobbying to rename it the Green State.

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