What is Urban Ag?
For the purposes of this project, “Urban Agriculture” has been broadly defined to include any of the following practices, purposes, and locations.
Practices:
- gardening
- farming
- animal husbandry
- beekeeping
- aquaculture
- agroforestry
- orchards and fruit trees
- composting
- permaculture & food forests
- water harvesting and conservation
- artistic and/or cultural expression related to agriculture, horticulture, or food systems
- mobile farmers’ markets
- garden stands
- farmers markets and CSAs
- food cooperatives
- commercial kitchens for local food production
- food trucks (serving locally produced food)
With the intent to prove one or more of the following benefits or purposes:
- food production, processing and/or distribution
- herbal and medicinal production
- therapy
- community building
- urban wildlife habitat enhancement
- demonstration and education
- community health and nutrition
- cultural enrichment
- local economic development
Spaces for urban agriculture can be located, but are not limited to the
following publicly and privately owned landscape types:
- residential yards
- public parks and open space
- parking lots
- vacant lots
- alleyways
- Right-of-way landscape areas such as parkways and medians
- school grounds
- rooftops
- balconies
- vertical surfaces (walls)
- interior spaces such as greenhouses and/or hoophouses
- drainage areas / ponds
- vehicles for mobile markets, food trucks, other related services
Urban Ag in Action
The map below shows the existing gardens at Albuquerque Public School facilities. Also check out the Falling Fruit map, which has locations of fruit trees around the world!