17pgs, There is a lack of data on resources used and food produced at urban farms. This hampers attempts to quantify the environmental impacts of urban agriculture or craft policies for sustainable food production in cities. To address this gap, we used a citizen science approach to collect data from 72 urban agriculture sites, representing three types of spaces (urban farms, collective gardens, individual gardens), in five countries (France, Germany, Poland, United Kingdom, and United States). We answered three key questions about urban agriculture with this unprecedented dataset: (1) What are its land, water, nutrient, and energy demands? (2) How productive is it relative to conventional agriculture and across types of farms? and (3) What are its contributions to local biodiversity? We found that participant farms used dozens of inputs, most of which were organic (e.g., manure for fertilizers). Farms required on average 71.6 L of irrigation water, 5.5 L of compost, and 0.53 m2 of land per kilogram of harvested food. Irrigation was lower in individual gardens and higher in sites using drip irrigation. While extremely variable, yields at well-managed urban farms can exceed those of conventional counterparts. Although farm type did not predict yield, our cluster analysis demonstrated that individually managed leisure gardens had lower yields than other farms and gardens. Farms in our sample contributed significantly to local biodiversity, with an average of 20 different crops per farm not including ornamental plants. Aside from clarifying important trends in resource use at urban farms using a robust and open dataset, this study also raises numerous questions about how crop selection and growing practices influence the environmental impacts of growing food in cities. We conclude with a research agenda to tackle these and other pressing questions on resource use at urban farms.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D08844
Notes:
Pages 159-176 in Dawson, Julie C. and Morales, Alfonso (eds.), Cities of farmers: urban agricultural practices and processes. United States: University of Iowa Press, Iowa City. 333 pages.
13 pages., via online journal., This paper conducts a detailed analysis of urban food and online networks in Bristol, UK. In particular, it examines social media postings of grass-roots food networks. Qualitative research identifies and analyses five core themes, from which two dominant discourses emerge. Analysis reinforces the multifunctional nature of city food but moves beyond dominant scholarly pre-occupations with nutrition and physical resources. Instead, the paper positions social and symbolic aspects as equal components within the convening power of food. To date, social media has been neglected in urban food research, although this is a space as well-tended and structured as the physical spaces it augments. The paper finds a relationship of limited collaboration between the grass-roots networks and the city council. While the former are dynamic and networked, the council adheres to a linear policy process that limits the scope of citizenship. The relationships examined here indicate implications for urban planning processes.
Park, Sin-Ae (author), Cho, Moon-Kyoung (author), Yoo, Mung Hwa (author), Kim, Soo-Yun (author), Im, Eun-Ae (author), Song, Jong-Eun (author), Lee, Jin-Cheol (author), Jun, In Gun (author), and Konkuk University
Heavenly Brain Reactivation Institute
Horticultural Therapy Rehabilitation and Education Center
Agricultural Technology Service Center of Incheon
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2016-12
Published:
South Korea: American Society for Horticultural Science
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 16 Document Number: D10450
8 pages., Via online journal., The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of a horticultural activity program on the emotional intelligence, prosocial behavior, and scientific investigation abilities and attitudes of kindergarteners. A total of 336 children aged 5 to 7 years in public and private kindergartens and day care centers in Incheon, South Korea, participated in a 24-session horticultural activity program. This program included indoor and outdoor activities such as planting seeds, transplanting plants, making and applying eco-friendly fertilizer, watering, harvesting, using plants to make crafts, and cooking with produce. It was designed to improve the emotional intelligence, prosocial behavior, and scientific investigation abilities and attitudes of kindergarteners. Each session lasted an average of 50 minutes and was held once per week. The results of the study showed that the 24-session horticultural activity program improved the emotional intelligence, prosocial behavior, and scientific investigation abilities and attitudes of the children (P < 0.05). Satisfaction with the program was very high among both the children and their teachers and parents. Future studies should consider exploring the effects of horticultural activity programs on children in different age groups.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D08842
Notes:
Pages 126-140 in Dawson, Julie C. and Morales, Alfonso (eds.), Cities of farmers: urban agricultural practices and processes. United States: University of Iowa Press, Iowa City. 333 pages.
October 1 issue via online issue. 3 pages., The Beekman 1802 Almanac will feature "a curated collection of farm-to-page content - gift ideas, country cooking recipes, entertaining and gardening tips and so on - inspired by 19th century-style almanacs."
