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Vancouver's urban farming movement growing

Beets. Photo: Inner City Farms

When you think about farming what comes to mind? Endless rows of corn? Cows grazing? Maybe a barn? How about rows of lettuce growing along Vancouver's East Hastings Street? Or carrots sprouting at Davie and Burrard? Maybe some chickens in your backyard and some beets where there was once a lawn?

In an effort to renew our connection to the food we eat and to confront an increasingly unsustainable global food economy in the most neighbourly of ways -- the urban farming movement is gaining popularity in Vancouver.

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Vancouver urban farming sustainable food local food food system farming farmers environment earth week agriculture

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Local food is a future necessity

There was a bit of upset over the fact that a province-wide local food event called the Incredible Picnic, scheduled for August 23, was cancelled because of hurricane Bill, rescheduled for August 30, then cancelled again because of tropical storm Danny. It was a success in its initial run last year, and this year there was a lot of anticipation, with farmers having geared up for it and some having taken a loss when it didn't happen.

 

The Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture is taking heat for not having planned differently.

I raise this because of what it says about the quickening interest in growing and eating local foods, here and throughout the Western world, and that it's starting to count in real dollars and cents.

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Climate Change sustainability environment food local food agriculture farming pesticides industrial food farm subsidies food system

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