Sustainability– A Bottom Up

System

Creat ing a More Sust ainable

Environm ent and Com m unit y

Urban Farm ing aim s t o

im prove local
econom ic
developm ent ,
providing jobs f or
t hose living in povert y,
URBAN FARMIG FARMING
as w ell as creat ing a
Sustainability brings together three
factors. Environmental systems,
Nicholas Manfedi
greener ecosyst em
manfredinicholas@gmail.com
human systems and financial sys- (440)-785-2749
tems. We must learn how they in-
teract with each other. Ryan Archibald
archibrj@notes.udayton.edu
(630)-484-1121
 Urb an Farm in g

Ou r co u n t ry is en co u n t erin g So Why Urban Farming? Solving the Problem

rap id u r- Urb an f arm in g is p rem ised o n t h e p arad igm o f
Co m p an ies an d No n -Pro f it o rgan izat io n s
p erm acu lt u re, w h ich is d ef in ed as an y syst em are d o in g w h at t h ey can t o sp read t h e
b an izat io n ,
o f su st ain ab le agricu lt u re t h at ren ew s n at u ral w o rd ab o u t t h e b en ef it s o f u rb an f arm in g.
w h ich is
reso u rces an d en rich es lo cal syst em s. On e in p art icu lar is Gro w ing Po w er b ased
in creasin g in M ilw aukee, o f f ers an eigh t -m o n t h t rain -
Aim s t o creat e a st ab le, p ro d u ct ive syst em s t h at
u rb an p o v- in g co u rse o n h o w t o creat e yo u r o w n u r-
p ro vid e f o r h u m an n eed s, h arm o n io u sly in t e-
b an f arm acro ss t h e Un it ed St at es.
ert y in grat in g t h e lan d w it h it s in h ab it an t s.

co u n t ries Elem en t s in t h e syst em su ch as p lan t s n u t rien t

cycle, an im als, an d clim at ic f act o rs are all re-
acro ss t h e lat ed t o each o t h er. Th e o ut p u t o f o n e o f t h e
w o rld as w ell as in t h e Un it ed elem en t s m en t io n ed ab o ve b eco m es t h e in -
p u t s o f o t h er elem en t s. Gro w in g
St at es.
Po w er h as
Th e u n reliab le, exp en sive, an d b u ilt 14
green h o u ses
irregu lar access t o f o o d f o r an d yield ed
u rb an cit ies an d t h o se st ru g- en o u gh f o o d
t o f eed
glin g w it h p o vert y are at t h e 10,000 lo cal resid en t s, as w ell as st rivin g t o
f o ref ro n t o f t h e p ro b lem . b et t er so ciet y aro u n d t h em .

Th in gs su ch as en gagin g you t h in w o rk
read in ess, co n st ru ct io n t ech n iq u es, lif e
skills, an d em p lo yin g co n vict s f o r su m m er
w o rk.

Th ro u gh t h is p ro cess, w o rk is m in im ized ;
“ w ast es” b eco m e reso u rces, p ro d u ct ivit y an d
yield s in crease, an d environ m en t s are rest o red .
Th e cu rren t co n d it io n o f o u r
eco n o m y as w ell as t h e gro w -
in g u rb an izat io n an d p o vert y
t h at is t akin g p lace an d u n em -
p lo ym en t is af f ect in g p eo p le
exp o n en t ially.