Urban agriculture

Urban agriculture is increasing in popularity at a variety of scales, ranging from backyard beehives to community gardens to whole-parcel greenhouse operations and even larger farms. Among other benefits, urban farms employ local workers, keep money in the local economy, and increase local food security. They may also present an opportunity to reactivate abandoned and vacant land and generate additional tax revenue for the city.

Idea

Urban agriculture is not new, having been practiced continuously since ancient times. In modern times, urban ag has mostly been pursued as a hobby or cottage industry, with periodic expansion in times of hardship or war. Recently, however, the rise of the local and artisan food movements have resulted in a resurgence of interest in the concept. It is practiced in many forms. Backyard vegetable patches have been supplemented by backyard beehives, chicken coops, and aquaculture ponds. Neighbors and community institutions have banded together to form community gardens, often motivated by the local government's desire to "green" blighted and vacant properties. Entrepreneurs are leveraging farmers markets and community supported agriculture by growing high-value crops for sale at local outlets, sometimes year-round using greenhouses and "hoop houses".

The economic benefits of urban agriculture are very apparent. Produce sales are a potential source of income for individuals, small businesses, and organizations. This income is a source of tax revenue for the local government, as are sales taxes. Farm improvements will generate more property tax than a vacant lot, and the presence of a farm may have positive spillover effects on nearby property values, depending on the nature and aesthetics of the farm. The scale of urban agriculture operations is conducive to local aggregation, processing, and distribution, which represents a secondary source of income, jobs, and tax revenue. The wealth generated by this local commerce is more likely to recirculate in the community, resulting in additional multiplier effects.

The environmental and social benefits may not be as apparent, but are no less significant. Preservation of parcels as open space diminishes the heat island effecct and promotes on-site absorption and filtration of stormwater. Growing plants on the land increases this effect. Local production and processing of food results in shorter supply chains, which require less transportation and reduced energy consumption. Farms practicing organic growing methods and manual planting and harvesting will cause less erosion and consumption of fertilizers and pesticides. This protects animals, promotes food safety, and preserves air and water quality. Local food systems bring consumers closer to the origins food, both geographically and emotionally. This helps them understand the needs of farmers and fosters civic engagement in the agricultural sphere. These are just a few of the many benefits potentially offered by urban agriculture.

Goal

Develop and adopt a local food action plan that creates the conditions necessary for urban agriculture to flourish.

Objectives

The plan should address the following as they pertain to urban agriculture.

Zoning

1. Eliminate ambiguous language that might create uncertainty about whether or not agricultural activities are permissible.
2. When practical, explicitly authorize agricultural use by right at the scale and intensity that is appropriate for the zone.

Permitting

1. When agricultural use by right is impractical, define a conditional use permitting process that is simple, fast, and inexpensive.
2. Relax or eliminate restrictions on accessory buildings.
3. Relax or eliminate restrictions on beehives, fowl, and small mammals. Consider using nuisance ordinances to address specific cases where these are problematic.
4. Relax or eliminate restrictions on composting. Consider using nuisance ordinances to address specific cases where this is problematic.

Land redevelopment

1. Create an inventory of vacant and abandoned parcels, and underutilized city-owned parcels.
2. Create a system for connecting agriculture entrepreneurs with underutilized land
3. Create incentives for agricultural developments that make use of underutilized land
4. Offer long-term leases for agricultural uses on city-owned parcels
5. Consider assisting with the creation of a community land trust to protect private agricultural parcels.

Funding

1. Make city staff available to help entrepreneurs identify and apply for third-party funding.
2. Consider tax incentives for urban agriculture businesses.
3. Consider developing grants for agriculture projects that generate a public benefit, such as stormwater runoff mitigation, soil remediation, or solid waste diversion (e.g. composting)

Procurement of local food

1. Adopt policies that favor the procurement of local food for city-sponsored events
2. Encourage city employees to participate in optional local food-related purchase opportunities such as CSAs, food truck festivals, and farmer's markets, and encourage employees to seek out these opportunities.

Technical assistance

1. Make city staff available to provide technical assistance with water collection, composting, and soil testing.
2. Establish training and education programs to help entrepreneurs overcome business and regulatory hurdles.
3. Consider assisting with the creation of a neighborhood food business incubator.

Examples

Following are several examples of different types of urban agriculture.

Backyard animal husbandry

(Image Credit: Orchard Lane Apiary)

Will Merrill started keeping bees on his 0.14 acre Clintonville lot in 2013 after an inspirational encounter with a bee enthusiast in a local park. He now runs a successfull small business called Orchard Lane Apiary, selling the honey produced by his ten hives. In addition to raw honey, he also sells beekeeping equipment and provides other related services such as swarm collection and bee education. Orchard Lane Apiary is an excellent example of a diversified urban agriculture business with minimal land requirements. To get a feel for the land Will is working with, take a look at the bird's eye view below. The house is mostly obscured by trees, but it is possible to make out the hives to the right of the detached garage.

(Image credit: Google Earth)

Community garden

(Image credit: Fourth Street Farms)

The Columbus Dispatch reported in 2016 that there were nearly 300 community gardens in Central Ohio. One of these is Fourth Street Farms, nestled on a vacant plot of land between two houses in the Weinland Park neighborhood of Columbus.

Fourth Street Farms is a "free farm", which anyone is welcome to contribute to and harvest from. According to a recent blog entry, some of the vegtables planned for the 2018 garden include tomatoes, collards, peppers, beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, and garlic. When gardeners need a break, they can enjoy a Little Free Library on the grounds that features built-in shelter and seating! In addition to the community gardeners who put in sweat equity, the garden is made possible by a long list of sponsors and partners, headed up by the Weinland Park Community Civic Association, The Godman Guild, and Local Matters. Community Manager Evelyn van Til explains more about the farm in the following video.

One of the potential concerns about urban agriculture is that it could become an eyesore if not maintained properly, but as you can see in this view from Fourth Street, the volunteers keep the farm looking more than presentable!

(Image credit: Fourth Street Farms)

The bird's eye view below provides another pespective on the farm, showing how the garden fits in with the nearby houses and making the neighborhood feel a bit less crowded. There are many such vacant lots throughout Franklin County. The Columbus Land Redevelopment Division actively seeks organizers wishing to start community gardens on city-owned land, and Franklin County also has a community gardening program.

(Image credit: Google Earth)

Urban farm

(Image credit: Swainway Urban Farm)

What originally started as an attempt by Joseph Swainway to prove to himself that he could earn a living growing produce, has now turned into a full-fledged urban farm that caters to individuals, restaurants, and retail outlets throughout Central Ohio. The mission of his enterprise, Swainway Urban Farm, is "to grow nutrient-rich produce on small plots using organic methods and to share that fresh, healthy food with our community while encouraging them to grow their own", and this is exactly what they do. The farm grows organic mushrooms, microgreens, and specialty vegetables and sells them at the Clintonville Farmers Market, the Bexley Natural Market, and several restaurants including Skillet, Dough Mama, and The Table.

(Image credit: Swainway Urban Farm)

The farm makes good on its promise to help others raise their own food by selling seedlings, garden supplies, and mushroom-growing supplies. As if that wasn't enough, they also host workshops on a variety of growing and homesteading topics, and regularly open the farm for tours. What is especially remarkable about all of this is that they do all of this on urban lots totalling just two-tenths of an acre! This bird's eye view of the farm below will give you an idea of the amount of land they have to work with. To hear more about Joseph's store, visit the farm's website or read this Columbus Underground article

(Image credit: Google Earth)

References

The books and articles described in the table are chock full of information that can be used to develop a local food action plan. All are available at no cost at the linked websites. A summary of pertinent content is provided for each.

Green Business and Urban Agriculture Strategic Plan (City of Columbus, 2017)	Front matter contains definitions of urban ag terminology. Section 1.2 documents exisiting urban farms in Columbus. Section 4 provides recommended actions with regard to building and zoning, economic development, land redevelopment, public utilities, and recreation and parks. Section 5.7 provides graphical depictions of example redevelopment concepts related to local food businesses. Section 6 provides budget and timeframe estimates for the actions recommended in Section 4. These are scaled for Columbus, but the cost ratios are useful to understand cost tradeoffs between various actions. Case studies on various topics are scattered throughout the document.
Putting Local Food Policy to Work for Our Communities (Harvard Law, 2017)	Sections I-III provide a general overview of many issues related to local food systems and municipal governance. Section IV focuses specifically on urban ag. Table IV-1 provides examples of enabling text for various forms of urban ag. Section IV also provides guidance regarding bees, chickens, and other animals, as well as related nuisance ordinances. It covers incentives, land inventory, long-term leases, and land protection. Section VI covers procurement of local produce by municipalities and other institutions. Section VIII provides ideas for composting and waste diversion.
Columbus and Franklin County Local Food Action Plan (Local Food Action Team, 2016)	Executive summary contains a list of goals that fall into the categories of enhancing coordination of food resources and agencies, improving access to food, increasing the role of food in economic development, and preventing food waste. Goal details start on page 30 and comprise the remainder of the document. Each goal includes details about current status, potential partners, objectives, first steps, potential measures, and needed resources. "Promising Practices" (precedents) are scattered throughout the document.
Local Food Systems: Concepts, Impacts, and Issues (Martinez, 2010)	An in-depth economic analysis that looks at characteristics of local food suppliers, characteristics of local food demand, government policies supporting local food, and benefits of local food markets. Contains an incredible amount of data that can be used as a basis for cost-benefit analyses or other justifications of local food policies and expenditures.
! Planning to Eat: Innovative Local and Government Plans and Policies to Build and Healthy Food and Systems (Neuner, 2011)	A survey of best practices and novel ideas from jurisdictions around the United States. The first section discusses plans, including food as a component of comprehensive plans, standalone food system plans, and healthy food plans. The second section discusses regulatory tools related to food production (including fowl, small/medium/large-sized animals, and beehives), food processing, food retail, and food waste disposal. The third section covers financial incentives for food production and food retail. Best practices are conveniently summarized in tables throughout the document.

City of Columbus. (2017). Green Business and Urban Agriculture Strategic Plan. Retrieved from https://www.columbus.gov/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=2147501661

Harvard Law. (2017). Putting Local Food Policy to Work for Our Communities. Harvard University. Retrieved from https://www.chlpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/good-food-good-laws_toolkit-10.23.2017.pdf

Local Food Action Team. (2016). Local Food Action Plan. City of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio. Retrieved from https://www.columbus.gov/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=2147501000

Martinez, S., et. al. (2010). Local Food Systems: Concepts, Impacts, and Issues. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved from https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/46393/7054_err971.pdf?v=42265

Neuner, K., Kelly, S., and Raja, S. (2011). Planning to Eat: Innovative Local and Government Plans and Policies to Build and Healthy Food and Systems. University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. Retrieved from https://ubwp.buffalo.edu/foodlab/wp-content/uploads/sites/68/2017/06/planningtoeat5.pdf

Connections to Other Plans

This idea potentially addresses the following elements of the MORPC Regional Sustainability Agenda:

This idea potentially addresses the following elements of the Columbus and Franklin County Local Food Action Plan:

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