Urban farming in Pittsburgh
The produce goes a long way in providing nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables to those dependent on food distributions at this time.
The Editorial Board
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Nov 7, 2020
Pittsburgh City Council’s continued financial support of urban farming projects in the city is the right move at a time when food insecurity is on the rise nationwide fueled by the coronavirus pandemic and high unemployment.
Council recently approved two transfers — $41,296 and $167,048 — to fund the CityFarms project, a concept to bring agriculture to urban communities to serve as both a teaching opportunity for area youth and a source of fresh produce for local food banks.
Council member Anthony Coghill sees the CityFarms project as a way to turn a portion of Brookline Memorial Park in his district into a community farm, where residents would engage in “collective farming” with produce being donated to food banks. Fellow council member Deb Gross has similar hopes for a Polish Hill site in her district.
Urban farming in the city has already proved successful at the Hilltop Urban Farm, a 23-acre farm on the site of the former St. Clair Village public housing complex, the last of which was demolished in 2010. About 10 acres of the urban farm were used this past summer to deliver 100 to 120 pounds of produce each week to the Brashear Association food pantry on the South Side.
The produce goes a long way in providing nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables to those dependent on food distributions at this time. The coronavirus pandemic and ensuing rise in unemployment have left millions nationwide in need of assistance. More than 54 million people, including 18 million children, may experience food insecurity this year, according to estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Urban farming projects also serve as education centers for city youth, based on the “teach a man to fish” concept. Providing farming knowledge leads to skills that can be used for a lifetime.
These are worthwhile projects that communities should embrace and continue to support.
