The State of Community Gardens and Urban Agriculture – New York
Intro No. 1059 A Local Law in relation to a report on community garden food processing and agriculture.
By Charles Platkin, Ph.D., J.D., M.P.H., Distinguished Lecturer, Hunter College, CUNY
New York City Food Policy Centre
January 27, 2021
Excerpt:
We recommend the following:
Continue and expand the GreenThumb urban gardening program.
Increase development of urban agriculture, including hydroponic production gardens, rooftop production gardens, and other measures to combat food insecurity in under-resourced communities.
Create and expand community gardens and/or other community production gardens, including hydroponic production gardens and rooftop gardens, in NYCHA public housing.
Explore additional ways community gardens and urban agriculture can contribute to the New York City food supply.
Ensure the protection of community gardens from future development projects.
Develop legislation and/or tax incentives that promote urban agriculture.
We at the Hunter College New York City Food Policy Center stand ready to support community garden food processing and agriculture.
New York City community food gardens have played an important role in the City’s recent history. During the financial crisis of the 1970s, there were vacant and abandoned lots, and the nonprofit environmental group the Green Guerillas, lobbed “seed bombs” containing seeds, water and fertilizer into vacant lots to beautify them when they were not able to get into the area. Eventually the efforts of the Green Guerillas were recognized, and a movement was started. After a few years, the GreenThumb program was established.
