WORLD FOOD AND FIBER PRODUCTION College of Agriculture, Environment, and Nutrition Sciences AGBS 100, EVSC 100, FOSC

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WORLD FOOD AND FIBER PRODUCTION
College of Agriculture, Environment, and Nutrition Sciences
AGBS 100, EVSC 100, FOSC 100, PLSS 100
Discussion
Sustainable and Urban Agriculture
Situation
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the term ''sustainable agriculture''
means "an integrated system of plant and animal production practices... that will over the long-term:
satisfy human food and fiber needs; sustain the economic viability of farm operations [, and]; enhance
the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole. The USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and
Education (SARE) program supports sustainable agriculture projects through grant funding.
Dogwood City has several historic subdivisions originally developed as single-family homes surrounding.
a large area reserved for agriculture. One of them, the Banneker Park subdivision, has a ten-acre.
reserved area which is owned by its Homeowners' Association (HOA) and can be leased by a farmer to
grow produce. The farmer would be able to sell the produce to the subdivision homeowners and nearby.
households to support the farm operation. However, after many years, half of the homes in Banneker
Park became vacant and farmers have not been interested in renting land without a market.
Two years ago, the Dogwood City Council with local farmers received a grant from SARE to support.
urban agriculture and establish farmers markets in the city. The farmers markets will be located in
neighborhoods that were designated as "food deserts" where fresh produce was not available. The city
Council, through HUD funds, has provided subsidies to residents who renovate houses in the historical
subdivisions for their primary residence. These measures were intended to revitalize these subdivisions,
provide housing for apartment dwellers and renew farmer interest in agriculture on HOA-owned lands.
Since then, many Dogwood City residents have received the subsidy to renovate and move into houses.
in the historical subdivisions. Banneker Park has regained enough residents to interest a farmer to rent.
the land and restart the subdivision's farm. As intended, the farmer is selling the produce to residents.
and nearby households; the farmer sells excess produce at the new farmers markets in the food deserts.
However, about two dozen new homeowners in Banneker Park have created backyard gardens to grow.
vegetables for certain ethnic groups in the city. They collectively, and quite lucratively, sell these.
vegetables directly to consumers at their places of worship or community centers. Also, a dozen other
homeowners have renovated their houses to include rooms for indoor hydroponic production of high.
value produce such as herbs, microgreens, or miniature vegetables which they sell to local restaurants.
As a result, the Dogwood City Council has proposed an ordinance that will define "urban agriculture" as
production by a licensed business in a non-residential area or on HOA-owned land; production by other
persons or entities in the residential areas would be defined as a "home garden." A home garden would
be limited to household consumption or to sales at farmers markets only and only up to $5,000 in
revenues. There are penalties for violation. The City Council will host an open forum on the ordinance.
Stakeholders
Dogwood County Farmers Association Urban Farmers Alliance of Dogwood City
Greater Dogwood City Interfaith Coalition Sustainable Agriculture Working Group
Task
Your stakeholder's leader will speak at the open forum. You are on an advisory committee whose task is
to develop recommendations for your stakeholder to either support or oppose the ordinance.