On July 25, 2024, I delivered a presentation and hosted a session on ‚Walkability & Narrative Building around Community Agriculture’.
Video of the session here
I have delivered many presentations and hosted dozens of workshops on walkability now, but this was my first time presenting on my emergent media work and research groundwork related to community and urban agriculture.
Hosted by The Schumacher Institute, the session had great attendance, a busy chat board, very engaging discussion and so much ‚food for thought’ exchanged for all of us.
Above slide, referencing one of my favorite books, ‘Creating Sustainable Cities’ by Herbert Girardet. This is also the book that led me to connecting with The Schumacher Institute and becoming a fellow. The graphic has a quote from the book, that is really at the heart of this presentation and my own mission and vision to contribute to community and urban agriculture: “Food growing should be regarded as an important component of future urban living.“
“This topic is close to my heart as an advocate for urban agriculture in my city.”
-ATTENDEE TO COMMUNITY AGRICULTURE WORKSHOP
I first shared multiple slides about my media, advocacy and research with walkability via Pedestrian Space and now also as a PhD student researching walkable urbanism through the lens of the 15-minute city.
“How about having urban gardening integrated into community residential development – along with SUDS, rooftop solar, actual community centres, etc..?”
-ATTENDEE TO COMMUNITY AGRICULTURE WORKSHOP
Then I moved into the topic of community and urban agriculture, beginning with a time hook back to the recent pandemic, as issues of diverse crises, food supply and local food production are a key part of my developing approach to this theme.
“The lockdown resulted in general improvements in most gardens in the town – positively prize-winning.”
-ATTENDEE TO COMMUNITY AGRICULTURE WORKSHOP
I then went to the hyper micro level- right to our balcony gardens, which I currently view as rich testbed for me to begin shaping my knowledge of how to grow many different veggies and some fruits as well as diverse and creative ways to use different parts of the plants in the kitchen.
On one slide I shared how the home garden also functions for:
- Learning how different plants grow
- Learning about my own relationship with different plants and their cultivation
- Inhabiting the joy of gardening
- Understanding the labor of gardening
- Discovering a desire to share the joy of cultivating vegetables & fruits
Home gardens are important building blocks in the matrix of urban agriculture and I am beginning to understand how passionate home gardeners can help catalyze and build momentum within communities, sharing their own passion, energy and knowledge and also supporting community leaders who are initiating larger scale initiatives such as community gardens, school gardens, cooperative farms and more.
I also shared about my work with food photography, interest in plant-based nutrition and creative, delicious plant-forward cooking and weaving that together. I loved discussing what I view as the importance of also weaving food literacy with kitchen and vegetable literacy to help cultivate awareness and knowledge about how to cook with diverse vegetables.
One attendee noted in the chat: “We are growing carrots this year so will have a go at using carrot tops!” Another noted the importance of the need for education on how to use different vegetables.
„Education is what matters most. A local school garden gave excess produce to families, many didn’t know how to use it.”
-Attendee to Community Agriculture workshop
I also shared about one of my first impactful readings on the topic- ‘Public Produce’, a book which I highly recommend (and finished reading today) and my big vision for a multidisciplinary ‘farmhouse collaborative’ one day.
“Love agrihoods!”
-ATTENDEE TO COMMUNITY AGRICULTURE WORKSHOP
I shared a bit about my first school garden workshop, held earlier this year and how practical (and fun) it was to design a series of activities to engage the children in conversation about fruits and vegetables, creative activities around the topic and then to get our hands in the soil sowing seeds and planting seedlings.
“Zoning in my neighborhood allows for farm stands to be in front of people’s homes. Just need to get a neighborhood movement to happen. I think establishing a school garden could ignite this movement.”
-ATTENDEE TO COMMUNITY AGRICULTURE WORKSHOP
I recently also began my own garden research, looking to learn from the experience of established community garden leaders and advocates and other urban agricultural initiatives.
“Interested in how community agriculture can be better integrated into community development.”
-ATTENDEE TO COMMUNITY AGRICULTURE WORKSHOP
Thank you to all who attended and for such a rich and thoughtful discussion. Thank you also to Yujie for her participation and lovely presentation and thanks to The Schumacher Institute for the opportunity.
Video of the session here & below
Below are a few comments from the chat board. Throughout my presentation I had many ‚engagement questions’ ranging from how people moved around their community if mobility was part of their value system and if so how, their own relationship to issues of community agriculture, if they were home gardeners – what were they growing and how could they envision their own experience as a home gardener potentially benefitting the community.
“Here to learn. I’m writing a novel set in Bristol c. 2050 and am thinking about how we’ll feed ourselves as part of that.”
“We support a local community farm, bought some shares, but don’t get my hands dirty – yet!”
“This topic is close to my heart and an advocate for urban agriculture in my city.”
“I help run two allotments to grow food to give away through community pantries – we’re struggling to find enough volunteers!
“Love agrihoods!”
“Interested in how community agriculture can be better integrated into community development.”
“A sense of aging and family members challenged to walk has flavoured thoughts – the first two metres of our living environment are alien places.”
“I live on a steep hill, gets harder with age.
“I’ve been trying to take public transportation as much as I can but I realize we lack sidewalks in my area and it’s dangerous to walk to a bus stop.”
“Food growing and distribution hence transport are intimately connected.”
“I haven’t shopped in supermarkets for around seven years. Unfortunately, the already rare organic food markets are reducing and disappearing.”
“The lockdown resulted in general improvements in most gardens in the town – positively prize-winning.”
“We are growing carrots this year so will have a go at using carrot tops!”
“Zoning in my neighborhood allows for farm stands to be in front of people’s homes. Just need to get a neighborhood movement to happen. I think establishing a school garden could ignite this movement.”
„Education is what matters most. A local school garden gave excess produce to families, many didn’t know how to use it.”
“Right to grow’ on urban public realm is one such hook. More important is tapping into local authorities place-making and tying up with health and well-being benefits i.e. integrate in local plans, health and well-being strategies etc.”
“How about having urban gardening integrated into community residential development – along with SUDS, rooftop solar, actual community centres, etc..?”
„Really interesting discussion and session, thanks a million.”
„Loved this presentation and talk. Thank you so much.”
“Thanks for your presentation yesterday, it was informative and beautifully put together.”
Please feel free to take our first community agriculture survey here
Please feel free to get in touch at info@pedestrianspace.org if you would like to communicate and/or collaborate on these issues.