case studies | prototypes The following case studies highlight success stories of cultivation strategies in urban areas of other municipalities. Each section corresponds with possible prototypes suggested later in the Urban District.
There are two types of prototypes for feeder “farms” in the Urban District: sites already used for food production and less obvious places not now used for production that offer some potential. The prototype sites are close to one another so that their stewards could share resources, and the prototypes are visible and accessible to the general public.
a) cultiVatioN iN urbaN NeiGhborhoodS oN Small lotS aNd yardS Case Study
Prototype
• The Food Project, Boston, MA: The Food Project is a not-for-profit organization that has been creating community-centered, productive, educational farms and gardens in urban and suburban areas since 1991, and now farms 37 acres combined. Their work “engages young people in personal and social change through sustainable agriculture.” (http://thefoodproject.org)
• Under the right conditions, and using proper techniques, it is possible to grow much food in relatively small urban spaces in Northampton with hand-cultivation in single-yard or joined-yard gardens, using existing back, front, and side yard space. In these dense urban settings, neighbors are able to combine their resources, knowledge, tools, and land.
Farm run by The Food Project in densely-populated urban area of Dorchester, Boston. Photos courtesy The Food Project
Urban gardens on small residential lots
b) GardeNS For at-riSk populatioNS Case Study
Prototype
• The Homeless Garden Project, Santa Cruz, CA: Since 1990, this unique organization has provided not only nutritious food, but also job training, transitional employment, and marketable skills in farming and gardening to many homeless and low-income people. Even more important is the sense of community, commitment, and renewed confidence that the program instills in participants. (www.homelessgardenproject.org)
• Garden programs at shelters and social service organizations serving at-risk populations could provide produce to service recipients. Additionally, gardens could serve as learning tools to help people develop job skills. For example, the Grove Street Inn is a free, need-based, temporary shelter, with a vegetable garden on the premises that provides produce for shelter residents. Volunteer work or donations could help to maintain and expand the garden.
Photos courtesy of The Homeless Garden Project, Santa Cruz, CA Feed NorthamptoN disTricTs
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