Local Food Production and Urban Agriculture

1. Local Food Production and Urban Agriculture Harris School Practicum Emily Rhodes

2. What is Local Food Production and Urban Agriculture? • Local food production is broadly defined (is it mileage or within state?) • The Illinois Food, Farms and Jobs Act of 2009 stipulates that at least 10% of food in state institutions come from IL farms by 2020 • CPS defines “local” as within 150 miles of Chicago • Urban Agriculture: Growing food and raising livestock in urban areas, often in vacant lots (there are 70,000 vacant lots in Chicago) • Intention is to reduce fossil fuel use and increase access to fresh foods • Can employ urban residents and provide context for the food that we eat • Vertical farming economizes limited urban space

3. What CPS is Doing to Promote Urban Agriculture/Local Food Sourcing • In 2008 CPS launched the Farm-to-School initiative with community partnersFamilyFarmed.org and Seven Generations Ahead • CPS is able to provide local produce through USDA Fresh Fruits and Vegetable Grants • $2.3 million of CPS produce is procured locally • Some CPS schools take students to visit local orchards so students can see how food is produced • Chartwells schools are getting more free range chicken from Amish farms in Indiana • CPS would like to get more organic and local food similar to AGC, but can't with only $1 reimbursement per meal

4. Urban Agriculture at Academy for Global Citizenship • “The Academy for Global Citizenship's schoolyard garden is a powerful vehicle for teaching our students about the connection between their everyday food choices and the health of the community, the environment, and themselves. Through their direct experiences, students inculcate an awareness of the physical environment and develop in them a sense of connectedness with their land, and all that grows on it.” • AGC has three chickens on site that students care for • The school has a greenhouse, 16 raised vegetable beds, 4 rain barrels and seeding tables

5. Urban Agriculture in the Surrounding Community • The largest urban farm on the south side is Growing Home’s location in Englewood (2.5 acres) • AGC is about 4.5 miles from the soon-to-open Plant Chicago vertical farm at 1400 west 46th Street • Chicago Park District Harvest Garden at 5940 S. Central Ave, 2.5 miles from AGC • There is only 3 community gardens within 5 miles of AGC. (neighbor-space.org)

6. IL Farm to School Survey Results: the Local Food Landscape in IL • 75% of Illinois school administrators reported that their schools DO NOT serve locally sourced food • 54% reported local food sources “had not been discussed” and 21% responded it isn’t a priority • 83% of schools DO NOT have a garden • Only 24% of teachers aware of Farm to School • 35% of schools take students on trips to local farms • 14% of schools have farmers give presentations to their students

7. Why Schools Would Want to Provide Locally Grown Food • Note: economic factors seem to be more important to school administrators than nutrition

8. Why Schools Don’t Provide More Locally Sourced Food

9. Some Local Research: The Center for Human Potential’s Teen Community Gardening, Food Systems, Nutrition and Cooking Program • South side teenagers participated in community gardening, visited urban farms, went to farmers markets and took cooking classes • 15 students were surveyed, 9 of whom completed both pre-program and post-program surveys • 8/9 said that the program changed their view of fast food • 9/9 said that the frequency of home-cooked meals with their families had not changed with program • Conclusion: the program impacted teens’ awareness of local and healthy food but did not change behavior

10. Policy Implications for AGC • Urban agriculture can increase food security, create employment and reduce fossil fuel consumption • Better nutrition and employment for AGC parents • The school garden at AGC connects children to the food that they eat positive spillover effects • Children may be more likely to eat healthy foods • Encourage their parents to serve healthy foods at home and join community gardens • BUT local and urban agriculture is limited • We can’t grow food year-round in IL • Less efficient (i.e. economies of scale, can’t use machinery)

11. Bibliography • Farm to School Illinois : http://www.farmtoschool.org/state-home.php?id=35 • Heifer International, "Chicago's Urban Agriculture" http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.1526569/ • Academy for Global Citizenship, "Edible Schoolyard" http://www.agcchicago.org/globalcitizenshipsnew.php?cat=m3s2NeighborSpace, "Garden Map" : http://neighbor-space.org/gardenmap.htm • Growing Home, "Urban and Organic Agriculture" • http://www.growinghomeinc.org/learn-more/urban-agriculture/ : The Plant (a Chicago vertical farm)  http://www.plantchicago.com/ • The Harris School Center for Human Potential, "Teen Community Gardening, Food Systems, Nutrition and Cooking Program" (non-electronic resource) • Sexton, Steven. "Does Local Production Improve Environmental and Health Outcomes?" http://ecnr.berkeley.edu/vfs/PPs/Sexton-Ste/web/locavore.pdf • Report of the Illinois Farm to School Survey Results (2010). http://www.farmtoschool.org/files/publications_400.pdf