Urban Farming in NYC
New York City might be best known for its skyscrapers and tourist attractions, but a recent trend indicates that the city is getting to be greener.
Recently ranked in the top 10 cities for urban farming in the United States, New York is home to a growing number of farms that employ various farming technologies, including traditional soil beds, hydroponics, and kiddie pools.
A study conducted at Columbia University found that a significant percentage of food entering New York is grown locally. However, here, local is defined as originating within the 13 southernmost counties of New York state.
These include New York City’s five boroughs, which comprise two-thirds of the population of this region, according to the study.
Despite this recent surge in urban agricultural development, many New Yorkers are unfamiliar with the availability of food grown within the five boroughs of New York.
At one of New York City’s most popular markets, the Union Square Greenmarket, only two of their dozens of vendors sell food originating within the city. Neither is a farm.
One of the many reasons for the popularity of local food is the decrease in transportation distance, and therefore fossil fuel consumption and climate change causing pollution.
Estimates for the distance travelled by food in the US on average is 1500 miles. This means that a large amount of fossil fuel is consumed, recent estimates reveal that for every kcal of energy in food, 10 kcal of fossil fuel energy are used.
While many New Yorkers would prefer to buy food grown locally, many others do not have this opportunity. According to City Harvest, a New York food distribution NGO, approximately 1.4 million New Yorkers face hunger and 17% of New York City’s children are food insecure.
Several urban farms across the US and in New York City are commercial, selling their produce to local restaurants or partnering with major supermarkets. However, others were started with the aim of aiding the city’s food insecure population.
Hell’s Kitchen Farm Project is an urban farm comprised of kiddie pools, housed atop the neighborhood’s Metro Baptist Church. All of the produce grown on the farm is distributed through a local food pantry and a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.
The volunteer-run farm held its first public volunteer session of the season on Earth Day.
