The case for urban agriculture

In 2007, the film Ratatouille was released and with it the message that anyone can cook was shared with viewers young and old. In a similar light, I hope that today’s article imparts the message to our community that anyone can garden. Even in Gunnison, at an elevation of 7700 feet with (typically) long, cold winters, anyone can grow their own food and share it with their community. 

Depending on location and circumstance, the scale at which food can be produced is apt to significant variability; however, gardening spans the gamut of necessary space and can be found stretching across vast acres or simply found in a pot on your windowsill. The food that you consume cannot get any more local than food that is grown on your windowsill, in your garden, or in your community. Community food security starts at the hyper-local scale; for the 80% of the US population who live in cities, towns, and developed areas, hyper-local food production means participating in urban agriculture: the practice of producing local agricultural products within and immediately adjacent to densely populated areas. 

Urban agriculture is not a new phenomenon – with roots in ancient civilizations where land was scarce to world war era victory gardens – but it has been gaining popularity steadily over the past couple of decades for a variety of reasons. Driven by concerns about sustainability and resilience within food systems and the desire for increased food security, communities across the nation have turned to urban agriculture as an alternative method of food production. With traditional agricultural land decreasing as urban areas expand, urban agriculture offers a solution to localized food security efforts by cultivating underutilized spaces within city limits. This localized approach reduces the carbon footprint associated with transporting food over long distances and satisfies the desire of communities for fresh, local produce. Urban agriculture also builds green spaces into communities and fosters community engagement and social cohesion by bringing people together for education, recreation, and cultural exchange. Applied appropriately, urban agriculture strengthens food security; reduces the negative effects that urbanized areas have on soil, air, and water quality; contributes social and economic benefits to communities; and enhances the resiliency of production and consumption systems. 

According to the USDA, in 2024, 1 in 7 households nationwide face food insecurity, with rural areas facing food insecurity rates 2.2% higher than the national average. Food insecurity rates have risen continuously since 2021 with 48 million Americans experiencing food insecurity by the end of 2024 and 24 million Americans living in food deserts. Preliminary reports from Purdue University state that due to disruptions and reductions to SNAP benefits in 2025 these numbers are only expected to grow. Urban agriculture and hyper-local food production serve as tools which can be used to beneficially impact these numbers by addressing community food security. 

Locally, Mountain Roots Food Project contributed over 66,000 pounds of food to food security efforts in 2024, and the Gunnison Country Food Pantry nearly quadrupled that number distributing over 248,000 pounds. Combined these resources have provided food benefits to 20% of Gunnison County residents: nearly 3500 people in 2024. Urban agriculture can continue to contribute to food security in Gunnison County by providing locally grown food directly to households. Steps towards addressing food insecurity locally are already in place – one part of the Backyard Harvest program stewarded by Mountain Roots Food Project provides the opportunity for backyard gardeners to contribute excess fresh produce to weekly food security efforts. Similarly, I often share excess produce from my garden with friends and neighbors and I know that other gardeners in our community do likewise. Windowsill gardens, backyard gardens, community gardens, and local farms all feed our community fresh and nutritious local food without resource-intensive, time-consuming transportation and distribution systems. 

Industrial agriculture is an extractive economic system which promotes disconnection between people and their food and serves profit margins over community health. Extractive agriculture practices mine soil nutrients, rely on chemical inputs, and utilize pesticides which indiscriminately kill both pests and pollinators, all while viewing biodiversity as an obstacle. As an industry, agriculture leans heavily on the crutch of fossil fuel dependency to support vast acres of monocrops, many of which will be exported from the US along with all of the soil nutrients and water used to grow them. This is a de-humanization of the agricultural system which reinforces the message to the public that we cannot grow our own food. Urban agriculture through hyper-local food production shifts food systems away from reliance on complex, distant industrial agricultural operations and proves that we can grow our own food steps from where it is eaten. 

Growing food at the hyper-local scale – on decks and balconies, in home and community gardens, and at small local farms – allows for community engagement in food systems through involvement and education that builds transparency and trust in where and how your food is grown. When people are invested in the process of growing and harvesting food in their communities the benefits are not limited to the nutritional value of the food itself – value is created by the presence of urban green spaces which regulate heat and runoff and provide communal gathering areas. In urban areas across the nation rooftop farms are helping combat urban heat islands and food deserts and once vacant lots are being transformed into community gardens that serve as hubs of education and social connection. Bringing food to urban communities has been shown to have positive effects on mental health due to the creation of natural gathering spaces. Gardens are adaptable to any space; raised garden beds can add convenience and symmetry to gardening, food forests can create entire ecosystems of wild permaculture gardening, backyard chickens can produce fertilizer and reduce pests, and communities with diverse growing interests can trade products and knowledge with each other.

Agriculture was a founding principle of the Gunnison Valley and continues to be one of the key elements of our local economy. Growing food in a cold-climate like Gunnison is not without challenges; but with agricultural resources including the CSU Extension office at the fairgrounds, the Gunnison Valley Producers Guild, a fantastic farmers market, and the city ditch system, growing food in your space comes with the support of your community. Visit the Gunnison Valley Producer’s Guild website for more information about local agriculture systems, educational topics, and events at www.gvpg.org.