Emanuel Urban Farm Network: Mayor Launches New Agriculture Plan To Transform Vacant Lots

New Urban Ag Network Will Transform Vacant Lots Into Farmland
First lady Michelle Obama, center and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, shaking hands, visit Iron Street Urban Farm, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011, in Chicago. The farm is a seven acre site on the city's South Side that produces healthy food year round. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
First lady Michelle Obama, center and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, shaking hands, visit Iron Street Urban Farm, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011, in Chicago. The farm is a seven acre site on the city's South Side that produces healthy food year round. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

Under a recently-announced new agriculture plan, vacant lots on Chicago's South Side could be transformed into thriving — and profitable — urban farms in just three years.

In a statement, Emanuel said the farm lots will help "stabilize" the surrounding communities and help relieve food desert-related issues. “Farmers for Chicago will give local residents a chance to not only learn how to grow food in their communities, but also build their own food enterprise.”

The local agriculturally-oriented NPO's like Growing Home and the Chicago Botanic Garden will train up to 25 recruits for the new program and provide the technical assistance for farmers-in-training to learn how to run a food business.

Training a new crop of farmers is key if Chicago is to become an urban agri-business hub. Grist reports it takes the work of one farmer to care for just a quarter-acre of land among the 15,000 vacant lots the city owns. Additionally, with requirements like new soil, compost, fencing, and adding a water supply, Grist says it costs the city $250,000 to get a half-acre of vacant land suitable for farming.

One of the Growing Homes farms grew and sold more than 13,000 pounds of local, USDA Certified Organic produce with an earned income topping $45,000, according to the city.

The city program will be a partnership with Growing Power, a Milwaukee-based urban farming organization whose founder Will Allen was awarded a MacArthur "Genius" grant for his agricultural work in 2008.

South Side neighborhoods such as Englewood, with plenty of vacant lots but sparse commerce, have drawn the attention of urban agriculture leaders in recent months; The neighborhood is ground zero for the city's Department of Housing and Economic Development’s (DHE) Green Healthy Neighborhoods initiative announced in November.

The city hails the program among the first of its kind in the nation.

Before You Go

25 Food Innovations In 25 States

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot