Urban Gardens

Urban Farming Yields Fresh Foods, Land Reuse

In backyards and on once-barren city lots, local growers produce crops and livestock.

Martha M. Hamilton

for National Geographic

PUBLISHED MAY 18, 2014

Chickens are coming home to roost in U.S. cities, near pens for goats and hives for bees. In urban yards and on once-vacant lots, planting beds brim with herb plants, pea vines, and the ubiquitous kale.

A new wave of urban agriculture is flourishing because it benefits consumers concerned about sustainably grown food as well as cities with land to spare. It started in 2008, fueled both by economic stress and concerns about nutrition, childhood obesity, and diabetes highlighted by First Lady Michelle Obama.
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