4 As the US entered both World Wars, the government promoted the planting of what became known as “Victory Gardens” in parks and yards, on rooftops and in other available spaces in towns, in suburbs and cities alike, to reduce dependence on food needed for the war effort. The gardens, called “potato patches” (after their primary crop), produced $14,000 worth of produce on 430 acres in the first year, with more than 1,500 families involved at the peak of the program’s popularity. In the US, in the middle of a depression in 1890s Detroit, the mayor requisitioned vacant land for unemployed city residents to grow vegetables. 2 Recent history dates back to British and European allotment gardens of the 19th century, the fertilizer for which was often supplied by nutrient-rich manure from horses, which were the primary transportation of the day. As long as we humans have been living in cities, it is likely that we’ve also been cultivating produce there: some research even suggests that urban agriculture developed before its rural counterpart. 1 A Brief History of City Farmingĭespite the focus on urban agriculture in recent years, it is not a new phenomenon. City farming operations vary in size: from chicken coops and beehives to household, school or community gardens, from rooftop and larger-scale farms to aquaculture facilities and indoor hydroponic “vertical farms” they may be privately, publicly or commercially-owned they may be run for profit, operated by a social mission or some combination of the two. We rely on a vibrant community of membership subscribers and business partnerships to help us catalyse the transformation of Aotearoa’s food systems.Urban agriculture has gotten a lot of press in recent years: growing food in the city has a unique, even romantic appeal, upending one’s notions about what is urban and what is rural and providing many social, environmental and health benefits. OMG works with a larger team to innovate, model and enable what is possible. OMG isn’t just a farm - it’s a teaching space held within a charitable trust. You can follow OMG’s progress on social media and see it growing in person at weekly CSA pick ups and at our Working Bees. Our farmers keep you updated on what is growing at the farm. Having a have a closer connection to how our food is grown benefits the well-being of us all. By using a CSA model we are able to reduce some of the unpredictability inherent to farming. Farming has been listed as one of the ten most stressful occupations in the world and if we want food security, this needs to improve. Sudden changes in weather and fluctuations in the price of produce don’t just impact incomes, these factors can take a toll on the mental health and well-being of the people growing our food. SecurityĪ CSA model gives us the security to pay our farmers a good wage and helps us plan each season with more certainty.įarming can be unpredictable. Some weeks you will see varieties of vegetables that would have a niche customer base if we sold them cost-per-item at a farmers market. As the science evolves and climate conditions change, we like to try new things. We are modelling a form of no-till bioinetsive regenerative horticulture on the cutting edge of ‘climate crisis ready’ farming. We grow lots of common vegetables (salad greens, pumpkin, tomatoes etc) but we also like to experiment. OMG is a small farm and grows a diverse variety of species.
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