What is Urban Agriculture and how does it help the community?

Urban Agriculture is the practice of gardening & growing crops within a city. Our Urban Agriculture program produces 4,000 lbs of healthy, sustainably-produced fresh food which is distributed through The Stop’s food bank, meal programs and community kitchens—as well as to the volunteers who grow the food.

Our primary garden site is an 8,000 square foot organic vegetable and native wildflower garden in Earlscourt Park. The garden is tended mainly by volunteers under the supervision of seasonal staff.

Urban agriculture has benefits for communities, individuals, and the environment as a whole. Gardening is a vital tool to bring people together, increase access to affordable food and teach people about how to grow and use healthy food. From an environmental standpoint, food grown locally has a much smaller impact on the environment than food that is shipped over long distances.