Urban Farming!

Over the past couple of days, I have been reading Novella Carpenter's "Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer". I was initially drawn to the cover, which was featured on some design website; it looked awesome so I decided to do a little research and ended up buying the book.


It reads just like someone telling you about their experience in creating a farm, complete with chickens, turkeys, ducks and a beehive. As an urbanite who knows nothing about farming, animals (except cats!...which we don't eat!), and I'll admit, nature, this book is really an education to me. Novella sets up her own farm in an abandoned lot in Oakland, and seems to learn as she goes, keeping an open mind to whatever she sets out to do. I'm not even half-way through yet, but I think it's the best book I've read in a while. My favorite excerpt thus far:

"Back in Seattle, our first chicken was an Americauna named Agnes. She was a lesbian chicken who crowed like a rooster but also laid eggs with bluish shells."

I need to get more in tune with what's happening within my 5 boroughs. I know there are urban farms in Harlem and Red Hook. I should really figure out where they are and what they grow. Next semester, I am going to be doing an independent study focusing on food systems in New York City, and policy initiatives set to improve food security and access to nutritious, fresh foods for low-income New Yorkers. This book is making me think, which is unusual given I'm on winter break!