ECONOMICS.
For many American cities, strategies for business are stemmed from urban agriculture. While America is vast from sea to shining sea, only about 20% of agriculture is located near metropolitan areas where 80% of the American population lives [1]. By moving the agriculture back into populated areas, the money of local communities stays in its respective communities [2]. Rather than spend the money at the local Wal-Mart or Costco and send the dollars out of the community, urban agriculture encourages closer, local economic relationships. Local communities can use the circulated money to activate their economy, encouraging confident spending which leads to more local wealth and less inflation. This promotes local businesses, and creates more local jobs [3]. Over 2300 jobs were created by community food projects funded by the USDA, according to the Vice President at the National Research Center Michelle Kobayashi. Detroit in particular has used the urban agriculture movement to create more micro-businesses, stated by Kathryn Colasanti and other experts of the C.S. Mott Group at Michigan State University [4]. Below, a video composed by Italian environmental journalists Camilla Minarelli and Emanuele Bompan display various micro-businesses in Detroit that have created volunteer opportunities and jobs through urban agriculture. The video addresses the benefits and challenges of working in the urban agriculture field.
Research conducted had community gardeners frequently discussing the benefit of saving money on growing their own food. Some reports showed savings of at least $475 a season for individual gardeners, according to Ishwarbhai C. Patel, an agricultural agent at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension [5]. Additionally, in some programs, tools and utilities are usually included, and the average cost of a plot was $25. As a result, gardeners yield a high return. Farmers markets and community supported agricultural programs have monetary benefits, too. A study led by Jack Cooley and Daniel Lass of the University of Massachusetts found that members of CSA save up to 150% of share prices, compared to retail prices of the same produce at grocery stores [6].
Economies work in a rather cyclical fashion, making it relatively simple to get it moving in the right direction, with a collective effort from everyone. However, that also means the economy can just as quickly fall. Costs such as supplies needed and resources can tip the economic scale. In some major cities such as Chicago, Boston, and Portland, policies have been revised and zoning ordinances have been more accommodating towards urban agriculture, but the costs of legally owning an urban agricultural property are still high and hard to get a hold of [7]. All these factors can be the difference between a successful urban garden or an unsuccessful one.