...What do we want to know? How much vacant land is required to make a profit for farm owners in the city of Detroit? Why is urban farming beneficial to the City of Detroit.? With seven billion mouths to feed, human agriculture exerts a tremendous toll on the planet, from water draws to pollution, and from energy use to habitat loss. There is also a growing set of solutions, from organic agriculture to integrated pest management. More people around the world are looking at urban farming, which offers to make our food as "local" as possible. By growing what we need near where we live, we decrease the "food miles" associated with long-distance transportation. We also get the freshest produce money can buy, and we are encouraged to eat in season....
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...I found the short film Food Forward: Urban Agriculture Across America to be an extremely intriguing perspective on a subject that I am not at all familiar with. I have always had this image that agriculture in America is solely composed of old farmer men, living on 500 acres of land in the middle of nowhere. That thought alone; I think, says a lot about the average American’s ignorance regarding where the food we ingest actually comes from. Wendell Berry states in his piece Bringing it to the Table: On Food and Farming that “[consumers] mostly ignore certain critical questions about the quality and cost of what they are sold...Most urban shoppers would tell you that food is produced on farms. But most of them do not know what farms...or what...
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...The Motor City has finally stalled. After years of socioeconomic decline since its auto industry collapsed in the 2000s, Detroit declared bankruptcy last week, becoming the largest American city ever to do so. Could an ambitious, environmentally friendly scheme to repurpose Detroit's crumbling infrastructure be the city's salvation? In the past decade, Detroit has become an emblem of urban decay. More than a third of its buildings are abandoned, nearly 40 per cent of the population lives in poverty and the infrastructure is in tatters: reportedly, 40 per cent of its street lights don't work. This is where a long-term plan called the Detroit Future City (DFC) framework, announced by a study group in January, could help. Its aim is to regenerate the city over the next two decades by downsizing Detroit's infrastructure – tailored to its 2 million residents in the 1950s – to fit its current population of 700,000. To this end, the DFC proposes that the city take some unusual steps. It proposes converting the city's 5200 hectares of abandoned space into ecological sanctuaries and urban farms. Hundreds of small farming and gardening initiatives have already sprung up in recent years, bolstered by private investment and grants. Other initiatives include building "blue infrastructure," which would convert unused streets into conduits to collect rainwater for irrigation and relieve the pressure on Detroit's sewer system, and new regulations to increase energy efficiency across the city...
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...city’s future agricultural success. Before the zombie apocalypse, Houston stood as the fourth most populous city in the country. At its prime the city boasted well over two and a half million people, and had one of the largest oil and gas industries in the country. Now, the city stands barely even a shadow of what it used to be. The two million citizens that once thrived here now have dwindled to less than 800,000. The city’s government must decide how it will tackle the substantial job of feeding its surviving populous in this post-apocalyptic world. The officials have two options of agricultural style, either urban or industrial. Both of these come with their own pros and cons, but industrial agriculture is better suited for an area like Houston. The industrial model as a whole stands in contrast to the urban commutative farming model. Comparatively industrial farming stands as the only practical way of producing enough food to sustain a society like Houston’s. Houston’s post-apocalyptic community requires the need for a secure method of producing...
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...Wikipedia Edit Watch this page Urban agriculture An urban farm in Chicago Urban agriculture, urban farming or urban gardening is the practice of cultivating, processing, and distributing food in or around a village, town, or city.[1] Urban agriculture can also involve animal husbandry, aquaculture, agroforestry, urban beekeeping, and horticulture. These activities occur in peri-urban areas as well, and peri-urban agriculture may have different characteristics.[2] Urban agriculture can reflect varying levels of economic and social development. In the global north, it often takes the form of a social movement for sustainable communities, where organic growers, ‘foodies,’ and ‘locavores’ form social networks founded on a shared ethos of nature and community holism. These networks can evolve when receiving formal institutional support, becoming integrated into local town planning as a ‘transition town’ movement for sustainable urban development. In the developing south, food security, nutrition, and income generation are key motivations for the practice. In either case, more direct access to fresh vegetables, fruits, and meat products through urban agriculture can improve food security and food safety. History Edit Huerto (vegetable garden or orchard) Romita, organization dedicated to urban agriculture located in the La Romita section of Colonia Roma, Mexico City Community wastes were used in ancient Egypt to feed urban farming.[3] In Machu Picchu, water was conserved...
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...Honors Study Guide 1.) Analyze the political climate, issues, and stakeholders in the Cobo/Edwards mayoral election campaign of 1949. Relate this election to the specific outcomes in the city of Detroit over the next decade and detail what you see as the lasting effects today. Edwards backed by auto union, supposed to win because he was black and pro public housing. Cobo won the election, even though he was white and for private housing. Edwards took side with the Brewster housing projects, declaring that he backed public housing policy and that he had the back of the black people. Cobo took 60% of the votes. Black Bottom appeared, where there was a terrible segregation of white middle class and poor blacks. Pg 163 Martelle 2.) By the 1980s (if not earlier), one could argue that Detroit as a city had collapsed economically and socially and those problems remained until its current bankruptcy. What are the 3 biggest events/people/ideas/problems that contributed to Detroit’s collapse? Suburbanization, or creation of suburbia; people moving out of the city and into surrounding areas. 3.) Contrast the European, or Old World, relationship a person had with the “city” with the American one, specifically with respect to the choices regarding its functionality —that is, of “beauty” or “profit.” Next, what does your analysis suggest about what Americans prioritize, as evidenced in our typologies. City Profitable - Functionality = Rybczynski. City turned from a place to live...
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...cause and consequences of the populist movement of the 1880’s and 1890’s? The populist movement was a number of initiatives that began in response to the sentiment of society. The Populist Party is also call the People’s Party and the populist movement was the first important movement by citizens against what they believed was the corruption and the greed of our government. One of the causes was the Homestead Act which brought many new farmers to the West after the Civil War. Farmers then purchased the new farming machinery on credit in order to expand and produce more. The next cause of the populist movement was economic recession. The weather wasn’t cooperating with the farmers, crop prices dropped and farmers couldn’t pay their loans back and cover their debt. Farmers started losing their farms because the banks started foreclosing on them. The tariffs also were a cause of the populist movement because they made the cost for their farming equipment increase. Then the railroads were charging the farmers higher prices because they felt secure in the knowledge that they didn’t have any competition. The farmers wanted the government to do something about all of this, so they created two laws. The first was the ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission) which was put into place in order to regulate what the railroads could charge and then the second was the Sherman Anti- Trust Act. The populist movement is responsible for silver becoming the legal tender...
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...An environmental issue Course title Course instructor Name Date Introduction Bio means life while diversity means variation in the various aspects of things. Biodiversity entails the extent of variation of forms of life within a given planet or species. The number of plants’ species, microorganisms, the great diversity of species’ genes, animals, the various planets’ ecosystem such as deserts and coral reefs forms part of biodiversity on earth. However politics and power have greatly influenced the shaky balance. There has been a great biodiversity loss since the human race emerged. (Miller, D. A. 2008 p.23) Biodiversity has as well affected cultural diversities and thus should be keenly dealt with. This ranges from the various types of traditional foods used by the various societies. Biodiversity loss is rendering them extinct. Physical Elements of Biodiversity Loss In the physical reality much can be read on biodiversity loss. For example, the emergence of new breeds of animals and plants can be seen being developed in any other corner of the world. People are keenly trying out new breeds as a means of curbing food shortage. For example, the genetically modified food has been termed as a way of reducing food shortages. This has impacted negatively to human health. Population decline of species, a research done in UK in 2008 clearly revealed that the population of bats was...
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...December 2015 Should Factory Farming Be Acceptable in Our Society? Since the past fifty years, farming operations in the United States have developed from individualized production to mass production, which is known today as factory farming. Factory farming is a method of food and fiber production which exploits animals in a confined environment (Marcus). As the demand for meat continues to increase, the modern agricultural practice of factory farming also continues to increase to meet the food consumption of humans. Factory farms consist of a large number of animals confined in small spaces to minimize operation costs; this mass production has decreased the price of meat as the factories produce an excess amount of meat to satisfy the demand. However, although Americans are fulfilled with the abundant amount of cheap meat, the practice of factory farming causes serious consequences for animals, humans, and the environment. This unhealthy practice has led to problems such as pollution, inhuman animal treatment, and human illness. Therefore, for all these reasons, many people have stated that factory farming is morally and ethically wrong. Since factory farms wield tremendous power in our society, they have become a controversial topic, with many people questioning whether they are detrimental or beneficial to our society. While opponents believe that the costs of factory farming outweigh the benefits, supporters rather believe that factory farming is needed in our current society...
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...* Further west- very wet * Louisiana- very close to the equator, nothing to stop the storms -2 of the largest countries in the world include (Population)- 1. Canada- 1/10th of the US- 33 million * Lots of empty land in this area 2. The US- 300 million pop * Highly urbanized (D): Megalopolis- Applies to the US and Canada, very big *PROS OF North America 1. -Farming and Ranching and Agriculture * Used to be dominate * 1790: employed 90% of the work force * 1880: dropped down to 50%- because of industrialization * Today: less than 2% * In the US only 1% of population are farmers * Farm populations fell by 2/3 in the beginning of the 20th century * Farms are consolidating * 20% drop in the number of farms * Agriculture has become more meganized (more industrial) More money to keep it going, more land and more machines * Farms are still critical in the US and Canadian economy * 2000: US Alone, $216 billion dollars in farming alone * Land use, agriculture remains dominant * Varies by region * Dairy farming in the east * Live Stock in the West * Irrigated agriculture- used in the dryer parts of the region * Very efficient farms * Intensive * Crops they grow * Central- Growing corn for ethanol 2. -Affluence and abundance of wealth * Natural recourses * Lumbar * Animals * Metals * Fossil flues * Navigable...
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...Highlights from Journal Articles Below is a summary of research findings on six key benefit areas of garden-based learning for children, youth, adults, and families: 1. Nutrition Awareness 2. Environmental Awareness 3. Learning Achievements 4. Life Skills 5. Health and Wellness 6. Community Building and Social Connections Nutrition Awareness Gardening improves opportunities for children, youth, adults and families to gain interest and eat fruits and vegetables. Results from this study of middle school-aged students indicate that school gardening may affect children’s vegetable consumption, including improved recognition of, attitudes toward, preferences for, and willingness to taste vegetables. Gardening also increases the variety of vegetables eaten. (Ratcliffe, M.M., et al. (2011) The Effects of School Garden Experiences on Middle School-Aged Students’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Associated with Vegetable Consumption. Health Promotion Practice 12.1: 36-43.) The article reports that school gardens can positively impact children’s food choices by improving their preferences for vegetables and increasing their nutrition knowledge. (Graham, H. et al. (2005) Use of School Gardens in Academic Instruction. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 37: 3: 147-151.) A study in Tucson, AZ showed that children who participated in the garden learned to like healthy foods. The vegetables that the children grew had a high intrinsic value. (Cavaliere, D. (1987). How...
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...about the lesson the piano teaches. The piano teaches this family that their ancestry and history are important but that one should not dwell in the past or base the future on dreams of symbolic retribution. Berniece and Boy Willie are the great grandchildren of Berniece and Willie Boy Charles, slaves owned by Robert and Ophelia Sutter. “Chattel slavery contributed significantly to pre–Civil War economic growth in the United States. The invention of the cotton gin (1793) dramatically increased the demand for slaves by lowering the cost of cotton production and inducing landowners to expand production beyond coastal areas. Approximately one million African Americans were redeployed from the upper to the lower South via a well-organized urban-based internal slave trade (African Americans).” As slaves they were not entitled to own property because they...
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...Food Deserts-The Impact Food Deserts Have on Today’s Society Abstract Food Deserts is defined as large and isolated geographic areas in which mainstream grocery stores are absent or distant. The research has demonstrated the statistical link between Food Deserts and worse diet-related health outcomes, after controlling other key factors. The actual term ‘food deserts’ is quoted, by S. CUMMINS (British Medical Journal, 2002, Vol.325, p.436), as having been originally used by a resident of a public sector housing scheme in the west of Scotland in the early 1990s. There are several ways to look at food deserts. 1). low- Income Project 2). The independent. 3). The observer 4). The guardian. This research paper will elaborate on the ways foods deserts are defined and what affect it has on the health and well being of cultural families and communities. Table of Contents Page Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………………...2 Table of Contents ………………………………………………………………………………....3 Chapter One Context of the Problem ……………………………………………………………………......5-10 Statement of the Problem ……………………………………………………………………10-16 Research Questions ……………………………………………………………………………...16 Significance of the Study ……………………………………………………………………16-19 Objective of Study …………………………………………………………………………...19-20 Research Design and Methodology ……………………………………………………………..20 Materials ………………………………………………………………………………………...20 Organization of the Study………………………………………………………………………..21 Limitation of...
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...Benny Andrews was a painter, writer, printmaker, sculptor, book illustrator and teacher. His work, like his background, was complex and multi-faceted. A storyteller at heart and self-described “people’s painter,” Andrews focused on figurative social commentary depicting the struggles, atrocities, and everyday occurrences in the world, but he was not satisfied to use art as a substitute for action. Benny Andrews was born on November 13, 1930, in Plainview, Georgia, a small farming community three miles from Madison. Andrews was one of 10 children in a family of sharecroppers; raised while it was still segregated in the rural south, he grew up desperately poor. His mother, Viola, instilled in her ten children the importance of education, religion, and freedom of expression; his father, George, a self-taught artist, fueled their creativity with his drawings and illustrations. Although the entire family worked in the cotton fields as sharecroppers, Viola Andrews was adamant that her children attend school. Andrews's attendance was sporadic because he went only when he wasn't needed in the fields or when it rained. After several years at Plainview Elementary School, Andrews walked to Madison to attend Burney Street High School, and in 1948 he was the first member of his family to graduate. Andrews enrolled in and studied at Georgia’s Fort Valley State College with a two-year scholarship awarded by the 4-H Club. The only art course offered was a single class in art appreciation...
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...Cultural Identity Project: German-American Liberty University Online PACO 504 European ethnic groups began immigrating into America during the colonial period and immigration continues to this day. As each European culture assimilated to the English American culture immigrants intermarried and developed a so-called “melting pot” or “salad bowl” of culture, traditions, and values (Hays & Erford, 2014, p. 389). German people, as they made their way to a land of freedom and promise, experienced a constant change in their identity with regard to the cultures, values, beliefs, and traditions that some German Americans continue to practice today. As each culture or ethnic group becomes assimilated or acculturated many of their initial cultural qualities are lost and replaced with new ones. Hays & Erford (2014, p.386) assert that acculturation can be considered as bidirectional in that the individuals encountered from both or multiple ethnic groups may experience changes in their primary set of cultural variables based on their interactions with each other. Acculturation and assimilation have certainly occurred with the German American. Brief German History Germany was a fragmented society and full of conflict before 1871. It was made up of approximately three hundred and fifty principalities and one thousand small nation-states until Wilhelm I of Prussia was proclaimed Emperor. His reign led to the unification of the German Empire (Amato, 2006). Millions...
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