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Rachel Surls Farming in the city: challenges and opportunities in the urban agriculture movement

About Rachel Surls

Rachel Surls is the Sustainable Food Systems Advisor for University of California Cooperative Extension in Los Angeles County, part of UC’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR). From school gardens, to urban agriculture, over her 30 year career with UC Cooperative Extension, Rachel has been involved in a wide array of projects related to urban food systems. She directs the UC Master Gardener Volunteer program in Los Angeles, which helps residents learn to grow their own food and garden sustainably. She coordinates the UC ANR Urban Agriculture team, which develops resources and provides training for urban farmers around California. Rachel is a member of the leadership board of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council. A former Peace Corps Volunteer, her service in Honduras strongly influenced her decision to pursue a career related to food, farming, and sustainability. Rachel co-authored a book on the largely forgotten agricultural history of Los Angeles, “From Cows to Concrete: The Rise and Fall of Farming in Los Angeles,” published by Angel City Press.

Urban communities around the world are engaged in a wide variety of urban agriculture activities—from aquaponics to vertical farming to converting vacant lots into thriving gardens. While urban farming has many goals, it is often a means of addressing food insecurity and hunger. In this session we’ll look more closely at urban farming in the U.S., especially California. What does urban farming look like? Who are the farmers and what are their goals? And what role does urban agriculture play in promoting local food security and fighting hunger? We’ll explore this and more as we look at how cities are changing policies to facilitate farming, and upending traditional expectations about the role of agriculture in urban areas.

In her lecture, she discusses the benefits, challenges, and resources within urban agriculture in California today. University of California Cooperative Extension has offered assistance to farm workers around the United States for more than 100 years teaching sustainable and efficient farming methods. Although policy initiatives have contributed to the delay in agricultural regulation in California, UCCE has provided science based assistance with decision making within community agricultural movements on large and small acre agricultural farms. Urban Agriculture, according to UCCE, “includes production (beyond that which is strictly for home consumption of educational purposes), distribution and marketing of food and other products within the cores and metropolitan areas and their edges”. Assessment towards large and small farms in California contributes to the social, economic, and health impact that result from the involvement in urban farms.

Assessment towards large and small farms in California contributes to the social, economic, and health impact that result from the involvement in urban farms. What impact does urban farming have on communities? People accessing land in their community, getting to know people in ways unthought of, enjoying outdoor activities, and reducing food security and malnutrition in food deserts is the goal. In addition, UCCE offers training sessions for young adults, fights food justice and food access that increases low-cost produce in low-income communities. However, urban farmers face the challenge of distribution, scale, and volume compared to larger agricultural farmers in the area. Urban farming may not be an agreeable subject within all members of the community. Lack of buy-in, noise, smells, and parking can contribute to zoning, laws, and regulations created and enforced by those anti-urban farming individuals. Regulations, including what is allowed to grow and what isn’t also contributes to the legality of selling produce, lack of resources, and land access. Regardless of the many challenges that urban farming faces today, Surls and UCCE have aided low-cost access within low-income communities through California. How can you get involved within your community to address food security and malnutrition?

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