Term
Summer 2022
Capstone
Thesis
Degree Name
MAED: NSEE
Primary Advisor/Dissertation Chair
Trish Harvey
Secondary Advisor/Reader One
Ryan Hennessey
Abstract
In an increasingly urban society, urban agriculture creates opportunities to address inequalities in access to healthy foods and bridge gaps in our food systems. While solving the problems of food and environmental injustice demands large-scale changes at a systemic level, urban agriculture can promote community engagement, education, and sovereignty, empowering city residents to gain control over their resources and access to nutritious foods. This research seeks to explain how two very different urban agricultural projects are impacting their communities through access, engagement, and education. Intersections Food Forest is a neighborhood project that utilizes an empty city lot to cultivate perennial produce plants that are available for anyone to harvest. Lowertown Farm is a larger urban farm that serves its surrounding community through workshare, farm stands and educational outreach, as well as supporting small producers by helping them bring their products to market. Through the use of observation, participation, interviews, and archival documents, two case studies have been created to offer a side-by-side comparison of the driving forces, operations, and community impacts of both projects. London et al.’s (2020) model of the driving forces behind urban agriculture projects is used as a scaffolding for this research. London et al. (2020) proposed that such projects are driven by the goals of market development, community health, or social justice. This research suggests that a fourth driver may be emerging as community leaders seek to use urban agriculture to support community engagement and education.
Research Methodology
Case Study
Keywords
Community Building, Environmental Studies, Social Justice, Urban Agriculture
Recommended Citation
Giese, Jessica, "Food Justice and Urban Agriculture: Using City Spaces to Foster Equity" (2022). School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations. 4553.
https://digitalcommons.hamline.edu/hse_all/4553
dc_type
text
dc_publisher
DigitalCommons@Hamline
dc_format
application/pdf
dc_source
School of Education Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations