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Amidst the towers of Steel, concrete and glass, there remains

griculture, to the typical

Vancouverite, is out of sight

and out of mind. Farmers
man their hefty crops a hundred miles
down the old dusty road. Urbanites
plunk themselves into their leather
office chairs downtown and man
some hefty paperwork. When they’re
off, they pick up a few groceries—the
ones those old-time farmers lugged
into the city on horseback and wagon.
The city and the farmland are entirely
separate entities, obviously. “Urban
agriculture” is a paradox, obviously.
This article is ridiculous and a
complete joke. Obviously.

Think again. From rooftop
gardens to community plots to
Vancouver’s own city hall replacing
grass with a vegetable patch, urban
agriculture is born. Reborn, actually.
Anyone enlightened by a history
lesson on agriculture will know that,
less than two centuries ago—and
still today, in some countries—it
was perfectly normal to grow food
in cities and in one’s own backyard.
The trend passed, but now it’s back,
and not because its fashionable, but
because it’s necessary. And this time,
it needs to stay.

Today’s urban agriculture,

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fairly associated with the “eat local”
movement, places emphasis on
urban cities to make the most out of
every square inch of land. Former
city councillor Peter Ladner said in
a recent interview with BCBusiness
that “the first issue people have to be
aware of is the fragility of our food
supply.” Ladner, who is working
on a project called Planning Cities
as if Food Mattered, is aware that it
can be difficult to convince people
there is a threat to our food supply.
When we go to a grocery market, the
shelves are always well stocked. “It’s
like convincing people that climate
change is a problem. You just have to
say, ‘here’s where all the trends are
pointing.’ And there’s no question
there’s going to be a big change.”
Janine de la Selle, the director
of food systems planning at the
Vancouver office of HB Lanarc, who
was interviewed by BCBusiness
alongside Ladner, agrees with him.
She finds it astonishing that there is
even a question as to the importance
of urban agriculture. “Urban
agriculture is a huge opportunity
to not only grow food but to create
places where people come together,”
she says, adding to Ladner’s reason

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for implementing an effective
agriculture system in Vancouver.
“And it’s an important part of
educating people.”

While it may not be realistic to
expect to produce any significant
amount of food within city limits—
due to factors such as short growing
seasons— optimistic estimates suggest
up to half of our food could be grown
within city limits. This number could
vary tremendously, based on factors
like soil, solar exposure, and the skills
of the farmer, but regardless, Ladner
believes “we could be way more
productive than we are now.”

But what of the unsightliness?
Few people find messy vegetable
gardens aesthetically appealing,
especially when the space could
alternatively be used for lush grass
and vibrant trees. Unfortunately,
there is no absolute remedy; there
is a cultural barrier with community
gardens, and it’s going to require
a cultural shift toward acceptance.
People will need to accept that
growing food is a messy job, but is
also a beneficial necessity.

Once people accept the idea of
urban agricultural, they can apply
the concept to their own backyards.

“
nvironmental sustainability. But can we

 

eS the solution stick?

From full-scale vegetable gardens
in larger yards, to tomato vines on
condominium patios, residents of
any locale are encouraged to try
their hand at supporting agriculture.
In fact, it may even be profitable—
returning to the simple farming days,
one could sell their home-grown
fruits to their neighbours. Now that’s
eating local. It doesn’t take much, de
la Selle says: “It’s about valuing good
food; it’s about valuing local food.”

Ladner admits, “there is always
going to be a place for imported
food.” That’s undeniable, but the goal
is not to eliminate our dependence on
imported food; rather, it is simply to
limit it. And this shining example of
local sustainability can be done in our
very backyards. Sustainability is no
more a fad or a trend than the tangible
existence of a liveable earth—it
doesn’t matter if the climate is
changing or not, if the earth is heating
up or cooling down. Our way of
living is self-destructive, and the eco
shift is working to reverse the damage
we’ve dealt.

With any luck, a few years down
the road, agriculture will mean a lot
more to the typical Vancouverite.