Community Essay: SPIN-Farming: advancing urban agriculture from pipe dream to populist movement
I began advocating for urban agriculture in Philadelphia in 1998. What appealed to me is what draws many people to the cause: its social and environmental benefits are obvious and easy to understand. But it quickly became apparent that, compelling though they are, these benefits were not enough to m...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2007-08-01
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| Series: | Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ejournal.nbii.org/archives/vol3iss2/communityessay.christensen.html |
| _version_ | 1818144560984883200 |
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| author | Roxanne Christensen |
| author_facet | Roxanne Christensen |
| author_sort | Roxanne Christensen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | I began advocating for urban agriculture in Philadelphia in 1998. What appealed to me is what draws many people to the cause: its social and environmental benefits are obvious and easy to understand. But it quickly became apparent that, compelling though they are, these benefits were not enough to motivate policy makers in a position to help urban agriculture succeed on any kind of scale. Instead, the economic benefits that many proponents had long acknowledged in theory, but few were able to demonstrate, had to be proven. SPIN-Farming is a very powerful tool for validating the economic viability of urban agriculture. However, while I had initially focused on solving some urban problems, it became clear that SPIN could also help to revive the farming profession, and this is where my professional background came into play. My working life has been spent helping entrepreneurs position, package, and promote their ideas and build them into successful businesses. In helping to develop SPIN, I applied that experience to farming. The big opportunities I see for SPIN-Farming are that it provides a farming concept that can be learned and practiced across all economic classes and geographical boundaries, and that it will foster engaged, rather than escapist, agriculture, whereby farmers return to cities and towns and rebuild local food systems that are human in scale and joyful in spirit. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T11:49:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-478369767f704cd989224f47187aacfa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1548-7733 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T11:49:31Z |
| publishDate | 2007-08-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy |
| spelling | doaj.art-478369767f704cd989224f47187aacfa2022-12-22T01:08:23ZengTaylor & Francis GroupSustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy1548-77332007-08-01325760Community Essay: SPIN-Farming: advancing urban agriculture from pipe dream to populist movementRoxanne ChristensenI began advocating for urban agriculture in Philadelphia in 1998. What appealed to me is what draws many people to the cause: its social and environmental benefits are obvious and easy to understand. But it quickly became apparent that, compelling though they are, these benefits were not enough to motivate policy makers in a position to help urban agriculture succeed on any kind of scale. Instead, the economic benefits that many proponents had long acknowledged in theory, but few were able to demonstrate, had to be proven. SPIN-Farming is a very powerful tool for validating the economic viability of urban agriculture. However, while I had initially focused on solving some urban problems, it became clear that SPIN could also help to revive the farming profession, and this is where my professional background came into play. My working life has been spent helping entrepreneurs position, package, and promote their ideas and build them into successful businesses. In helping to develop SPIN, I applied that experience to farming. The big opportunities I see for SPIN-Farming are that it provides a farming concept that can be learned and practiced across all economic classes and geographical boundaries, and that it will foster engaged, rather than escapist, agriculture, whereby farmers return to cities and towns and rebuild local food systems that are human in scale and joyful in spirit.http://ejournal.nbii.org/archives/vol3iss2/communityessay.christensen.htmlsustainable agriculturesmall farmsfood qualityagribusinessurban populationspricingquality of lifefood productioneconomicsagricultural practicesurban agriculturesustainability |
| spellingShingle | Roxanne Christensen Community Essay: SPIN-Farming: advancing urban agriculture from pipe dream to populist movement Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy sustainable agriculture small farms food quality agribusiness urban populations pricing quality of life food production economics agricultural practices urban agriculture sustainability |
| title | Community Essay: SPIN-Farming: advancing urban agriculture from pipe dream to populist movement |
| title_full | Community Essay: SPIN-Farming: advancing urban agriculture from pipe dream to populist movement |
| title_fullStr | Community Essay: SPIN-Farming: advancing urban agriculture from pipe dream to populist movement |
| title_full_unstemmed | Community Essay: SPIN-Farming: advancing urban agriculture from pipe dream to populist movement |
| title_short | Community Essay: SPIN-Farming: advancing urban agriculture from pipe dream to populist movement |
| title_sort | community essay spin farming advancing urban agriculture from pipe dream to populist movement |
| topic | sustainable agriculture small farms food quality agribusiness urban populations pricing quality of life food production economics agricultural practices urban agriculture sustainability |
| url | http://ejournal.nbii.org/archives/vol3iss2/communityessay.christensen.html |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT roxannechristensen communityessayspinfarmingadvancingurbanagriculturefrompipedreamtopopulistmovement |