Urban Farming (dot org)

Where does gardening stop and farming begin?

Well, Google defines gardening as, "the activity of tending and cultivating a garden, esp. as a pastime." and farming as, "the activity or business of growing crops and raising livestock".  I think that technically, most people would define gardening as strictly plants and effectively less than an acre of land used for the purpose.

Does it really matter?  Probably not, except that, in most urban centres, raising animals for meat is prohibited, and many urban, community gardens are not a business and are in spaces less than an acre.

But the name is certainly catchy, and definitely points to something that is much bigger than a single garden, on a small plot of land in an urban centre.

Urban Farming is an organization that is certainly much bigger than a single garden, on a small plot of land in an urban centre.  As their trademarked bi-line suggests, "More than a gardening organization."

And yes, UrbanFarming.org is...  much more than that.

In fact, it is really a top example of how corporate a non-profit organization can be, from copyrights and trademarks all over their information copy, to corporate sponsors including Coca-Cola, Home Depot, among others.

So how does an organization like this get an article in the Embracing Open blog?  Well, regardless of who they might be in a garden bed with, their mission statement spells it out:  "The Urban Farming™ mission is to create an abundance of food for people in need by supporting and encouraging the establishment of gardens on unused land and space while increasing diversity, raising awareness for health and wellness, and inspiring and educating youth, adults and seniors to create an economically sustainable system to uplift communities around the globe."

In other words, they need money to spread the word, and to teach others to fish.  If that money comes from global and international corporations which want to be associated with some form of "feel good, green movements", then so be it.  It is not the purpose of this article to rationalize the sponsorship, rather to express the value. I would simply submit that there are other ways for an organization like UrbanFarming.org to get results, and leave it at that.

UrbanFarming.org has a substantial "Programs and Education" segment.  This includes things like money management and entrepreneurial programs, as well as setting up an urban farm organization within your region.

As part of this outreach, part of UrbanFarming.org's vision and work includes:  "The "Urban Farming 100 Million Families and Friends Global Campaign™" is a campaign to encourage 100 Million people to plant and register their gardens as a part of the "Urban Farming Global Food Chain®". This campaign empowers people who are unemployed, underemployed, laid off, malnourished, have unhealthy diets, suffer from hunger or food insecurity."

What is most important is, this is a good organization to at least get valuable information from.  If the organization itself can significantly reduce its restrictive nature, it could be a very valuable organization to be involved with.  If it is actually directed by its corporate sponsors, it is most likely the restrictions won't change.

If someone or some group were to provide the same value to their communities in an open source framework, they would be a significant resource, indeed.