City Farms Teach Kids

CityFarm Teaches Kids How to Grow

Some of the youths who worked at Philadelphia's Sea Change community-supported agriculture farm for minimum wage during the summer liked it so much they came back part time during the school year. USDA Photo

An urban farm in Philadelphia, Pa., funded by SARE provides area residents with fresh organic produce and opportunities to learn about farming and running small businesses. Sea Change, a nonprofit organization, runs a community-supported agriculture (CSA) farm that supplies 33 member families with fresh produce grown at two city sites and a chance to work the land in their own neighborhood. To help support the operation, Sea Change sells fruit and vegetables to city restaurants that place a premium on locally grown organic food. Last year, Sea Change earned more than $2,000 in restaurant sales. A sideline project growing trees in containers also proved profitable; the group sold more than 75 trees to community groups. Educational initiatives featured a summer youth program that trained 85 children about the basics of urban farming and ongoing, part-time work for youths and recovering substance abusers. While Sea Change and other urban farms remain dependent on local land-use decisions, their number continues to grow as cities see their benefits to both low-income residents and high-end restaurant patrons. [For more information about this Northeast Region project, go to www.sare.org/projects/ and search for LNE96-077.]

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