Members of the House of Delegates voted this week to create an urban agriculture advisory council. But would the initiative make a difference for city growers?
On the Randolph training farm at Virginia State University, Leonard Githinji is preparing to lead the fourth cohort of the sustainable urban agriculture certificate program.
Lately, Githinji’s also been following bills that would create an urban agriculture advisory council. He says the initiative would develop a network where stakeholders can build stronger local food systems by sharing resources and information. "We’re going to know each other," Githinjii notes. "We’re going to work more closely. We’re going to have more impact in the community."
The group would consist of more than 20 members, but if the right people aren’t on board?
There’s a danger that with state agency intervention that actual, on-the-ground grassroots practitioners will get overlooked in terms of their participation," says Duron Chavis. He developed the Ginter urban gardener training program in Richmond.
Supporters of urban agriculture tend to emphasize the value of locally grown food, he says, but the conversation is incomplete without a focus on equity and community ownership.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
