Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Growing Power, a local urban agriculture organization, recently announced the launch of Farmers for Chicago, a new program that will make available up to five acres of city-owned vacant lots for urban farming activity, and help expand the supply chain for local neighborhood-level food production and wholesale. The city lots will be prepared for local nonprofits that will be able to install food growing equipment. “Once made available, these vacant lots will help stabilize communities by bringing productive activity to areas that need it around food deserts,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Farmers for Chicago will give local residents a chance to not only learn how to grow food in their communities, but also build their own food enterprise.”
To learn more: www.sustainablecitynetwork.com/topic_channels/local_foods/article_af8b138e-980b-11e2-a0c4-0019bb30f31a.html