I’m none too surprised by the facts laid out in an article by Mother Jones, but I’m pleased just the same. A follow up to my “food security” blog post, below!
Plant Tomatoes. Harvest Lower Crime Rates.
A growing body of research shows that urban farms reduce violence.
I suppose the easy thing to do would be to rail against food deserts, the dearth of fresh produce and other healthy foods for those living in impoverished neighborhoods. Or to enter the debate over whether there are, in fact, food deserts. (A couple of recent studies have suggested that proximity to decent grocery stores isn’t the key problem of inner-city nutrition.)
And from a good friend who has worked in the urban ag movement in Philadelphia are two more stories: The first a University of Pennsylvania study on the correlation between urban crime reduction and garden production; and the second from University of Washington’s Green Cities: Good Health.
Astrid Cook - The Right Writer 