In response to: “Urban Gardens Combat COVID-19 Virus” by ari3

Your post peaked my interest as the COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated how crucial food sovereignty is in the face of a crisis; even Amartya Sven, someone that has claimed food sovereignty to be a “a peculiarly obtuse way of thinking about food security”, admits that in time of crisis and instability self-sufficiency is valuable.

As we’ve discussed in class, urban gardening can be used as a source of empowerment and can ensure that disenfranchised groups have access to healthy food. It is important to note that the same health issues exacerbated by living in a food desert, such as obesity and heart disease, have also led to a disproportionate amount of COVID-related deaths amongst African Americans. As the fight for a more equitable and just food system continues, the value of, and need for, urban gardens and farms has never been more evident.

With that being said, your post does bring up the important point that although the need for urban gardens is unmistakable, current public health precautions make maintaining urban gardens increasingly difficult. As a result, I have decided to highlight instances where urban gardens have demonstrated resilience in the face of the pandemic.

I would be remiss not to address my own experience with the local community garden in my neighborhood. Eager to continue operations, the volunteer coordinators quickly adapted to the developing situation, requiring all volunteers to bring a mask, their own gloves, and hand-sanitizer, while also limiting work parties to 5 people and enforcing social distancing guidelines. Food that is harvested is currently being donated to a local food pantry and is available to any volunteers in need. Other urban gardens like, Sprout Nola in Louisiana, have identified another solution by delivering seedlings started by seasoned gardeners to members of the community. Our own UW Farm, a typically student-powered operation, has continued to function on our student-less campus, thanks to the dedication of full-time manager Perry Aceworth and AmeriCorps volunteer Adam Houston.

What a work day looks like in the era of coronavirus at the Sustain DuPage garden. Photo by: Anya Gavrylko

Although current conditions are less than ideal for urban gardens and farms, these food systems have been a symbol of social-ecological resilience in the face of a crisis, and will hopefully strengthen our food system for years to come.

Sources

Amartya Sven quote: https://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/211/44284.html