By Alan Palm, Lead Educator – New England

Will Allen might just be the most famous urban farmer in America. He’s founder of Growing Power a non-profit dedicated to creating a just and sustainable food system one community at a time.

Between parking lots, sidewalks, railroad tracks and old factories of Milwaukee–a bone yard of a collapsing industrial economy– now live some “some 20,000 plants and vegetables, thousands of fish, and a livestock inventory of chickens, goats, ducks, rabbits, and bees.” in a space no larger than a supermarket!!

No fossil fuels are used to power tractors or make pesticides and fertilizers, or to ship the food across the country. More farms like this could make a huge dent in our greenhouse gas emissions while lifting up urban communities with jobs and healthy food.

What do you think — Is this possible for every city in the US? What’s standing in the way?

P.S. – Will Allen is giving a Keynote address and leading a workshop at Bioneers by the Bay in New Bedford MA (Oct. 22-25). If you’re in the area come on out!