The Urban Garden: How One Community Turned Idle Land into a Garden City and How You Can, Too

by Jeremy N. Smith, Bill McKibben (Foreword), Chad Harder (Photographer)

Fifteen people—plus a class of first graders—tell how local food, farms, and gardens changed their lives and their community . . . and how they can change yours, too.
Urban Farming Handbook
• Fifteen first-person stories of personal and civic transformation from a range of individuals, including farmers and community garden members, a low-income senior and a troubled teen, a foodie, a food bank officer, and many more
• Seven in-depth “How It Works” sections on student farms, community gardens, community-supported agriculture (CSA), community education, farm work therapy, community outreach, and more
• Detailed information on dozens of additional resources from relevant books and websites to government programs and national nonprofit organizations
• Seventy full-color photographs showing a diverse local food community at home, work, and play

Read Urban Farming Handbook to learn how people like you, with busy lives like yours, can and do enjoy the many benefits of local food without having to become full-time organic farmers. Gain the information you need to organize or get involved in your own “growing community” anywhere across the country and around the world.

Genres: Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 2014

Reviews

[Lisa Feld · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can at least say that this is a very pretty coffee table book with plenty of nice photographs and first-hand accounts by people who feel moved or transformed by their gardening experience or the food it yields for seniors and those living close to the poverty line.

However, the title and subtitle led me to believe that “urban” meant the garden itself was in a city, dealing with challenges like minimal space and topsoil, not on vast stretches of land in Montana. And the “how it works” sections meant to guide others in starting an urban garden, CSA, or other initiative are just quick bullet-pointed lists in between long chapters about people’s misspent youths, with little helpful info.

This is a great long-form brochure for this particular Montana program, ideal for fundraising events. But if you actually want guidance in starting such a program, look elsewhere.

[Chelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book talks a lot about how all the people that work at the farms got into it and what they like about it. This book will not teach you how to actually do urban gardening. It got tedious. If you want to learn about gardening or urban farming, this is the wrong book for you.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a great primer for anyone wanting to start a community garden. Great stories and wonderful photography.