Urban farming: It’s a growth business

The Offshoots Farm is a multi-site urban and suburban agricultural enterprise that grows healthy food throughout our community inside the Capital Beltway in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

The Business of Sustainability

By Cheryl Kollin
Marc Gunther blog
Sept. 2, 2010

Excerpt:

Urban farming may sound like an oxymoron, but judging from the 375-person sell-out crowd at the first Urban Farm Summit in Washington, D.C., the idea is catching on like organics at Walmart.

The recent one-day event called, Sowing Seeds Here and Now, was organized by Engaged Community Offshoots (ECO), a fledgling non-profit urban farm based just outside D.C. in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The summit agenda spotlighted the reasons why urban farms are sprouting up all over: They increase food security by growing food locally. They give under-served urban neighborhoods access to fresh foods. They strengthen local economies by keeping dollars circulating within the community. They engage consumers, who learn how food is grown. They reduce ‘food miles’ and fossil fuel use. And they create jobs.

Urban farms are growing more than food. They are growing community.

As a social enterprise consultant, I’m fascinated to watch new business models emerge. Nascent urban farmers are not only literally breaking new ground, but they are finding they enjoy competitive advantages over their rural counterparts. Buyers will pay a premium for custom-grown vegetables that can be picked and delivered the same day.

Read the complete article here.

See Engaged Community Offshoots (ECO) website here.