By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

City and town leaders, legislators, urban farmers and others from across Massachusetts came together last Friday at the State House for a symposium on urban agriculture. The story of urban agriculture in Somerville may seem like a new trend, but it’s an idea with a deep history. Growing up in my neighborhood for example, we had families from Ireland, Greece, Portugal, Italy and other countries, who grew foods in their yards, shared it with their neighbors and supplemented their tables with what they had grown. I remember my mother having buckets out back in which she grew tomatoes. Today, Somerville still has backyard gardeners who hail from across the globe, but we also have new enthusiasts: foodies and locavores who prize local food that is healthier, fresher and more flavorful. As they bring new life and focus to the urban agriculture movement, they are actually returning our city to its roots—urban gardening and farming is part of our DNA. At the same time, with the educational, health, environmental and economic benefits that it brings, investing in urban agriculture is an investment in our future, too.

We are integrating urban agriculture into our planning and putting resources into it because we know the future that we face, as a city in a major metropolitan region. It’s estimated that three-quarters of the world’s population will be living in city regions by 2050, and the cities that will be successful are the cities that plan for that future. It’s cities that are coming up with the innovative solutions that face people today. Urban agriculture is a part of that, from addressing food security and access, to public health, to climate change.

Somerville has been fortunate that the state also sees the value in urban agriculture, and how it helps us address broader issues and local needs. Last year, the state launched one of the nation’s first state-funded urban agriculture initiatives through the Department of Agriculture Resources. Through that program, Somerville received an almost $37,000 grant that supported completion of the second portion of South Street Farm, turning a former lot into the community’s first urban farm that is maintained by Groundwork Somerville and their Green Team. That grant also supported the creation of our Innovation Farm, a new hydroponics growing center at the Edgerly School, in cooperation with STEM Garden Institute and Next Wave Junior High School.

These two locations, along with our Mobile Farmers Market that brings fresh foods to food deserts and low-income residents, create a food production and distribution triangle. It’s a “learn, grow, sell” model for Somerville students. They learn about science through hydroponic growing at the Innovation Farm, grow fruits and vegetables with the help of the Groundwork Somerville Green Team at South Street Farm, and then sell the produce at the Mobile Farmers Market. And a second state grant has allowed us to grow our distribution network even more with a van and bicycles, expanding the reach of both our locally grown produce and food from regional farms.

This is an important pillar of our Shape Up Somerville initiative that is, at its core, about changing our environment to make the healthy choice the easy choice. If we want people to make the choice of fresh, healthy foods, we need to embrace the movement to reconnect residents with their food source. A tomato plant on the back porch or a few cucumbers and carrots in a small backyard garden goes a long way. It changes the environment people are living in. It puts the healthy option right at home. Producing our own food both makes healthy options more readily available to our residents, and it helps our students learn about healthy foods, passing that knowledge along to their families and others.

Shape Up Somerville and efforts like it elsewhere put cities on the forefront of the battle against childhood obesity. Cities are also leading the charge against climate change, and urban agriculture plays a role in that fight. Urban agriculture reduces urban energy use and cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions, while making us more resilient by enhancing access to food and reducing the impact of heavy rainfall. It’s also good for the economy and our local businesses. We have a thriving food-based business community in Somerville, including growers and makers, distributors and restaurants. The local food movement is a huge part of that as we rediscover the value of fresh, wholesome and locally produced food.

Urban agriculture is more than a burgeoning foodie movement. It’s an investment in our future, in a way that builds community, fosters innovation, and returns us to our roots. With the continued support of our local advocates, our partners at the state level and beyond, we can all benefit from the continued growth of urban farming.