The Connection between Rural and Urban Agriculture
The following post is written by Sara Worden, a greenhouse apprentice at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture. In addition to her internship at Stone Barns, Sara creates thought-provoking art. She explores the intersection between natural and anthropocentric ecology through salvaged materials and live plants. You can view some of her work on her blog.
In this post, Sara offers a unique perspective on the connection between agriculture and urban environments. The first two accompanying images are courtesy of Sara. Check back in the future for more of her insights!
Exploring the Rural-Urban Interface of the Hudson Valley
By Sara Worden
The tidal flow of the Hudson River brings daily exchanges of salty ocean water to fresh waters as far north as Troy. The Hudson River, bordered on both sides by highway and rail lines becomes a channel for workers, cultural ideas and food. Growing up approximately half way between the Hudson’s source in the Adirondacks and its output into the ocean, I feel the gravitational pull of both city delights and the earth’s natural cycles. For the past ten years, working in urban agriculture and as an artist has allowed me to merge these two different worlds.
Currently, as an apprentice at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, my concept of urban agriculture has expanded to encompass the idea of the rural- urban interface and the extraordinary places where bucolic and metropolitan lifestyles intersect. The many marvelous farmers markets in NYC are places of such junction. Every day, farmers harvest and pack up their produce, bringing a little bit of rural life into town where urban dwellers can meet the growers of their food and taste the nutritious yields of the soil. Many organizations work hard to improve this farm to market connection, including Just Food, which coordinates CSA shares. Urban farm projects, like Rooftop Farm, fill a niche by inviting the public to engage with the process of ecological farming without leaving the city.
All of the above work to bring the rural into the city. Stone Barns serves as an education center and working farm that draws people out of the city to experience the workings of a small farm. This spring, four Manhattan high school seniors have been commuting every day to volunteer in the greenhouse. They are learning first hand the challenges and rewards of physical work while at the same time catching a glimpse of what a restored agricultural landscape will look like.
Visitors not looking to get their hands dirty, can wander through the fields, see examples of four-season growing in the greenhouse, and witness ethical animal husbandry. Farm-to-table programs enrich the experience, as does having a farm fresh meal at Blue Hill Café or restaurant. A perfect day trip on the Metro North Hudson Line, Stone Barns is easily accessible by public transportation or car. Summer markets on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons ensure that you can bring back a little bit of country to your city home and partake in the expanding rural-urban interface of the Hudson Valley.
Sara Worden, as photographed by Sarah Beth Glicksteen
