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Rooted in Balance: Integrating Urban and Traditional Agriculture

What is urban agriculture? Urban agriculture has become increasingly more prevalent in the world today. Especially in Maricopa County where we have seen rapid population growth within the past couple of decades. Urban Agriculture as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture "includes the cultivation, processing, and distribution of agricultural products (food or non-food) in urban and suburban areas." A not so fun fact is every hour 175 acres of farmland is lost to development (AZ Impact). Although urban agriculture is not as large as most traditional agricultural farms, it is still necessary in making space for farmland in urban areas.


History:

Urban agriculture is not a new concept. Civilizations have been doing this for centuries dating back to 3500 B.C. Mesopotamian farmers would set plots of land aside in growing cities for agricultural use (Risepoint, 2025). About 1500 years later Persian cities had aqueducts that would carry water from the mountains into towns that desperately needed it and used waste from the cities as compost (Risepoint, 2025). Thus, allowing their agricultural needs to be met in a desert, urban environment.


As history progressed, the idea of urban agriculture was not lost on society. From the late 1800s to the early 1900s the urban poor needed help being self-sustainable within Europe. Allotment gardens were born to help solve this problem. During the world war, victory gardens were said to of rivaled commercial farming in production. The slogan used to support these urban gardens was "Dig on for victory" (Risepoint, 2025). They were essential during a time of economic hardship, when food shortages and scarcity were affecting everyday life. The need for urban agriculture has always been there, it may have changed shapes as history progressed, but it's necessity for society has never left.


An Idea of Urban Farming Thousands of Years Ago
An Idea of Urban Farming Thousands of Years Ago
Rooftop Urban Farming Now
Rooftop Urban Farming Now

Benefits:

21st century urban agriculture looks a bit different compared to the Mesopotamian times, but the advantages are every bit significant. It encompasses many aspects of the community and improves every one of them. Small urban farms and gardens take advantage of unused space such as rooftops, empty lots, abandoned structures, etcetera (EPA, 2025). These spaces help the community come together through the growing of food. It encourages working together, healthy eating habits, and teaches valuable skills (EPA, 2025). Urban agriculture reduces carbon emissions as the food is utilized directly in the city it is grown; less transportation has to be used (USDA). Vegetation reduces the heat from heat islands (USDA). Large cities with buildings packed densely and concrete everywhere can cause the city to become hotter. Through shade and transpiration of greenery it helps make the city cooler. Thus, urban agriculture is the cornerstone of educating consumers, developing nutritious dietary plans, sustainability within modern society, and enhancing metropolises.


Barriers:

For centuries the practice of agriculture within cities has been a massive aid in creating successful societies. Unfortunately, the cost to enter into this field is a significant barrier (USDA). Land within the city is expensive and many times the monetary benefits of developing outweigh the monetary benefits of creating an urban farm. As farmers know, soil quality is a substantial part of creating a high-quality food product. The area in which can be used for urban agriculture may not have quality soil, soil may be contaminated, and there may be urban air pollution as well limiting the efficiency of crop production (USDA).


With the high startup cost it is hard to justify the operation as the revenue generated is not always strong enough. University of Florida did a study on this finding "commercial urban farms may experience difficulty generating enough profit revenue to provide a significant number of livable-wage jobs" (Papanek, 2025). Grants and other fundraising may be some operations only source of income and it makes finding these monetary incentives extremely difficult. With low funding, significant expenses to start, and business models based on a social mission, not revenue, it can be quite challenging to break into the urban agriculture sector.


USDA Support:

The USDA has many opportunities to assist those in urban farming. In terms of funding many grants are written to help strengthen these operations. The grants are used to "increase food production, provide training and education, support infrastructure needs, encourage climate resilient practices, and more" (USDA). Assisting these farmers does not end with financing, if anything that is only the tip of the iceberg. Cooperative agreements are used to create compost and reduce food waste (USDA). Federal advisory committees guide policies, reach, and educate urban agriculture farmers (USDA). The People's Garden are gardens from around the country used to "empower communities to join, grow and teach about gardening in a sustainable way and the benefits of resilient, local food systems" (USDA). Many partnerships are formed through agencies and stakeholders to connect urban agricultural producers. These descriptions are only the surface of all the assistance the USDA gives to those wanting to get started, are in the first stages, or have been a part of urban agriculture for many years.


Urban Agriculture in Maricopa County:

In Maricopa County urban agriculture can be found in many areas. Rooftops, backyard plots, vertical farms and more can all be found within this county (USDA). Even with diverse urban agriculture, Agritopia is the place most people's minds go to when thinking about urban farming in Maricopa County. It was designed "with two goals in mind: preserving urban agriculture and serving as a community gathering place" (Agritopia, 2025). It is only 11 acres, but it feeds many farm-to-fork restaurants, U-pick events, and night farmers markets (Agritopia, 2025). As a result, feeding thousands, connecting the community, creating sustainable habits and so much more. Maricopa County is a leader in urban farming practices and is something to take pride in.


Urban and Rural Connections

Urban agriculture is a fantastic way to utilize all land within cities and bring fresh foods to the community. Although, urban agriculture by itself is not enough to feed large populations. Especially in Maricopa County where the population size is 4,673,096 as of 2024 (Data Commons, 2024). With that being said traditional large-scale farms are still essential for our food supply. The USDA found that urban agriculture "contributes 15 to 20 percent of the global food supply". Traditional agriculture supplied the other 85 percent and will continue to need to do so. Our food supply cannot last without traditional agriculture. At the same time, urban agriculture provides benefits that traditional agriculture cannot and vice versa. Both are needed to create a resilient, diverse and sustainable food supply chain. To secure our future food supply, we must invest in both and encourage collaboration between farms and cities alike.


Works Cited:

Agritopia. Discover Gilbert. (2025, June 12). https://www.discovergilbert.com/explore/agritopia/


AZ Impact. AZUrbanAg. (n.d.). https://azurbanag.org/impact


Environmental Protection Agency. (2025, March 26). Urban Agriculture. EPA. https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/urban-agriculture


Maricopa County - Data commons. Home - Data Commons. (n.d.). https://datacommons.org/place/geoId/04013?utm_medium=explore&mprop=count&popt=Person&hl=en


Papanek, A., Campbell, C. G., & Eason, H. (2025, April 10). FCS3378/FY1517: Social and community benefits and limitations of urban agriculture. Ask IFAS - Powered by EDIS. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FY1517


Risepoint. (2025, August 4). The history of urban agriculture and urban farming policies. AU Online. https://online.aurora.edu/history-of-urban-agriculture/#:~:text=Origins%20of%20Urban%20Agriculture,is%20from%20the%20Aztec%20civilization.




USDA. (n.d.). Urban Agriculture. Urban Agriculture | USDA Climate Hubs. https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/international/topic/urban-agriculture



 
 
 

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