I noticed while traveling by train in England, Germany and Italy that every household, whether small cottage, row house or apartment, had something green growing in a small patch by the back door or in containers on a balcony or windowsill. I also observed what appeared to be community gardens in several urban areas, plots of land that provided individuals space to grow a few veggies alongside their neighbors. Clearly, Europeans — even those in densely populated areas where open space is at a premium — value locally grown produce. This concept can be found in the U.S., too. Here in the Northwest, I am aware of community garden plots in cities such as Portland, Seattle and Eugene where there are waiting lists for folks eager to have the chance to flex their green thumbs and perhaps lower their grocery bills a bit. My trip to Chicago a few weeks ago showed me that there’s a program there that for several years has been thriving as an example of the many benefits so-called urban agriculture provides. One evening we dined at Ristorante Dinotto in Old Town, and a message on the menu indicated that they proudly got their produce from City Farm. Being a gardener and one who appreciates the flavor and value of locally produced food, I was curious about City Farm and did a little research when I got home. Turns out City Farm is a project of Chicago’s Resource Center (a non-profit which promotes recycling and re-use) which for several years has operated on formerly vacant land near the Cabrini-Green projects and not far from the Gold Coast neighborhood. Ugly, bare lots have been converted to productive green space which provides jobs, training in sustainable agriculture, volunteer opportunities, community pride and nutritious food. Some of the large variety of tomatoes and other produce is sold at an on-site farmstand, but most goes to Chicago restaurants, whose chefs are delighted to have this source nearby. In turn, food scraps and other compostable materials from those restaurants go back to the farm to enrich next year’s crop. Andy Rozendaal, the program director for City Farm, notes that there are tens of thousands of acres of vacant city lots in Chicago, especially in economically underdeveloped neighborhoods which could benefit from an urban farm. He says, “The taste and quality can be the reason people buy, but the difference we are making in the community is the reason communities need to embrace urban agriculture.” Hard to argue with that! — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor