The Urban Farm

Today on Aldersgate OnAir, we are thrilled to explore the world of urban farming—“the growing of plants and raising of animals in and around cities,” as defined by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization. Urban agriculture is reshaping local food systems across the country. Farmers and gardeners in and around cities areas are creating new economic, social and environmental opportunities.

As farmland is swallowed up by urban development, we must source farm products from farther and farther away, increasing our carbon footprint while decreasing the freshness of the food we consume. Happily, a trend is emerging to save threatened farmland in the midst of urban areas—including Charlotte.

In this episode, we dig into how an urban farm in our own backyard is becoming an important part of the fabric of Charlotte. Our guests today are Zack Wyatt, director of the Carolina Farm Trust; Larken Egleston, who is serving his second term as a member of the Charlotte City Council; and Brooks Shelley, director of Marketing and Engagement here at Aldersgate.