Urban Agriculture

I had the opportunity to attend the January gathering for the San Francisco Net Impact Professional Chapter which brought together three interesting voices on Urban Ag. I took some notes on my trusty Iphone and have shared them below:

• Keith Agoada – Sky Vegetables [GreenBiz article]

Q: How did you get started?

A: Working with plants is easier than working with people

• David Stockhausen – Amyitis Gardens [about them]

Q: What do you do?

A: Mission residents producing mission food for mission restaurants

• Mei Ling Hui - Responsible for urban agriculture, City of San Francisco. Read Mayor Newsom’s Executive Directive on Healthy and Sustainable Food for San Francisco.

Problem: Providing healthy food access to low income neighborhoods

Solution: Edge farmers markets are most successful – serve high income and low income [Alemany Farm]

USF Umthombo Club

Had the fantastic opportunity to attend a screening about street childern in South Africa put on by USF’s Umthombo Club

“With the former street children behind the camera, director Billy Raftery’s Children Rise provides an authentic and intimate look into the lives of Durban’s street children. In search of a better life, these kids find only a world of prostitution, drug addiction and extreme violence.”

Check out the website and trailer here.

It is great to be in an environment where people have a concern for causes that are hard to relate to themselves and especially coming from such a rich country like the United States. I have to say that this is one of the reasons that I love college and the University of San Francisco. While your at it join Umthombo’s Facebook group so you can get the updates.