Beyond the Kale: Urban Agriculture and Social Justice Activism in New York City

by Kristin Reynolds, Kristin Reynolds

Urban agriculture is increasingly considered an important part of creating just and sustainable cities. Yet the benefits that many people attribute to urban agriculture―fresh food, green space, educational opportunities―can mask structural inequities, thereby making political transformation harder to achieve. Realizing social and environmental justice requires moving beyond food production to address deeper issues such as structural racism, gender inequity, and economic disparities. Beyond the Kale argues that urban agricultural projects focused explicitly on dismantling oppressive systems have the greatest potential to achieve substantive social change.

Through in-depth interviews and public forums with some of New York City’s most prominent urban agriculture activists and supporters, Kristin Reynolds and Nevin Cohen illustrate how some urban farmers and gardeners not only grow healthy food for their communities but also use their activities and spaces to disrupt the dynamics of power and privilege that perpetuate inequity. Addressing a significant gap in the urban agriculture literature, Beyond the Kale prioritizes the voices of people of color and women―activists and leaders whose strategies have often been underrepresented within the urban agriculture movement―and it examines the roles of scholarship in advancing social justice initiatives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Gardening

216 pages, Hardcover

First published August 15, 2016

Reviews

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a community gardener in NYC and our garden received a copy from the GreenThumb NYC Uprooting Racism workshop. I skipped the chapter on academic research since it wasn't applicable, but otherwise a super insightful book that surveyed a lot of the garden activist leadership in the city.

A few takeaways for our garden:

- keep talking about and incorporate racism / structural injustices into events so as to use the space to empower the community and to engage in advocacy as individuals

- get involved with activist organizations to influence politics and preserve gardens

- get counted on the farm census

- have representatives from the garden to attend community board meetings to stay informed and advocate for garden

[Kate Steele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot and as someone who works for one non-profit and volunteers for another that both work with low income and people of color this gave me a lot of food for thought (no pun intended) and ideas to educate myself more so I can be an advocate and ally.

[olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

read for capstone, interesting book