Urban farming a boon for city?
There is stored potential for a massive urban farming movement in Chattanooga, which would clean up the polluted parts of town, put empty lots in South and East Chattanooga to use, grow fresh food for the impoverished communities, and make Chattanooga more financially resilient and healthier.
We have all the resources to make it happen, and it would make our city more unique than it already is, as well as help to preserve one of the biggest reasons people move to and love Chattanooga: its close association with the outdoors and nature relative to most cities.
Other major cities across the country are already reaping the benefits of urban farming, but most are nowhere near what Chattanooga could become. With the economic instability we have all felt over this past year, it’s clear this aspect of sustainability is priceless, and our city should be leading this movement.
Derik Verkest