Urban Agriculture

NRE 501.031

Instructor: Prof. MaryCarol Hunter

Meets: Wed 6:30-8:30PM

Course Description:

Growing food in the city is an expanding practice in communities with and without food security.  Heralded by some as a viable and sustainable supplement to conventional food systems, urban agriculture has many challenges to implementation.  We will explore the motivations, benefits and difficulties of farming in the city itself.  The focus will be on temperate North American cities with special emphasis on Detroit and other northern cities that must contend with the limitations of winter weather.  To balance current theory with practical application, we will read and discuss a selection of scholarly papers and organizational reports.  Guest speakers, local leaders deeply involved with urban agriculture in the region, will offer their insights on practical aspects of implementation.  Discussion of the topics below will include a semester-long creative consideration of whether and how urban agriculture can provide a socially acceptable and successful alternative for the deficient food system in Detroit.   

Please note that this course will fulfill one of the MLAí¢â‚¬â„¢s NRE 791 studio requirement.