On a crisp early spring day in April 2015, Ei orchestrated a tour of Atlanta’s robust urban agriculture (ag) for Fulton County and EPA Region 4. The overt tour purpose was to introduce Valerie Rawls, Fulton County senior policy advisor to Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman John Eaves, and Kim Charick, EPA physical scientist in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Division, to the local farmers | non-profits operating farms.
On a deeper level, the tour educated Valerie, Kim and Holly on the urban agriculture systems in-place, their connectivity (or lack thereof), the far-reaching implications of urban farms beyond providing fresh, seasonal produce to impoverished neighborhoods, and the valuable role compost plays on the farms.
On the surface the urban agriculture tours were a fun day spent with new and long-time friends. Yet the undercurrent of imperative action was strong and it was thrilling to realize urban agriculture’s vital role on fronts beyond food security and community engagement.
The RiA Magazine article, Urban Agriculture: vital on many fronts, chronicles the monumental day while the Ei FB album, 04-03-15 Atlanta Urban Ag Tours, gives a pictorial recap.