taking root
Refugee Urban Farmers:
“ I was really happy when they bought my vegetables, they looked so good and I know they tasted good. ” – Lin Lin
“ Doing farming is good for our health, we produce good vegetables to eat and we can be happy when our vegetables look good. ” – Tin Tun
Contents:
02
24
Research Paper
Branding
16
26
Problem / Solution
Visual Solution
18
33
Process
Sources
02
Urban Farming – Ashley Neufeld
Urban Farming is a common buzzword in American society today. The effects and practices of growing produce in the city environment has had great impact on both the personal and community levels. Farming practices have provided a means for recreation and fresh food for city dwellers. Urban Farming is by no means a new phenomenon in the United States. Its origins are rooted from the 1600s and farming practices have evolved into providing positive solutions in addressing deeply embedded social issues to decreasing food insecurity the United States is faced with today. Kansas City is one city that is using Urban Farming as a way to build connections and provide opportunities and healthy food for minorities and low income households. Food insecurity in Kansas and Missouri is above the United States average. Urban farming is one
solution to a major problem that deals with food injustice in which people of minorities, children and women are most commonly affected. In this paper I will start with outlining the benefits urban farming has brought to communities, the environment and providing a space for building connections and a common language between diverse people. Next I will focus on the organization Cultivate Kansas City, in how it aids in building community outreach and its programs designed for refugees. Then I will address a food desert in Kansas City that is embedded in the historically redlined area East of Troost Ave. Lastly, I will highlight the Kansas City Community Gardens in providing space for gardening in addressing food deserts, inequality and promoting community building through their spaces.
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The definition of Urban Farming is simply people growing food in a city setting. Locations for urban farming can include: rooftops, greenhouses, empty lots, backyards, community plots and front porches. Basically, anywhere plants can grow. In the United States urban farming has been on the incline since the 1970s and has greatly increased in recent years. The reemergence of urban farming, also known as garden farming, is manifested from the necessity to produce healthy, culturally relevant, fresh food in the urban setting today. Urban farming is a way to gain control over where and how one gets their food, an unusual occurrence for those choosing to live in a city setting. Rural communities have historically been known for being a place of farming and gardening simply because of additional, available space. Although, as city populations increase the need for food security rises and urban farming plays a role in meeting those needs. This increase has manifested in communities and organizations supporting and encouraging small scale farming and urban gardens. Urban farming is not new to the United States yet it is still a fairly foreign concept for people that have never lived close to the source of their food.
Urban farming can produce benefits on the personal level as well as for communities. Urban gardens frequently are built in unused lots, creating a healthy, beautiful use of space. In Kansas City there is currently an estimated 3,000 empty lots in which the city spends $300 a year, per lot to maintain the unused spaces (Smiechowski). In an effort to transition these empty lots into farming spaces the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is testing the lots for contaminates that would make them unsuitable for growing (Smiechowski). Urban farming is a productive and sustainable solution to wasted city space as well as an an opportunity for community engagement and recreation. Brooke Salvaggio is an organic farmer and food activist in KC, MO. She has found that in growing a garden, raising livestock and harvesting for sales there are direct benefits to living, in her words, “a simple life.” She recalls the benefits to activities in maintaining an organic farm, “they provide tremendous satisfaction and serve as a source of (gentle) entertainment, personal fulfillment, and empowerment (Salvaggio).”
04 Urban farming can provide recreation opportunities and form community interactions in spaces such as community gardens. Community gardens encourage people from a variety of backgrounds to engage and work together towards a common goal and shared activity. They can be a safe space for community involvement and be a way to effectively reduce crime rates in the areas they occupy. Steve Mann is a farmer and educator in the Kansas City area and has experienced this benefit. Stating, “people are outside, they’re seeing what’s going on. Criminals don’t like that. They don’t like people around when they do their stuff. So it’s helping a lot in that regard.” Urban farming may not only build and encourage community and personal growth, it also can have a positive impact on the environment and a cities green footprint. In cities, air pollution is a factor in the over production of sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide (James 7). Plants and trees in particular are the vital lungs of a city absorbing excess carbon dioxide in photosynthesis (James 7).
Food production provides healthy, culturally diverse, accessible produce to city dwellers (Schneider). This is especially true for people of minorities that do not have access to culturally relevant produce in the spaces they live and work. Michael Ableman the farmer and author of Street Farm: Growing Food, Jobs, and Hope on the Urban Frontier believes in the power of small scale farming in changing the “food crisis.” He states, “when less than 2 percent of the population is producing the fundamental nourishment for the rest, it requires chemical and industrial methods that are depleting the soil, polluting the water, and making us sick.” He states that when people actively become involved in the source of their food and participating in the process these issues are reversed. What exactly is the “food crisis” that Ableman is referring to? In the USDA report for 2017, 15 million American households, which is around 12% of the population, experiences food insecurity. Meaning, “their access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources.”
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“ When less than 2 percent of the population is producing the fundamental nourishment for the rest, it requires chemical and industrial methods that are depleting the soil, polluting the water, and making us sick. ” – Michael Ableman
Hunger directly affects quality of life, overall health, work performance, mood and specifically in children, their ability to grow and learn (Paynter). Around 12% of people in the Kansas City area are food insecure, the highest number is effecting approximately 50,000 children (Randle). A report was conducted by the University of Missouri titled, Urban Agriculture — Best Practices and Possibilities, in which their primary focus was on supporting
agriculture in Missouri’s metropolitan areas. The research was conducted as an online survey of Urban Sustainability Directors Network members and members of the Heartland Sustainability Network. The research stated the top food policy issues urban agriculture could address were health (100%), food security (93%), affordability (72%), energy (21%), and climate change (10%) (Hendrickson).
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Urban Farming is a common practice in cities today, although it is not a new trend. The beginning of Urban Farming dates back to the 1600s in the United States. In Jamestown, Virginia a law was passed enforcing the growth of gardens and orchards of those with 100+ acres of land (Gibson). Public parks also formed during this time period encouraging the use of natural spaces in the urban setting. The 1700s brought the distinction between “kitchen gardening” (food growth) and “pleasure gardening” (flowers, and plants for aesthetics) (Gibson). Landscape gardening emerged out of this distinction into the 1800s. Although this period was heavily influenced by recreational gardening and beautification, the first economic depression forced the government to provide vacant land for farm use to provide additional food security (Gibson). The 1900s formed official organizations such as the Garden Club of America, American Horticultural Society, and the US National Arboretum. These organizations helped to launch and support urban farming, giving individuals tools and funding to succeed. A major shift from the movement of rural communities to urban communities produced an increase in urban farming. The Great Depression forced people to grow food in the urban setting as a means
for survival when food was short. Community gardens were relied heavily on for healthy food and a way to earn income when resources were scarce. The economic upturn after World War II resulted in an average increase of disposable income a gardening was no longer a necessity for survival. In this time period urban farming transitioned into lawns and gardens kept for pleasure and beautification (Gibson). Farming as a whole then decreased significantly with the movement of people from rural to urban. The agriculture revolution is a dominate driver in this movement with the automation of machinery and increased innovation the number of man power to sustain farms has drastically decreased (Boyd). Today only 0.3% of Americans derive their primary income from farming (Bane 15). The migration of people into cities is still increasing in the United States and is projected to continue into the future. 82% of North Americans live in urban areas today. In 1950, 12 urban areas housed over 1 million people, in 2010 it was 41 areas and it is projected to increase to 53 by 2030 (Boyd). As city populations increase today the need for resources and accessibility of healthy, fresh food is a major concern. Since 2009 with the increase of unemployment, vegetable seed sales increased by 40% (Bane 19).
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KCCG
The reemergence of urban farming is stemmed from the 1970s when the back-to-the-land lifestyle sparked small-scale organic farming practices. Today there is a similar mindset and a call for local and organic food in the concern for personal and ecosystem health (Bane 6). This demand has created the fastest growing form of agriculture; small scale peri-urban farms for growing vegetables for local markets. Periurban agriculture is the “agriculture practices within and around cities which compete for resources (land, water, energy, labor) that could also serve other purposes to satisfy the requirements of the urban population.� Urban farming is present in major cities all around the United States. Kansas City is one urban area that is following the trend in supporting urban farming practices today. In 2010, a zoning ordinance was passed in KC allowing food to be grown in residential areas (Smiechowski). Before the ordinance passed residents were not able to grow food for profit. This ordinance has allowed urban farming to grow and thrive in the city. With the accessibility of urban farming practices, the number of nonprofit organizations has increased in support of the individual growers. This has lead to a vibrant, active community of like-minded people that
has sparked conversation and has increased the scope of urban farming in and around KC. There is a growing number of organizations that provide resources, community involvement, research and public policy in support of urban farming in KC, these include: Cultivate KC, Food Not Lawns, Growing Growers, Johnson County Community College Sustainable Agriculture Entrepreneurship Program, Kansas City Community Gardens, Kansas Department of Agriculture, Kansas State University Extension, Kansas State University Department of Horticulture Masters Degree in Urban Food Systems, Lincoln University Cooperative Extension, Missouri Department of Agriculture, and the University of Missouri Extension. The two organizations that I have focused my research on are Cultivate Kansas City and Kansas City Community Gardens. I have chosen these two organizations because of their commitment to urban farming in feeding the underprivileged in KC and the free resources and community engagement they provide.
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Cultivate KC Food Not Lawns Growing Growers Johnson County Community College Sustainable Agriculture Entrepreneurship Kansas City Community Gardens Kansas Department of Agriculture Kansas State University Extension Kansas State University Department of Horticulture Masters Degree in Urban Food Systems Lincoln University Cooperative Extension Missouri Department of Agriculture University of Missouri Extension
09 Cultivate KC is an umbrella organization for the Kansas City community that provides resources in state and federal legislation on food and agricultural issues. They produce educational materials, develop connections to local businesses and markets, host community events, and provide nutrition incentives for the community. Cultivate KC is a hub for anyone looking to grow from their back porch to owning their own plot and starting a business. The organization was founded in 2005 originally called, Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture. Their goal is to promote the growth of food in city neighborhoods to feed people. They believe that every person has a right to healthy, safe, affordable food. Their values promote urban gardening in creating a more democratic, just and sustainable food system. Food accessibility for the neediest is at the heart of Cultivate KCs purpose. Cultivate KC has expanded from a small staff and budget to an organization with a budget of $1.1 million. Cultivate KC provides nutrition incentives for the community aligning with their democratic values. Double Up Food Bucks is a program that provides low-income families the opportunity to double their SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) food dollars when purchasing locally sourced fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets around KC. Today 20 farmer’s markets in KC participate in the program. This program is available to over 1.1 million Kansas and Missouri residents that rely on SNAP benefits. For another incentive program, Cultivate KC partnered with the White Family Fund through the Menorah Heritage Foundation to provide a senior farmers market nutrition program. Through this program, seniors receive coupons to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at farmer’s markets in Kansas City, Kansas. Key goals of the program
are to make locally sourced food accessible to low income seniors, increase consumption and expansion of farmers markets and aid CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) programs. The CSA is an organization, originally influenced by Switzerland and Japan models of community farming out of the 1970s, that links food consumers with food producers (Bane 9). The CSA has expanded efforts of Urban farming by reducing costs, lessened the risks associated with starting a farm, and increased community connections to help support local farmers to thrive. The third program that Cultivate KC has in place is the El Centro nutrition incentive. This was created through a partnership with El Centro. El Centro is a non-for-profit organization with the mission of improving Latinos lives with educational, social and economic opportunities. The incentive program aids in providing incentive dollars to Spanish-speaking residents when participants complete a healthy options course at a participating market in the surrounding KC area. Once the course is complete they are provided with coupons to be used when buying fruits and vegetables.
10 Jennifer Marsh, now the Executive Director at the Alliance Against Family Violence, formerly held a position at Cultivate KC as the Director of Food Policy & Access. In this position she helped with the program’s community outreach and relationship building management for the nutrition incentive programs. Jennifer is motivated by her belief in the positive impact healthy food can create in the minds and bodies of a community (Cultivate KC). She states that people with low incomes often face adversity and additional trauma and necessities, such as safety, and housing take precedence in aiding their health. She goes on to say, “there’s no way you can begin to address and process trauma if your body is unhealthy and shutting down because you haven’t eaten or you haven’t eaten foods that help your body and mind function as they should be” (Cultivate KC). She believes in the positive impact Cultivate Kansas Cities food incentives provide for the entire community and specifically for the people that use government funded resources.
member (termed “friends”) pre-pay for an entire season of produce. The goal of the farmerconsumer relationship is to help transition the farmers to self-sufficiency and ultimately have an independently run farm business on their own land. Today over 60 CSA friends support the 11 farmers in the program. The connection is impactful for both participants. Testimonials from CSA friends reveal the unique relationship opportunity when discovering who grows the food on a personal level. A participant reflected on the experience saying, “I feel like I value the produce I prepare for my family more because I know and value the person that grew it. I like the idea of being connected to my food source and having a relationship with my farmer.” Another participant said, “I am so used to buying whatever I want at any season of the year. The CSA has brought me back to the sense of the rhythm of the seasons and seasonal produce. This is the way it was when I was a kid, and there is value in that idea.”
New Roots for refugees is a program supported by Cultivate KC and the Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. The program supports Refugee families in starting a farming business growing food of their culture within organic standards. For ten years the New Roots program has helped put $1 million in support of refugee families. 29 families have completed and graduated from the program. Each family receives an ¼ acre plot of land to grow produce on. The program lasts four years and assists the participants in all aspects of the business practices in urban farming. The CSA supports New Roots for Refugees by connecting participants with clients. This builds the farmer-to-consumer relationship and provides a unique opportunity for community connections. Through this connection the CSA
This year refugee farmers come from the Democrat Republic of Congo, Burma and Bhutan, the participants derive from farming backgrounds and come ready to share their experience with the United States as well as learn and adapt to the new environment. The end goal of the program is for farmers to be independent and have a successful business thriving after their four years. This goal is realized through 21 farmers continuing their practice and selling produce after graduating from New Roots. Ali Dawood and Oma Dar are two graduates that are originally from Burma settling in Kansas City, MO in 2012. They had prior experience growing in Burma before they entered the program. After completing the four years and selling on Saturdays and Sundays at local farmer’s markets and building connections
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“ There’s no way you can begin to address and process trauma if your body is unhealthy and shutting down because you haven’t eaten foods that help your body and mind function as they should be. ” – Jennifer Marsh
with CSA’s they have purchased a new plot of land on their own to continue their business. Beh Paw Gaw is another graduate who is also from Burma and belongs to the minority group of “Karen”, a group with their own language and culture. Prior to settling in the United States in 2007 she lived in a refugee camp in Thailand. After graduating the program in three years, she purchased a 2.5 acres of land in Kansas City, KS with the help of her sister Pay Lay. As a team they started Ki KoKo Farms (meaning “two sisters” in their native language). They grow traditional Burmese and American vegetables to both consume and sell at local farmer’s markets. Khadijo Yussuf is yet another recent graduate originally from Somalia. She grew up farming and learned techniques from her family in growing tomatoes, bananas, mangoes, and
other vegetables. She completed the program in five years and now owns a home with her husband and has planted a peach and pear tree alongside a large vegetable garden. Mee Nge is another graduate that is originally from Burma and moved to the US in 2008. In her home country her husband and her grew produce that they would sell door to door for profit. After selling in City Market on Saturdays and Sundays for four years in the program they now have two CSA deliveries, a market CSA, as well as selling two days at the market. The success of these graduates reflects the power of Cultivate KC in realizing their goals in developing a more democratic, just and sustainable food system.
12 Lin Lin is a refugee from Myanmar who arrived to the United States with her husband in 2009. They fled their homeland because of religious persecution to specific ethnic groups. Lin Lin has three children that were all born in the United States. Being a part of the program has afforded her the ability to raise her children as well as farm. Her husband works full time at a hotel and Lin Lin is able to have worklife balance and provide extra income to her family. She is proud of growing organically and is thankful for the opportunity to do work in which she has relevant experience derived from farming in her native land (Cultivate KC). She sells produce at the Lawrence farmers market under New Roots for Refugees. She states, “I was really happy when they bought my vegetables, they looked so good and I know they tasted good.” Tin Tun Aung and Win Mar are farmers also originally from Myanmar fleeing from the threat of ethnic cleansing. They have found the differences in farming in the United States compared to their homeland. One major component was that Americans want variety. In Myanmar they focused on growing long beans, peas and rice. Now they grow an abundance of produce: eggplant, okra, tomato, long bean, lettuce, cilantro, dill, swiss chard, beet, carrot, sweet potato, green bean and mint. Tin Tun Aung states, “doing farming is good for our health, we produce good vegetables to eat and we can be happy when our vegetables look good.” They want to continue farming after they graduate from the program and buy land to farm independently to make profit.
It estimated that 25-30 million Americans live in food deserts today (Gibson). The definition of a food desert is the lack of “fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods.” This is a real statistic for many parts of Kansas City, one in particular is East 63rd street in low-income areas East of Troost Avenue. This area is historically known for racial division and is an area that has experienced long-time neglect. The neglect reflects a multitude of food deserts in numerous neighborhoods. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has calculated that it takes 5,500 people contained in a one-mile radius in Kansas City to support a grocery store. In a number of neighborhoods East of Troost there is a considerably higher number of people without access to a grocery store. Multi-family and single family homes make up the majority of the population within these food deserts (Cultivate KC). This is one of the reasons why Cultivate KC exists, to provide education and advocacy for food insecurity by working to change policy and advocating for food rights (Cultivate KC). Education is vital when working toward solutions to this systemic problem. This is a problem that is termed as “food inequality” and it is a systemic racial problem as well (Randle). Denise Burnston is a resident far East of Troost who is forced to travel far West to find adequate, healthy food options. Burnston is a chemist who is black. She states, “It’s just a part of life, if you want something you’ve got to go where the white people are. This includes groceries” (Randle). Cultivate KC is working to solve food desert issues with advocating for
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Food Inequality Comparison Over 1/2 Mile from a Supermarket Number of People
3500
KC Neighborhoods
3000
Prospect Ave
2500
2000
E. 63rd
1500
1000
500
0
Low-Income
1000
500
800
400
600
300
400
200
200
100
0
0
Children (0-17)
Seniors (65+)
14
4%
Race & Ethnicity of SNAP Recipients
3%
15%
White Unknown African American Hispanic Native American Asian
urban agriculture as the solution. The KCMO Food Summit is one event that aims to bring together city staff and community leaders to discuss and address the issues of Kansas City, MO’s food system (Cultivate KC). Kansas City Community Gardens is an organization that is actively working to reverse food insecurity and food deserts in metropolitan KC. They do this with the mission of assisting low income households and community groups to produce food in backyard plots, vacant lots and community sites. Their goal is to transform the food system with urban farming practices. The program has existed over the past thirty years with the aim to, “improve nutrition, reduce food costs, combat obesity, increase physical activity, encourage neighborhood leadership,
30%
23% 26%
and promote locally grown and sustainable food” (KCCG). The organization was founded in 1979 by the Metropolitan Lutheran Ministry’s “Community Garden Project,” with the purpose to help low income families save money on their grocery bills. In 1985 the program became the nonprofit organization that it is today. They work toward their mission by providing free educational resources in gardening workshops, technical assistance, garden supplies, through their Self Help Gardening Resources and their Community Partner Gardens program (KCCG). A list of their programs they offer consist of: The Beanstalk Children’s Program, Community Partner Gardens, Rent a Plot, Home Gardens, Schoolyard Gardens, and Giving Grove.
15 Kansas City Community Gardens “Rent a Plot� program is one solution to reversing food deserts in the Kansas City area. The program offers a space for people to grow a garden if they do not have access or space to do so. Not only do they provide an open area to grow, additionally they can provide community involvement by connecting the neighboring growers in one general location. Each plot includes access to water, a shelter with picnic tables for rest and workspace, parking, compost area, and access to a portable toilet. The Community Gardens are available in eight locations in Kansas City. One location is located on Troost Avenue in the Kauffman Legacy Park Community Garden and Orchard offering 63 raised bed plots. Various notable locations include, The Eastwood Hills Community Garden, located where the previous city jail once stood, the land offers a space for community members to garden where previously inmates had developed and gardened the area. The Northrup Park Community Garden was the first large scale Community Garden in Kansas City, KS. This garden is associated with a partnership with the Latino Health for All Coalition in providing access to this garden specifically for Latino Families located in the community area. The Research Medical Center Community Garden offers a space for people to grow healthy food and to promote an active lifestyle. This garden additionally provides a beautiful space for patients to look out upon from the hospital windows and as a calming space for patients and relatives to walk through. The Rent a Plot program offers a low cost space to garden that promotes their purpose to provide low income people with resources to for urban farming.
Urban farming is a strong force in Kansas City in developing community connections, providing opportunities for refugees, and aiding food security in a failing food system. Having control over food in the urban setting can only provide healthier and more affordable food for people who typically do not have control in the source of their food. It is not the only solution in fixing a food system that is failing the underprivileged in the United States, but it is a step in a positive direction. The positive effects it has had for the personal lives of refugees that may need extra income, food incentive programs that aid SNAP benefits users, and the opportunity to start a plot in a low income neighborhood are all practices that are giving hope to the Kansas City Community. Having access to healthy food is not a privilege, it is a fundamental human right. Urban farming in KC is addressing this fact and aiding in making that right available for the neediest in Kansas City today.
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Problem Urban farming requires planning, time, space, and money. These factors can make the practice inaccessible for people who do not have the resources or time to start an urban farm. People with less free time and additional resources are statistically low income, minorities, and single parent households. The demographics of people who have additional barriers to urban farming also match food inaccessibility demographics in KC. Not only do these people have less time, space, and income to take control over the source of their food, they additionally live in areas termed as “food deserts.�
Solution Demographic: low income families that live in food deserts. To educate people in the basics of urban farming in an accessible, universal way. In order to promote control of their personal health and well being through simplified education of how to begin an urban farm. A app dedicated to simplifying the process of how to start an urban farm, in any capacity, in the KC area. Including a Spanish option for the app to aid the target demographic. A printed pamphlet that condenses the information of the app for people that have no access to technology. Using resources from Kansas City organizations to keep the solution local and accessible. Resources generated from Cultivate KC and Kansas City Community Gardens.
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Top Food Policy Issues Urban Agriculture can Address Kansas City, Columbia, St. Louis, MO
Climate Change
Energy
10%
21%
Affordability
Food Security
Health
72%
93%
100%
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Ideation
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App Looking at the statistics of the demographic of people most affected by food deserts drives the problem that inequality in the food system directly effects minorities and low income families. I focused on creating an app based on smart phone usage for my target demographic. The infographic below highlights that low income people have a higher access to smartphones than any other form of Internet. Therefore creating an app would best meet my target audiences needs.
Smartphone Usage & Income Less than $30,000/yr
$30,000 - $74,999
$75,000 or more 5%
10%
12% 27%
23% 63%
Do not have broadband at home
32%
56%
Have few access options other than smartphones
68%
Total smartphone dependent
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Wayfinding Orientation determining one’s location relative to nearby objects Route choosing a route to get to the destination Minimize number of navigation choices, shortest route to destination, use of clear signs Route monitoring monitoring the chosen route to confirm that it is leading to the destination Destination recognition give destinations clear and consistent identities Objectives simplify the information, urban farming distilled, road map to the basics Universal Principles of Design
Pentagram London College of Communications
I was inspired by wayfinding when looking to distill information and provide an accessible guide to urban farming for everyone. My purpose was to make the content the top priority. I did this by paying close attention to detail, using hierarchy, testing, and constantly reminding myself that good design is invisible.
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Site Map
Planting Schedule Purchase Community Profile
Grow
My Plants
Cost
By Month
Plant Guide
Herbs
Date
Plants
Vegetables
Supplies Supply Info.
Plants
Accessibility Reinforcing the purpose of my project is the intention of accessible design. I focused on two categories of accessibility when designing my project: 1. visual 2. learning.
UNO partnered with ColorADD to create the first cardgame for the color blind.
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Visual:
Font choice Helvetica Neue. Precise, dependable, evokes control. Color Black and white with one pop color. Green chosen to convey what is culturally associated with farming. Color blindness was kept in mind. Limiting the color palette and not using it to differentiate elements aids people who are color blind. Hierarchy Consistent hierarchy is used to help with navigation and readability. Long-sightedness Type size was considered heavily in print and throughout the app. Leaning towards aiding people of poor eyesite by using a higher point size.
Learning:
Language The audience consists of Spanish speakers. A toggle on the profile page translates the app into Spanish. Accessibility Language is kept simple and straight forward to open accessibility to any education level. Symbols Used to direct people who may have a hard time reading English. Pictures Provide education and context for the audience that doesn’t have any gardening background.
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Typography Helvetica Neue
Bold: clean, dependable, quality Regular: user friendly, approachable, accessible
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Icons 31
$ Color
#000000
#FFFFFF
#4CD964
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Profile Planting Schedule Individualized planting schedule to remind and update you when to plant according to date.
Community Information from Kansas City Community Gardens and Cultivate KC. Stay connected with the urban farming community and attend workshops, events and meet other gardeners.
Purchase Add plants to your basket from the cost guide. Keep a running total and know your cost before you head to the store. Know where to go and what the best local deals are for herbs and vegetable seeds in KC.
My Plants Keep track of what you have in your garden and note the date you planted to monitor your plants and help them thrive.
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Grow
Cost
Grow by Month
Herbs
Monthly calendar view helps you visualize when to start planting your seeds. Choose a date and instantly know what you can plant. Plan for the future and look ahead to make informed decisions when starting your garden.
A guide to compare the cost of herbs across Kansas City. Comparing Kansas City Community Gardens, The Home Depot, Walmart, and the online store Rareseeds.
Plant Guide
Vegetables
The plant guide informs you on the specific growing instructions for each vegetable or herb you choose to plant. Know when to plant, how to plant, when to harvest, and how to store your product. Information is distilled to highlight important facts from root to plate.
Add seeds directly to your cart from the cost sheet to compare totals and save a shopping list to help you budget the cost of urban farming.
Supplies Gardening Basics A short list of recommended supplies to start your urban farm. Descriptions of each item help you determine if you need to invest in the supply before you buy it. Detailed information such as supply use, care, and tips keep you informed when choosing what supplies you need to start your urban farm in any capacity.
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Sources Ableman, Michael. Street Farm: Growing Food, Jobs, and Hope
on the Urban Frontier. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2016. Bane , Peter, and David Holmgren. The Permaculture Handbook:New Society Publishers, 2012. Boyd, Bret. “Urbanization and the Mass Movement of People to Cities.” Grayline Group, 18 May 2018, graylinegroup.com/ urbanization-catalyst-overview/. Gibson , Marena. “History of Urban Farming, and Its 21st Century Resurgence.” Zoom Out Mycology, 31 Mar. 2017, www. zoomoutmycology.com/blog/repeating-history-urban-farming-inamerica-is-back-and-here-to-stay. Hendrickson, Mary K, et al. “Urban Agriculture – Best Practices and Possibilities.” June 2012. James, Matt, and Marianne Majerus. The Urban Gardener. Royal Horticultural Society, 2017. “ Kansas City Community Gardens .” - Kansas City Community Gardens, kccg.org/.“Our Work.” Cultivate KC, www.cultivatekc.org/our-work/. Paynter, Ben, and Ben Paynter. “The U.S. Continues to Make Barely Any Progress against Food Insecurity.”
Fast Company , Fast Company, 10 Sept. 2018, www.
fastcompany.com/90232812/the-2018-udsa-food-insecurityreport-is-bleak. Randle, Aaron. “A Grocery Divide: Why Do so Many Stores East of Troost Lack Healthy Food?” Kansascity, The Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2018, www.kansascity.com/living/health-fitness article219528630.html. Salvaggio, Brooke. “EDIBLE Q&A: TALK DIRTY TO ME.” Edible Rhody, 27 Sept. 2013, ediblenetwork.com/kansascity/edible-qatalk-dirty-to-me/. Schneider, Caroline. “Urban Agriculture: The Potential and Challenges of Producing Food in Cities.” Soil Contaminants | Soil Science Society of America, 19 Sept. 2013, www.soils.org/ discover-soils/story/urban-agriculture-potential-and-challengesproducing-food-cities. Smiechowski, Jenny. “Urban Agriculture Blossoms in Kansas City after Pasage of Farm-Friendly Zoning Ordinance.” Seedstock, 17 Apr. 2014, seedstock.com/2014/04/17/urbanagriculture-blossoms-in-kansas-city-after-passage-of-farmfriendly-zoning-ordinance/.