Public Produce: Cultivating Our Parks, Plazas, and Streets for Healthier Cities

Public Produce: Cultivating Our Parks, Plazas, and Streets for Healthier Cities by Darrin Nordahl is a dense, well-researched book. Nordahl shines a light on a perpetually overlooked area of making our neighborhoods—and ourselves—healthier. One way: public produce. Growing edible foods in public spaces has environmental, as well as health benefits. It’s a win-win situation. This second edition is packed with information explaining how civic agriculture can help knit communities closer together, while providing food security for its citizens. Starting with a straightforward explanation of our reliance on the industrial food production system—300 million people rely on food from only a few states—he makes measured arguments for why it is important for us to look more locally to feed ourselves, even if that means growing it ourselves. Nordahl adds his voice to those looking for ways for whole foods to reach all consumers, not just those who have the economics to buy organic. Backed up by research and statistics, Public Produce is a sobering look at our current situation and a rallying cry for getting involved and making a change. For me, Nordahl gives solid reasons for the why and how to get involved today.