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There is growing evidence that community food production projects bring huge benefits to social cohesion, bolstering local communities to encourage healthier diets. They can educate giving the young a better appreciation of how our food system works and help with mental issues and isolation most commonly felt in remote rural communities.
V-Farms can provide local groups with an additional source of healthy, low-cost produce and a vehicle for change, revitalizing neighbourhoods falling into disrepair. Improved neighbourhood aesthetics and a sense of pride and ownership is known to reduced crime and increase community cohesion with a greater feeling of security and integration.
A number of studies have found that community gardens can increase social bonds and networks among neighbours and the people who participate in farming. Bridging racial and social gaps, reduce tensions, and foster social integration between otherwise segregated groups.
V-Farm community farms can be set up anywhere from village meeting rooms in remote villages, through to inner city food bank projects or within tower blocks or disused inner city industrial buildings. Serving as sites for education, youth development, and skills/workforce training opportunities helping teach young people about science, environmental stewardship, and healthy eating. Reskilling for adults and mental stimulation for the elderly.
V-Farms have valuable community development potential. The presence of plants is known to modify behaviour in a way that breaks down barriers, promoting social interaction, serving as an agent of change for communities. Building an important space for gathering, learning and socializing. It brings educational opportunities for the young, reskilling for deprived areas and a space for seniors to socialize and revisit skills learned during their childhood but with a modern twist.
It also extends to the wider community not directly involved with any farm project as if they know the families and farm that grew their food, may have even visited it on open days. When participating in buying and preparing food from the farm they develop a sense of involvement & ownership, which helps those not directly involved feel like part of their community, this leads to integration of the wider community and a further increased awareness to health and diet.
Since many immigrants have substantial experience in agriculture, community farm projects allow them to use their existing skill set to grow and sell produce and provide food access to immigrant families and communities. V-Farm projects can give immigrants an opportunity to grow crops they are familiar with at home and share their cultural varieties of vegetables and fruits with other residents and through neighbourhood markets, helping them network with other immigrants and also create shared opportunities with non-immigrant residents.
V- Farms deployed in urban environments can be part of a successful strategy for improving food access to food insecure areas. Despite the fact that studies have shown that urban agriculture cannot provide all the nutritional needs of communities, it can play an important part of the bigger picture plus raise nutrition awareness and increase healthy cooking and eating practices.
Two literature reviews discussed evidence that urban agriculture increases fruit and vegetable consumption among participants (K. H. Brown & Jameton, 2000; McCormack et al., 2010). Research shows that people who participate or have family members that participate in community gardens “were 3.5 times more likely to consume fruits and vegetables at least 5 times per day than people without a gardening household member” Youth involved in community garden programs discussed eating more fruits and vegetables and less junk food as a result of their participation (Ober Allen et al., 2008).
“The ultra-low energy V-Farm helps us grow locally. It’s the first commercially available, plug and play hydroponic farm that runs off the same electricity as a small domestic appliance. This hyperlocal approach reduces our transport fuel costs and emissions. Bringing food production closer to the kitchen at Home of Honest Coffee will help them to give back to the community and serve even fresher, tasty and nutritious food. It’s also providing business start-ups for ex-offenders to get their lives back on track and the many creatives who are benefitting from having such an inspirational venue in their local community. We are planning to introduce more V-Farms to similar kitchen environments in the Manchester area in the coming months. If there are small businesses and restaurants that share our ethos of sustainability and are interested in talking to us we’d love to hear from them.”
Jules Bagnoli, Founder of Refarming Ltd and Lecturer in Food Business Entrepreneurship at Manchester Metropolitan University