Food For All

April 1, 2026

By April Pearson

Urban farming involves planting, maintaining and harvesting community gardens, as well as growing food in public areas, so all have access to fresh and healthy food. As urban farming grows in popularity, more city dwellers are benefiting.

BENEFIT 1: ACCESSIBILITY 

Matthew 25’s Cultivate Hope Urban Farm, Cedar Rapids
“Before our work, this area was a food desert,” says Anyssa Ball, program manager for Cultivate Hope. “There wasn’t access to fresh vegetables. So we try to address general food access.”

Cultivate Hope strives to grow food closer to home, provide affordable produce and keep money local. On their two-acre farm, complete with a playground and classroom, there’s a greenhouse and garden for its subscription-based Community Supported Agriculture program. “Members purchase a share at the beginning of the year, and then for 20 weeks, they get a selection of vegetables weekly,” says Ball. The subscription is available at a reduced price for members who need it.

Garden-fresh greens, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes and other produce are distributed through the Cultivate Hope Corner Store’s free produce section. For those who wish to grow their own food, there are garden plots available for rent, “and we have a few garden beds that are set aside for anyone to harvest from,” says Ball. 

Giving Gardens, Grinnell
Jennifer Cogley, director of programs for Giving Gardens, notes that food insecurity is a significant concern. “In Grinnell, 36% of students are on free and reduced lunch, and there are other food-insecure neighbors who live at or below the federal poverty level,” she says. “Giving Gardens is one way individuals can access food without the potential stigma of going to a food pantry.”

Accessibility is key. Giving Gardens has eight robust community plots throughout town, making them within walking distance of several neighborhoods. Families and individuals are invited to pick their own food free of charge. “The community garden at the hospital has raised beds that are very high, so they’re wheelchair accessible,” says Cogley.  

Giving Gardens plots are chock full of tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, herbs and more, with some producing faster than they can be picked. “If there’s anything that’s ripe and ready to go but hasn’t been picked, its donated to the local food pantry,” says Cogley. In fact, Giving Gardens donates 1,000 pounds of produce every year. 

Birds & Bees Urban Farm, Des Moines 
Kathy Byrnes and Ed Fallon, founders of Birds & Bees, have long advocated for local food production. “We know that people want to have access to food when we have unpredictable events like a derecho or the COVID pandemic,” says Byrnes. “There were disruptions to our food systems, and we all experienced what it was like to worry about where our next meal was coming from.”

The couple operates a small, sustainable farm in their yard, where they raise rabbits, chickens and bees. They feed their livestock with kitchen scraps and their garden beds with livestock waste. As a result, they have fresh eggs, meat, honey and produce just steps from their home in the heart of the city. “Everybody used to grow food in their own spaces,” says Byrnes. “It was your patriotic duty. And I think it’s your patriotic duty to do so again, if you can.”

The City of Des Moines recently approved an initiative that Byrnes and Fallon proposed in 2023 — to plant an urban orchard in a food-insecure neighborhood. Thanks to their efforts, there are now 36 new apple, apricot, cherry, peach, pear, plum, and serviceberry (juneberry) trees in Drake Park. “This is the best use of public land — to grow food and bolster food security for all,” says Byrnes.

BENEFIT 2: EDUCATION 

Urban farming offers ample opportunities to educate enthusiastic growers of all ages and skill levels. 

Cultivate Hope offers summer camps for kids, a youth development program for teens and workshops for adults. “And we have two internships,” says Ball. “One is a six-month term, so they experience a full season, and the other is a three-month term for helping out with the teen program.”  

Giving Gardens is involved with numerous programs that include lessons about healthy food. “I work with P.O.W.E.R. Kids, which is Positive Opportunities for Wellness, Exercise and Reading for children in kindergarten through fifth grade,” says Cogley. 

Birds & Bees provides consultations and workshops that educate locals about urban farming and empower people to meet their food-growing goals. “We eat great food and want everyone to, as well,” says Byrnes. 

BENEFIT 3: ENGAGEMENT 

Volunteering with urban farms helps improve community life, address public concerns and promote neighbors’ well-being. It embodies civic engagement. 

Cultivate Hope offers regular volunteer opportunities for individuals and large groups. “It’s about more than food,” says Ball. “It’s about beautifying the neighborhood and creating a space where people feel welcome. It’s about forming connections.”

Giving Gardens also depends on volunteers for everything from planting to picking. “Giving Gardens would not happen without volunteers,” says Cogley. “We started with one garden, and now we have eight. It expanded a little bit at a time, because of grassroots efforts.”

Birds & Bees relied on volunteer help when planting the Drake Neighborhood orchard. “Thanks to 30 volunteers, we had the best time planting fruit trees. Then we all got together in the shelter and had pie,” says Byrnes. 

Urban farming offers advantages, including increased access to fresh food, participant education and neighbor-to-neighbor connections. These efforts help reduce food insecurity and empower people to take part in local food production. Ultimately, urban farming grows more than just food — it grows community. 

Photos courtesy of Matthew 25, Giving Gardens and Birds & Bees.