While doing research on urban gardens and farms and programs to feed needy families, I learned about Detroit’s Earthworks Urban Farm, run by the Capuchin Soup Kitchen . Urban lots converted into productive ground now produce bountiful crops of fruits and vegetables. Neighbors and friends of all ages, incomes and faiths volunteer time and effort tending the gardens, (some 4,000 hours yearly), and the resulting fruits and vegetables provide food for the Capuchin Soup Kitchen and local markets.

The farm started with a small plot when, in 1997, Capuchin Friar Rick Samyn wanted to inspire a greater sense of connection between soup kitchen volunteers and the food they were serving. Twelve years later, the farm encompasses several additional lots. Last year, Earthworks raised 3 tons of food and 900 pounds of honey , and can now claim the "Certified Organic" label for its fruits and vegetables.

Additionally, its active role in providing food for the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, educational youth programs and contributions to the local residents’ health via fresh produce contributed to Natural Home Magazine naming it as #3 in their top 10 Urban Farms In the United States. Natural Home, an environmental publication, considered community service as its primary criteria in ranking the farms.

Earthworks educates neighborhood youth, and their primary goal is working for a just, beautiful food system. It is a working

study in social justice and in knowing the origin of the food we eat. Earthworks also participates in Project FRESH, a program designed to bring produce markets closer to low-income families and provide free produce to clients of the Women Infant and Children (WIC) organizations.

In nearly every state, urban gardening helps citizens stretch incomes decimated by the recession, reduce their impact on the environment and improve their diets. It also helps communities by turning trash-infested vacant lots into farms and gardens, and provides financial opportunities for nearby residents.

During World War II, “victory gardens” thrived. Today, citizens concerned about their environment have once again embraced this idea. Even cities are getting into the act. The mayor of San Francisco recently issued a directive whereby all city departments have six months to conduct an audit of unused land that can be turned into community gardens or farms.

On the opposite side of the United States, Seattle's P-Patch consists of some 68 gardens for Seattle residents. Some of the programs they offer include community gardening and community food security.  In 2008, P-Patch farms produced around 12 tons of food.

Cities and citizens across America understand the value of urban gardens and farms as a means to address hunger, provide income for residents and transform unsightly vacant lots into beautiful, abundant farms and gardens.  They saw a need and came together to develop a plan for an ongoing way to meet that need. They truly have teamed up for success.

A native of Louisiana, Carla Ledbetter now lives in Alexandria, LA, where she works as the Director of Web Content for Cenla Advantage Partnership, a nonprofit organization funded in part by The Rapides Foundation, dedicated to building prosperity in Central Louisiana. The author of three published suspense novels, she is currently working on her latest book, and can be found on Twitter, Facebook, Blogspot  and LinkedIn.