Research Project

Sustainable Agriculture (Urban Gardening)

James R. Allen, Ph.D.
Senior Researcher
Agricultural Experiment Station
202.274.7140
jallen@udc.edu

Sustainable agriculture gardening has become an increasingly popular, and some would say necessary, activity for urban households in the District of Columbia and nearby communities in Maryland and Virginia. However, this engaging, qualify of life community activity is becoming more difficult due to:

1. the lack of land space resulting from an increase in residential and commercial constructions; and
   
2. the need to grow crops without adding harmful herbicides and pesticides to our land, air and water resources.

In assisting community urban households with methods for addressing issues relating to diminishing available land for gardening the Agricultural Experiment Station’s staff conducts sustainable agricultural research; and in conjunction with the Community and Extension Services demonstrate to these urban gardeners how they can utilize sustainable agricultural techniques in order to maximize productivity and add plant nutrients in their gardens despite the small plots of land available to them.

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