Urban Sustainability Forum

High Tunnels: A Sustainable Solution for Local Urban Agriculture

Location: Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

                 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

       Date: February 15, 2012

       Time: 6:00 PM (Reception) 6:30 PM (Program)

Register at: http://hightunnels.eventbrite.com/ 

At this Urban Sustainability Forum, find out how high tunnels (Teens 4 Good's included) could help improve access to affordable, nutritious foods in Philadelphia. High tunnels are nonelectric, temporary structures that consist of a layer of plastic over a pipe frame. These structures, however, are not greenhouses. They do not require a permanent heating or ventilation system, ventilation is accomplished manually, and there are no furnaces or fans. High tunnels can extend the growing season and improve the yield and quality of vegetables, small fruits, and cut flowers.

Urban farming is a fast-growing movement in the United States, especially in Philadelphia. As more than 86 percent of the U.S. population now resides in or around urban areas, the sustained use of urban farming could contribute to food security, food safety, and workforce development. Increased availability of fresh and nutritious food in urban areas could combat the alarming rise of obesity and thus reduce related healthcare costs in the United States. High tunnel projects could help eliminate Philadelphia’s “food deserts,” or urban areas lacking access to nutritious, affordable food, and provide more fresh and nutritious specialty crops to underserved populations.