Farming in the City: Idea Rooted in History

Re “Most Fertile Soil in U.S. Is Covered by Cities,” Feb. 14: In the westward movement, the farmers settled on the best land they could find, and the merchant class following them established itself in the approximate geographic center of the farms. As the towns rooted on the best soil and expanded, the farmers got pushed outward to more and more marginal land.

The increasingly long distance necessary to get farm produce to markets has many liabilities. In addition to the increased traffic on our highways and the great amounts of gasoline or diesel fuel consumed, the produce is harvested before it is ripe and is therefore less nutritious and tasty. There is a real need to examine the feasibility of large-scale urban agriculture. There are great economic benefits to be gained.

William McCall

Arcadia