Growing Tomatoes On The Steps of New York City Hall

March 2nd, 2010 by Ashley DeForest

Growing Tomatoes On The Steps of New York City Hall

Can you imagine organic vegetables growing outside New York’s City Hall? If Daniel Bowman Simon gets his way a vegetable garden will be planted in front of city hall in time for a nice tomato harvest this summer.

Mr. Simon is busy organizing a petition drive to hand over to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, which says:

“This garden will represent New Yorkers’ commitment to education, public service, healthy eating, and environmental stewardship. This garden will be tended by NYC public school students, in collaboration with the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation and our region’s talented gardeners and farmers. The harvest will be donated to a nearby food pantry to feed the hungry.”

Mr. Simon isn’t just another urban ag fan with a dream–he has a notable track record of community organizing. Almost as soon as Barack Obama was elected president, Mr. Simon began a petition to have an organic garden planted on the White House lawn. About 15,000 people signed it, including several well-known chefs.

Of course, the first lady planted a garden for lots of reasons, but the petition probably didn’t hurt the cause. And now Mr. Simon, a graduate of New York University who is working on a masters in urban planning, believes he can lead a similar effort in his hometown.

“New York City likes to be ahead of the curve, but following the first lady’s good example would suit New York just fine,” he said in a recent New York Times article. And he says he thinks it fits in nicely with Mrs. Obama’s recent anti-obesity Let’s Move campaign.

Several other cities, including San Francisco; Milwaukee; and Portland, Ore., have put various kinds of vegetables gardens in front of their city halls. In New York, the idea is to plant raised beds in the paved area right in front of City Hall that is kept empty largely for security purposes.

“We’re just asking that a tiny little slice of concrete be turned into a bountiful, beautiful symbol of what is right in this city and the world,” Mr. Simon said.

The timing might actually be good, in terms of political support.

The Manhattan borough president, Scott M. Stringer, just released FoodNYC: A Blueprint for a Sustainable Food System. The report, developed from a gathering of experts in agriculture, nutrition and environmental sciences held in December, was put together with the help of the nonprofit organization Just Food.

It lists a wide range of goals, from reducing plastic bottles and food waste to mandating a food curriculum for public schoolchildren and offering meatless Mondays in school cafeterias.

The document also makes a case for improving local food systems and supporting urban agriculture. And what could be more local and more urban than a garden at New York City Hall?

Hat tip to CUNY Sustainable Cities Blog.

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