Published by City Farmer, Canada's Office of Urban Agriculture

Urban Agriculture in Napa - Academic/Theoretical Design Exercise

The material on this page contains parts of an academic design exercise created by 4 graduate students for their Master of Landscape Architecture program. This is not a municipal document for an Urban Agriculture plan for the City of Napa, California, but rather an in-class exercise.

"Here is a description of the urban agriculture master plan, non-profit organization, and general plan element that my graduate group at UC Berkeley put together for a project this fall." Brooke Ray Smith

Fall 2005 LA 201 Common Roots Design Project Department of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning University of California Berkeley.

Zachary Rutz
Alethea Harper
Erika Leachman
Brooke Ray Smith

Contact: brookeray@berkeley.edu

On this web page we have placed just a few extracts from the project. The following two links lead to both a pamphlet and section from a chapter written about the project. (Pdfs)
Pamphlet
Urban Agriculture Elements
Presentation Board with maps and photos

Major Objectives of Urban Agriculture

• Maintain and enhance Napa as an epicurean and culinary epicenter and an agricultural icon for the Napa Valley.
• Put under-utilized, fringe and Brownfield land into agricultural production for residents.
• Encourage small urban, neighborhood, cooperative, and infill farming.
• Incorporate 20% food producing landscaping in all new development and redevelopment.
• Develop a sustainable economy resulting from local agricultural production and delivery.
• Achieve a balanced, cooperative industry between private and public crop producing enterprises.

How does Napa Urban Agriculture Work?

In Napa, small fragmented farms are encouraged. Residents, small businesses, and city offices can make a profit by cultivating underused land parcels with food producing landscapes and bringing crops to the Napa City Crop Clearing House. Here's how it works!

Order plants from the Common Roots' City Nursery

Depending on the time of year and the location of the parcel you plan to cultivate, Common Roots will provide you with plants and growing instructions appropriate to your needs.

Plant, water, and care for your plants

Common Roots provides the plants and the training, you provide the soil and the love.

Harvest your crops

The more, the better!

Bring ripe fruit or vegetables to your Neighborhood Crop Clearing House

Every neighborhood has one! Using your bicycle cart, your electric wagon, or your own two feet, bring your crops to the Neighborhood Crop Clearing House for weighing and delivery to Napa's grocery stores and farmers markets. You will receive compensation directly for your contribution.

Your crops transferred to the City Crop Clearing House

Your crops are transferred on the Agriculture Cars of the Napa Light Rail system to the downtown Crop Clearing House for delivery to the residents of Napa.

Use your Napa Nuggets for goods and services within the city

Napa Nuggets are valuable for the purchase of fruits and vegetables at the Farmer's Market and honored by many Napa city businesses. Your garden makes you money!

Search Our Site

Return to Contents' Page