“Me, I planted some of my lettuces, and I regret it now with the frost expected tonight! This response came from a friend last week as we were discussing our respective future summer gardens. I reminded him of the saying to always wait until after Patriots’ Day to plant his vegetables. I admit it, I am an urban farmer and have been for years. In the spring, I count the days before this deadline in the rush to plant a new crop.
I am not alone in practicing urban agriculture. On the island, for example, more than 58% of Montrealers say they practice it. This includes growing inedible plants. Among them, 44% have vegetable gardens where fruits and vegetables grow. Access to a private space is all the more important since 60% garden on their land or on their balcony. We can easily believe that if Montrealers had access to more space, the percentage of urban farmers would be even higher.
Community and collective gardens are well-known solutions. However, we underestimate all the other unexploited places on the public domain that could allow very many people to devote themselves to agriculture in the city. Think of the strips of greenery in front of residences, the fallow land or the unused grassy areas in the many parks. In short, thousands of square meters have agricultural potential.
However, before 1967, urban agriculture abounded in Montreal. Its inhabitants coming from the countryside, they had integrated original practices adapted to the urban environment. Imagine, right in the middle of boulevard Saint-Joseph, small plots of vegetable gardens here and there. Imagine again, in the backyards, alleys entirely in production where chickens and goats sometimes rubbed shoulders. Preparing to receive the whole world in Montreal, Mayor Drapeau wanted to make his city a modern and clean place. That’s when the death knell sounded for agriculture in the city.
We had to wait decades and the influence of a movement coming from the American West to see the quiet reappearance of certain agricultural practices that had disappeared from the cities. Today, there are international congresses on the subject, and cities from all over the world share their experiences. There is even an innovation laboratory in the field at UQAM, the AU /LAB, masterfully directed by Éric Duchemin and Jean-Philippe Vermette.
Moreover, on May 17, the Tiers-lieu was launched at the Maison de projet on the Esplanade Cartier, in collaboration with the AULAB and Prével. This unique place dedicated to innovation, training and meetings will promote and encourage the emergence of new agricultural practices in urban areas in addition to integrating the imperatives of preserving biodiversity within real estate projects. .
The practice of gardening has been shown to bring many benefits to those lucky enough to put both hands in the ground. The reduction of stress and anxiety is a direct effect, as is the increase in the feeling of happiness. However, we often forget that those who spread nature in the city tend to create links with their fellow human beings. They are also creators of beauty. How many times, while walking in the streets or in an alley, can you stop to smile at the sight of a vegetable garden or a landscaped square of trees?
This urban activity brings other non-negligible benefits, such as the reduction of misdeeds and the improvement of the feeling of safety. Yes, planting perennials and vegetables in front of your house is a good move to reduce wild deposits. Result: a cleaner street and less expense to pick up junk left there illegally. Having a stronger and more active presence in yards and in front of homes also reduces vandalism and other mischief. This makes neighborhoods safer.
Beyond individual practice, it is possible to envisage much more. Let’s dream of nourishing cities and food autonomy. Is it utopian to imagine cities that would achieve food self-sufficiency? In Quebec, the city of L’Assomption obliges new industrial buildings to install agricultural greenhouses on their roofs. In France, a law goes in the same direction for the whole of the territory. A study carried out in 2021 confirmed that there was a potential for agricultural exploitation of 36 hectares just on the roofs of the Quebec metropolis. Everywhere we are experimenting with new forms of agriculture to make urban areas more resilient to the climate crisis. That’s excellent news.
All of these practices are complementary and demonstrate the need for innovation in urban planning. While traditional industrial agriculture is depleting the soil and still using astronomical quantities of pesticides, we are seeing the emergence of new forms of agriculture that could promote, at least in part, food self-sufficiency in urban areas. And it’s no longer utopia, we’re talking about very real projects here. While waiting for the advent of these feeder cities, I wish a good season to urban farmers. And a good cohabitation with our friends the squirrels, as much as possible!
CEO of the Institute for Urban Resilience and Innovation, professor and associate researcher, François William Croteau was mayor of Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie.