Urban Farming on the Fringe: The State of Urban Agriculture in Four Cities of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Region

Abstract

This thesis examines local food production and urban agriculture in four cities of the Milwaukee metropolitan region: Waukesha, West Bend, Mequon, and Racine. More specifically, it (1) examines what city laws, regulations, and policies are in place to promote urban agriculture, and (2) combines that data with interviews of practitioners and activists to posit each city?s experience in a regional food system context. Its purpose is to begin building a foundation of knowledge of food systems surrounding dense inner cities, starting with the Milwaukee region. In doing this, it contributes to the broader literature portraying food systems in a regional context.