We grow enough food on the planet to feed every person. However, healthy food is not available to all. Many of our urban areas lack grocery stores or farmers’ markets that sell fresh fruits and vegetables at prices everyone can afford. Meanwhile, vacant lots abound. Our urban areas could be better utilized to produce hyper-local food to improve the food security of its population. Racial injustice, Food apartheid, and poverty are leading to micronutrient deficiencies in many populations, often called “hidden hunger.” And, poor diet is a top risk factor of diseases such as coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer.

The Agroecology lab is researching urban food security and dietary diversity in Washington, DC in an effort to design urban farms that best meet the needs of their surrounding populations.

Dr. Tully is the co-director of Farm the District, a non-profit in Washington, DC, which aims to promote food production in our urban areas. The operation is currently run out of the Temperance Alley garden in DC’s U Street Corridor where they produce around 1500 pounds of food a year and donate more than half to community food banks serving neighbors in need.