Challenging food apartheids through urban agriculture
By Miryam Nacimento
In Syracuse, years of industrial decline, corporate-controlled food systems, and entrenched racial segregation have resulted in alarming levels of food insecurity, with many households experiencing limited access to nutritious food options. With a poverty rate of 29.6%, Syracuse ranks among the highest in the United States—a stark statistic that does not fully capture the daily struggles of families who grapple with soaring food prices and hardship. Communities of color are disproportionately affected by food insecurity compared to other groups due to discriminatory economic and housing policies. These highly exclusionary dynamics have led to a situation often referred to as ‘food apartheid,’ a system of segregation that limits access to affordable and healthy food in neighborhoods with significant Black and Latine populations, resettled refugees, and recent immigrants.
Grassroots community efforts attempt to withstand and challenge Syracuse’s food apartheid by building food sovereignty, the right to healthy, culturally appropriate, and sustainably produced food. This first Environmental Storytelling CNY community story highlights two local food sovereignty initiatives, illustrating how urban agriculture activists engage in small yet vibrant and impactful acts of resilience and cultural reclamation while tackling the challenges they encounter in their quest for food justice. Their efforts stand out in a food environment overshadowed by corporate capitalism, historical segregation, and deep-rooted social inequalities, demonstrating that community-driven initiatives can spark meaningful change.
Umoja Community Garden at Pioneer Homes
Tucked away in two small parking lot spaces at Pioneer Homes, a historic public housing project on Syracuse’s South Side, lies a vital micro-space of resistance dedicated to promoting sustainable eating and living: Umoja Community Garden. The garden exemplifies the transformative potential of urban agriculture, featuring fresh fruits, herbs, and vegetables that stand out like a tiny oasis in one of Syracuse’s most emblematic food apartheid areas.
From the construction of the I-81 highway and the destruction of the 15th Ward in the early 1960s to present-day redlining practices, Syracuse’s South Side—a predominantly African American neighborhood—has faced eradication and residential segregation. This legacy of injustice has contributed to an unequal distribution of food resources in the area. Specifically, the lack of affordable grocery stores leaves residents with no choice but to rely on corner stores that predominantly sell processed foods. Umoja and other gardens that are part of Syracuse Grows, a network of gardens in the city, play a critical role in addressing these inequalities in food access.
For the last five years, food justice advocate Mable Wilson has been managing the garden as a dedicated community organizer committed to reducing food insecurity by cultivating and sharing garden produce with residents. Mable sees edible gardens like Umoja as a powerful strategy of resilience in unhealthy food environments, linking this struggle to food sovereignty’s goals of autonomy, sustainability, and community empowerment. In Mable’s words: “The garden teaches us to be independent. That is the key. From this little space, we can feed many people who can’t afford the expensive food at the grocery stores. Also, we’ve learned that some of the produce we used to eat in the past was poison. By growing our food in the garden, we strengthen our community.”
Various garden features enable Pioneer Homes residents to achieve the increased levels of food autonomy that Mable celebrates. Firstly, the garden’s vibrant ecosystem, which includes plants that produce multiple harvests throughout the year, provides community members with a consistent supply of organic food. This availability reduces their reliance on mainstream markets. Additionally, as part of the garden activities, community members acquire the skills needed to independently cultivate food and cook with the garden produce, which allows them to learn about healthy eating. In this way, through local knowledge sharing, and small-scale forms of activism, urban community gardeners like Mable are creating alternative food networks that differ from those established by corporate food systems. These efforts lead to meaningful and lasting impacts on their communities.
Indeed, Umoja Garden does much more than challenge Syracuse’s food apartheid. In the garden, community members come together to celebrate the rich history of Black cuisine, engage in outreach efforts, and provide support to neighbors in economic need. These gatherings foster moments of joy and solidarity, beautifully reflected in the garden’s name. As Mable’s reminds us, Umoja is a Kiswahili word meaning unity, and is also one of the seven principles of Kwanza, a festivity of African American culture that celebrates family and community. For Mable and for residents of Pioneer Homes, the Umoja community garden creates a genuine and unifying bond between people, foregrounding the power of food as culture and healing medicine. More specifically, growing and sharing food allows community members to heal from the trauma of social exclusion and structural violence they have historically experienced, creating a nurturing environment that fosters resilience. In Mable’s words: “Many people here struggle with PTSD…but the garden helps them to reground themselves. The garden opens your soul. It brought me back to life.”
In the future, Mable envisions transforming the Umoja garden into a living library of plants, where people can learn about the agricultural histories of African American communities who lived and worked on the South Side. To achieve this, she aims to collect culinary stories from the African American community in Syracuse. Yet, the horizon for the Umoja community garden is uncertain. The planned relocation of I-81 and the redevelopment of Pioneer Homes will significantly impact the community, which leaves residents worried about the garden’s future. Urban agriculture advocates expect urban planners to place the garden at the heart of the Pioneer Homes redevelopment, recognizing its vital role in enhancing community well-being and sustainability.
Salt City Harvest Farm
Since 2014, Salt City Harvest Farm has transformed 7 acres in Kirkville into a nurturing space for New Americans eager to cultivate their own food and build a sustainable future in Syracuse. This community farm represents the essence of cultural exchange and solidarity, arising from the resilience of newly resettled refugee families in Syracuse’s Northside, alongside the dedication and commitment of local urban growers and volunteers. Initially, the farmers cultivated food in different community gardens throughout Syracuse. Yet various encounters sparked the creation of a collaborative food cultivation project that strengthens communities’ cultural ties and promotes sustainable agricultural practices.
In recent years, Onondaga County has received over 10,000 refugees from a wide range of ethnicities and geographical backgrounds such as Myanmar, Bhutan, Somalia, Nepal, Sudan, among others. Many refugee families reside on the north side of Syracuse, particularly in low-income neighborhoods that are considered food apartheids areas due to the lack of grocery stores. However, refugees encounter more than just general food accessibility issues. They struggle to find familiar foods that align with their cultural heritage, values, and religious beliefs.
Many culturally appropriate foods can be quite costly at local markets, making them hard to obtain. This limited access to diverse foods among New American populations can lead to a diminished sense of identity and may contribute to potential health issues resulting from dietary impositions. The complexity of these challenges demonstrates that food insecurity, food apartheids, and food sovereignty involve interconnected economic, social, and cultural factors.
In response, Salt City Harvest Farm is committed to empowering Syracuse’ refugees by providing land and resources for them to grow culturally significant foods and foster community connections in a city where they usually lack networks. In so doing, this community farm advances one of food sovereignty’s most important principles: ensuring that communities have access to foods that are not only nutritious but also culturally appropriate. Jacob Gigler-Caro, the Executive Director of Salt City Harvest Farm and a first-generation farmer, understands the importance of connecting with the land and the food it produces, which influenced his decision to embark on the journey of farming. This profound awareness of the value of our bond with the land fuels Jacob’s passion to unite refugees, volunteers, and others in a shared mission to grow food and promote cultural exchange. As he puts it, “Our mission here is to grow food, culture, and community.”
Improving peoples’ access to land is vital for bringing this mission to life. Thus, the farm offers 1/8-1/4 acre plots to empower refugee farming families. At the farm, they have the chance to grow culturally significant foods alongside others who may share their heritage, which allows refugees to nourish themselves with food sourced directly from their own harvest. Moreover, they receive technical assistance from the farm team through workshops in various areas, including soil irrigation, health, pest management, food safety, and post-harvest management. This farming opportunity presents an affordable way for New Americans to access the produce they value enriching their cultural and living experience in Syracuse.
This enhanced cultural experience on the farm goes beyond just growing food for personal consumption; it includes a meaningful sharing of food knowledge with community partners. As Jacob puts it: “Food is one of the main pillars of culture. Here, people learn about each other’s culture through food.” This cultural learning is facilitated by seed exchange activities in the spring and the organization of lively community feasts, potlucks, and workshops. During these events, farmers showcase their food and agricultural traditions, creating an enriching cultural dialogue that invites people to experience flavors that may otherwise seem distant or unfamiliar. By sharing their culinary heritage, farm members effectively dismantle social, economic, and communication barriers, uniting everyone through the universal practice of sharing food.
To ensure the sustainability of Salt City Harvest Farm and its agricultural mission, it is essential to improve its operating conditions. This includes securing long-term access to land, which will provide stability for investments and projects. Additionally, the farm needs to expand its access to markets, enabling it to reach a wider audience and strengthen community support. Achieving these goals will require ongoing resilience as they navigate the challenges posed by corporate control of food production and distribution in Syracuse.
