What is the "Ag/Urban Frontier"?

 

• This uniquely modern "new frontier" is represented by gentrified inner cities, urban ghettos and vast open agricultural fields situated next door to each other. Though this type of juxtaposition is still a phenomemon on the increase, it can be found in every developed and developing country. Within a one hundred mile radius of Davis, California, densely populated "big cities" such as Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area are separated by some of the most productive farmlands in the world, many of them tenanted by economically disadvantaged farmworker populations. This quiltwork of urban and agricultural settings brings divergent cultures, occupations and lifestyles together.
• On August 17 the Center for Environmental Health Sciences will sponsor an opportunity for community members of every persuasion to come together at a Town Hall Meeting to listen to problems caused by ag/urban sprawl---such as air and water quality, land use and agricultural practices, and the economics of environmental management. The five hour program will focus on local issues presented by representatives of government and advocacy groups. A moderated panel discussion presenting viewpoints on some of the key environmental issues will feature open mikes for participation from audience members and will hopefully lead to the formulation of recommendations for future management policies.