In my sustainable systems class I had the opportunity to visit OKO Farms, A small urban farm based in Brooklyn, New York. OKO Farms is responsive to and integrated with its community, growing edible vegetables and fruits all year round. The farm works by using the natural fertilizer of fish waste from a fish farm to grow plants in its own manufactured cycle of energy reuse. The benefits of using a system like this is food sovereignty: food that doesn’t rely on external systems to be manufactured. The food grown at OKO Farms is void of pesticides and other harmful compounds that one might find in food that gets imported to the surrounding food markets and restaurants.
