This case study outlines a system design process undertaken for Urban Leaf, an NYC-based startup who's mission is to promote transition to localized food systems. The goal of this project was to design a way for community centers to move away from centralized supply chains and have the ability to tackle food insecurity in low-income communities during the winter months.
Collaborators: Mark Araujo, Daniel Rapoport
Client: Urban Leaf, an NYC-based indoor gardening startup
Subject Matter Experts: Kevin Rabbit and Kim Roberts, master gardeners@ Roger Williams Park Produce Donation Garden
How might we Address food insecurity in urban centers during winter months?
Food insecurity is a global issue that often requires local interventions. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that 17.4 million U.S. households face food insecurity in any given year. Food insecurity does not necessarily cause hunger, but hunger is a possible outcome of food insecurity.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, 25.2 % households in the state of Rhode Island experienced some form of food insecurity, the highest level recorded in the last 20 years.
To respond to this challenge, we developed EverGreen, a modular indoor garderning grow kit designed as a ready-to-assemble & flat-pack kit for community centers and gardens to support their food donation efforts by allowing them to adapt their operations during the winter months and support remote training for volunteers year-round. The kit's form and function emulates the outdoor gardening experience while increasing productivity of the gardener and our food systems.
