The South Side of Chicago in particular, saw an outburst of steel production during World War II that at one point, accounted for \u200b\u200b20 percent of all steel made in the U.S. But steel production in the \u201950s and \u201960s declined and many factories were abandoned, leaving behind harm to the land and its residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Promises by the government to clean up contaminated and vacant properties have been slow to materialize, leaving the community to come up with its own solutions. Organizations like the Urban Growers Collective<\/a> are spearheading such efforts to make green spaces more just and equitable in areas that have been historically divested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Darion Crawford, an Urban Farmer and Compost Coordinator with UGC spoke with with Hugo Balta<\/a>, publisher of Illinois Latino News on the podcast, \u201c3 Questions With\u2026\u201d<\/a> about supporting communities in developing systems where food is grown, prepared, and distributed within the community itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n