As you eat a piece of pizza at Fountain, a chicken sandwich from the Atrium, or even a hot dog from the C-Store, do you ever wonder where the ingredients from your food come from or how it is made?

Most of our food travels hundreds, if not thousands, of miles to get from the kitchen or farm to our plates. According to Laura Fieselman , a founder of the Raleigh City Farm, this generates a larger amount of pollution from travel compared to buying food locally and making it yourself.

Fieselman started the Raleigh City Farm when she saw there was interest in the sustainable farming community of Raleigh for an urban farm. Fieselman had worked on a similar project in Oregon, so she organized a group of people interested in the project and started the Raleigh City Farm board of directors,  The board is now working to have the farm up and running as soon as possible.

They have a one-acre plot of land on the corner of Franklin and Blount Streets. One of their next steps, which they are currently working on, is finding a Farm Manager.

“Our vision is to be a vibrant, productive farm in the city and to educate the community,” Fieselman said.

She hopes the farm will reestablish the connection between people and food. Furthermore, she hopes the farm will serve as a “learning lab” for the community. Students can learn biology by observing the different forms of life on the farm, math by measuring the different components needed to grow produce, or even art by using the organic curves of the vegetation as subjects for artwork, according to Fieselman.

Ariel Greenwood, a senior in psychology with a minor in agroecology and a member of the Raleigh City Farm leadership team, said the Raleigh City Farm might not be “Certified Organic,” but will definitely follow organic procedures.

“We are only considering farmers for the Farm Manager position who have spent considerable time learning organic methods for food production,” Greenwood said.

Furthermore, according to Greenwood, the Raleigh City Farm may even “one up” being certified organic by having an emphasis on the social, economical, sustainable and ecological needs of the community.

According to Chris Gunter, assistant professor in horticulture science, becoming certified as an organic farm is very costly, and there is not necessarily a need for the extra cost of certification.

“There has not been a definitive scientific study that proves that organic produce is healthier for you,” Gunter said.

Gunter’s main point, however, is that people should worry more about getting more fresh produce in their diet, whether it is “organic” or not. According to Gunter, benefits of the Raleigh City Farm include exposing people to farming and keeping money in the community.

There are certain challenges that come along with creating an urban farm, according to Fieselman.

“Land values in the city are more expensive in general than in rural areas and finding fertile land is difficult,” Fieselman said.

When selecting a plot for an urban farm you have to consider what was on the plot before and if it would have any effect on the soil, according to Gunter. Another thing of concern is your farm practices.

“If you use manure on an urban farm, your neighbors might get upset,” Gunter said.

While the Raleigh City Farm intends to be an active aspect of the community, it is not a community farm.

“A community garden either has small plots for the community to run or a big, shared farm,” Fieselman said. “Whereas an urban farm has produce for sale, in our case it’s a not-for-profit.”

Greenwood said she encourages her classmates to get involved in local food movements and said Raleigh City Farm is looking for student engagement.

“For students especially, we absolutely welcome your enthusiasm and ambition,” Greenwood said. “I would encourage students to check out the group on Facebook and the website and to contact us if they would like to help. We absolutely welcome the expertise of not only students but faculty and grad students in the relevant fields as well.”