A midst the rising obesity epidemic there seems to be one city doing it right:

Boulder, Colorado. 

Boulder claims the lowest obesity rate in the nation: 12.4% compared to 27.1% nationally. 

You must be thinking, of course Boulder.

Its a city overpopulated with health nuts and triathletes, where the 300 plus days of sunshine and average 65 degree weather make it hard not to exercise.

Additionally, Boulder residents are generally highly educated with a keen awareness of the elements of a healthy lifestyle. 

But there’s something less obvious that sets Boulder apart: their prominent local food movement. 

Boulderites consume a high percentage of locally grown food in restaurants, schools, and homes. The government puts great emphasis on sustainable, organic, and locally grown agriculture. In fact, they are on track to having 20% of leased open-space lands in organic food production by 2020.

Is locally grown food feasible in a more urban industrialized city? 

New York City’s Gotham Greens is proving so with their innovative urban farm that utilizes the hydroponic technique. They are able to harvest 200 tons of organic, non-GMO produce a year without the use of soil. 

As the world becomes increasingly urbanized, urban farms like Gotham Greens may be the future of food production. In U.S. cities we may see a growth of local, healthy food and maybe Boulder, Colorado will no longer be such an anomaly.