In order to succeed as a means to address vital social, economic, and environmental issues facing urban communities, urban agriculture must be understood in terms of its practice and context. Trends in US agriculture more broadly reveal considerations in the practice of growing food and farming as occupation that apply to both rural and urban agriculture while also revealing differences due to urban and suburban contexts, such as smaller sites in varied physical condition, distinct training and education needs, and different distribution and marketing opportunities and constraints. The urban perspective sheds light on concerns for local food access and community food security that shape leadership, approaches, and participation in urban agriculture. The paper concludes with opportunities for designers to merge perspectives from the practice and business of agriculture with urban place-making in order to steward long-term social, economic, and environmental viability.