At their core, debates over urban agriculture are about who has the right to control land, for what purposes, and who has the power to decide. While often framed as a new phenomenon, urban agriculture has long been used to inscribe and contest social hierarchies on the physical landscape. Taking Minneapolis as an example, I use methods from history and social science to trace urban agriculture debates over the last century beginning with Progressive Era city beautification efforts through to contemporary policies that govern access to land. My project speaks to pressing issues in urban history, food studies, and participatory policymaking.