Urban agriculture has a long history entwined with place creation, personal expression and activism (Steel, 2008; Cohen, 2012). Despite regulatory and design interventions that attempt to hinder urban agriculture activities, communities continue to use it as a platform for exploration, experimentation and demonstration. What is revealing about the new food practices which have emerged in the second half of 20th century and into the 21st century is their ability to influence, inspire and inform like practices. This conviviality offers innovation opportunity for change makers within this space. This discussion will trace urban agriculture’s historical narrative with a particular focus on its use as a form of activism. It will then explore the critical junctions when new practices in food have informed like practices. This paper will specifically focus on how permaculture, has informed new food practices in an urban setting as an example of cross pollination between practices. Three categories of new food practices have been identified that demonstrate how permaculture has shaped the contemporary movement. These categories are Urban agriculture as a mode of participatory activism, reciprocity and employment. The discussion will conclude with a look at future food practice possibilities.