The Latest Trends in How Urban Food is Grown

You’ve seen the buzzword, but what is urban farming and how is it changing agriculture? Read this to learn how people are using new food growing technology to bring farms to the city.

Have you thought about growing your own food? Do you think you can’t because you live in a big city and don’t have access to a lot of land? This definitely doesn’t have to be the case.

Urban farming makes it possible for you to grow your own food no matter where you live. In fact, approximately 15-20 percent of the world’s food is currently produced in urban areas.

If you’ve ever wondered, “what is urban farming?” now is your chance to find out.

Read on to learn more about urban farming and how you can start implementing it into your lifestyle.

What is Urban Farming?

Urban farming is simply the process of growing fruits, vegetables, herbs, and other plants in urban areas. Many people extend their farming to include raising animals like chickens, rabbits, and goats, as well.

Urban farms can be found in backyards, in vacant lots, in neglected city spaces, and even on balconies and fire escapes. You wouldn’t initially think that these areas are ideal for growing food and/or raising animals, but you’d be surprised what people can accomplish with a little ingenuity.

An urban farm can be run by a single person, or it can be more of a collaborative effort. In many cities, local residents work together to care for the farm and increase people’s access to healthy foods.

How to Get Started

Whether you just want a small herb garden or a larger, more diverse project, if the idea of urban farming has piqued your interest, you might be wondering what you need to do to get started.

Becoming an urban farmer is actually quite simple. Follow these steps and you’ll be well on your way to having your own farm:

Find Training

Here at Mr Stacky, we are experts in urban farming, and in particular Vertical Hydroponic Farming!   We can teach you all the basics such as location, light requirements, location, nutrients, natural disease and pest resistance, on-going maintenance etc etc.

Create a Business Plan

If you’re not planning to sell what you grow, you can skip this step; but, even if you’re not sure yet whether or not you want to sell, it can be helpful to figure out how you would approach the business.

Find an Appropriate Space

Here in the southern hemisphere, A north east aspect is the best location for a garden.   Somewhere sheltered from strong winds and somewhere large enough.  If you’re short on space, we recommend vertical gardening.   With today’s technology, vertical farming is the best method for small spaces.

Learn How to Harvest Early

Make sure you also do plenty of research into crop rotation and how to properly harvest, store, and process your crops before getting started.  Many first time farmers, let their plants grow to long which leads to bitter tasting food.  Also, they do not have a sufficient amount of seedlings available to re-plant.   We recommend having seedlings on hand basically all the time by using seeds to raise seedlings or purchasing store bought seedlings.

Want to Learn More?

Now that you have an answer to the question “what is urban farming?” are you interested in taking it up for yourself?

If so, check out our list of growers resources today. We’ve got information on everything from vertical and hydroponic gardening to basic gardening tips to ensure your garden stays healthy and vibrant.

Alternatively, contact Mr Stacky and we’ll be happy to help!