Urban Agriculture

Urban Agriculture is the practice and the fast growing phenomenon of growing food in city settings. This is done through community gardens, utilizing vacant lots, balcony gardens, back yards and for those willing to deal with the scrutiny of there neighbors their front yards.  Urban agriculture despite all the hype that it is receiving today is actually not a new phenomenon. Here in the US it has cropped up several times in the past couple centuries. One of the most notable occasions was during WW2 when people were urged to plant Victory Gardens. These gardens supplied more than half of all vegetables eaten during war years. This production right at people homes in cities led to supplies being freed up for the war effort.  Growing good food in the city is not as difficult as some people might think.  There are many things about cities that make growing food in them easier and more enjoyable than growing it in the country.    

Heat Island Effect:

Cities create there own micro climate protecting the delicate vegetables from the vagaries of the weather. Wind speed is reduced and temperatures are slightly higher in cities which improves plant growth and extends the growing season.

Easy Access:

When your garden is on your balcony it is not hard to take excellent care of it. While the difficulty will increase with the size and location of whatever you are growing the city offers many things that make it easy to care of a garden. Access to a ready to use clean water source is a great asset for growing quality food. Plus you will also be able to utilize the knowledge of the people and institutions like university extension offices to help you along the way.


Potential Profit

For a lot of people after they grow there first garden it will have had one of two effects on them.  One they end up hating it with a passion and they never want to pull a weed or pick up a shovel again.  But sometimes the passion gets turned the other way and they loved it.  They love it so much that they begin to look for ways to grow more and expand on what they are already doing.  This can and usually does lead to overproduction.  The excess needs to be done away with and the opportunities provided by urban agriculture make this a cinch.  Food shelters are always looking for fresh produce or you could sell to your friends and neighbors who most likely would love some fresh right from the garden food.  Being in a urban setting offers lots of potential customers right outside the garden and such a potentially profitable venture.  

 

Fringe Benefits

 

Urban gardens can produce not only high quality food but also provide a host of other benefits as well. They provide positive interactions between people and the environment. Provide fresh purified air in the center of cities. Restore more greenery to the center of concrete jungles and provide a ecological balance that is missing in most cities. There is also the numerous health benefits that come with gardening including exercise, fresh air, and a little shot of sunshine to give some color to office bound urban dwellers.

To learn more about urban agriculture I would suggest tracking down and reading a book called Urban Agriculture- Ideas and Designs for the New Food Revolution by David Tracey. This witty and highly entertaining book is a fun yet educational read. Packed full of fun facts and useful advice this book is great for growers of all levels and types. Whether you want a balcony full of plants or a half acre to call you own this is a good reference to read and have.

Until next time my fellow environmentalists

Josh

The downside to soil tilling

Tillage the practice of turning over and mixing the soil to incorporate nutrients, crop residues and to kill weeds in the fields. For many years tillage has been the go to soil preparation technique for its soil enhancement properties like,

• lightens the soil
• breaks up clay pans and compacted soils
• oxygenates the soil
• breaks up soil clods
• smooths out planting surface for seeds

But what we have discovered in recent years is that tillage can lead to more problems then it help alleviate. Studies have shown plow pan or compacted layers forming just beneath the extent of the cultivator blades which can restrict planting rooting depth. If your crops in the field or the garden cannot get their roots deep into the soil they will not do as well. One way to improve rooting into soil is to preserve soil structure as much as you can. Soil structure is essential to plant growth as it provides a perfect environment for roots to grow into. Good soil structure will hold water better but still have good drainage and will be full of organic matter which contains nutrients that the plant can use.

Tillage also can lead to excessive erosion in the soil because is breaks the soil into smaller and smaller particles which can easily be taken away by the wind or water. Erosion had lead to the loss of over 400 billion* dollars of productivity every year under current agriculture practices. With soil formation being a very slow process around .5 tons/acre/year it cannot keep up with the current loss of soil due to soil tillage practices.

Finally tillage is very expensive to do. It requires a large output of money for tractors, tillage equipment, and finally fuel to power those vehicles. This being done across the world on a annual and semi annual basis is a very expensive and unnecessary step in food production.

So if you are landowner or gardener please look into other ways of preparing soil for planting like no-till or mulch till. Getting away from tillage will save you time, money, and wear and tear on equipment.

Until next time my fellow environmentalist

Josh