Today I thought we could talk about Urban Farming. Many people aren't entirely sure what urban farming is, and no it isn't just the old fashioned type of farming or even the large commercial type. Urban farming is where people living in an urban setting such as my city Cedar Rapids, strive to attain a more sustainable form of life. We all do it for different reasons, but the common back bone is that we want to be able to grow our own food source.
I got into the idea of urban farming several years ago when I lived overseas in Cairo, Egypt. I would spend my day trips into the city observing the many families who had no choice but to raise their own food to survive. There are many people here in the U.S. who have also been doing the same thing as the cost of our food increases on a yearly level. With food costs increasing each and every year it makes it exceedingly more difficult for families to afford the food that they would normally purchase at a store such as Walmart or Hy-Vee (a local chain here in Iowa).
Another reason is that many people have opened their eyes to what goes into the foods we buy from large commercial chains such as the aforementioned Walmart. There are many harmful chemicals that go into raising both the produce and the meats that you buy at large food store chains in order to maximize the farmers crop each year. Chemicals such as GMO's have proven to be harmful after long term exposure, and while one package says things like cage free (poulty) and another says organic, while even another says natural of free-range (poultry again), people just simply don't know what the differences are. (In another post I will talk about the differences between such labels) And when they can't be confident that they are buying a healthy form of food, individuals turn to urban farming as a way of supplying the foods they need as they can ensure that what goes into their foods is in fact healthy.
study of the long term effects of GMOs (now isn't that just gross and sad?)
I chose to get into urban farming for a mix of all the above reasons (and of course there are many more). It is still a work in progress thing for us as we really only started to try this year, and with the excruciating drought that plagued the country, and more specifically the Midwest, it made it exceedingly difficult to truly be an urban farmer all the way. It is my goal that over the next twelve months we will refine what we did learn this year, and i hope to be able to provide all the produce we would normally purchase at the local grocery store.
I do have to give many stores some credit. As the interest in where one's food comes from increases, and a concern over what is considered to be healthy and what isn't rises, more and more stores are now selling food that is prepared and grown in an organic and healthy manner. But with that comes a much higher price tag. For me anyways, the great thing about urban farming is the amazing price tag that comes with it. There are only a few things that you actually have to pay for i.e. the seeds or plants themselves, the dirt if you can't compost and that is pretty much it. However urban farming can be very expensive if you are someone who uses nutritional supplements to keep your garden bearing fruit above the norm (and that isn't a necessarily bad thing).
Now if you are someone who wants to get into urban farming (and I highly suggest it), but you are wondering how you can afford the costs to start such an undertaking there are many free avenues available to you. Everything that we use in our garden has either been re-purposed or recycled, and as far as fertilizers go I raise my own chickens, and chicken manure is one of the best fertilizers to add to a backyard compost. It does take some time to compost however, so plan accordingly if you choose to use chicken manure. It takes about 3 to 6 months to cure properly. Another wonderful resource is your city itself. Many cities have started their own compost that is free to residents. As far as building materials that you need for the garden beds if you choose to make raised beds, browse through your online resources such as craigslist for free pallets. We re-purpose pallets to build our garden beds, and they work wonderfully. Keep in mind they do require some effort to tear apart though.
Most importantly, have fun with what you do. You want your garden to be an enjoyable one, and if done right it can be the best de-stresser you have ever had.
Ciao xo
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