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Urban Farming

Urban Farming

Urban farming is growing vegetables within cities and this has become increasingly trendy in recent years. There are many great reasons for Urban Farming as the country has inherited thousands of unwanted properties, leaving plot after plot of vacant land. These gardens can also help in feeding the needy, for anyone who desires the freshness of just picked veggies and not the least to bring closer kinship to neighbors and families as they share their passion for gardening.

Urban farms are sprouting up across the country in cities like Detroit, Chicago and Philadelphia. When living in the city it is very common to see vacant lots littered with trash but when you turn the corner and instead see one of these lots transformed into a garden oasis it can’t help but bring a pleasant smile.

Urban farming takes on a number of differing types of gardens: Some gardens can be used to solely grow flowers, others are nurtured communally and their bounty shared, some have individual plots for personal use, while others are equipped with raised beds for disabled gardeners. These gardens also bring urban gardeners in touch with the actual planting and growing of their food, and it often breaks down typical isolation and this often causes a more rewarding social community.

Many of these gardens are on land that belongs to the community; it can be a church, a university, a school or even a section of a neighbor’s lot that isn’t being used. You can either tend your own plots or share the work and the harvest by having a joint garden.
Traditional supermarkets have moved out of the inner City and Urban Farming increases access to healthier food and fresh produce in these urban dwellings.

When involving young children and teens in Urban Farming, it not only exposes them to proudly growing their own food but helps fight obesity by having fresh vegetables and fruit available rather than high fat, high calorie foods. We are all aware that obesity is an ever- growing problem in our country. Once you have purchased corn on the cob, tomatoes and green peppers from a local Farmer’s Market and tasted the just picked freshness it is impossible to buy these items from a grocery store – at least while the season lasts – and experience the same deliciousness. It just doesn’t happen.

We all check our local Farmer’s Markets weeks before they are open and for weeks after they have closed for the season, hoping for one more meal of the delicious flavors of these products. Imagine going to the Urban Farm and picking what you and your fellow gardeners have planted and given TLC and were terribly concerned when the rain didn’t come and the pride you all had when the plants started to produce.

Urban farms come in many different sizes and shapes. Some of these gardens are simply a dozen raised beds on a vacant city lot. Others will have several acres in vegetable production. Best of all, these small organic farms don’t produce the hazards often associated with larger-scale agriculture like toxic runoff, pesticide drifts and offensive odors. Instead, they are an enticing welcoming spot in the center of the urban landscape that draws in people to work in tandem with each other to obtain a healthier and more pleasant life experience.

Since 80 percent of the U.S. population lives in cities or suburbs, food travels 25 percent farther that it did in 1980 and fruits and vegetables spend up to 14 days in transit, it is no wonder that putting in an Urban Farm foods you grow are much fresher and tastier than what we get at the local grocery store. Community gardens transform empty lots into green, living spaces. Happy Planting!

About the Author: Judy Patterson is a staff writer for SpicesInc.com and also heads up our merchandising efforts. She has more than 25 years of experience in sourcing out the some of the greatest and most innovative products across many various categories. When she isn’t busy writing articles or sourcing out new products for us she is tooling around town with her Black Standard Poodle Pepper. You can reach Judy at JudyPatterson@SpicesInc.com.