Much of the population that lives in urban areas isn’t able to maintain a diet that consists of a lot of fresh vegetables, herbs or fruit.  Money seems to play the number one factor for this, because fresh vegetables and fruits can be expensive in these areas.  The Mobile Good Food Market is changing this, by bringing more fresh produce into these areas without...

Several days a week, at Malcom Elementary School, kids anxiously wait to skip their recess during lunch hour. Instead of playing on the playground, children line up outside of the school’s garden.  The children work on starting vegetables and herbs from seed, and learn techniques for transplanting and thinning seedlings.  They also participate in activities...

Posted on Jan 30 2016 - 6:53pm by UOG
#1

Everyone loves simple and genius ways to save time in the garden. Over at OneLittleProject, they’ve outlined 17 Clever Vegetable Gardening Hacks that will save you time, money and headache in the garden. To get you excited, here’s just a handful of those tips! Keep Those Instructions Handy You know those plant tags you throw into the shed because you...

In the tunnels below London, you’ll find an abandoned bomb shelter that was once able to accommodate around 8,000 people.  These days, it provides a controllable environment ideal for growing crops underground. Their aim is to provide produce with zero effects on the environment.  The site is located just two miles from city center and promises “farm...

San Diego is moving in the right direction! Newly proposed was an incentive for owners of vacant or unsightly properties if they would set aside the land for gardening. “Under the Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone program, property owners would be allowed to enter into contracts at least five years long with the city and county of San Diego to allow their vacant,...

Urban farming on city rooftops is gaining popularity, and for many reasons. Everyone wants to consume food that is produced closer to home. Space limitations in a city such as Hong Kong make rooftop farming an attractive option for growers. Farming on the rooftop has numerous social, economic and environmental benefits. A HKU paper examining green roofs concluded...

Gardening in small space can be just as rewarding and fun as growing in a large garden area.  These days, urban gardeners are growing more of their own food in sometimes less than 100 square feet.  Balconies, patios, even indoor windowsills are a great place to grow vegetables and herbs.  Almost anything can be grown in a container, and if you’re wanting...

Arizona State University is tackling big questions as to what would some of the impacts be if urban farming continues to increase.  What would Phoenix look like if more of the vacant or empty lots were transformed into community, urban farms?  Would it mean that more locally grown food would be available to those who live near the farms? “Arizona State University...

For those who have a desire to garden but are lacking square footage, here are 40 awesome ways you can garden in small spaces! Most of these ideas use repurposed items that you might already have. 1. Grow succulents on top of wine bottle corks that have magnets secured to the back.  2. Use pallets to grow vertically. Especially useful on decks, patios and balconies.  ...

Today, all over the United States, chefs and restaurants have figured out a way to keep where their food sources more local. This means they could be growing their own tomatoes on a rooftop or even sourcing food from some of their customers backyard gardens. “The Perennial, a soon-to-open San Francisco eatery, plans to take the business of local sourcing several...

Posted on Jan 22 2016 - 7:18pm by UOG
#2

Once you have started your favorite tomato varieties by seed, and the garden soil outside reaches at least 50-60 degrees F at night, you’ll be ready to transplant your young tomato plants into your garden. If you want to ensure healthy tomato plants, there are a few steps you’ll want to take when planting them into the ground. Instead of digging a...

Did you know that in Philadelphia alone their 226 community and squatter gardens grew about 2 million pounds of vegetables and herbs back in 2008? Or how about Brooklyn’s “Added-Value Farm“, which is just shy of 3 acres and grows nearly 40,000 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables for the nearby low-income neighborhoods. Don’t forget about...

Image source: “Well+Good.com“ Fun and quirky urban farmers tell their story about how they planted vegetables and herbs in the back of a truck’s pick-up bed and literally drove around one of America’s largest cities. “The design and installation of the Truck Farm was simple, and took less than a day once materials had been collected,...

Off the coast of northwest Italy a group called the Ocean Reef Group along with a team of agricultural experts are installing ballon like mini greenhouses under the sea. Inside they are growing things like basil, strawberries, cabbage and beans.  They currently have 7 pods which can each hold around 22 potted plants. “Unlike underground hydroponic systems...

“Through Woolly Pocket’s community outreach discount, Team Detroit was able to bring life back to the tragic destruction of the century-old ‘Forrest Arms’ building in Mid-town Detroit. Team Detroit’s “Green the City” project was a success in creating dramatic hanging gardens by using Woolly Pockets!” -via “Youtube.com“ photo...

Source: facebook.com/HomelessGardenProject In the Homeless Garden Project, in Santa Cruz, trainees are able to learn about transitional employment in a structured environment. They also are learning basic life skills that are required for employment, while learning a variety of other marketable skills.   While volunteering in the gardens, they receive 4 hot meals...

“Growing one’s own food in urban areas can seem like a far-fetched idea. But not for one Pasadena family. The Dervaes family has been growing their own food for more than a decade. They’ve been at the forefront of urban homesteading by growing thousands of pounds of food annually in an average-size backyard. “I brought the country to the city...

One man, Tom Moggach, is teaching children all about the joys of gardening from a small urban garden located at a London school. They have several raised beds, and the school even built a polythene-covered greenhouse.  At this school, every Wednesday, the children get to spend time in this garden growing vegetables and herbs and for those really interested there’s...

If you’re looking to landscape your yard why not landscape with edibles? These edible plants will not only provide you beautiful surroundings to look at, but some healthy and nutritious food to eat.  These days a lot of people are finding ways to put their yard to work for them by planting edible trees, shrubs, and vines which will provide their family with...

Urban farming is taking off, and California is is getting a glimpse of what future agriculture might be like.  Take a look at this Long Beach urban farm, all part of The Growing Experiment. Here you’ll find countless fruits, veggies and herbs growing in 175 metal towers.  It’s also home to a 600 gallon tub filled with tilapia and goldfish. They use...