When trying to figure out if it’s safe or not to grow your own food in urban soil, it’s important to first determine what real possible dangers there are. Is the risk is high enough to cause harm? “Urban farming does present some difficulties not seen in more rural environments; the greater concentrations of people and pollution can have an adverse...
New York City has been the home of major supermarkets, farmers markets and even the stock market but some residents are longing to turn unused or empty space within city limits to produce more local produce. Staten Island now even houses it’s first “LIVE-IN Urban Farmer”. “Zaro Bates has been hired as the resident farmer at Urby, a 900-unit,...
Even if you’re short on space, or gardening in urban areas, you can still grow some of your own food and enjoy a year-round garden. Container gardening can be very productive as long as you maximize your containers potential. As long as you have one large pot, (we suggest 18″ or larger in diameter) you can grow “10 different crops in a single...
If you want to get a jump start on your gardening outside, but temperatures are still quite cool, you can use milk jugs to create mini-greenhouses. “Three cold-treatment methods that work include: 1) Plant in recycled containers that are monitored outside; 2) Pre-chill the seeds in the refrigerator; and, 3) directly sow the seeds on prepared beds that are either...
Around the world, urban farming is becoming an important part of the city landscape. The new reality in which we live in, is that more than half of the worlds population is now urbanized. That number is expected to rise to nearly 70% by the middle of this century. “Today, urban farming is the buzzword for urban planners, whether it is in the industrialized...
Mr. Willie Anderson, an 82 year old Mississippi man, has been container gardening for over 8 years. He originally started out with 100 buckets, but now his garden boasts over 1000! He grows fruits, vegetables and herbs and even has a sprinkler set-up to water his “bucket garden”. The garden is totally organic. “I use grass clippings, soybean stalks,...
More than 50% of US land, is being used for agricultural purposes, but still land is a limited resource. Here’s two new innovative companies that are taking US farms to the rooftops. “The founders of the New York, NY-based Gotham Greens – Viraj Puri, Eric Haley, and Jenn Nelkin Frymark – had a vision for a local, ecologically-driven, urban farm operation...
Many urban dwellers have found that even in the smallest of spaces, you can create beauty through urban gardening. All you need is some creativity! “Inventive urban gardeners don’t dwell on what they don’t have, but use what they do have. ” Check out the full article here to find out how you can transform any piece of concrete, wall, rooftop or piece...
“All Freight Farms units are built in repurposed 40-foot insulated shipping containers. Everything from water to the LED lights in the units are digitally controlled, and each unit is also a Wifi hotspot, connected to the network of Freight Farm units across the country. Today more than 50 farmers are growing produce in refrigerated shipping containers known...
People living in urban areas are sometimes frightened about lead being in their soil. In a new study, they found that by using compost you can help keep yourself and your family safe from toxic lead poisoning. “Good compost will also guarantee that you will have plenty of vegetables to harvest.” The University of Washington led a study that looked...
People are becoming more aware about the benefits of plant-based diets, especially when it comes to the field of preventative medicine. Hospitals all over the world are starting to pay more attention to the food they serve. Instead of jello-cups, more hospitals are starting to use fruits and vegetables as healing tools. “Baptist Health South Florida’s...
One Japanese company is about to open up a “robot farm”, the first of it’s kind in the entire world. The plan is that the robots will carry out all but just one task needed to grow tens of thousands of plants each and every day. Starting in mid 2017, robots will do everything from watering, thinning, and harvesting lettuce. The farm should...
Join the club that delivers you garden seeds at just the right time of the year to plant them – hand selected based on your garden specs. Every month you’ll receive a collection of heritage garden seeds and everything you’ll need to get growing. Buy a subscription for yourself or give one as a gift! Sign up here: https://urbanorganicgardener.cratejoy.com/ How...
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...
Adult Volunteer Celine Belotti (center) assists Ava Foote in and Lucas Aga in planting vegetables at the Ecology Center at Malcolm Elementary School in Laguna Niguel.Additional Information ocfamily.garden 11/12/15 Photo by Nick Koon / Staff Photographer. The Ecology Center at Malcolm Elementary school trains teachers and volunteers on gardening so they can then teach...
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...
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