Urban farming

Backyard farming includes a wide array of food-producing projects and activities. It involves growing plants and raising animals in a city environment. This is a “growing” activity which has potential to provide better nourishment for urban communities.

Urban farming can provide income opportunities but it is popular mostly for its sustainability, affordability convenience and healthfulness.

Farming in the city takes a few different forms such as backyard farming, rooftop gardens, balcony gardens, and guerrilla gardening in vacant areas in town.

 Types of Urban Farming

There has been quite a resurgence of urban backyard farming as a business venture. Farmers focus on niche markets and specialised produce. Urban farming is often community-based. It creates a sense of belonging and encourages healthy living.  These projects can be commercial and create jobs. Urban farming can contribute significantly to the city’s food requirements.

To farm successfully in the city quite a lot of planning needs to be done. Space and pollution can be a challenge but an advantage is the proximity to shops and restaurants.

You do not need to have a degree in farming there is a lot of information out there from which you can le learn all you need to know.

Businesses like to deal directly with the growers as this cuts out the middleman and cuts costs.

With Urban farming, you need to just make good use of the space you have. You can begin with your own garden to grow food and expand from there on.

Other backyard farming ideas

Allocate a small space in your yard where you can grow many varieties. You can use trellises cages and other structures. These gardens can be attractive as well as practical.

Fruit-bearing bushes like raspberries, blueberries and currents are nice bushes.  They bear fruit for many years.

With the population growth, human habitation patterns have changed.  Most people on the planet live in cities, Taking advantage of open urban space can be an important source of food such as fresh fruit and vegetables.

Pros and cons

•  Has great production potential
• Helps you buy local
• It is good for the ecosystem of the city.
• Urban farming helps build neighbourhoods
• Urban backyard farming alone Can’t Meet all of a city’s Nutritional Needs
• The possibility that food from urban farms could be contaminated by pollution